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Highlights and images for 10 February 2021
United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Policy Councils Meeting 2021
Highlights and images for 11 February 2021
Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF)
Highlights and images for 27 May 2020
Participants taking part in a virtual group photo
The first day of the virtual consultations on Innovating Climate Change Adaptation through Agroecology considered climate change adaptation needs in the agricultural sector and the role of agroecology in responding to these needs.
In opening remarks, Björn Niere, German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), emphasized the need for the agriculture and food sectors to adapt to the dramatic effects of climate change and urged embracing multi-dimensional approaches, such as agroecology, to address these complex effects.
Rowena Buena, MASIPAG, shared insights into her organization’s work, highlighting it is a Filipino farmer-led network working towards the sustainable use and management of biodiversity through farmers’ control of genetic and biological resources, agricultural production, and associated knowledge. She lamented that government support for agroecological measures is much lower than for conventional agriculture.
Alexander Müller, Managing Director, TMG Research, argued that adaptation strategies have to go beyond technological solutions and foster social innovation, gender equality, and strengthened communities.
During a panel discussion, Ronnie Brathwaite, UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), highlighted positive impacts of agroecology for which considerable evidence exists, notably regarding multiple income streams that benefit the stability of livelihoods. He suggested that the reluctance to adopt agroecological approaches might not be the result of a lack of evidence, but due to vested interests favoring the status quo.
Fergus Sinclair, World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), emphasized the need for scale and context specific metrics – ranging from plot and landscape scale to food systems scale – to show “precisely what works, for whom, where” and what return on investment can be expected in different settings.
Martin Herren, Biovision, presented the results of a meta-analysis showing climate change mitigation co-benefits of agroecological practices and a lack of research on the social and governance dimensions of agroecology.
Jocelyn Parot, URGENCI, said his organization focuses on local solidarity-based partnerships for agroecology and described agroecology as “a set of agricultural practices, a science, and a social movement.”
In closing statements, Niere reminded participants that the dialogue’s purpose is to develop key messages on the importance of agroecology for climate change adaptation. He urged participants to develop short, simple, understandable, and evidence-based messages to make the case for agroecology among policymakers.
Highlights and images for 11 February 2021
United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Policy Councils Meeting 2021
Highlights and images for 8 May 2019
14th Session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF14)
Highlights for Wednesday, 8 May 2019
Photos from "The World in Faces" photo project capturing portraits of various indigenous and forest peoples
On Wednesday, delegates at UNFF14 resumed discussions on the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Reform Pertaining to UNFF. Delegates asked for clarification on:
the options proposed for restructuring the UNFF Secretariat;
implications that these options would have on the operations of the Forum, budget and human resources;
how the reforms would affect UNFF’s capacity to fulfill its mandates; and
when the position of the UNFF Director would be filled.
Juwang Zhu, Officer-in-Charge, UNFF Secretariat, assured delegates that the operation and functions of UNFF would not be affected by UN DESA reforms, and that the UNFF’s Secretariat’s capacity to deliver on the Forum’s mandates would be strengthened. He also assured the Forum that the Director’s position is still under consideration.The Forum then addressed Means of Implementation, noting progress on the activities of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network (G3FN). They also heard from the Co-Chairs of the Expert Group Meeting on the Clearing House of the G3FN held in January 2019, where the core elements of the Clearing House Mechanism were decided.Governments discussed at length the procedure for setting up of a satellite G3FN office in Beijing, China, urging for information on operational and budgetary arrangements. They requested consultation with Member States on this issue.Throughout the day, the Forum also engaged in interactive discussions in the following panels:
Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting (MAR), which discussed the challenges associated with data collection on socioeconomic and financing indicators for the global core set of indicators, as well as related challenges in national and regional reporting on Global Forest Goals (GFGs); and
Means of Implementation for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), which addressed G3FN priority 4, “serve to contribute to the achievement of the GFGs and targets as well as priorities contained the Quadrennial Programme of Work (4POW) for 2017-2020”.
The third day of the Forum, begun with discussions on UN DESA reforms, and ended on Means of Implementation. Both issues ignited spirited discussions on the impacts these reforms would have on the UNFF Secretariat and on the G3FN office in China. Grievances were aired by the Forum Members with regards to the lack of information and transparency in both issues, with one major donor to G3FN announcing that they would freeze their contributions until this information deficit is resolved.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from UNFF14, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Franz Dejon
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
L-R: Hossein Moeini Meybodi, UNFF Secretariat; Juwang Zhu, Officer-in-Charge, UNFF Secretariat; Boris Greguška, Slovakia, UNFF14 Chair; and Jori Jorgensen, UNFF Secretariat
Boris Greguška, Slovakia, UNFF14 Chair
Juwang Zhu, Officer-in-Charge, UNFF Secretariat
Helge Elisabeth Zeitler, EU
Maureen Whelan, Canada
Juwang Zhu, Officer-in-Charge, UNFF Secretariat, addressing the UNFF14 plenary
Catherine Karr-Colque, US
Mathias Schwoerer, Germany
Yoshiko Motoyama, Japan
Emma Hatcher, Australia
Mamadou Fall, Senegal, speaking for the African Group
Ian Naumkin, Russian Federation
Steffen Dehn, International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA), speaking for Major Groups
Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria
Panel on Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting
Khalid Cherki, Morocco, Rapporteur and Vice-Chair UNFF14
Roman Michalak, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)-Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), Forestry and Timber Section, Moderator
L-R: Davia Carty, Jamaica; Peter Csoka, FAO; and Afsa Kemitale-Rothschild, UNFF Secretariat
Afsa Kemitale-Rothschild, UNFF Secretariat
Davia Carty, Jamaica
Kofi Affum-Baffoe, Ghana
Patrick Kariuki, Kenya
L-R: Roman Michalak, UNECE-FAO, Forestry and Timber Section, Moderator; Patrick Kariuki, Kenya; and Kofi Affum-Baffoe, Ghana
Liubov Poliakova, Ukraine
Tom Okello, Uganda
Means of Implementation
L-R: Khalid Cherki, Morocco, UNFF14 Rapporteur; John Leigh, National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR), Peru; Thomas Baldauf, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Germany; Peter Gondo, UNFF Secretariat; Javad Momeni, Iran, Vice-Chair UNFF14; and Lesley Brough, UNFF Secretariat
Peter Gondo, UNFF Secretariat
Hossein Moeini Meybodi, UNFF Secretariat
Thomas Baldauf, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Germany
John Leigh, National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR), Peru
Panel on Means of Implementation for SFM
Marilyn Headley, Jamaica
Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland
Lourdes Ferrer, the Philippines
Avhashoni Renny Madula, South Africa
During the panel, Moderator Sibylle Vermont asked everyone to stand up and imitate trees.
Delegate from Indonesia imitating a tree
Jan McAlpine, former UNFF Director, and Hosny El-Lakany, former Chair of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)
L-R: Panelists from the side event on "The role of forests ecosystem restoration and biodiversity to achieve the global forest goals" with Eunho Choi, National Institute of Forest Science, Republic of Korea; Kyungmi Oh, Korea Forest Service; Myungkil Kim, National Institute of Forest Science, Republic of Korea; Lisa Janishevski, Convention on Biological Diversity; Lydie Norohanta Raharimaniraka, Ministry of Environment, Madagascar; and Ibro Adamou, Ministry of Environment, Niger