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Highlights and images for 12 March 2019
4th Meeting of the OECPR and 4th Session of UNEA
Highlights for Tuesday, 12 March 2019
From L-R: Contact Group 2 Chair Martin Gronda, Argentina; Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP; Patrick Luna, Brazil; and Committee of the Whole (COW) Chair Fernando Coimbra, Brazil
The fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) continued its second day of discussion in formal contact groups and working groups established by its Committee of the Whole (COW). Early in the day, delegates reached agreement on the draft resolution on sustainable consumption and production (SCP), and on the draft decision on the proposed programme of work and budget for the 2020-2021 biennium. They announced agreement on further draft resolutions as the day progressed, and continued discussing marine litter, biodiversity, deforestation, the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) process, and arrangements for UNEA-5. Member States presented national statements in the UNEA-4 plenary in the afternoon. Many speakers paid tribute to the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday. Delegates presented their national actions toward SCP, including, for example, initiatives on water resource management, sustainable forest management, and clean energy. Besides Member States, several representatives of Major Groups and other UN agencies also took the floor. David R. Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, stated that the protection of the environment enables the fulfillment of many human rights, such as the right to drinking water and sanitation, while upholding human rights, such as the right to freedom of association, in turn helps to protect the environment. The COW convened two plenaries in the afternoon and evening to take stock of progress on negotiations. Delegates continued negotiations late into the evening.Key highlights:
Agreement on the draft resolution on innovative pathways to achieve SCP, which opened the way for resolving issues in other resolutions on chemicals and waste management;
Agreement on five other draft resolutions and one decision on: sustainable infrastructure; sustainable business; environmentally sound management of waste; sound management of chemicals and waste; promoting gender equality, the human rights and empowerment of women and girls in environmental governance; and the UNEP programme of work and budget for 2021-2022; and
Progress on marine litter negotiations, with delegates pressing for further talks to resolve outstanding issues late into the evening.
For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from OECPR-4 and UNEA-4, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page.
Plenary Session
UNEA-4 President Siim Valmar Kiisler, Estonia, and Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP
Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ghana
Cherdkiat Atthakor, Ambassador of Thailand to Kenya
Sam Cheptoris, Minister, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda
Sabo Ojano, Secretary of State, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia
Goran Trivan, Minister of Environmental Protection, Serbia and Dragan Županjevac, Ambassador of Serbia to Kenya
Peter Pitrez, Portugal, and Alexandra Carvalho, Secretary-General, Ministry of Environment, Portugal
Paula Francisco Coelho, Minister of Environment, Angola
Batio Bassière, Minister of Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change, Burkina Faso
Stephen Stec, Central European University, and Yannis Derbali, UNEP
Darleene Matunga, UNEP, with Francisca Ashietey-Odunton, Ghana
Rebecca Freitag, Youth Delegate for Sustainable Development, protesting against single-use plastics.
Committee of the Whole
From L-R: Patrick Luna, Brazil; COW Chair Fernando Coimbra, Brazil; and Ulf Björnholm, UNEP
Julia Pataki, Romania
Saskia Salzmann and Sebastian König, Switzerland
Delegates from Colombia
Working Groups and Contact Groups
Participants negotiating during a break in Working Group 2
Kate Moore, Malawi, with Christopher Nyce, US
Aldo Claure Banegas and Georgina Catacora-Vargas, Bolivia
Working Group 2 Co-chair Agus Justianto, Indonesia
Delegates from Iran during negotiations in Working Group 2
Contact Group 2 room view
Saskia Salzmann, Switzerland, and Sarah Da Silva, Canada
Participants working on text changes in Contact Group 2
Contact Group 2 Co-chair Martin Gronda, Argentina
Sunil de Silva, Sri Lanka
Contact Group 1 participants, celebrating the agreement of the resolution on "Innovative Pathways to Achieve Sustainable Consumption and Production"
Marcus Davies, Canada, and Erasmo Martínez, Mexico, during a break in negotiations in Working Group 1
Wilson Sumner, US, with Omar Ghazi Al-Attas, Saudi Arabia
Contact Group 3 participants conferring during a break
Around the Venue
Highlights and images for 23 July 2019
2nd Part of the 25th Annual Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA)
Highlights for Tuesday, 23 July 2019
L-R: Stephen Vasciannie, President, University of Technology, Jamaica; Kamina Johnson Smith, Assembly President; and ISA Secretary-General Michael Lodge
On Tuesday, the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) continued its deliberations, addressing the annual report of the Secretary General, which outlines the Authority’s activities from July 2018 to June 2019. Highlights of the day include the:
the inaugural lecture on the role of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the ISA in contributing to the rule of law;
growing support and interest for workshops on regional environmental management plans (REMPs);
calls for increased transparency, including via the development of the new ISA website and the launch of the Authority’s database management strategy; and
emphasis on the operationalization of the common heritage of humankind regime, notwithstanding different interpretations of the principle.
In his report, Secretary-General Michael Lodge highlighted a series of activities and considerations, including those related to:
the financial resources necessary for the Authority’s operations, including the financial status of the ISA’s trust funds;
progress towards the completion of the data management strategy and the development of the new ISA website;
workshops organized to facilitate the development and review of REMPs as well as advance the Authority’s priorities;
the Authority’s voluntary commitments registered at the UN Ocean Conference; and
collaboration with many international organizations and participation in global and regional conferences, including the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) process.
In the ensuing discussion, many delegates acknowledged the importance of the draft exploitation regulations balancing sound commercial principles with best environment practices and reiterated that their quality should be prioritized over self-imposed arbitrary deadlines. They further stressed the need to ensure that the relevant regulatory framework is robust enough for present and future generations, as well as to take into account the effects of deep-sea mining on terrestrial mines and fisheries.Participants underscored that capacity building lies at the core of developing countries’ ability to fulfill their obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and highlighted the importance of adequate funds for the Authority to be able to fulfill its mandate.A side event, organized by China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association (COMRA), focused on benefit-sharing and cooperation with regard to the common heritage regime, and development in cooperation activities between China, the Republic of Korea, and the Authority. An inaugural biennial lecture, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica, honored the Authority’s 25th anniversary. Stephen Vasciannie, President, University of Technology, Jamaica, focused on the role of the Montego Bay Convention (UNCLOS) and the ISA in contributing to the rule of law.For more details on the day’s events and to hear what delegates said in the breezeways, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB).
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from the 2nd Part of ISA-25. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary and analysis from the meeting, which is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Inaugural Biennial Lecture
Participants listen to Stephen Vasciannie’s inaugural lecture on the Montego Bay Convention and the ISA in contributing to the rule of law.
Stephen Vasciannie, President, University of Technology, Jamaica
Session Moderator Kathy-Ann Brown, Jamaica
Graham Leung, Nauru
Eden Charles, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the ISA for the Enterprise
Assembly
ISA Secretary-General Michael Lodge (right) and Alfonso Ascencio-Herrera, ISA Legal Counsel and Deputy to the Secretary-General
Members of the ISA Secretariat being congratulated by ISA Secretary-General Michael Lodge for their outstanding work
Hiromasa Yamazaki, Japan
Tian Qi, China
Jane J. Chigiyal, Federated States of Micronesia
Amadou Jaiteh, The Gambia
Emily Johnson, Australia
Louisa Casson, Greenpeace International
Alis Lungu, Romania
Tomasz Grysa, Holy See
Sonali Samarasinghe, Sri Lanka
Xue Guifang, Center for Polar and Deep Ocean Development
Tidiani Couma, Monaco
Vijay Kumar, India
Akuila Tawake, The Pacific Community
Alexey Rudnev and Vladislav Kurbatskiy, Russian Federation
L-R: Kenneth Wong, Canada, with Corey McLachlan and Andrei Karkar, DeepGreen
Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, conferring with Tommo Monthe, Cameroon
L-R: Gina Guillén Grillo, Costa Rica; Félix García, Dominican Republic; Francisco Javier Bernales, Chile; and Luis Fernando del Solar Dorrego, Argentina
L-R: Eulogio Soto and Diva Amon, Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI), with Pradeep Singh, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS)
L-R: ISA Secretary-General Michael Lodge; Kamina Johnson Smith, Assembly President; and Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, Norway
L-R: Tasha Goldberg, ENB; Stephen Vasciannie, President, University of Technology, Jamaica; and Tallash Kantai, ENB
Around the Venue
Members of the Fijian delegation holding up the SDG 14 cubes
Greenpeace organized a peaceful demonstration on the protection of the ocean outside the headquarters of the ISA
Highlights and images for 8 May 2018
Bonn Climate Change Conference - April 2018
The Bonn Climate Change Conference continued on Tuesday, with negotiations on some issues yielding preliminary agreement, and negotiations on other issues trying to find solutions to disagreements. Preliminary agreement, pending formal adoption by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA), was found on some issues, including:
Capacity building under the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol,
Coordination of support for the implementation of activities relating to mitigation actions in the forest sector by developing countries, including institutional arrangements, and
Response measures.
Throughout the day, several of the issues discussed under the SBI and SBSTA remained outstanding. The final plenaries for all the Subsidiary Bodies are scheduled for the last day of the conference, on Thursday, 10 May. Therefore, outstanding issues must be resolved on Wednesday.
To address the many interrelated issues under the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP), a “joint” meeting convened to discuss adaptation communication and the transparency framework. Work under the PAWP also included continued discussions on the transparency framework, Article 6 (cooperative approaches), and information to be provided in advance by developed countries on their financial support.
The long-term finance workshop continued to discuss experiences and lessons learnt from articulating and translating needs identified in country-driven processes into on the ground projects and programmes. The sixth Dialogue on Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) started today, focusing on public awareness and international cooperation.
The COP 23 Presidency held a session to report back on the Talanoas held as part of the Talanoa Dialogue on Sunday, 6 May. Many delegates expressed appreciation for the Dialogue’s format and atmosphere, noting its value in building trust between all stakeholders.
For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage, daily reports, daily videos, and a summary and analysis report from the Bonn Climate Change Conference - April/May 2018. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Executive Secretary's Meeting with Observer Organizations
Participants during the meeting with the Executive Secretary
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa
Juan Carlos Jintiach and Thin Yu Mon, Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPO)
Wael Hmaidan, Climate Action Network (CAN) International
Gunnar Steinsholt, Trade Union NGOs (TUNGOs)
Norine Kennedy, Business and Industry NGOs (BINGOs)
Joséphine Raynauld and Sofia Kabbej, Youth NGOs (YOUNGOs)
Gillian Nelson, Harjeet Singh, and Eddy Pérez, CAN
Bridget Burns, Women and Gender
Halldór Thorgeirsson, UNFCCC Secretariat
Marilyn Averill, Research and Independent NGOs (RINGOs)
Report Back from Talanoa Dialogue
Participants during the report back of the Talanoa Dialogue
Amena Yauvoli, Fiji
Sylwia Waśniewska, COP 24 Presidency, Poland
Tui Cavuilati, Fiji
Emma Rachmawaty, Indonesia
Marianne Karlsen, Norway
Christina Paradiso, Canada
Stephanie Lee, New Zealand
Balisi Justice Gopolang, Botswana, speaking on behalf of the African Group
In-Session Workshop on Long-Term Finance
Participants during the in-session workshop on long-term finance
Nathaniel Blama, Environmental Protection Agency, Liberia
Co-Facilitator Janine Coye-Felson, Belize
Alexander Linke, German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ)
Co-Facilitator Stefan Schwager, Switzerland
Participants discuss finance-related matters in break-out groups
Espen Ronneberg, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
Alexander Linke, GIZ
Milena Gonzalez Vasquez, Global Environment Facility (GEF) Secretariat
Kamel Djemouai, Advisor to the African Group, records ideas
Sixth Dialogue on Action for Climate Empowerment
ACE family photo
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, and COP 23 President, Fiji
SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, Swaziland
Pramisha Thapaliya, YOUNGOs
Jamie Clarke, Climate Outreach
Maria Nailevu, DIVA for Equality
Informal Consultations Throughout the Day
Coordination of support for the implementation of activities relating to mitigation actions in the forest sector by developing countries, including institutional arrangements family photo
Ex-ante transparency of climate finance family photo
APA agenda item 8: informal consultations on issues except the Adaptation Fund
Public registry on Agreement Article 7.12 (adaptation communications)
SBI informal consultations on capacity-building for developing countries
Around the Venue
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa
Outi Honkatukia, Finland, and Stefan Schwager, Switzerland
Delegates from YOUNGOs confer
Todd Stern, World Resources Institute (WRI),
and Jacob Werksman, EU
Delegates from Austria and Luxembourg
Security staff around the venue
Niklas Höhne, New Climate Institute, speaks to the press
A delegate reviews the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) website and daily to keep track of negotiations
Highlights and images for 28 October 2017
12th Meeting of the CMS Conference of the Parties (COP12)
The twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) met for its final day on Saturday, 28 October 2017. The Committee of the Whole (CoW) convened at 8:30 am to conclude its work and accept the remaining conference room papers (CRPs) for adoption by plenary. In his concluding remarks, CoW Chair Rod Hay thanked the Philippines for their inspirational and effective leadership. He added that although the CoW had to negotiate and vote during previous sessions, the CMS remains “a friendly Convention,” adding that the spirit of collaboration has been palpable and bodes well for the future.
The COP12 plenary resumed at 10:00 am. Participants adopted the report of the Credentials Committee, and heard statements from governments, non-state parties, and regional organizations. They adopted all resolutions and decisions, including the Manila Declaration on Sustainable Development, and Migratory Species, and the decision to host CMS COP13 in India in 2020.
In his closing remarks, Rodolfo Garcia, Undersecretary and Chief of Staff, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines, on behalf of COP12 Chair Roy Cimatu, emphasized the success of COP12, with almost 100% party attendance, and large support from multiple stakeholders, which raised the profile of the CMS in the eyes of the public. He cited the Manila Declaration on Sustainable Development and Migratory Species, which states that wildlife supports many national and global economic activities, such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, tourism, transport, mining, and trade.
CMS Executive Secretary Bradnee Chambers said that CMS had matured and “come of age,” and cited important milestones of COP12, including the Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures, the compliance review mechanism, and new policies and commitments. Chambers thanked CMS Deputy Executive Secretary Bert Lenten, who will retire at the end of the year, for his leadership and dedication to migratory species.
Plenary Vice-Chair Rod Hay closed CMS COP12 at 1:00 pm.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from the CMS COP12. The summary and analysis report is now 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.
Committee of the Whole (CoW)
L-R: CoW dais with Bert Lenten, CMS Deputy Executive Secretary; Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat; CoW Chair Rod Hay; and Bradnee Chambers, CMS Executive Secretary
CoW Chair Rod Hay
Bradnee Chambers, CMS Executive Secretary
Saras Sharma, Fiji
Stefan Leiner, EU
Thea Carroll, South Africa
Lucinda Mangue, Mozambique
Juan Miguel Cuna, the Philippines
Julia Cordero, Ecuador
Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat
Bert Lenten, CMS Deputy Executive Secretary
Closing Plenary
Bradnee Chambers, CMS Executive Secretary, delivering his closing address
Rodolfo Garcia, Undersecretary and Chief of Staff, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines, delivering his closing speech
L-R: Rodolfo Garcia, Undersecretary and Chief of Staff, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines, and Bradnee Chambers, CMS Executive Secretary
Elizabeth Mrema, UN Environment
Soumitra Dasgupta, India, formally announced India's intention to host COP13
Clarissa Arida, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)
lham Atho Mohamed, Maldives
Alejandra Goyenechea, Defenders of Wildlife
Ali Mansoor Abbas, Bahrain
Gina Cuza Jones, Costa Rica
José Pedro de Oliveira Costa, National Secretary for Biodiversity, Brazil
Geoff Richardson, Australia
Ariuntuya Dorjisuren, Mongolia
Ralf Sonntag, International Fund for Animal Welfare
L-R: Bresilda Gervacio; Mayumi Quintos-Natividad; Nonita Caguioa; and Mundita Lim, the Philippines
Bradnee Chambers, CMS Executive Secretary, honoring Bert Lenten, CMS Deputy Executive Secretary on his retirement
Rodolfo Garcia, Undersecretary and Chief of Staff, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines, presenting gifts to Bert Lenten, CMS Deputy Executive Secretary
Vice-Chair Rod Hay, on behalf of COP12 Chair Roy Cimatu, gaveled the meeting to a close at
1:00 pm
Photos from CMS COP12 Excursion to the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat
and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA)
L-R: ENB and ENBOTS teams to the CMS COP12 with Franz Dejon; Kate Helfenstein-Louw; Elaine Limjoco; Ikuho Miyazawa; Teya Penniman; Kiara Worth; Iliana Cardenes; Dorothy Wanja Nyingi; Pam Chasek; Nicole de Paula Domingos; Asterios Tsioumanis; and Katie Brown