African Group

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

Highlights for Monday, 6 May 2019 UNFF14 participants observing a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the plane crash in Ethiopia The fourteenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF14) opened on Monday, 6 May 2019, at UN Headquarters in New York. In the morning, delegates approved the agenda, but requested discussions on the impacts of UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) reforms on the UNFF Secretariat be brought forward from Thursday to Wednesday. The Bureau agreed to consider the change.The Forum then heard opening statements. Inga Rhonda King President, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), urged the Forum to present a strong message to the 2019 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) on the importance of forests for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, noted the crucial role forests play in climate mitigation and thanked countries for their contribution to the UNFF Trust Fund.This was followed by general discussions on the implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030, with several countries announcing voluntary national contributions. In the afternoon, delegates participated in two thematic technical panel discussions on forests and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under review by the HLPF 2019: Forests and Climate Change, which focused on forests in the context of SDG 13 (climate action) and 17 (partnerships); and the objectives of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and Forests, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth and Employment, which focused on links between forests and SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 17 (partnerships). For the second year running, the Forum proceedings are haunted by the question of whether all the recent progress UNFF has made on raising the profile of forests in sustainable development and the momentum created in collaborative global cooperation to achieve the full benefits of sustainable forest management might be impeded, lost or submerged as a result of UN DESA reform. 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 Boris Greguška, Slovakia, UNFF14 Chair Inga Rhonda King, President of ECOSOC Hossein Moeini Meybodi, UNFF Secretariat Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN DESA L-R: Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN DESA; Inga Rhonda King, President of ECOSOC; Boris Greguška, Slovakia, UNFF14 Chair; Lesley Brough, UNFF Secretariat; and Juwang Zhu, Officer-in-Charge, UNFF Secretariat Cheikh Niang, Senegal, on behalf of the African Group Sahar Abu Shawesh, Palestine, on behalf of G-77/China Silvio Gonzato, EU Tegan Brink, Australia Boris Greguška, Slovakia, UNFF14 Chair, consulting with Lesley Brough, UNFF Secretariat Asaf Karavani, Israel Zhang Hong Won, China Kutaiba Al-Saadon, Saudi Arabia Benito Owusu-Bio, Ghana Tomasz Grysa, Holy See Matthias Schwoerer, Germany L-R: Fazliyev Farrukh Fakhriddinovich and Novitskiy Zinoviy Bogdanovich, Uzbekistan UNFF14 plenary session Thematic Panel on Forests and Climate Change Igor Viszlai, Forest Europe Duncan Brack, Royal Institute of International Affairs, UK Elena Paoletti, Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology Khalid Chekri, Morocco, UNFF14 Rapporteur Forest Europe video presentation Luciana Melchert, Brazil Catherine Karr-Colque, US Ghanshyam Pandey, Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal Siddhanta Das, India Thematic Panel on Forests, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth and Employment Pia Katila, International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Jose Joaquin Campos Arce, Co-Chair, Board of Trustees of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) Gill Shepherd, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Jessica Coronel, Ecuador Delegates from Canada, New Zealand and Australia consulting UNFF14 side event on "Scaling Up Sustainable Wood Value Chains" presented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)

Highlights for Thursday, 2 May 2019 Carlos Martin-Novella, Deputy Executive Secretary, BRS Secretariat; Osvaldo Álvarez-Pérez, Rotterdam Convention COP9 President; Abraham Zivayi Matiza, Basel Convention COP14 President; Kei Ohno Woodall, BRS Secretariat; and Mohammed Khashashneh, Stockholm Convention COP9 President, consult on the dais On Thursday, delegates worked on a range of issues related to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), including releases of POPs from unintentional production, implementation plans, and a proposal by the Russian Federation to amend the Convention. During discussion of the proposed amendment, many delegates underscored the thoroughness of the POPs Review Committee’s (POPRC) evaluation process, and others highlighted the importance of the precautionary principle in achieving the Convention’s objective to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects caused by exposure to POPs.In the afternoon, delegates adopted three decisions. One, on measures to reduce or eliminate releases of POPs from wastes, encourages parties to the Stockholm Convention to accelerate their efforts to ensure the sound management of POP stockpiles and wastes.Another, on specific exemptions, acceptable purposes and other exemptions for continued production and use of listed POPs, confirms that no new registrations may be made for: lindane for use as a human-health pharmaceutical in the control of head lice and scabies; and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF) for: photo masks, metal plating, electric and electronic parts for some color printers and photocopiers, insecticides for control of red imported fire ants and termites, and chemically-driven oil production. Delegates also adopted a decision which specifies continuation of work to implement the global monitoring plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the Convention. In related discussions, delegates drew connections between POPs and marine plastics, adding the Convention’s voice to several others calling for urgent action on plastic pollution in the marine environment.Contact groups met throughout the day to work on issues including listing of chemicals under the Stockholm Convention, technical assistance and financial resources, issues of joint concern to at least two of the three Conventions, and programme of work and budget.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our 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 the 2019 Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. The summary and analysis report is 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. Plenary Sessions View of plenary during the day Rochelle Newbold, the Bahamas Linroy Christian, Co-Chair, Contact Group on Programme of Work and Budget Sam Adu-Kumi, Ghana Fouad Zyadi, Morocco Reginald Hernaus, Co-Chair, Contact Group on Technical Assistance and Financial Resources Abderaman Mahamat Abderaman, Chad Carmen Van Dijk, Suriname Karim Baba, Algeria Delegates from Serbia speak informally Karissa Kovner, US Kay Williams, Co-Chair, Contact Group on Joint Issues Rima Mustafa, Jordan Ram Charitra Sah, Center for Public Health and Environmental Development, Nepal Serge Molly Allo'o Allo'o, Gabon, speaking on behalf of the African Group Vi Waghiyi, Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) Contact Groups Contact Group on Technical Assistance and Financial Resources Noluzuko 'Zukie' Gwayi, South Africa, speaks with Jozef Buys, Belgium, during a contact group Opening of the Information Fair Maria Cristina Cárdenas-Fischer, BRS Secretariat, Elizabeth Mrema, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and Carlos Martin-Novella, Deputy Executive Secretary, BRS Secretariat, launch the opening of the Information Fair Displays at the Information Fair Around the Venue In an initiative to make 'the invisible visible,' the BRS Secretariat highlights what toxic chemicals may be present in an average home, and what alternatives exist to protect human health and the environment

Highlights for Wednesday, 1 May 2019 Magda Gosk, Co-Chair, Contact Group on Technical Matters under the Basel Convention (far right), speaks with members of the African Group On Wednesday, delegates gathered for the third day of the meetings of the Conferences of Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions. In the morning, participants continued their work on issues of joint concern, including mainstreaming gender and strengthening synergies among the Conventions to combat illegal trade and traffic in hazardous chemicals and wastes.In the afternoon, delegates turned their attention to two persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that were among the first twelve to be listed under the Stockholm Convention when it entered into force in 2004: DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).In a lengthy consideration of DDT, delegates revisited a longstanding debate about the need for the continued use of this insecticide for disease vector control. Many delegates highlighted the availability of affordable alternatives, while others emphasized the need to protect ongoing access to what they characterized as a readily available and inexpensive tool for combating malaria.With Stockholm Convention targets for PCB phase out (2025) and elimination (2028) looming, delegates discussed the lack of information on remaining stockpiles and equipment containing PCBs. One delegate stressed that the “deadline is practically tomorrow and we’re still working on inventories.” Amidst many calls for accelerated action, the COP adopted a decision that urges parties to “step up their efforts” to eliminate the use of PCBs.Contact groups convened throughout the day on a range of issues. The group working on listing of chemicals under the Stockholm Convention made significant progress in determining how to account for the ‘related compounds’ in the proposed listing of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and related compounds. Discussions on low-POP content values continued in the Basel Convention’s Technical Matters group, and in the Joint Issues group, participants considered issues related to illegal traffic and trade in hazardous chemicals and wastes. Several issues related to technical assistance and financial resources, were discussed in a contact group, including guidance to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) on marine plastic litter as it relates to the Stockholm Convention, with some calling for a broader focus on all plastic litter.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our 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 the 2019 Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. The summary and analysis report is 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. Morning Plenary Mohammed Khashashneh, Stockholm Convention COP9 President, convenes the morning plenary Maria Delvin, Co-Chair, Contact Group on Listing Chemicals in the Stockholm Convention David Kapindula, Co-Chair, Contact Group on Technical Assistance and Financial Resources Premysl Stepanek, Co-Chair, Contact Group on Programme of Work and Budget Magda Gosk, Co-Chair, Contact Group on Technical Matters under the Basel Convention Rosa Vivien Ratnawati, Indonesia Yousef Dougha, Libya Carla Serazzi, Chile Hlobsile Sikhoana, eSwatini Rochelle Diver, International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) (right) Contact Groups Contact Group on Listing Chemicals in the Stockholm Convention Contact Group on Technical Matters under the Basel Convention Contact Group on Programme of Work and Budget Afternoon Plenary View of plenary during the afternoon Carolyn Vickers, World Health Organization (WHO) Pavel Nikolaevich Shirokov, Russian Federation Amina Beibitova, Kazakhstan Italo Andrés Flamenco Córdova, El Salvador Veari Uali Kula, Papua New Guinea Masud Iqbal Md. Shameem, Bangladesh Tom Okia Okurut, Uganda Jitka Strakova, Arnika Oleg Pecheniuk, Independent Ecological Expertise (IEE) Michel Tschirren, Switzerland, speaks with Yvonne Ewang-Sanvincenti, BRS Conventions Secretariat Around the Venue The 'Plastics and Circular Economy - Community Solutions' report is launched by (L-R): Christine Wellington, UN Development Programme; Evelyn Swain, GEF Secretariat; Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions; Yoko Watanabe, GEF Small Grants Programme, UNDP; Romauld Ferreira, Ministry of the Environment and Housing, Bahamas; Gillian Guthrie, Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Jamaica; and Sulan Chen, GEF Small Grants Programme, UNDP During a press conference held by IPEN, firefighters, oil and aviation industry representatives, and Indigenous Peoples call for a global ban on Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Delegates from Romania Delegates from Nepal Stephanie Laruelle, BRS Secretariat; John Whitelaw, Consultant; and Claudia ten Have, Minamata Convention Secretariat Andrea Volpato, Order of Chemists and Physicists of the Province of Treviso, and Colleen Hartland, National Toxics Network Victor Nkoumou Ekongolo and Jean Blaise Moudoudou, Inter-State Committee for Central Africa (CPAC)

Highlights for Monday, 29 April 2019 Delegates gather for the start of the BRS COPs The fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Basel Convention (BC COP14), the ninth meeting of the COP to the Rotterdam Convention (RC COP9), and the ninth meeting of the COP to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP9) opened in Geneva, Switzerland. Meeting jointly in plenary in the morning and early afternoon, the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) COPs adopted the agendas and organization of work for each COP, and initiated discussions on technical assistance and financial resources under the Basel and Rotterdam Conventions, and financial resources and mechanisms under the Stockholm Convention.Regional groups used their opening statements to call for urgent action on emerging issues, such as marine plastic litter and microplastics, as well as longstanding challenges ranging from management of legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to the establishment of compliance mechanisms under the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. In the discussion of technical assistance, many delegates underscored the importance of regional centres in supporting parties’ implementation of the Basel and Stockholm Conventions through capacity building. Several called for additional resources to deal with issues such as existing and new POPs, marine litter, and plastic waste, and noted that technical assistance is closely linked to compliance.In the afternoon, the Stockholm Convention COP convened to begin discussions of listing of chemicals in Annex A (elimination), B (reduction) and/or C (unintentional releases). After brief discussions, delegates decided to list the pesticide dicofol in Annex A of the Convention with no exemptions for continued production or use. Delegates then considered the POPs Review Committee’s recommendation to list perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in Annex A or B, and agreed to establish a contact group for further work on this issue.As the first day of the Triple COPs drew to a close, delegates celebrated what many characterized as an unexpectedly quick decision on dicofol, but also noted issues that were likely to be more challenging. Several pointed to the Rotterdam Convention's compliance mechanism and listing PFOA in the Stockholm Convention as particularly tricky, with several highlighting the need for technical assistance and financial resources to support parties’ work to implement the Conventions.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our 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 the 2019 Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. The summary and analysis report is 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. Opening Plenary The BRS COPs opened with a traditional Swiss performance Marc Chardonnens, Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland Mohammed Khashashneh, Stockholm Convention COP9 President Hans Dreyer, Executive Secretary, Rotterdam Convention, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions Morning Plenary Mohammed Khashashneh, Stockholm Convention COP9 President; Osvaldo Álvarez-Pérez, Rotterdam Convention COP9 President; and Abraham Zivayi Matiza, Basel Convention COP14 President, open the discussions Natalia Rodriguez Pacheco, Bolivia, speaking on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) Serge Molly Allo'o Allo'o, Gabon, speaking on behalf of the African Group Heidar Ali Balouji, Iran, speaking on behalf of Asia-Pacific Flavius Ardelean Motoc, EU Rolando Pinzon, Panama Pralong Dumrongthai, Thailand Elham Refaat Abdel Aziz, Egypt Keima Gardiner, Trinidad and Tobago Ana Berejiani, Georgia Zaigham Abbas, Pakistan Chizuru Aoki, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Afternoon Plenary View of the dais during the afternoon plenary Roxanne Blesam, Palau Luis Vayas, Ecuador Yaser Khalil Abu Shanab, Palestine S L Dhammika Wijayasinghe, Sri Lanka Charles Ikeah, Nigeria Nazem Thlaj, Syria Xuezhi Xiao, China María Florencia Grimalt, Argentina Obed Baloyi, South Africa Mariann Lloyd-Smith, International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) Siqiniq Maupin, speaking on behalf of Alaska Community Action on Toxics, International Indian Treaty Council, and Native Movement Mick Tisbury, speaking on behalf of Australian, New Zealand, and North American firefighters Delegates applaud the decision to list dicofol in Annex A of the SC without exemption Evening Reception hosted by Switzerland View of the dais during the opening session Felix Wertli, Switzerland Hans Dreyer, Executive Secretary, Rotterdam Convention, FAO Around the Venue (L-R): Hans Dreyer, Executive Secretary, Rotterdam Convention, FAO; Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions; Mohammed Khashashneh, Stockholm Convention COP9 President; Marc Chardonnens, Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland; Felix Wertli, Switzerland; and Carlos Martin-Novella, BRS Deputy Executive Secretary Delegates from Uganda Delegates from Costa Rica Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions, speaks with Mohammed Khashashneh, Stockholm Convention COP9 President Delegates from the Pacific region David Ogden, BRS Secretariat Delegates speak informally Delegates between sessions Materials on display

Highlights for Friday, 5 April 2019 IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, gavelled the meeting to a close at 5:50 pm. Delegates at the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) met on Friday, 5 April 2019 for the last day of IGC-2. They finalized their discussions on cross-cutting issues, heard reports from the informal working group facilitators, and discussed the way forward. They shared views on:•    The nature of the text to be discussed at IGC-3, with some favoring treaty text, and others preferring a streamlined document that eliminates options that garnered no agreement at IGC-2; and •    The format of the next meeting, with many underlining the need for parallel meetings, and small group meetings (informal-informals) to further progress.As the meeting drew to a close, the sense of urgency to begin treaty-based negotiations was palpable. During the final plenary, IGC President Rena Lee outlined her plan to develop a concise document containing treaty text to facilitate focused negotiations at IGC-3. She closed the meeting at 5:50 pm.The Earth Negotiations Bulletin summary and analysis of IGC-2 will be available on Monday, 8 April 2019. 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 BBNJ IGC 2. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group on Cross-Cutting Issues View of the informal working group on cross-cutting issues Juliette Babb-Riley, Barbados, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Jean Didier Ramde, Burkina Faso Gou Haibo, China Asha Challenger, Antigua and Barbuda Matthías Pálsson, Iceland Deborah Manase, Marshall Islands Sunan Rustam, Indonesia Vezua Paiva, Angola L-R: Peggy Kalas and Duncan Currie, High Seas Alliance Susan Whelan, Holy See Lionel Yee, Singapore Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources Alice Revell, New Zealand, Facilitator of the informal working group on area-based management tools Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, presented the reports for the informal working group on environmental impact assessments and cross-cutting issues on behalf of René Lefebre. L-R: IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore and Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); and Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS Evan Bloom, US Mohammed Bessedik, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Tetsuya Yoshimoto, Japan Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Audrey Abayena, Ghana Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Mexico Maria Angela Ponce, the Philippines Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) UNDOALOS Secretariat Delegates from EU with IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore Delegates from the Pacific Small Island Developing States Delegates from Latin America Delegates from the African Group Delegates from CARICOM Participants from the High Seas Alliance Delegates from the IGC-2 Bureau L-R: William Oddo, Belinda Kiilu, and James Waweru, Kenya L-R: Nicholas Ioannides, Cyprus, with Teresa Cruz Sardiñas and Indira Guardia, Cuba Delegates from India L-R: IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore (center) with ENB IGC-2 team members Bernard Soubry, Priscila Andrade, Asheline Appleton, Tallash Kantai, Asterios Tsioumanis, and Franz Dejon