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Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General
IISD Reporting Services is pleased to announce that the issue No. 1 of CLIMATE-L.ORG Bulletin is now available. To access the issue directly, click here. To read past issues and to sign up to receive the Bulletin, click here. The issue No. 1 of CLIMATE-L.ORG Bulletin features an essay by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon entitled, On the Way to Copenhagen.
L-R: Katharina Kummer Peiry, Executive Secretary of the Basel Convention; COP9 President Rachmat Nadi Witoelar Kartaadipoetra; and Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director
The ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP9) to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was held from 23-27 June 2008, in Bali, Indonesia. Over 500 participants, representing governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector attended the meeting.
Throughout the week, delegates tackled a lengthy agenda and adopted more than 30 decisions prepared by the Open-ended Working Group on, inter alia: cooperation and coordination; the budget; legal matters; review of Basel Convention Regional Coordinating Centres (BCRCs); the Partnership Programme; the Strategic Plan; and technical matters. On Thursday, 26 June, ministers and heads of delegations gathered in the high level segment, attending the “World Forum on Waste Management for Human Health and Livelihood,” and engaging in an interactive discussion on ways in which the Basel Convention can contribute to the achievement of the wider policy objectives of human health and livelihood – the theme of COP9.
Read the Summary and Analysis in English: HTML or PDF or French: HTML or PDF.
L-R: Ambassador Angus Friday, Representative of Grenada to the UN and Chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States; Patricia Aquing, Executive Director, Caribbean Environmental Health Institute; Elizabeth Thompson, UNEP Champions of the Earth Award Recipient 2008, Barbados; and Hans-Peter Debelius, Director of Regional GTZ Office for the Dominican Republic and the Carribean
The First Caribbean Sustainable Energy Forum (CSEF) was held from 24-26 June 2008 at Taylor Hall, St. George’s University (SGU), Grenada, in conjunction with the Fourth Caribbean Environmental Forum (CEF-4). The meeting brought together a diverse cross-section of stakeholders and was facilitated by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) together with the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ).
The CSEF focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy security for Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS). The meeting drew approximately 50 representatives from government agencies, UN bodies and international organizations, academia, business and industry, civil society and financial institutions. Participants discussed a variety of topics, including energy efficiency, energy policy, wind energy production, solar energy, biofuels, advances in renewable energy, and financing of renewable energy projects. Updates on specific energy projects based in Caribbean countries were also presented.
Co-Chair Lori Ridgeway (Canada) gaveled the draft elements as agreed at 9:05pm.
The ninth meeting of the UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-9 or Consultative Process) took place from 23-27 June 2008, at UN headquarters in New York. The meeting brought together over 400 representatives from governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions.
During the week, plenary sessions were held on Monday, Thursday and Friday to address: areas of concern and actions needed, including on issues discussed at previous meetings; interagency cooperation and coordination on oceans issues; issues that could benefit from attention in future work of the General Assembly on oceans and the law of the sea; and elements to be suggested to the General Assembly for consideration. The Secretary-General’s report on “Oceans and the law of the sea” (A/63/63) provided the basis for discussion at ICP-9. States were invited to provide written submissions regarding issues for further consideration.
Participants during the workshop.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Workshop on Methodological Issues Relating to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD) was held from 25–27 June 2008 at United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan.
The workshop is part of a programme of work undertaken by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) in 2008 on methodological issues related to a range of policy approaches and positive incentives for REDD. Approximately 150 participants were in attendance, representing governments, UN agencies and constituted bodies, academia, non-governmental organizations and experts.
Participants addressed mitigation and adaptation strategies, public-private partnerships, economic growth, and local agricultural development.
The High-Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy took place from 3-5 June 2008, at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy. The Conference brought together over 4,700 delegates from 183 countries, including 36 Heads of State and government, representatives of governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and the media. The Conference was comprised of a High-Level Segment and a Committee of the Whole (COW).
Read the summary in English (HTML – PDF), French (HTML – PDF), Spanish (HTML – PDF), or Arabic (HTML – PDF)
A view of morning plenary in the General Assembly Hall.
On “casual Friday,” delegates to the ninth meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (Consultative Process or ICP-9) convened to consider the Co-Chairs' draft on possible elements to be suggested for the UN General Assembly to consider on the topics of maritime security and safety. In the morning, audio difficulties delayed the start until near noon and forced a move to the General Assembly Hall, where delegates heard a few general statements, followed by remarks on the Co-Chairs' draft as a whole.
In the late morning and afternoon, participants considered the text of the draft elements, paragraph by paragraph. Due to the day's late start, discussion continued into the evening. Prolonged debate occurred on several elements, but delegates persevered to find consensus, and Co-Chair Ridgeway declared the draft elements agreed at 9:05pm. After brief closing remarks by the Co-Chairs, the meeting adjourned at 9:12pm.
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