One month into
2008, the year’s sustainable development agenda continues to take
shape and hold promise for many interesting discussions and linkage
opportunities, on issues ranging from climate change to the
Millennium Development Goals and agriculture.
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article continues
Lynn Wagner, Ph.D.
Editor, Linkages Update and MEA Bulletin |
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WHALE SYMPOSIUM SEEKS A WAY FORWARD |
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 Tokyo,
1 February—The
Second Pew Whale Symposium, entitled “A
change in climate for whales,” sought to
stimulate open dialogue in the heart of the
main pro-whaling country. Participants at
the 30-31 January 2008 meeting at UN
University headquarters in Tokyo, Japan,
agreed on a few key principles, such as the
need to protect endangered whales, and made
some recommendations to move the debate
forward, but also identified areas of
continuing disagreement. The Symposium,
which was organized by the Pew Environment
Group, brought together approximately 100
participants of 28 nationalities to discuss
views from Japan, conflict management and
biodiversity, finding a way forward, and the
International Whaling Commission (IWC)
process and its future. A Chair’s summary –
not a consensus document – will be presented
to the upcoming IWC Intersessional Meeting
on the future of the whale conservation
regime, in March 2008.
More. |
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Photo: L-R: Joshua
S. Reichert, Managing Director, Pew Environment
Group; Judge Neroni Slade, Chair of the Tokyo
Whale Symposium; Dr. Srikantha Herath, Senior
Academic Programme Officer and Officer-in-Charge of
UNU’s Environment and Sustainable Development
Programme; and Rémi Parmentier, Senior Policy
Consultant, the Pew Environment Group |
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CBD WORKING GROUP MAKES PROGRESS ON INTERNATIONAL
REGIME ON ACCESS AND BENEFIT-SHARING |
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 Geneva,
26 January—The
sixth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended
Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing
(ABS) of the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) made considerable progress
in producing a short and concise working
document on the international regime,
consisting of sections on the main
components and lists of items “to be further
elaborated with the aim of incorporating
them in the international regime” in case
there was agreement in principle, or “for
further consideration,” in case of
disagreement or need for further
clarification. The 21-25 January 2008
meeting took place in Geneva, Switzerland.
The outcome will be submitted for
consideration by the Conference of the
Parties to the CBD at its ninth meeting
(19-30 May 2008, Bonn, Germany).
More. |
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Photo: CBD Executive
Secretary Ahmed Djoghlaf was presented with a
gift from a representative of the Indigenous
Survival Programme for display in the CBD Museum for
Nature and Culture. |
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UN Commission for Social Development:
6-15 February 2008, UN headquarters, New York, US |
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UN General Assembly Thematic Debate: Addressing Climate
Change: The United Nations and the World at Work:
11-12 February 2008. New York, US |
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Second Meeting of the CBD Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group on
Protected Areas:
11-15 February 2008, Rome, Italy |
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Latin American and Caribbean Chemicals Meetings: Workshops
on PCB Management and Development of Institutions and
Infrastructure for Sound Chemical Management, and SAICM
Regional Meeting:
11-16 February 2008. Panama City, Panama |
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Expert Meeting on Climate Change and Biodiversity for Food
and Agriculture:
13-14 February 2008, Rome, Italy |
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FfD Review Sessions on Chapters I and II of the Monterrey
Consensus:
14-15 February 2008, New York, US |
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Latin American Regional Meeting to Review the Work of the
Stockholm Convention Persistent Organic Pollutants Review
Committee:
17 February 2008. Panama City, Panama |
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Expert Meeting on Global Perspectives on Food and Fuel
Security:
18-20 February 2008, Rome, Italy |
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CBD SBSTTA-13:
18-22 February 2008, Rome, Italy |
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Tenth Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council and
Global Ministerial Environment Forum:
20-22 February 2008, Monaco |
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CTI Industry Joint Seminar: Diffusion of Climate-Friendly
Technologies in Asian Countries:
21-22 February 2008, Beijing, China |
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Expert Meeting on Land for Sustainable Urbanization in
Africa:
21-22 February 2008, Nairobi, Kenya |
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