22 March 2011: The official celebration of World Water Day 2011 (WWD 2011) convened in Cape Town, South Africa on 22 March 2011, under the theme “Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge.” Participants discussed where the gaps lay and how best to solve these problems through: urban planning; public-private partnerships; using the expertise of local governments for effective implementation; and the necessity of adequate funding and political will. More.

Photo: L-R: HRH Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Chair of UNSGAB; Edna Molewa, Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs; and Tim Kasten, UN Environmental Programme

18 March 2011: Participants at the fourth session of the Governing Body (GB 4) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the Treaty or ITPGR), which convened from 14-18 March 2011, in Bali, Indonesia, adopted procedures and mechanisms on compliance, reached consensus on the long-standing item of the financial rules of the Governing Body, and adopted resolutions on farmers' rights, sustainable use, cooperation with other organizations, and implementation of the Funding Strategy, among others. More.

Photo: Members of the Secretariat. L-R: Clive Stannard, Kent Nnadozie, and ITPGR Secretary Shakeel Bhatti.