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Sustainable
development
REPORT OF THE
SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REPORT OF THE PANEL
OF EMINENT PERSONS ON UNITED NATIONS–CIVIL SOCIETY RELATIONS
(UN, 2004) This report was prepared in response to the report of the
Panel of Eminent Persons on United Nations-Civil Society Relations,
which was chaired by the former President of Brazil, Fernando
Henrique Cardoso and referred to as the Cardoso Panel. It “offers
comments on some of the Panel’s recommendations from the perspective
of the UN Secretariat and, in some cases, includes specific
suggestions regarding their implementation, which the General
Assembly may wish to take into account.”
In the report, Secretary-General Annan states, among others, that:
he will create a single trust fund to provide financial support for
travel and accommodation of representatives from accredited NGOs
from developing countries to attend intergovernmental meetings; he
is requesting DPI to consider how its work with NGOs could be better
linked to the priorities of the intergovernmental organs so as to
enhance its relevance and impact; and he will establish a trust fund
to enhance the capacity of NGOs at the country level and to finance
additional capacity in the office of the Resident Coordinator.
TEN DAYS IN JOHANNESBURG – A NEGOTIATION OF HOPE
(UNDP and South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism, 2004) Written by Pamela Chasek and Richard Sherman and
edited by Chris Spence, this book was compiled as a comprehensive
reference guide to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held
in Johannesburg in 2002. The book documents key events leading up to
the Summit, outlines its preparatory process, and analyzes important
negotiations, activities and outcomes of the Summit. Each chapter
includes a comprehensive account of what took place, including who
said what, and when and where they said it. The chapters also
include a photo history of what took place, and provide reference
sections with sources of publicly available information, including
official UN documents, government reports, statements, speeches and
press releases, global state of implementation reports, UN agency
responses, Major Groups’ papers and academic papers.
ENDING HUNGER IN
AFRICA: PROSPECTS FOR THE SMALL FARMER
(IFPRI, 2004) This new
issue brief
from the
International Food Policy Research Institute examines the role of
agriculture and smallholder farming
in meeting the Millennium
Development Goals. This publication
looks at recent trends in poverty, malnutrition and growth; outlines
challenges to boosting agricultural growth; and presents case
studies of agricultural success in a number of Sub-Saharan
countries.
AFRICA’S FOOD AND
NUTRITION SECURITY SITUATION: WHERE ARE WE AND HOW DID WE GET HERE?
(IFPRI,
August 2004) This five-chapter discussion paper by Todd Benson
covers the current status and trends of food and nutrition security
in Africa and necessary actions to address and advance food and
nutrition security. Food and nutrition security represent
fundamental challenges for Africa’s human welfare and economic
growth. To respond to this challenge, this paper highlights a number
of actions and objectives that national governments should lead or
secure. The text also highlights the important role that local level
actors play in ensuring food and nutrition security and suggests
that the central government should give broad direction to local
efforts and facilitate those efforts through resource allocation,
provision of needed expertise and institutional support. The paper
further notes the important role of advocacy to inform policymakers
at all levels of the critical role improved nutrition plays in
development and poverty alleviation.
ENERGY SUBSIDIES: LESSONS LEARNED IN ASSESSING THEIR IMPACT AND
DESIGNING POLICY REFORMS
(UNEP,
reprinted September 2004) This report, which was first released in
2003, was commissioned by the Economics and Trade Branch (Division
of Technology, Industry and Economics) of the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP). It builds on presentations and
discussions held during a series of regional workshops on reforming
energy subsidies, organized jointly by UNEP and the International
Energy Agency in 2000 and 2001. The nine country and region case
studies demonstrate that the economic costs of energy subsidies can
be significant as they can place a heavy burden on government
finances, weaken the foreign trade balance and stunt the potential
of economies. The report notes that, whatever the precise design of
reform policies, politicians need to communicate clearly to the
general public the overall benefits of subsidy reform to the economy
and to society as a whole, and consult with stakeholders in
formulating reforms to counter political inertia and opposition.
SEMINAR REPORT: PREPARATIONS FOR THE 13TH MEETING OF THE COMMISSION
ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(Norwegian Ministry of the Environment and SIWI, September 2004)
This report details the proceedings of a half-day seminar that the
Norwegian Ministry of the Environment and the Stockholm
International Water Institute convened during the August 2004 World
Water Week in Stockholm. The seminar focused on “Preparations for
the 13th Meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development” and
took as its starting point the challenges identified by Ministers at
CSD-12. Participants highlighted the need to bring to the attention
of political leaders the importance of access to water and
sanitation for domestic and productive use as an engine of growth,
and how water and sanitation (within human settlements) can
contribute to poverty alleviation, improved health, gender equality
and livelihoods. Participants felt that the broad participation of
all stakeholders contributed to the success of CSD-12 and should
continue at CSD-13.
Millennium Declaration review and MDGs
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNITED
NATIONS MILLENNIUM DECLARATION
(UN, September 2004) This 2004 report finds progress in the
implementation of the UN Millennium Declaration. Poverty reduction,
access to primary education, and hunger are some of the areas that
have seen improvements in developing countries around the world,
particularly in Asia, northern Africa, Latin America and the
Caribbean, and West Asia. However, the least developed countries and
countries in sub-Saharan Africa have not fared as well, with few of
these countries seeing progress and some experiencing reversals in
development trends. According to the report, the MDGs, which were
derived from the Millennium Declaration in a 2001 Secretary-General
report, have transformed the face of global development cooperation
and reshaped development strategies. The UN has also produced a
chart -
2004
Status on the MDGs - that illustrates the progress of different
regions in reaching the MDGs.
NGLS’ MILLENNIUM
DEVELOPMENT GOALS INTERNET PORTAL
The UN Non-Governmental
Liaison Service (NGLS) has developed an MDG Internet Portal. It
offers information specific to each of the eight MDGs as well as
introductory information on the MDGs, information and links
regarding action by United Nations agencies and bodies, civil
society groups and country-regional actors. A “tools” link provides
links to reports, critical analyses, statistics and articles
produced by international organizations, academia and media outlets
along with educational resources for the classroom. A “links and
listservs” list directs the user to related sites maintained by
civil society organizations, governments and international
organizations.
FIRST8 MDG WEBSITE
Launched in September in the
Netherlands, this website provides a visual tour of the MDGs. It
seeks to raise people’s awareness of their own responsibility and
inspire them to take action in the struggle against poverty and the
achievements of the MDGs. |
Human development
STATE OF WORLD POPULATION
2004 REPORT: CAIRO CONSENSUS AT TEN: POPULATION, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
AND THE GLOBAL EFFORT TO END POVERTY
(UNFPA, September 2004) This UNFPA flagship report examines the
progress that countries have made in implementing the agenda adopted
at the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD). The 11 chapters of this report address issues
relating to: population and poverty; population and the environment;
migration and urbanization; gender equality and women’s empowerment;
reproductive health and family planning; maternal health; HIV/AIDS
prevention; adolescents and youth; and reproductive health for
communities in crisis. The final chapter discusses the role of
partnership in promoting better reproductive health and efforts to
achieve the goals of ICPD and the MDGs, and outlines priority
actions.
The report finds that while significant gains have been achieved
since the Cairo Conference in the areas of protecting the rights of
girls and women, integrating reproductive health services into
primary healthcare, adopting national HIV/AIDS strategies and
addressing gender issues, many challenges still remain, particularly
regarding the significant gap between the rich and poor in access to
health services. The report highlights how that lack of resources is
impeding further progress, noting that donor response has not met
the increasing reproductive health needs of developing countries.
STATE
OF THE WORLD’S CITIES 2004/2005 – GLOBALIZATION AND URBAN CULTURE
(UN-HABITAT,
September 2004) Launched at the second World Urban Forum in
Barcelona, this flagship UN-HABITAT report charts the trends,
progress and challenges faced in our rapidly urbanizing world. The
report forecasts that 60 percent of the world’s population will be
living in cities by 2030 and that almost of this growth will be
absorbed by the world’s least developed regions. It tackles issues
such as migration, multiculturalism, globalization and the
feminization of poverty to name a few. First published in 2001, the
SOWC report is now released every two years.
Climate
DOES THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S CLIMATE POLICY MEAN CLIMATE
PROTECTION?
(EPE, 2004) This article provides a perspective on US climate policy
from two experts – Odile Blanchard of the French Department of
Energy and Environmental Policy, and Chicago-based consultant James
F. Perkaus. The paper considers two key parts of the Bush
administration’s climate policy, namely its emission intensity
target and its technology focus. The authors conclude that these
policies do not guarantee emissions reductions that are likely to
stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at a level that is considered
safe in the long term. They suggest that the administration’s
approach gambles too heavily on securing a major technological
breakthrough in the coming years. However, the authors also
speculate that US policy on climate protection could well strengthen
due to growing concern in Congress and at the state, corporate and
civil society levels.
GLOBAL WARMING
AND YOUR MUTUAL FUND
A new website has been launched to allow mutual funds investors to
assess whether their investments are endangered by the financial
risks posed by global warming. This free service is provided by
Results for America, a non-profit group that monitors companies’
performance on climate change. The site, which covers the top 24
mutual funds in the US, allows investors to check if a specific
company or mutual fund has a poor record in responding to climate
change. This includes monitoring how individual companies compare
with their rivals in taking climate change into account in their
long-term strategies.
Biodiversity and wildlife
INTEGRATING DEVELOPMENT INTO WIPO ACTIVITIES AND PROCESSES:
STRATEGIES FOR THE 2004 WIPO ASSEMBLIES
(South Centre, August 2004) This analytical note has been prepared
by the South Centre and the Center for International Environmental
Law (CIEL) to assist developing countries to address the various
issues on the agenda of the 2004 WIPO Assemblies. It reviews the
status of the various issues in the individual WIPO committees and
other bodies, and outlines some substantive as well as strategic and
political questions that developing countries need to address. It
does not address the entire agenda of the Assemblies, but focuses on
matters regarding: the Substantive Patent Law Treaty negotiations;
issues on genetic resources and traditional knowledge, including the
request by the CBD to WIPO; the possible diplomatic conference on
the protection of broadcasting organizations; the reform of the
Patent Cooperation Treaty; the WIPO Policy Advisory Commission; and
the WIPO Advisory Committee on Enforcement.
AGRICULTURAL
BIOTECHNOLOGY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DATABASE(USDA,
Economic Research Service, August 2004)
This
database identifies and describes US utility patents on inventions
in biotechnology and other biological processes that are used in
food and agriculture, with issue dates between 1976 and 2000. It
also provides information on the ownership of these patents, whether
patents are held in the public or private sector, and changes in
patent ownership due to firm mergers, acquisitions, and spin-offs.
It includes: agricultural biotechnology utility patents; patent
ownership information; and a system of technology classification.
Trade, finance and investment
WORLD INVESTMENT REPORT 2004
(UNCTAD, September 2004) This annual report considers the latest
trends in foreign direct investment, both globally and regionally.
The report, which was produced by the UN Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), points to changes in investment patterns at a
regional level. The latest report looks in particular at changes in
the service sector, including the recent trend towards shifting
corporate services offshore – usually from the industrialized world
to developing countries. Finally, the report also analyzes national
and international policies on foreign direct investment, noting that
sound national policies are important if the benefits of inward
investment are to be maximized. The new report is scheduled for
release on 22 September 2004.
TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2004(UNCTAD,
September 2004) The latest annual UNCTAD Trade and Development
Report considers recent trends in the world economy, and
particularly the linkages between the international trading system
and the international monetary system. It argues that the systems
need to be genuinely multilateral on both counts if developing
countries are to benefit fully from globalization. The report also
considers other relevant issues, including the rising US deficit,
expanding demand across much of Asia, and currency and exchange rate
issues.
Intergovernmental organizations
G-20 WEBSITE
LAUNCHED
This website was launched on 20 August 2004 to mark the first
anniversary of the creation of the G-20 group of developing
countries. The site offers information on the group’s members and
their work, including statistics, press releases, statements,
proposals and links to other relevant websites. The G-20 was
established prior to the 5th Ministerial Conference of the World
Trade Organisation (WTO) that was held in Cancún in September 2003,
with a view to bringing together countries with an interest in
eliminating trade distortions in agricultural products. |
Water, wetlands,
oceans, coasts
WHO GUIDELINES FOR DRINKING-WATER QUALITY, 3RD EDITION
(WHO, September 2004) According to the World Health Organization,
these updated guidelines for drinking water quality represent a
“paradigm shift” in advice on how to manage the provision of
drinking water. The guidelines recommend a holistic, systematic
approach from source to tap towards water quality regulation and
management in order to prevent water-related disease, including
preventive measures such as ensuring that water reservoirs or local
wells are not at risk from contamination. The traditional approach
to managing drinking water quality involved testing water samples
for levels of contaminants, but this method is remedial rather than
preventative. The new guidelines reflect reviewed and revised
recommended values for chemical limits, and sets out practical
approaches to discount some chemicals and prioritize others. The
updates guidelines also include applications for emergencies and
disaster situations.
FLOODS AND THE POOR - REDUCING THE VULNERABILITY OF THE POOR TO THE
NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF FLOODS
(ABD, 2004) This Asian Development Bank publication examines
water-related disasters from the perspective of affected poor
households, and proposes ways to help them cope with floods. The
online version was released in January, while the hardcopy version
was released in September.
Forests, deserts and land
degradation
GOVERNMENT
BAROMETER
(WWF, September 2004) WWF has updated its ratings of EU governments’
commitments and actions to combat illegal logging and trade. This
newest rating includes seven of the new EU member states, bringing
the total to 19 EU countries examined in WWF’s effort to draw
attention to EU governments’ actions against illegal logging and
forest crime. While most countries are still failing to take
effective action on illegal logging at a national level, the report
indicates that 16 of 19 countries are ready to outlaw illegal
logging Europe-wide and 15 governments are ready to tackle illegal
logging in the new member states and candidate countries. Only the
UK was rated as “satisfactory” on domestic measures to tackle
illegal logging and related trade. Since the last evaluation in
April, Germany has made “significant improvement” and the UK,
Denmark and France have made “slight improvement.”
THE IAF AT THE CROSSROADS: TOUGH CHOICES AHEAD
(WWF Forests for Life Program, September 2004) Bill Mankin authored
this discussion paper in preparation for the UNFF’s Ad Hoc
Expert Group on Consideration with a View to Recommending the
Parameters of a Mandate for Developing a Legal Framework on All
Types of Forests, which met in September 2004. Mankin reviews
strengths and weaknesses of the existing International Arrangement
on Forests (IAF), with successes including inter-sessional meetings
and initiatives and the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)
and failures including the UNFF’s mandate to facilitate the
implementation of the IPF/IFF Proposals for Action, major group
participation and reporting. He urges governments to be open-minded
and creative as they explore options to revitalize the IAF and
presents a number of ideas for their consideration, including:
shifting an important part of the central Forum’s work to regional
and country-led initiatives; holding sessions of the central Forum
outside of New York and Geneva; facilitating broader and more
substantive involvement by major groups; drawing key national-level
actors into all parts of the IAF process; restructuring central
Forum sessions so they convene once every two years, with
negotiations taking place once every four years; facilitating more
effective, creative and collaborative reporting; and exploring the
establishment of an IAF financial mechanism or a more formal link
with the GEF.
FOREST INVESTMENT FORUM REPORT
(PROFOR,
July 2004) This text stems from a meeting that took place from 22-23
October 2003 in Washington, DC that explored opportunities for
private sector companies, the World Bank, the IFC and other
financial institutions to invest in sustainable forest enterprises
in developing and economic transition countries and to create an
enabling environment for responsible private sector investment. The
meeting report includes the forum organizers’ outcome statement, a
summary of discussions, and an analysis of opportunities and key
constraints to environmentally and socially responsible private
sector investment in the forest sector. The meeting recognized the
primary importance of sustainable forests management in realizing
the potential of forests in poverty alleviation, sustainable
development, protection of environmental services of both local and
global importance, and providing products that improve quality of
life. The meeting agreed that containing illegal logging operations
and forest corruption are essential prerequisites to achieving
sustainability, and recognized the importance of involving both
local communities and governments to ensure that initiatives being
discussed contribute to National Forest Development Plans.
POLICY ADVICE ON OPTIONS FOR A LEGALLY BINDING INSTRUMENT FOR ALL
FORESTS
(University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna
and RIIA, May 2004) The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and
Food Quality commissioned this paper with the objective of assisting
delegates to further develop their position in the ongoing
intergovernmental discussions on a legally binding instrument for
all types of forests. The paper’s authors were asked to offer a
legal analysis of a specified number of types of legally binding
instruments (LBI) (treaty, convention, framework convention,
protocol, regime, agreement), analyze a range of specified existing
legal instruments in terms of their history as well as their legal
and institutional differences (CBD, Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,
UNFCCC, UNCCD, Ramsar Convention, CITES, ITTA, IPF/IFF/UNFF process,
and WTO), and identify choices and options and their respective
advantages and disadvantages.
The authors find that there is no intrinsic legal hierarchy between
the types of LBI, but suggest that what is important are the details
negotiated and agreed between governments. They find that there is
no clear guidance on how an international instrument should be
structured, indicating that negotiators have a wide latitude in
developing institutions, contents and procedures as they feel
appropriate. On the question of forests, the authors highlight three
strategic choices that negotiations should make, ideally prior to
decisions on a number of functional options that they also outline.
The strategic choices encompass the instrument’s main aim, content
and scope. The functional options concern the type of instrument to
use, institutions and auxiliary bodies to choose as well as
procedural mechanisms to agree on.
EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES IN ARID AND SEMI-ARID ZONES: ENVIRONMENTAL
PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
(IUCN and UNCCD, 2003)
This
publication, edited by Joachim Gratzfeld, offers environmental
planning and management guidance on extractive industries
development activities in arid and semi-arid zones. The first four
chapters offer operational guidance on extractive industries
development activities. Chapter 5 identifies key guiding principles
that will help government officials, environmental NGOs, and
executives of extractive industries to consider ecosystem
conservation needs of exploration and exploitation activities in
arid and semi-arid lands to promote long-term sustainable
development and is organized in three sections: planning and
management of natural resources; policies, laws, and institutions;
and monitoring.
This study was first called for by the African Group at the third
Conference of the Parties to the CCD in Recife, Brazil, in November
1999. This interest was reiterated by the members of IUCN at the
second IUCN World Conservation Congress in Amman, Jordan, in October
2000, where the members approved a resolution calling on the IUCN
Secretariat to prepare and adopt guidelines for oil, gas and mineral
exploration and exploitation in arid and semi-arid zones.
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Announcements: Change of dates
AFRICAN REGIONAL PREPARATORY CONFERENCE FOR CRIC-3:
Bamako, Mali. The African regional conference preparatory to the
third session of the CCD’s Committee for the Review of the
Implementation of the Convention (CRIC-3) will convene in Bamako,
Mali. This meeting was scheduled for December, but has been
postponed without a set date. For more information contact: UNCCD
Secretariat; tel: +49-228-815-2802; fax: +49-228-815-2898; e-mail:
secretariat@unccd.int; Internet:
http://www.unccd.int/main.php
Click here for a complete listing of upcoming meetings
The following are
upcoming meetings recently added to Linkages
website:
Sustainable development
SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES CONFERENCE 2004:
27 September 2004 - 5 October 2004. Boulder, Colorado, USA. This
“International Forum Connecting People with Hands-on Solutions to
World Poverty” will host over 230 presentations and 40 keynote
speeches in a multi-disciplinary, grassroots conference on
sustainable development, technology, and resource use. The main
conference will convene from 30 September to 2 October, while
pre-conference events will take place from 27-29 September and
post-conference events from 3-5 October. For more information
contact: Sustainable Resources, 717 Poplar Avenue, Boulder, CO
80304, USA; tel: +1-303-998-1323; fax: +1-303-449-1348; e-mail:
info@sustainableresources.org; Internet:
http://www.sustainableresources.org/sr2004/index.html
FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GREEN PURCHASING:
6 October 2004 - 7 October 2004. Sendai, Japan. This meeting is
hosted by Sendai City and Japan’s (GPN), in cooperation with ICLEI,
the Global Ecolabelling Network, and Nippon Keidanren, and in
collaboration with DESA and UNEP. The event aims to share the latest
information on green purchasing and discuss its future direction,
and establish a network that promotes global collaboration on
efforts towards green purchasing. For more information contact: Yuri
Mito, Secretariat for International Affairs, GPN,; e-mail:
ymito@net.email.ne.jp; Internet:
http://www.ics-inc.co.jp/icgps/index1_e.html
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES PRIZE CEREMONY AND SYMPOSIUM 2004: WATER AND
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: 7 October 2004 - 8 October 2004. Giessen, Germany. The
Developing Countries Prize has been awarded biannually since 1982.
This year’s prize will be awarded for scientific work on “Water and
sustainable development.” A symposium will take place in connection
with the award ceremony during which award winners will present
their research. For more information contact: Matthias Höher,
Managing Director, Center for international Development and
Environmental; tel: +49-641-99-12700; fax: +49-641-99-12709;
Internet:
http://www.uni-giessen.de/dcp
FIFTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA
AND THE PACIFIC 2005:
24 March 2005 - 29 March 2005. Seoul, Republic of Korea. Ministerial
conferences on environment and development in Asia and the Pacific
have been held every five years since 1985. The 2005 Conference will
review progress in implementation of the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation and the Regional Platform on Sustainable Development
for Asia and the Pacific. For more information contact: UNESCAP
Information Services; tel: +66-2-288-1234; fax: +66-2-288-1052;
e-mail:
unisbkk.unescap@un.org; Internet:
http://www.unescap.org/esd/subcommittee/english/SESD_5E.pdf
Biodiversity and
wildlife
CONFERENCE ON BUSHMEAT AND LIVELIHOODS:
23 September 2004 - 24 September 2004. London, UK. This conference
is organized by the Overseas Development Institute and the
Zoological Society of London. It will consider the state of existing
knowledge on wild meat from a livelihoods perspective, in order to
recommend ways forward for both policymakers and practitioners
concerned with its sustainable management. For more information
contact: David Brown; tel: +44-20-7922-0300; fax: +44-20-7922-0399;
e-mail:
d.brown@odi.org.uk; Internet:
http://www.odi-bushmeat.org/conference_overview.html
FIRST MEETING OF THE EXPERT GROUP ON THE TERMS OF THE STANDARD
MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT: 4 October 2004 - 8 October 2004. Brussels, Belgium. This
meeting is organized by the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for
Food and Agriculture (CGRFA). Its outcome will be presented at the
2nd meeting of the CGRFA acting as the Interim Committee for the
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture. For more information contact: Alvaro Toledo; tel:
+39-6-5705-2753; fax: +39-6-5705-6347; e-mail:
Alvaro.Toledo@fao.org; Internet:
http://www.fao.org/ag/cgrfa/docsmta1.htm
MEETING ON MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY: TECHNICAL AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
IN THE NEAR EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION:
14 December 2004 - 16 December 2004. Beirut, Lebanon. This meeting
is organized by the Team on Technology for Sustainable Development
at the UN Economic & Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in
cooperation with FAO. The meeting aims to provide policy and
decision-makers in the region with the current state of knowledge on
applications of biotechnology and genetic engineering, their
challenges and opportunities, and a status of the institutional and
enabling frameworks in the region. For more information contact:
Omar F. Bizri; tel: +961-1-978506; e-mail:
bizri@un.org; Internet:
http://www.escwa.org.lb/information/meetings/events/2004/14-16dec/main.html
Climate and
atmosphere
TENTH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE UNFCCC:
6 December 2004 - 17 December 2004. Buenos Aires, Argentina. The
tenth Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will continue negotiations relating to
the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol. The previous COP took place
in Milan in December 2003. COP-10 will be preceded by a number of
preparatory workshops. These include meetings on financing the
transfer of technologies (27-29 September in Montreal, Canada);
fourth national communications from Annex I Parties (30 September to
1 October in Dublin, Ireland); national greenhouse gas inventories
for the Latin America and the Caribbean region (25-29 October in
Panama City); and vulnerability and adaptation assessments for the
African region (dates and venue to be confirmed). For more
information contact: UNFCCC Secretariat; tel: +49-228-815-1000; fax:
+49-228-815-1999; e-mail:
secretariat@unfccc.int; Internet:
http://www.unfccc.int
CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS & OPPORTUNITIES: LEARNING FROM
THE LEADERS: 13 January 2005 - 14 January 2005. New York, NY. This conference seeks
to: bring leaders of the corporate, financial and legal sectors
together with some of the world’s foremost experts on climate change
policy to discuss the legal and practical implications of the
problem for U.S. businesses; consider the experience of the major
companies that have taken “early action” to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions; and discuss steps companies can take to develop an
effective and profitable strategy for contributing to climate change
mitigation. For more information contact: Robyn Stewart, Center for
Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc., New York; tel:
+1-518-432-6400; e-mail:
robyn@ceepinc.org; Internet:
http://lists.iisd.ca:81/read/messages?id=22315
SOLAR WORLD CONGRESS 2005: 6 August 2005 - 12 August 2005. Orlando, Florida, USA.
This event is expected to bring together researchers, scientists,
engineers, architects, designers and other renewable energy
professionals to discuss solar energy issues. In particular, the
Congress will consider linkages between solar and water issues under
the theme, “Bringing Water to the World.” The 2005 Congress also
marks the 50th anniversary of the first major solar conference,
which was held in Arizona in 1955. To mark the occasion, the 2005
Congress will include a special session on the History of Solar
Energy and the International Solar Energy Society. The organizers
have requested those interested in submitting papers on these
subjects to contact them by 15 November 2004. For more information
contact: Becky Campbell-Howe, American Solar Energy Society; tel:
+1-303-443-3130 ext.103; fax: +1-303-443-3212; e-mail:
bchowe@ases.org; Internet:
http://www.swc2005.org
Forests, deserts,
land
SEVENTEENTH SESSION OF THE FAO COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY (COFO):
15 March 2005 - 19 March 2005. Rome, Italy. This 17th biennial
session of COFO will convene at FAO headquarters, bringing together
heads of forest services and other senior government officials to
identify emerging policy and technical issues and advise FAO and
others on appropriate action. For more information contact: Douglas
Kneeland, FAO Forestry Department; tel: +39-06-5705-3925; fax:
+39-06-5705-5137; e-mail:
douglas.kneeland@fao.org; Internet:
http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/2962/en
Trade, finance
and investment in SD
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FINANCING MUNICIPALITIES AND
SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENTS: 30 September 2004 - 1 October 2004. Washington DC, US. This conference
is sponsored by the International Association of Development Funds (IADF),
in collaboration with USAID, the International Private Water
Association, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank.
Participants will discuss ways to improve the financing of capital
improvement in emerging market cities and towns, with focused
dialogues on new-pooled financing approaches being developed in Asia
and Latin America. For more information contact: Steve Thomas,
Executive Director; e-mail:
sthomas@developmentfunds.org; Internet:
http://www.developmentfunds.org/fall04.htm
Water, wetlands,
oceans, coasts
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES PRIZE CEREMONY AND SYMPOSIUM 2004: WATER
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: 7 October 2004 - 8 October 2004. Giessen, Germany. The
Developing Countries Prize has been awarded biannually since 1982.
This year’s prize will be awarded for scientific work on “Water and
sustainable development.” A symposium will take place in connection
with the award ceremony during which award winners will present
their research. For more information contact: Matthias Höher,
Managing Director, Center for international Development and
Environmental; tel: +49-641-99-12700; fax: +49-641-99-12709;
Internet:
http://www.uni-giessen.de/dcp
2004 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND
DEVELOPMENT OF CITIES: 12 October 2004 - 14 October 2004. Beijing, China. The theme of this
conference is “Harmonious development with human, water and nature.”
For more information contact: Liu Yankai, Secretary General, Beijing
Hydraulic and Engineering Society; e-mail:
liuyk@bjwater.gov.cn; Internet:
http://www.riverbasin.org/ev_en.php?ID=3159_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC
INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON IMPACT OF LARGE DAMS:
27 October 2004 - 29 October 2004. Istanbul, Turkey. This workshop
seeks to evaluate the benefits and costs of dams that have been
operational for some years, and also the nature of the beneficiaries
of such projects. For more information contact: Cecilia Tortajada,
Third World Centre for Water Management; e-mail:
thirdworldcentre@att.net.mx; Internet:
http://www.thirdworldcentre.org/turkeyw.PDF
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF WETLANDS AND SHALLOW LAKES CONFERENCE:
28 October 2004 - 30 October 2004. Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Organized by the Global Nature Fund (GNF), this conference will
focus on the implementation of a wetlands restoration project, its
measures and activities, as well as successes and problems. For more
information contact: Udo Gattenlohner, GNF; tel: +49-77-32-999-580;
fax: +49-77-32-999-588; e-mail:
info@globalnature.org; Internet:
http://www.globalnature.org/docs/02_vorlage.asp?id=20267&domid=1011&sp=E&addlastid=&m1=11089&m2=11103&m3=19379&m4=20267
SECOND INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS MANAGEMENT:
16 November 2004 - 19 November 2004. Tucson, Arizona, US. Organized
by the Sustainability of Semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA),
this symposium will address, inter alia: quantity and water quality
management; impacts of climate fluctuations; market-based allocation
approaches; ecological conservation; and the need for greater
hydrologic literacy among decision-makers. Keynote speeches and
panel discussions will address a range of topics critical to
improved transboundary waters management. For more information
contact: Rannie Fox, SAHRA; tel: +1-520-626-6974; e-mail:
rannie@sahra.arizona.edu; Internet:
http://www.sahra.arizona.edu/twm/
MEETING TO CREATE A WATER COOPERATION FACILITY:
25 November 2004 - 26 November 2004. Delft, the Netherlands. This
meeting follows up on UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura’s
announcement made at the 3rd World Water Forum to create a Water
Cooperation Facility, which would be an alliance of institutions
already active in the management of shared water resources that
would collectively provide distinct and complementary services to
aid transboundary water governance. This event is organized by
UNESCO and the World Water Council for all institutions interested
in joining the initiative as Facility Partners. For more information
contact: From Potential Conflict to Co-operation potential, UNESCO
Division of Water Sciences; tel: +33-1-45-684-180; fax:
+33-1-45-685-811; e-mail:
pccp@unesco.org; Internet:
http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/pccp/events.shtml
CORAL REEF CONSERVATION SYMPOSIUM:
16 December 2004 - 17 December 2004. London, UK. Organized by the
Zoological Society of London and Fisheries Conservation Foundation,
this symposium will bring together experts with a diverse set of
interests in coral reef conservation, ranging from ecologists
concerned with extinction of coral reef species to economists
concerned with the well-being of people who depend on reefs. The aim
is to develop a broad multidisciplinary perspective on problems and
solutions in coral reef conservation. For more information contact:
Deborah Body, Scientific Meetings Coordinator; tel:
+44-207-449-6227; e-mail:
deborah.body@zsl.org; Internet:
http://www.zsl.org/press/pml_0000001642.html
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