CURRENT MEETINGS COVERED BY ENB

WETLANDS CONVENTION CONVENES IN VALENCIA
Valencia, Spain| 18 - 26 Nov 2002

The Eighth Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP8) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is meeting in Valencia, Spain. The theme of the Conference is “Wetlands: Water, Life, and Culture.” Delegates will consider various substantive items, including the Convention's Work Plan for 2003-2005 and its Strategic Plan for 2003-2008, as well as reports and recommendations submitted by Parties and by the Convention's Standing Committee. COP8 will also consider implementation of the Convention at the global level and reports on the proposed budget for 2003-2005.  ENB's daily coverage of Ramsar COP-8, including Real Audio and photographs.

COMMITTEE REVIEWS IMPLEMENTATION OF CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION

Rome, Italy | 11 - 22 Nov 2002

The first meeting of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC-1) opened on 11 November 2002 in Rome, Italy. The CRIC was established by the Fifth Conference of the Parties (COP-5) to the Convention to Combat Desertification in October 2001 to review and assess the implementation of the Convention.

 ENB daily web coverage and summary of CCD CRIC-1.

RECENT KEY MEETINGS

CONVENTION ON TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES ADOPTS CONSERVATION MEASURES FOR MARINE SPECIES AND MAHOGANY, ALLOWS LIMITED SALE OF IVORY
Santiago, Chile | 3 - 15 Nov 2002

The twelfth Conference of the Parties (COP-12) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) convened from 3-15 November 2002 in Santiago, Chile, drawing together approximately 1,200 participants. Delegates’ assessments of COP-12 were mixed. Many applauded the listing of seahorses, basking and whale sharks, and Bigleaf mahogany, and the rejection of proposals to downlist populations of minke and Bryde’s whales. Results on elephants were divided, with some in favor of the restricted one-off ivory sale that Botswana, Namibia and South Africa attained, while others supported an Appendix I listing. As with previous COPs, the outcomes reflected the underlying conflicts within CITES between balancing trade and conservation.  ENB's Summary and Analysis of CITES COP-12; daily web coverage with photographs and Real Audio recording: English, Spanish.

GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FORUM FOCUSES ON WETLANDS MANAGEMENT
Valencia, Spain | 15 - 17 Nov 2002

The Seventeenth Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum (GBF17) was held from 15-17 November 2002 in Valencia, Spain. The theme of GBF17, which took place prior to Ramsar COP-8, was “managing wetlands for global change and local livelihoods.” The forum comprised of workshops on: wetlands restoration and mitigation; environmental governance and sustainable development; agriculture, wetlands and water resources; and communication, education and public awareness.  SD summary of closing plenary.

INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER ORGANIZATION STRENGTHENS
ITS ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT

Yokohama, Japan | 4 - 9 November 2002

The thirty-third session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC-33) met from 4-9 November 2002, in Yokohama, Japan. After ITTC-32, considered by many as one of the most successful Council sessions in the history of the ITTO process, ITTC-33 served as an opportunity to set the foundations for consolidating ITTO’s role in sustainable forest management, and moving it beyond basic project funding to become a valued contributor to the international forest policy making process.  ENB summary and analysis of ITTC-33; ENB daily web coverage with photos and Real Audio recording.

WTO’S GENEVA WEEK FOSTERS DEVELOPING COUNTRIES’ PARTICIPATION IN DOHA AGENDA
Geneva, Switzerland | 4 - 8 Nov 2002

In an effort to improve the participation of its developing country membership in the Doha Development Agenda, the World Trade Organization hosted the fifth Geneva Week from 4-8 November, in Geneva, Switzerland. Participants from 30 countries and 18 regional trade organizations received full briefings on sectors currently under negotiation in the Doha Development Agenda, as well as on other WTO issues.

  Click here for more information.

WTO COMMITTEE CONSIDERS LINKS BETWEEN MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENT AGREEMENTS AND WTO RULES
Geneva, Switzerland | 12 Nov 2002

On 12 November 2002, a Special Session of the Committee on Trade and Environment convened to discuss paragraph 31 of the Doha Declaration on trade and environment. Delegates decided informally on a compromise method for structuring negotiations on the relationship between MEAs and the WTO mandated under paragraph 31(i) of the Doha Declaration.   Click here for more information.

DELEGATES ADOPT DELHI DECLARATION, AS CLIMATE COP COMES TO A CLOSE

New Delhi, India | 23 Oct - 1 Nov 2002

On the final day of UNFCCC COP-8, Parties adopted the Delhi Declaration on climate change and sustainable development. The Declaration reaffirms development and poverty eradication as overriding priorities in developing counties, and recognizes Parties’ common but differentiated responsibilities, development priorities and circumstances in the implementation of UNFCCC commitments. It does not call for a dialogue on broadening commitments. COP-8 further considered institutional and procedural issues under the Kyoto Protocol and adopted a number of decisions on: “good practices” in policies and measures; improved guidelines for non-Annex I national communications; issues under the financial mechanism; research and systematic observation; cooperation with international organizations; and methodological issues, including the rules and procedures for the Clean Development Mechanism.  ENB's Summary and Analysis; daily web coverage in English; Spanish; French; Japanese translation by GISPRI.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE LOOKS AT SRI IN ASIA

Tokyo, Japan | 28 - 29 Oct 2002

ASrIA - the Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia - held the first international Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) conference in Japan on 28-29 October 2002 at the UN University in Tokyo. The conference covered two main areas: SRI and Corporates in Asia, highlighting the differences and similarities between SRI practice in Asia, Europe and the US, with the aim of identifying some SRI values for Asia; and SRI and Savings Plans in Asia, exploring the dynamic between pension funds and SRI. A research report on this topic, SRI and Pensions in Asia, was released at the conference.   Click here for more information.

RECENT NEWS

  CANADA REAFFIRMS KYOTO RATIFICATION
Despite fears expressed by some of its provinces and industry groups of economic damage from reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Canadian federal government is still aiming to ratify the Kyoto Protocol this year. More information.

CHEMICALS MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND PRIMERS UPDATED

Linkages provides background information on various issues and multilateral processes. Recently updated background primers include:

  Rotterdam PIC Convention - Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade

  Stockholm POPs Convention - Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

  Basel Convention - Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

  Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety

PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES ON TRADE AND FINANCE

 Global Consultation on Finance and Sustainability (UNEP Finance Initiatives 2003) This report summarizes the key findings of a global consultation on Finance and Sustainability sponsored by UNEP Finance Initiatives and its private sector partners. The aim of the consultation was to assess the challenges and opportunities faced by financial institutions, investors and the capital markets, more broadly, as they move to implement sustainability. The report includes detailed summaries of conferences, roundtables, and workshops held in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America throughout 2001-2002. The report also includes a CD-ROM containing over 240 presentations drawn from the consultation. Orders made before 31 January 2003 receive a 30% discount off the full $500 price. For more information contact Robert Reid, UNEP FI; tel: +41-22-917-8253; fax: +41-22-917-8076; e-mail: robert.reid@unep.ch

 WTO International Trade Statistics 2002  (WTO 2002) This resource contains the most up to date trade statistics compiled by the WTO.

 WTO Multilingual Terminology Database (WTO 2002) This newly developed database is a users guide to the language and terminology used in international trade. It is available in English, French and Spanish.

 Power Politics in the WTO (Focus on the Global South 2002) The document draws on in-depth interviews with many developing country delegates to the WTO. It provides personal accounts by delegates on their experience of the pressures and undemocratic processes they have encountered in the process of fighting for better positions in trade negotiations.

 The South and Sustainable Development Conundrum (South Center 2002) One of the aims of the publication is to explain the essence of the developing countries� perspective and to highlight their concerns regarding the manner in which the international sustainable development agenda has been evolving.

 Trade and Development Report 2002 - Developing Countries in World Trade (UNCTAD 2002) This report analyzes trends and outlooks for the world economy and focuses on export dynamism and industrialization in developing countries.

 International Trade and Sustainable Development (Earthscan 2002) This reader presents the latest research on trade and sustainability issues, including foreign direct investment, MEA-WTO conflicts, trade laws and fisheries subsidies, intellectual property rights and traditional knowledge.