RECENT MEETING COVERED BY ENB

BASEL CONVENTION ON HAZARDOUS WASTE ADOPTS 10-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN AND COMPLIANCE MECHANISM
9-13 December 2002 | Geneva, Switzerland
The sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-6) to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was held from 9-14 December 2002, in Geneva, Switzerland. After lengthy negotiations, COP-6 also set the budget for 2003-2005, agreed on a compliance mechanism for the Convention, adopted a Strategic Plan, and finalized the Framework Agreement on the legal establishment of the Regional Centers for Training and Technology Transfer. With COP-6 ending many hours later than scheduled, most delegates departed from COP-6 fatigued but satisfied at completing their work on these important tasks. Nevertheless, broader goals such as hazardous waste minimization and entry into force of the Ban Amendment are certain to remain on the agenda for some time to come. Click here for ENB’s daily and summary report, and digital coverage.

SECOND COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
24 September - 11 December 2002 | UNHQ, New York, US
The Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly met from 24 September through 11 December 2002. The Committee addressed issues relating to the environment and sustainable development, and considered outcomes of the relevant major UN conferences and summits.
During this session, the committee’s work focused on, inter alia: macroeconomic policy questions; sustainable development and international economic cooperation; environment and sustainable development; operational activities for development; and implementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006). Click here for ENB's briefing note on the Second Committee.

RECENT KEY MEETINGS

GOVERNMENTS ADOPT ACTION PLAN ON POPULATION AND POVERTY FOR
ASIA PACIFIC, THE US OUTVOTED ON FAMILY PLANNING LANGUAGE
11-17 December 2002 | Bangkok, Thailand
Governments convened from 11-17 December 2002 in Bangkok, Thailand for the Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference to review the population and development situation in the Asia and Pacific region and identify the challenges faced in implementing the actions agreed at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. During the ministerial segment held from 16-17 December, delegates adopted a Plan of Action targeted at poverty reduction, with recommendations on issues such as migration and urbanization, population ageing, gender equality, equity and empowerment of women, reproductive rights and reproductive health, adolescent reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. Discussions on reproductive health, including family planning, proved to be contentious. Click here for more.

FOURTH GLOBAL FORUM ON REINVENTING GOVERNMENT
11-13 December 2002 | Marrakech, Morocco
Over 2,000 participants, including over 50 high-level representatives and ministers, gathered for the Fourth Global Forum on Reinventing Government held from 11-13 December 2002 in Marrakech, Morocco. This year’s forum convened under theme “Citizens, Businesses, and Governments: Partnerships for Development and Democracy.” The forum’s workshops and roundtables identified the erosion of locally shared values and social stability, particularly in the face of globalization, as a major challenge facing developing country governments. Click here for more.

MONTERREY BRIDGE COALITION HOLDS STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION
18-19 November 2002 | New York, US
Formed in 2002 to bring together key actors who recognize the need for greater cooperation, synergy and mutual supportiveness among the intrinsically linked fields of agriculture, biodiversity and poverty and hunger reduction, the Monterrey Bridge Coalition held a strategic planning session from 18-19 November 2002 at The Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York. During the two-day meeting, participants initiated the process of identifying key challenges, core issues and actions that the Coalition should initially address or undertake and created task forces to develop components of an action plan. Click here for more.

WIPO’S COMMITTEE DISCUSSES
LEGAL PROTECTION FOR TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
9-17 December 2002 | Geneva, Switzerland
The fourth meeting of WIPO’s Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore focused on possible ways of providing legal protection for traditional knowledge and folklore, including through the use of databases, a multilateral sui generis system and disclosure requirements for country of origin, benefit sharing and prior informed consent in patent applications. On the sidelines of the meeting, a group of indigenous experts launched the “Call of the Earth” initiative, aiming to respond to the “threats and challenges of emerging international intellectual property policies that do not adequately reflect or respond to the concerns of indigenous peoples.” Click here for more.

USDA CARBON SYMPOSIUM ON NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TO OFFSET GHG EMISSIONS
19-21 November 2002 | Raleigh, NC, US
The objective of the conference was to discuss management options for increased storage of terrestrial carbon, monitor information on current terrestrial carbon stocks, and provide a forum for discussing the policy implications of scientific carbon research findings. Participants heard over 150 presentations over the course of the three-day meeting, and plenary sessions helped bring together common research, policy and land management needs that could be derived from the studies. Key findings will be published in a special edition of Environmental Management.

THE MICROCREDIT SUMMIT +5
10-13 November 2002 | New York, US
Over 2,000 delegates representing over 100 countries attended the Microcredit Summit +5 in New York. Participants convened in Plenary and breakout sessions and 13 day-long courses throughout the Summit. Discussions focused on six newly commissioned papers presented in a book entitled “Pathways Out of Poverty: Innovations in Microfinance for the Poorest Families.” Outcomes include the presentation of Institutional Action Plans and the release of the most extensive directory of microcredit institutions produced to date.

LIKE-MINDED MEGADIVERSE COUNTRIES ADOPT DECLARATION ON GENETIC RESOURCES, TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
27-29 November 2002 | Cusco, Peru
Ministers and high-ranking representatives of the “Like-Minded Megadiverse” countries assembled in Cusco, Peru, to discuss access to genetic resources, traditional knowledge and intellectual property rights. The ministerial meeting attended by officials from Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, South Africa and Venezuela was preceded by an expert meeting on access and benefit sharing. Click here for more.

123RD SESSION OF THE FAO COUNCIL
28 October – 1 November 2002 | Rome, Italy
This meeting convened at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy from 28 October – 1 November 2002. Agenda items for the Council, which consists of 49 Member States, included the report of the 28th Session of the Committee on World Food Security, activities of the World Food Programme, and budgetary and administrative matters. Among other decisions taken, the Council established and developed the terms of reference for an Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) to elaborate a set of voluntary guidelines to support Member Nations’ efforts to achieve the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security. Click here for more.