UPCOMING COVERAGE BY IISD REPORTING SERVICES

  22nd Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum
3 - 7 February 2003, Nairobi, Kenya

 International Conference on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management (CICI)
3 - 7 February 2003, Guatemala City, Guatemala
 Trade and Sustainable Forest Management - Impacts and Interactions

3 - 5 February 2003, Rome, Italy

RECENT KEY MEETINGS

COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
MEETS TO ELECT BUREAU
27 January 2003 | UNHQ, New York, US
Delegates to the first meeting of the 11th session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) met at UN Headquarters in New York on 27 January 2003 to elect the officers for the 11th session of the CSD (CSD-11), which will convene 28 April – 9 May 2003. Elected as Bureau Chair was South African Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Valli Moosa. Minister Moosa’s opening remarks noted the challenge that CSD-11 will face in translating the outcomes of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) into practical modalities for its next decade of work. He stated that the Commission should serve as a focal point for the discussion of partnerships promoting the implementation of sustainable development and urged that the participation of stakeholders in the Commission’s work be enhanced. More information; Briefing Note by Pamela Chasek, ENB Editor.

AFRICAN FINANCE MINISTERS FOCUS ON ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT AT BIG TABLE MEETING
18-19 January 2003 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
This year’s discussion at the Third Big Table meeting of African Finance Ministers and their OECD counterparts focused on economic and development issues arising from the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, the International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey, and the WSSD in Johannesburg, all held in 2002. More information.

UNEP-FINANCE INITIATIVES CONVENES EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON FINANCE, ENVIRONMENT AND
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
10 January 2003 | Paris, France
Attended by over 300 participants, this gathering of Europe’s financial community explored the implications for the finance sector of last year's WSSD. Participants included bankers, insurers and asset managers from across Europe, as well as representatives from government and civil society. More information.

MEDIA REPORTS

MOROCCO TAKES OVER G-77 CHAIR
In a formal ceremony held at UN Headquarters in New York on 16 January 2003, Morocco formally took over the Chair of the Group of 77 (G-77) and China. More information.

UK EXCHEQUER PROPOSES NEW DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT PLAN
A new, international plan that pledges to bring much needed investment financing to the world’s poorest countries has been proposed. Unveiled by UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, the International Finance Facility (IFF) would seek long-term donor support from wealthy countries, leveraging additional financing from the global capital markets on the basis of this support. More information.

UN LAUNCHES INTERNATIONAL
YEAR OF FRESHWATER
In a bid to raise awareness and action to manage and protect the world’s clean water resources, the United Nations has declared 2003 as the International Year of Freshwater. More information.

UNEP PLEDGES TO HELP NEW KENYAN GOVERNMENT WITH FOREST AND RIVER MANAGEMENT
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced it’s plans to enhance the management of land and water resources flowing from Mount Kenya. The multi-million-dollar project will also back Kenyan government efforts to reduce illegal water removal in the rivers and streams feeding the Tana River. More information.

KENYAN HONEY PRODUCER WINS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Honey Care Africa, a small, socially responsible Kenyan honey producer, has won the prestigious $30,000 Equator Prize. More information.

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ESTABLISHES WORLD SOLIDARITY FUND
The United Nations General Assembly has formally endorsed the establishment of a World Solidarity Fund aimed at eradicating poverty and promoting social and human development in developing countries. More Information.

UNEP MARKS 30 YEARS
Marking UNEP’s 30th anniversary, UNEP Executive Director Klaus Töpfer said in an end of the year editorial that 2003 was a defining moment in the long march towards a more environmentally-sound, sustainable and healthier world. More information.

CHINA COMMENCES WITH
SOUTH-NORTH WATER DIVERSION
Following 50 years of planning, China has finally begun the colossal undertaking of diverting its water from the water-rich South to the parched and thirsty North. The project, which was envisioned by Chairman Mao Zedong in the 1950s and approved last year by the State Council, is expected to take another 50 years to complete. More information.

WSSD PARTNERSHIP SPURRING AFRICA TO SWITCH TO UNLEADED PETROL
A survey carried out by UNEP, a leading member of the global Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles, indicates that within five years most African countries will have phased out, or be close to phasing out, lead from petrol. More information.

PRIMER ON GLOBAL FOREST POLICY RECENTLY UPDATED
Linkages provides background information on various issues and multilateral processes. Our background primer on Global Forest Policy has been recently updated with added information on recent sessions of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).

ARCHIVES OF CLIMATE-L AND
LINKAGES UPDATE
NOW AVAILABLE
Past issues of Linkages Update are now available online. You can also access archives of messages from Climate-L, our news and announcement list service that focuses on the climate change policy process and the UNFCCC. In addition, archives of Climate-L News – a comprehensive climate news resource containing all the latest news, scientific research findings, opinion pieces and speeches on climate change – have now been made accessible online.

 KEY PUBLICATIONS

  Sustainable Development

State of the World 2003
(Worldwatch Institute, 2003) This 2003 release represents the 20th anniversary edition of Worldwatch’s classic evaluation of the state of the world. The text argues that past successes—such as the elimination of smallpox and the encouraging drop in birth rates in many countries—prove that humanity is capable of redirecting itself in positive ways. Substantive chapters examine the disappearance of birds, links between population, women and biodiversity, efforts to combat malaria, energy technologies, mining dependence, urban issues, and engaging religion for sustainable development.

Down to Earth: Geographic Information for Sustainable Development in Africa
(US National Research Council, 2002) This report reviews the applicability and importance of geographic data for sustainable development. As the executive summary notes, geographic data describe spatial variations across the landscape at a variety of levels (local, national and global) and include elements such as climate, elevation, soil, land use and population. The report draws on experiences in African countries and examines how future sources and applications of geographic data could provide reliable support to decision-makers as they work toward sustainable development.

UNEP Environmental Report on
Palestinian Territories
UNEP has recently published a desk study on the state of the environment in the Palestinian Territories. The Desk Study team, comprised of eight impartial environmental experts under the chair of former Finnish Environment and Development Cooperation Minister Pekka Haavisto, visited the region from 1-11 October 2002. The report carries recommendations on improving the environment that will benefit the territories and the region as a whole. The study will be discussed by environment ministers attending UNEP’s 22nd Governing Council, which will run from3-7 February 2003 at UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

IUCN Sustainable Development CD
The IUCN Sustainable Use Team recently produced a new CD containing over 50 technical papers relating to sustainable use of wild living natural resources. It is the culmination of over five years work and includes papers from Volumes I (1998), II (1999), and III (2001) of the SUI Technical Series and six cases studies from Lessons Learned: Case Studies in Sustainable Use (2001), which comprises the proceedings of a workshop held to identify "lessons learned" from case studies of sustainable use projects.

UN Report on Sustainable Development
in Africa
The United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs has recently published a new E-book (268 pages) on supporting Africa’s efforts to achieve sustainable development.

Conservation and Ecosystems

IUCN 2002 Status of Coral Reefs
IUCN, together with the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) has released its 2002 Status of Coral Reefs of the World report. This new report documents the current health of major reef systems, including updated patterns of damage and recovery worldwide.

SPREP 2003-2007 Action Plan
The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has just released its 2003-2007 action strategy for nature conservation in the Pacific Islands region.

  Trade and Development

UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics 2002
(UNCTAD, 2002) This handbook provides a comprehensive collection of statistical data relevant to the analysis of world trade, investment and development, for individual countries and for economic and trade groupings. The Handbook is available in print and CD-ROM versions and is also available online.

US Trade Remedy Law: The Canadian Experience 2nd Edition 1985-2000
(Government of Canada, 2002) This study describes Canada's experience with US anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard investigations during the period 1985-2000. It is intended to update and expand upon Canada's experience with US trade remedy laws as provided in the 1993 study.

World Bank 2003 World Development Report
The World Bank has recently released its World Development Report for 2003, which focuses on the theme of: Sustainable Development in a Dynamic World. Now in its 25th edition, this year's report examines the relationship between competing policy objectives of reducing poverty, maintaining growth, improving social cohesion, and protecting the environment over a 50 year time period. It also reviews institutional progress and stresses that ensuring economic growth and improved management of the planet's ecosystem requires a reduction in poverty and inequality at all levels: local, national, and international.

Foreign Aid in the National Interest: Promoting Freedom, Security, and Opportunity
(USAID, January 2003) This USAID policy report stresses the critical link between national security and foreign assistance and lays out a framework for development in the coming decades. The report's six chapters discuss: promoting democratic governance; driving economic growth; changing health needs; mitigating and managing conflict; providing humanitarian aid; and the full measure of foreign aid. Development scholars and academics outside USAID, including Larry Diamond of the Hoover Institute, Michael Porter of Harvard, Peter Timmer of University of California-San Diego and Carol Adelman of the Hudson Institute, served as primary authors. The report seeks to capture accomplishments to date and the state of the art in development strategy, as it educates about the state of development assistance and fosters discussion about the challenges that lie ahead.

Controlling Imports of Illegal Timber:
Options for Europe
(RIIA and FERN, December 2002) Written by Duncan Brack, Chantal Marijnissen and Saskia Ozinga, this report presents recommendations for the institutions of the European Union (EU) and for the governments of the EU member states on means to control the import of illegally sourced timber and wood products into the territory of the EU. Using a series of country studies - from France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK - that covered the relevant legislation and current measures dealing with illegal logging and imports of illegally sourced timber in each country, the report identifies existing legislation that may be applicable in controlling imports; looks at ways of promoting legal products in the market and of controlling flows of investment to potentially illegal forestry activities; examines existing global frameworks that may be applicable; analyzes new approaches that are currently being discussed, in particular the option of new EU legislation, including a licensing scheme for legal timber enabling member states to control the entry of illegally sourced timber; and considers practical issues, including identification systems, that must be addressed.

IFAD 2002-2006 Strategic Report
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has recently released its strategic framework for 2002-2006 on enabling the rural poor to overcome poverty.

 NEW AND NOTEWORTHY ONLINE RESOURCES

  SC.net - UNEP's Platform
on Sustainable Consumption
UNEP has launched a Sustainable Consumption website with information on its follow-up of the Johannesburg decisions on sustainable consumption and production, its Advertising and Communication Forum, the Life-Cycle Initiative, the UN Guidelines on Consumer Protection survey, the joint UNEP/UNESCO youth and sustainable consumption and lifestyles project and product and service design. Most documents and meeting reports are directly downloadable. Through �SC.net,� UNEP and a wide variety of contributors exchange information on the global activities on Sustainable Consumption on a monthly informal basis. For more information, contact: Bas de Leeuw, Coordinator of UNEP's Sustainable Consumption activities; tel: +33-14-437-3009; e-mail: mailto:sc@unep.fr

  UNEP.Net Socioeconomic Internet Portal
The UNEP.Net Socioeconomic portal provides a data and information access service focused on socioeconomic data related to the environment. It contains links to major sources of social and economic assessment information used by UNEP and its partners for integrated environment assessments as part of the GEO process. Offerings include links to policy/strategy documents such as the World Bank's World Development Report 2003, datasets including UNDP's Human Development Indicators, and maps and graphics including WHO World Health Maps.

  UNEP's European Regional Internet Portal
UNEP has launched a new European-wide environmental portal with the goal of making available the best existing sources of information on the European environment at regional, sub-regional and national levels. The portal also aims to provide a means of integrating, analyzing and adding value for improved environmental management and related decision-making.