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RECENT MEETINGS COVERED BY
IISD REPORTING SERVICES
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LINKAGES
UPDATE
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Linkages Update is our means of keeping you informed of what’s
new on IISD Reporting Services’ Linkageswebsite. This page is updated on a fortnightly basis,
while the website continually posts new information provided by our
seven new Issue Cluster Experts. If you wish to submit relevant
materials, e-mail prisna@iisd.org. Click hereto receive
Linkages Update by e-mail.
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COMINGS AND GOINGS
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Appointments and Departures
 Scientific Support
Chief Leaves CITES Secretariat
ECOSOC
Elects New President
New SPREP
Director Begins Term
UNFCCCD-2 vacancies
IUCNseeks water programme
coordinator
UNESCOseeks communications
director
UN universitylooking to hire
vice-rector
IFADseeks country portfolio
manager
UNESCAPseeks regional advisers
on trade and ICT
IUCNPakistan seeks country
representative
IUCNseeks legal counsel
Tyndall Centrelooking to hire
internal research coordinator
Click here for more information on
new appointments and vacancies
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UPCOMING MEETINGS
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Recently added meetings:
Ad Hoc
Technical Expert Group Meeting on the Potential Impacts of Genetic Use
Restriction Technologies on Smallholder Farmers, Indigenous and Local
Communities and Farmers’ Rights:19-21 Feb
2003. Montreal, Canada.
Ad Hoc
Technical Expert Group on Traditional Knowledge and Clearing-House
Mechanism: 24-26 Feb 2003. Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
25th
Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI): 24-28 Feb 2003. Rome,
Italy.
Workshop on Fresh Water
and International Trade Law: 3 Mar 2003. Geneva, Switzerland.
Biodiversity
After Johannesburg: The Critical Role of Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services in Achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals: 3-4 Mar
2003. London, UK.
STIC-European Hub
Escalator 51 and the Agri-Food Chain Workshop:
6 Mar 2003. Brussels, Belgium.
Joint
UNESCAP-UNDP Advisory Panel Meeting: 12-13 Mar 2003. Bangkok,
Thailand. Commonwealth
Trade Summit: 15-16 Mar 2003. New Delhi, India.
Seminar
on Local Solutions to Climate Change: 16-21 Mar 2003. Cambridge, UK.
GEMI 2003 Conference
– Sustainablility through Strategic
Partnerships: 19-21 Mar 2003. Orlando, Florida, US.
Conference
on “Achieving Sustainable Business Success - Defining Tomorrow's
Company”: 20 Mar 2003. London, UK.
Conference
on Developments in WTO Law: 20-21 Mar 2003. Geneva, Switzerland.
Water UK Environmental
Liability Conference: 26 Mar 2003. London, UK.
Medicinal Plants:
Access, Use and Benefit-Sharing in Light of the CBD: 3 April 2003. Oslo, Norway.
Seminar on
Achieving Sustainability: Poverty Elimination and the Environment:
9 April 2003. Loughborough
University, Leicestershire, UK.
2003 Spring Meeting of
the IMF-WORLD BANK Group: 12-13 April 2003. Washington, DC, US.
Conference on
Patagonian Wetlands: 16-18 April 2003. Rio Gallegos, Province of
Santa Cruz, Argentina.
XIX Latin American
Conference of Rural Electrification (CLER): 5-10 May 2003. Havana,
Cuba.
Second Session of the
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues: 12-24 May. New York, US.
Fifth Central
American Congress on Forestry: 21-23 May 2003, Panama City, Panama.
Iberoamerican Regional Workshop on Wetlands and
Sustainable Development: 26-28 May 2003. Panama City, Panama.
Conference
on Technology and Management for Sustainable Building: 26-30 May
2003. Pretoria, South Africa.
European
Green Week Conference: 2-5 June 2003. Brussels, Belgium.
Fourth Annual
International Course on Wetland Restoration: 2 June - 1 July 2003. Lelystad, Netherlands.
2003
Business and Sustainability Conference: Implementing Environmental,
Economic and Social Objectives – Challenges, Benefits and Rewards:
4-5 June 2003. New York, US.
International Conference on Regional Climate Change and Agriculture
(ICRCCA 2003): 5-7 June 2003. Chhattisgarh,
India.
Fourth
Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity:
Technology Transfer and Capacity Building: 23-27 June 2003. Trondheim, Norway.
International Conference on Mineral
and Energy Resources Management 2003: 28-31 July 2003. Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
10th Annual
International Course on Wetland Management: 19 August - 1 Oct 2003. Lelystad, Netherlands.
International Wildland Fire Conference and Exhibition: 3-6 Oct
2003, Sydney, Australia.
Stockholm
International Investment Conference with Focus on Africa: 14-15 Oct
2003, Stockholm, Sweden.
2003 UNEP FI Global Roundtable:
Sustaining Value – A Meeting on Finance and Sustainability: 20-21 Oct
2003. Tokyo, Japan.
Deep Sea 2003 Conference:
1-4 Dec 2003. Queenstown, New Zealand.
Click here to download complete list
of upcoming meetings
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UNEP GOVERNING
COUNCIL ADOPTS OVER 40 DECISIONS AT RECENT SESSION
3-7 February 2003 |
Nairobi, Kenya
The 22nd session of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council and fourth Global
Ministerial Environment Forum (GMEF) took place from 3-7 February 2003, at
UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. During the meeting, delegates
considered a wide range of topics, including emerging policy issues, the
role of civil society, international environmental governance, linkages
among environment-related conventions, and the outcomes of the World Summit
on Sustainable Development (WSSD). High-level ministerial consultations
were held on the theme, “Implementation of the Outcomes of the WSSD.” The
Governing Council concluded its work by adopting more than 40 decisions on
issues relating to international environmental governance, post-conflict
environmental assessment, water policy and strategy, a strategic approach
to chemicals management, a mercury programme, support to Africa, production
and consumption patterns, and the environment and cultural diversity. After
protracted negotiations, delegates also adopted UNEP’s
Programme of Work and budget for the biennium 2004-2005. Click here for the
Earth Negotiations Bulletin’s web
coverage, summary report and analysis of this meeting.
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CONFERENCE CONSIDERS
CONTRIBUTION OF CRITERIA AND INDICATORS TO SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
3-7 February
2003 | Guatemala City, Guatemala
The International Conference on the Contribution
of Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management: the Way
Forward (CICI-2003) met from 3-7 February 2003 in Guatemala City,
Guatemala. Discussions were structured around four thematic areas:
strengthening the elaboration and application of C&I for SFM; promoting
political commitment for the use of C&I as tools for SFM; strengthening
institutional capacity and stakeholder partnerships for implementing C&I and facilitating the
exchange of information among all stakeholders; and contributing to the work of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and to the
international initiatives on C&I related to sustainable development.
Consideration of each thematic area was conducted through background discussion papers, case studies and working group sessions. The Final Report of CICI-2003 included 30
conclusions and 23 recommendations. Click here for the Sustainable
Developments report outlining these discussions in detail.
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EXPERTS DISCUSS
IMPACTS AND INTERACTION BETWEEN TRADE AND SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
3-5 February 2003 |
Rome, Italy
The Expert Consultation on Trade and
Sustainable Forest Management: Impacts and Interaction convened at the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) headquarters in
Rome, Italy from 3-5 February 2003. Bringing together 73 participants from
26 countries, representing government, international organizations,
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector, the Expert
Consultation provided a forum to debate how current developments in trade
policies and market development affect the sustainability of forest
management, and how sustainable forest management (SFM) is changing trade
patterns and market share. FAO will publish the results of this
process and convene a second expert consultation meeting later this year
that will include trade policy-makers and trade specialists involved in debates on a new
International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA), the implementation of the
World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Declaration, regional trade agreements
and national trade policy making. Click here for the Sustainable
Developments report outlining these discussions in detail.
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RECENT MEETINGS
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FISHERIES EXPERTS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER DECLINE IN
FRESHWATER FISHERIES
11-14 February 2003
| Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Over 200 river fisheries experts gathered
to assess the world’s freshwater fisheries at the “Second International
Symposium On The Management Of Large Rivers For Fisheries: Sustaining
Livelihoods And Biodiversity In The New Millennium,” held from 11-14
February 2003 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Participants convened in sessions to
consider: the status of rivers; the value of river fisheries; fisheries
ecology and biodiversity; options for management and policy, including
traditional management systems; and methods for
collecting data, information dissemination, and turning knowledge into policy. Click here for more information.
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FIRST MEETING OF IOSEA MARINE TURTLE MOU SIGNATORY STATES
22-24 January 2003
| Bangkok, Thailand
The first Meeting of the Signatory
States to the Indian Ocean – Southeast Asia (IOSEA) Marine Turtle
Memorandum of Understanding was held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 22-24 January 2003. The meeting
established an advisory committee, reviewed implementation of the
Conservation and Management Plan, identified complementary regional
initiatives, reviewed financial matters and discussed arrangements for the
Memorandum Secretariat. Madagascar and the Seychelles signed the Memorandum
during the meeting, bringing the number of Signatory States to 15. Click here for more
information.
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MEDIA
REPORTS
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UNEP GOVERNING COUNCIL ADOPTS “COMPROMISE DECISION”
ON THE GLOBAL MERCURY ASSESSMENT
Delegates at the 22nd session of
the UNEP Governing Council adopted a “compromise decision” aimed at
addressing the dangers of mercury. Other chemicals-related decisions were
also taken on lead, the Strategic Approach on
International Chemicals Management (SAICM), and the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. More
information.
WTO GRANTS MEAS PROVISIONAL OBSERVER STATUS
WTO member states have agreed to
grant the Secretariats of six multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs)
provisional observer status at meetings of the WTO Committee on Trade and
Environment (CTE). More
information.
NO BANANAS IN 10 YEARS?
Bananas could be extinct within
the next decade, according to findings by the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain. More information.
FAO APPEALS FOR DONATIONS FOR SOUTHERN AFRICAN HUNGER
CRISIS
The United Nations Food and
Agricultural Organization (FAO) has requested US$15million in aid to help
more than a half a million households in southern Africa that are facing a
severe food and health crisis. The appeal follows several FAO humanitarian
assistance assessment missions to southern Africa in December 2002 and
January 2003.
More information.
IFAD
CELEBRATES 25 YEARS
The International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), based in Rome, Italy, is celebrating its
25th anniversary this year. More
information.
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EXPERTS CALL FOR END TO DESTRUCTIVE FISHING METHODS
Over 400 experts have called on
the United Nations to issue a ban on industrial fishing methods that are
destroying fish populations, turtles, marine mammals and other marine
species. More information.
UNDP TO HELP FUND AFRICA’S NEPAD
The United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) has pledged a US$1.9 million funding package to support the New Partnership for Africa’s Development
(NEPAD). The contribution is part of a broader $3.5 million project
expected to draw funding from additional international partners.More information.
FEED FOR FISH FARMING THREAT TO WILD FISH
The rapidly expanding aquaculture
industry and its hunger for fish feed is placing undue pressure on wild
fish stocks, finds a new report by the World Wildlife Fund
for Nature (WWF). More
information.
AUSTRALIA CONTESTS ICELAND’S RESERVATION TO WHALING
BAN
Australia has lodged an official
document objecting to Iceland’s reservation to the international ban on
commercial whaling. More
information.
EUROPE’S GMO MORATORIUM AT AN END?
The recent rise in the number of applications for genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) scheduled to go through
the EU approval process could be spelling the end of the EU moratorium on
GMO releases and market placement. More
information.
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NEW
PUBLICATIONS AND ONLINE RESOURCES
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GEF 2002 ANNUAL REPORT
(GEF, 2003) The
Global Environment Facility (GEF) has recently released its draft text of the
GEF 2002 Annual Report: A Year of Renewed Commitment to Sustaining the
Earth. The report includes a summary of GEF contributions to the WSSD, new
GEF projects and programmes, and financial statements for the GEF Trust
Fund. Click here for the full
version of the draft text.
INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY RIGHTS DOSSIER
Developed by
SciDev.net, this online guide to intellectual property rights contains
various resources, including official documents, discussion and policy
papers and reports, as well as policy briefs on TRIPS and its impact on
developing countries, IPR impact on food security, IPR and human rights,
patent rules and access to medicines, and bioprospecting.
Click here for this online resource.
THE GLOBAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT: POWER WITHOUT
ACCOUNTABILITY?
(One World
Trust, 2003). In this report, Hetty Kovach,
Caroline Neligan and Simon Burall
compare the degree to which 18 non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and
transnational corporations (TNCs) can be held
accountable to their stakeholders (both internal and external). Rankings are based on access to
information and member control of governance. Click here for the report.
THE ECONOMICS OF WORLDWIDE CORAL REEF DEGRADATION
(WWF, February
2003) This report by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature considers the cost
of coral reef degradation to world economies, estimating a loss of nearly
US$30 billion in annual net benefits that coral reefs provide in goods and
services to tourism, fisheries and coastal protection. In addition to
addressing the economic valuation of coral reef decline, the study also
includes information on the status of coral reefs, considers causes of reef
decline, and looks at the impacts on biodiversity and people. Click here for the
report.
DOWN TO EARTH: GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA
(National
Academies Press, 2002) This report outlines the importance and
applicability of geographic data for sustainable development. Drawing on
experience in African countries, the report considers how future sources
and applications of geographic data could provide reliable support to
policy makers working towards sustainable development. Click here for the report.
INTERNETWORK FOR
SUSTAINABILITY PORTAL
The InterNetwork for Sustainability is a web
based data and information center dedicated to sustainable development
issues. It aims to make information on sustainable development visible and
easily accessible. Click here for the portal.
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MAKING A KILLING OR MAKING A LIVING: WILDLIFE TRADE,
TRADE CONTROLS AND RURAL LIVELIHOODS
(IIED and
TRAFFIC, February 2003) Prepared by the International Institute for
Environment and Development (IIED) and TRAFFIC, this report examines the
contribution of wildlife trade and assesses the impacts of wildlife trade
regulations on rural livelihoods. The study encourages increased
collaboration between the conservation and development sectors, and urges
development of policies that are aimed at species conservation and that
account for the needs of rural people. Click here for the full text of the
report.
FISHERY ACTIVITIES AND TRADE OF PATAGONIAN TOOTHFISH
IN SOUTH AMERICA: A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE
(TRAFFIC,
January 2003) Authored by TRAFFIC, this study analyzes catch and management
information for all South American countries engaged in the catch and trade
of toothfish. It suggests that lack of coordination of fishing
activities between the countries could be contributing to the pressure
faced by the species from unregulated fishing. The report calls for urgent
dialogue among the countries to develop joint management measures. Click here for a summary
of the report.
UN CENTRE ON TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATIONS WEBSITE
From 1977 to
1993 the United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations (UNCTC)
undertook an extensive research programme on transnational corporations, worked on policy responses to South
African investment, environment, and corporate standards, and advised
developing and transition countries on foreign direct investment matters.
Though disbanded in 1993, a group of former UNCTC staff are now creating a
website to make the reports and studies prepared by the Center
accessible to the public. Click here for the website.
KNOWLEDGE
AND DIPLOMACY: SCIENCE ADVICE IN THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM
(National
Academies Press, 2002) This report examines United Nations sustainable development
activities and their science advisory processes. It outlines the
development of science advisory systems internationally particularly in the
UN system, explores options and presents a model process for developing
science advice, illustrates the use of science advisory mechanisms in the
UN system, and presents recommendations for strengthening institutional
arrangements for science advice in the UN system. Click here for the report.
IISD
WEEKLY JOURNAL REVIEW
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