IISD Reporting Services Blog

MEA Bulletin - Issue #56 now available! - Friday, 24 October 2008

2008-10-24T23:14:43-04:00

Throughout the week, the Committee continued progress with its agenda, completing deliberations on c-octaBDE, PeCB, alpha-HCH and beta-HCH.

POPRC RECOMMENDS LISTING FOUR MORE CHEMICALS

The fourth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC4) of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which convened from 13-17 October 2008, in Geneva, Switzerland, considered several operational issues, including conflict-of-interest procedures, toxic interactions between POPs, and activities undertaken for effective participation of parties in its work. The Committee approved the risk management evaluations for four chemicals, and recommended that the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties consider listing under Annexes A, B, or C: commercial octabromodiphenyl ether (c-octaBDE), pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), and alpha- and beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (alphaHCH and betaHCH). A draft risk profile for short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) was discussed throughout the week and the Committee agreed to forward it to POPRC5. POPRC4 also evaluated a proposal to list endosulfan under the Convention and agreed, by vote, that it met the Annex D criteria for listing and that a draft risk profile should be prepared for consideration by POPRC5. POPRC4 also began an exchange of views on a proposal to list hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) under the Convention. Despite unusually contentious deliberations during the week, many participants expressed satisfaction with the Committee’s accomplishments.

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MEA Bulletin - Issue #55 now available! - Thursday, 9 October 2008

2008-10-24T23:09:34-04:00

L-R: Per Baaken, UNEP; John Roberts (UK); and John Whitelaw, UNEP

SECOND MERCURY OEWG CONVENES IN NAIROBI

The second meeting of the ad-hoc Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) to Review and Assess Measures to Address the Global Issue of Mercury is convening from 6-10 October 2008, in Nairobi, Kenya. During the OEWG, delegates will review and assess options for enhanced voluntary measures and new or existing international legal instruments to address mercury and consider the report on activities under the UNEP Mercury Programme. Delegates are also expected to consider the broad elements needed to address mercury globally. Once the elements are agreed, delegates will then consider the balance and/or combination of legally-based and voluntary or partnership components of a package to deliver these elements, and in what overarching framework those legally-based and voluntary components could best be organized. As of 7 October, delegates were considering elements to be included in a mercury framework including measures to reduce supply, demand and trade of mercury. The outcomes will be considered by UNEP’s Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF) at its 25th session, which will convene in February 2009. The OEWG’s mandate, as set out in Governing Council Decision 24/3, requires it to develop options for addressing mercury and a final report reflecting all views expressed, presenting options and any consensus recommendations. Should consensus recommendations not be reached, delegates will put forward to the GC/GMEF a small range of clearly identified alternative options, explaining their implications.

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Guest Article #55 - MEA Bulletin - Clean Energy Investment in Developing Countries - Thursday, 9 October 2008

2008-10-24T23:03:34-04:00

L-R: Aaron Cosbey, Mahnaz Malik, and Howard Mann, IISD

The Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora held its ninth Governing Council Meeting in Kampala, Uganda, on 3 October 2008. The Governing Council was preceded by a two-day Meeting of Experts, which identified a number of common and challenging issues facing parties.

Traditional poaching has given way to more sophisticated commercial poaching stretching the resources of wildlife enforcement agencies across Africa. Rapidly expanding human populations are increasingly leading to human – wildlife conflicts, with no or limited compensation schemes for injuries or property damage.

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Special Meeting Report - Lusaka Agreement Parties Complete Ninth Governing Council Meeting - MEA Bulletin - Friday, 24 October 2008

2008-10-24T22:45:08-04:00

Participants at the end of the meeting (photo courtesy of UNEP).

Traditional poaching has given way to more sophisticated commercial poaching stretching the resources of wildlife enforcement agencies across Africa.

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European Forest Week - Highlights for Friday, 24 October 2008

2008-10-24T22:08:51-04:00

Co-Chair Johann Dengg gaveled the joint meeting to a close at 1:58 p.m.

On the last day of the European Forest Week, Friday, 24 October 2008, the joint meeting of the Sixty-sixth session of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Timber Committee and Thirty-fourth session of the FAO European Forestry Commission met in plenary to consider their collaborative work, and conclude the meeting. Concurrently, the UNECE Water Convention Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management met and concluded its work. Plenary reconvened briefly in the afternoon to adopt the report of the joint meeting and the joint market statement.

IISD RS coverage of the meeting

‘Open-ended Legal and Technical Working Group for the second International Conference on Chemicals Management’ - Highlights for Friday, 24 October 2008

2008-10-24T22:04:19-04:00

L-R: Co-Chairs Kateřina Šepková (Romania) and Babajide Alo (Nigeria) presided over the informal discussions.

The first meeting of the Open-Ended Legal and Technical Working Group (OELTWG) of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) convened for its final day on 24 October 2008 at FAO headquarters, in Rome, Italy.

Delegates continued informal discussions on preparations for the second meeting of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM-2) until mid-afternoon.

IISD RS coverage of the meeting

European Forest Week - Highlights for Thursday, 23 October 2008

2008-10-24T00:51:33-04:00

Joint FAO and UNECE European Forest Week Organizing Team.

The joint meeting of the Sixty-sixth session of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Timber Committee and Thirty-fourth session of the FAO European Forestry Commission met for its third day on Thursday, 23 October 2008. In the morning, participants met in plenary to consider “Forests and Water.” In the afternoon, plenary reconvened to approve the strategic plan 2008-2013 of the joint UNECE Timber Committee and FAO European Forest Commission program of work, and the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) resumed its work.

IISD RS coverage of the meeting