UNEP NEWS April 2008

Nairobi: UNEP Managers Week

The UNEP Management Team, including the Executive Secretaries of the Conventions, under the umbrella of the Organisation, were summoned to Nairobi from April 9th to April 24th by the Executive Director in order to hold a management meeting in view of the new international context.

Various issues that are significant to the organisation were addressed, including UNEP’s identity in the international context, the relations among regional divisions and offices, the UNEP scientific base, the Bali Strategic Plan, the Mid-Term Strategy, and the identification of priorities for the 2010-2011 Work Plan, among others.

Meeting of Regional Directors of the United Nations System Agencies in Guyana and Suriname

The periodic meeting of Regional Directors of the United Nations System Agencies of Latin America and the Caribbean took place from March 31st to April 4th in order to learn from CARICOM authorities their priorities for the Caribbean region regarding the Millennium Development Objectives.

The Regional Directors also visited Guyana, where they were welcomed by the President of the country, with whom they exchanged points of view on United Nations cooperation in this nation.

Meanwhile, the UNEP Regional Director, Ricardo Sanchez Sosa, held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Labour and Environment of Suriname, with whom he broached issues dealing with the Ozone Programme, GEO Amazon, GEO Suriname, renewable energy policies, and the integrated water resources for this country.

First Symposium on Climate Change and Health

The first “Symposium on Climate Change and Health: Protecting Health In View of the Negative Effects of Climate Change,” organised by the Pan-American Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Ministry of Health of Panama took place on April 8th.

The objective of the Symposium was to discuss the current situation of climate change effects, identify both the national and global implications of the phenomenon, and review climate change effects in the alternatives to protect the health of the population from climate variations.

The UNEP Regional Director was the keynote speaker during the opening ceremony, where he lectured on “The Climate Change Phenomenon: What Are We Facing?”

Meanwhile, the PAHO / WHO promoted the Workshop on Climate Variability and Change and their Health Effects in the Americas: the Preparation of the Plan of Action in Brazil from April 9th to April 11th. The meeting took place in the PAHO / WHO offices in Brasilia, where representatives from Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, and Panama participated in the discussions on the issue.

In the workshop, the UNEP Regional Office in Brazil was represented by the UNEP / ROLAC.

Workshop on the Lake Titicaca Project

The workshop on planning and organisation with Bolivia, Peru, and the Binational Autonomous Lake Titicaca Authority (ALT) of the Integrated Water Resources Management Project for Lake Titicaca, the Desaguadero River, Lake Poopo, and the Salt Lake of Coipasa (collectively designated by the acronym TDPS system): Evaluation and Update of the waste water discharge levels 2008, in Copacabana, Bolivia.

The workshop was summoned by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) through its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC), with the organisational cooperation of the ALT.

The analysis by the main institutions from Bolivia, Peru and the ALT involved on the latest version of the Detailed Work Plan (January 2008 version), drafted by the UNEP after the site visit conducted in December 2007 based upon the proposals made by the various parties, “Detailed Work Plan of the Titicaca Project,” stand out among the objectives of the workshop.

The objectives of the project were also discussed, establishing the commitments, as well as the mechanisms for its implementation, including a timetable for action, responsibilities, and a budget estimate.

The workshop was attended by approximately 40 representatives from the government, both regional and local; and representatives of nongovernmental organisations, as well as members of the Spanish Cooperation Agency accredited in Peru and Bolivia.

First Parliamentary Summit on Global Warning

With the participation of 22 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, the First International Parliamentary Summit on Global Warming and Climate Change took place in Caracas, Venezuela.

The event was opened by the second vice president of the AN, Jose Albornoz, on behalf of the Board of Congress, and he welcomed those present.

In his speech, Albornoz stressed the significance of the meeting for Venezuela, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Albornoz referred to the presence of representatives from 16 countries, ecologists from different parts of the world, and natural resources advocates in this International Parliamentary Summit on Global Warming.

The Coordinator of the UNEP Environmental Education Network, Enrique Leff, participated in the events. He was the keynote speaker in the opening session with the topic Sustainable Development and Climate Change.

The deliberations of the event ended with the Declaration on Climate Changes, Global Warming, and the Charter of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean.

MERCOSUR: Summary of the Results of the 44th Regular Meeting of Work Nº6 on the Environment

As part of the 44th Regular Meeting of the Work Subgroup No. 6 on the Environment, which was attended by delegations from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Chile, as an associate state, sustainable production and consumption policies, the environmental services of the member states, and the European Union cooperation were jointly discussed.

The meeting was held in the city of Buenos Aires on April 14th to April 18th and was also attended by representatives from the Federal Council of the Environment (COFEMA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

During the first part of the meeting, the Ad Hoc groups reporting to the SGT No. 6 addressed issues dealing with desertification, land degradation and drought effects in MERCOSUR, competitiveness and the environment, and the environmental management of hazardous chemical substances and products.

In turn, in this first phase, a joint work was carried out along with the representative of the European Cooperation Sector Commission and European consultants in order to begin the drafting phase of the project entitled “Support to the MERCOSUR and Implementation of the EU-MERCOSUR Association (ECO-NORMS MERCOSUR). The latter includes three areas of work: a. A globally standardized system for the labelling of hazardous chemical substances and products; b. the implementation of the Strategy to Fight Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought Effects in MERCOSUR; and c. the implementation of the Regional Plan of Action for Sustainable Production and Consumption Policies in MERCOSUR.

Preparatory Meeting of the Trade and Economic Development Council

A preparatory meeting of the 25th Symposium of the Trade and Economic Development Council for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) was held in Guyana from April 14th to April 19th.

The UNEP / ROLAC was represented by the Programme Officer, Mark Griffith.

ILAC Panama

A work meeting among representatives of the National Environment Administration of Panama and the director of the Division of Early Warning and Assessment of the UNEP, Graciela Metternicht, was held recently.

The key issue of the meeting focused upon the ILAC Panama Project the ANAM is carrying out, with advice from the UNEP and the Statistics Office of Panama a, and it discussed the use of UNEP’s GEO Data Portal is developing and how the UNEP’s statistical data can be incorporated into it.

Group of Genetic Resources Experts

The second meeting of the Work Group on Access to Genetic Resources of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean took place in Quito, Ecuador, on April 29th to April 30th.

Government delegates from 10 countries and representatives from indigenous communities of Ecuador and the Caribbean attended the meeting.

Panama: Visit to Darien by the United Nations Country Team

Recently the United Nations Country Team in Panama visited the region of Darien, Panama, to learn firsthand of the initiatives promoted by the various United Nations programmes in the country.

The team could also learn of the existing priorities by identifying the opportunities for future joint work. This visit is part of the periodic tours to regions to make in situ assessments of the UN actions in the country.

The UNEP Officer, Isabel Martinez, was part of the team that visited Darien.

Actions for the 10th Anniversary to Hurricane Mitch

A meeting of the REDLAC (the regional network of organisations that work on issues pertaining to disasters, coordinated by UNOCHA) and the World Bank was held in Panama. The objective of the meeting, attended by representatives from the Division of Early Warning and Assessment of the UNEP / ROLAC, was to establish cooperation mechanisms for the activities marking the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Mitch.

ProVention Consortium Forum 2008

The workshop entitled Urban Risk Charrette, ProVention Consortium Forum 2008, took place in Panama City on April 8 to 9. Experts from Latin America and the Caribbean participated in it.

Charrette, a work tool, is used in the fields of design and planning in which a group of “designers” draft a solution to a specific design problem. In this occasion, the ProVention participants focused on the effective reduction of disaster risks as a design problem.

The objective of the Workshop, which was attended by the Unit of Early Warning and Assessment of the UNEP / ROLAC, was to explore, through field trips and case studies, examples of disaster risk problems in urban areas and activities dealing with risk management; identify common risk issues in urban areas and obstacles for effective risk reduction; and identify cooperation opportunities to deal with these risk issues.

The event included workshops on adaptation to climate change through a community perspective, the role and power of women and indigenous groups in disaster risk management, the communication of risks and the role of audiovisual means, public-private partnerships and risk financing, and the finding of resources for effective risk reduction, among others.
Approximately 160 participants from 40 countries attended the event.

2008 World Environment Day

As tradition dictates, the UNEP Regional Office for Latin America forwarded to Ministries of the Environment materials pertaining to the 2008 World Environment Day.

On this occasion, a 30-second television spot; radio spots; billboards alluding to the 2008 World Environment Day; and a DVD containing materials for exhibits, cartoons, pictures, and child drawings were included. It also included information on this year’s topic: Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy.

In the letter addressed to the Ministries by the Regional Director, the use of these materials through television, radio, and civil society organisations is suggested.

Albatros Media and UNEP/ROLAC Cooperation

Thanks to a Memorandum of Understanding between the UNEP / ROLAC and the Albatros Foundation, a series of dissemination activities are being carried out in the region. Among them we can mention the publication of brochures on climate change in Panamanian and regional magazines and television programs that are being broadcast in Panama, Costa Rica, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Colombia, CNN en Español, and soon in Ecuador. Radio programs are also being broadcast, and articles are being published in media outlets.

Meanwhile, an Albatros team recently visited Bolivia and Peru in order to film some footage to disseminate information on the UNEP Project in Lake Titicaca.

Mexico: National GEO Youth Forum

The Second National GEO Youth Forum of Mexico took place in Tonatico, Mexico State, Mexico, from May 3-5. It was organized by the Rescue Mission, the Scouts of Mexico, Semarnat, CECADESU, the Youth Institute, and the UNEP / ROLAC.

The Communications and Early Warning and Assessment Units of the UNEP were present and made a presentation on GEO 4 and coordinated a plenary session on GEO Youth and TUNZA in Latin America and the Caribbean.

At the meeting, the new focal points for GEO Youth of Mexico were elected.

Panama: Women in the Conservation of Natural Resources

A round table on the role of “Women in the Conservation of Natural Resources” took place on March 31st, 2008 in Panama City. The event, which was organized by the National Environment Authority of Panama (ANAM), was presided over by its Administrator General, Ligia Castro de Doens.

Representatives from women organisations were present, and they made public various approaches on gender and the environment; experiences dealing with the role of women in the conservation of natural resources, including the management of community projects for sustainable production and consumption and leadership in the participation in decision-making processes. Among the participants, the following stand out: representatives from the Mar Viva Foundation, Alhajuela Project, the Ministry of Social Development, a representative from the Zarati River sub-basin, the Oaxaca Community Project, and a representative from the UNEP / ROLAC.

Earth Day

The Panama Canal Authority, along with the UNEP / ROLAC, organised a series of activities to mark Earth Day. At the Ascanio Arosemena Training Centre, a round table was held, and it was attended approximately by 90 people, who after watching the movie of Quebec filmmaker Carole Poliquin, “The Common Good, The Final Assault,” proceeded to have discussions with the participation of the UNEP Natural Resources Officer, Julio Calderon, and the Water Resources Director of the Panama Canal Authority.

This documentary deals with various issues the director and producer, Carole Poliquin, defines as “common”, in the sense that certain goods cannot belong to government or political institutions or individuals, but to humankind itself. Does the river belong to us because of the simple fact that it goes through our territory? Starting with this and other proposals, the producer decries the privatization and commercialisation of certain good and services.

At the same time, an exhibit of child drawings, which are part of the international competition the UNEP organises every year, opened. The collection is made up by the 60 winning drawings worldwide that make us learn how children from around the world see the climate change issue.

Later, the exhibit was taken to the Panama Canal Museum, which approximately 2,000 people visit on a daily basis, for two weeks.

Paraguay: Workshops on Methyl Bromide Alternatives

A series of workshops were held in Paraguay to promote the elimination of Methyl Bromide and the alternatives for this product which is harmful to the ozone layer.

Among the issues discussed, we could mention soil diseases, adapted to the conditions of the country, and a presentation on the Montreal Protocol.

Meanwhile, the park rangers of Green Paraguay provided alternatives that are currently being used worldwide instead of methyl bromide.

More than 80 farmers and plague specialists were present in the workshops. They also attended a conference on nematodes at the National Agriculture Institute.

Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Funf for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol

The 54th Meeting of the Executive Committee of Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol was held at the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada.

Representatives from the MFS and the operational system participated in the meeting, in addition to the members of the Executive Committee for countries outlined in Article 2: Australia, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Romania, Sweden, and the United States of America, and the countries outlined in Article 5: China, the Dominican Republic, Gabon (Chair), India, Lebanon, Sudan, and Uruguay.


The meeting’s agenda included various issues such as the Work Plan, the projects, the approval of guidelines, the cost of the technical assistance to HCFCs, and investment projects.

Regarding the guidelines of HCFCs, the following were the main issues analysed by the parties: co-financing, deadlines and reference date, legislation, cost-efficiency of the alternatives included as environmentally rational, the calendar for the approval of HPMP preparatory funds, the second conversion in companies financed through the Multilateral Fund for their first transformation (to HCFCs).

The UNEP / ROLAC was represented by the Ozone Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mirian Vega.

Megatrends in Sustainable Construction

The International Conference on Megatrends in Sustainable Construction took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 2nd, 2008. Cristina Montenegro, UNEP Coordinator in Brazil, participated in this conference, along with Niclas Svenningsen, from the Division of Economy, Technology and Industries of UNEP Paris.

The UNEP officials took advantage of the occasion to meet with the board of directors of the Brazilian Sustainable Construction Council. Afterward, they decided to draft a proposal for Sustainable Construction, which will then be discussed among the UNEP / ROLAC and possible Brazilian partners interested in the initiative.

Peru: Workshop on Sustainable Construction

A Workshop on Guides for the Development of National Policies and Programs on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SPC) took place at the Andean Community General Secretariat from April 21st to April 23rd, 2008. The event was attended by government experts from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay, as well as Adriana Zacarias from the Sustainable Consumption and Production Unit of the Division of Technology, Industries, and Economy of the UNEP Paris.

The Guide on the Implementation of National Sustainable Production and Consumption Programmes, a very useful tool to reinforce the progress existing in Latin America and the Caribbean, was presented at the event.

Finally, the Andean Committee of Environmental Authorities (CAAAM) were recommended to reach the SPC objectives and carry out SPC activities in the Andean region, which include promoting the active participation of the member countries of the SPC Government Experts Council and coordinating cooperation with the SPC Government Experts Council for Latin America and the Caribbean, under the Process of Marrakech; organising a work group on Green Purchases in the Andean sub-region, taking into account the work of Mercosur; and finally supporting the exchange of national efforts on SPC with a view to increased cooperation, eliminating the duplication of efforts.

The Bogota Film Festival will sponsor a Competition of Documentaries on the Environment in cooperation with the UNEP/ROLAC

The Bogota Film Festival will include in this year’s edition an international competition of documentaries on the environment, the organizers announced today.

The festival’s film director, Henry Laguado, explained that the competition derived from the experience of a festival on the same topic that was successfully held during the 2007 Festival, in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme.

The new international festival is an initiative by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Environmental Youth Organisation (OJA), and the Ministry of the Environment of Colombia.

Laguado pointed out that those responsible for this event “point to an excellent exhibit on the problems and solutions to life in the planet presented by various countries and directors worldwide.”

The 25th Bogota Film Festival will take place from October 1st to October 9th, and Germany will be the guest country of honour.

The Colombian capital’s festival is recognised by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF, by its French acronym) as an event “specialising in new directors at the world level.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.bogocine.com/xxv/convocatoria.shtml?cmd[910]=x-910-20157477

Bazilian Child Wins the International Children's Painting Competition Sponsored by the UNEP

The regional winners of the 17th International Children’s Painting Competition on the Environment were announced to stress World Earth Day on April 22nd, 2008. This year’s theme was Climate Change: Actions We Can Take Now.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the prize went to Murilo Hideki Ashiguti, 12, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, who enjoys painting and handcrafts in general a great deal. He is a boy with many talents and is anxious to learn new things, especially those related to environmental issues. In addition to arts, Murilo swims several hours a day.

Questioned on the meaning of his work, Murilo explained he used colour pencils, ink, and water colours, and when he did his work, he was thinking about all the actions people could carry out to improve temperatures in the world.

Then he said that each one of us can make a contribution, have a little change of attitude, and thought that “all this could become a wave that spreads everywhere.”

Children between 6 and 14 were invited to express, through paintings, possible actions to reduce the impact of climate change, such as the use of renewable energy and the electric vials that reduce energy consumption at home, carpooling, the use of public transportation, planting trees, and so on.

This competition is organised annually by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace and  Environment (FGPE), Bayer and Nikon Corporation. The painting competition began in 1990, and since then, it has received more than 200,000 entries from children in over 100 countries.

All regional and world winners will be awarded a sum of money (US$ 1,000 for regional winners and US$ 2,000 for world winners), and there will be special additional awards. The regional and world winners will also travel to Wellington, New Zealand, where the World Earth Day will officially be celebrated.
A selection of paintings will be exhibited in Wellington, New Zealand. It will also be seen on Internet and through brochures, postcards, calendars, and publications of the UNEP, FGPE, Bayer, and Nikon.

Later, all the works submitted to the competition will be stored at the National Ethnology Museum in Osaka, Japan.

The Billion Tree Campaign to grow into the Seven Billion Tree Campaign

The goal of the original initiative reached the goal of planting two billion trees. The objective will increase until reaching one tree per person living on the planet before the 2009 important Convention on Climate.

The world’s singular tree planting initiative, whose objective is to promote the involvements of citizens and companies, as well as presidents, in the climate change challenge. It just increased its goal to seven billion trees.

It follows the news, also announced today, that the Billion Tree Campaign has in just 18 months catalyzed the planting of two billion trees, double its original target.

The campaign, spearheaded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), was unveiled in 2006 as one response to the threat but also the opportunities of global warming, as well as to the wider sustainability challenges from water supplies to biodiversity loss.

To date the initiative, which is under the patronage of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Kenyan Green Belt Movement founder Professor Wangari Maathai and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, has broken every target set and has catalyzed tree planting in close to 155 countries.

Upcoming Activities

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• May 5th to 7th, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  Follow-up meeting of the ozone action networks from Central America, South America, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean

• May 9th, 2008, Panama         
  GEO Impact Strategy Meeting

• May 13th-14th, Nairobi
  Workshop on Environment and Poverty

• May 20th to 30th, Asuncion, Paraguay
  5th Latin American Regional Programme for Training on Environmental Law and Policies
  

  May 28th to 30th, 2008
  Meeting of Ozone Officers of the English-speaking Caribbean

• June 6th-8th, 2008, San Jose, Costa Rica
  TUNZA Subregional Workshop for the Meso-American subregion and Spanish-speaking Islands of the Caribbean