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UNEP NEWS February 2008 Monaco: Tenth Special Session of the United Nations Environment Programme Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum
More than 100 ministers from around the world attended the Global Ministerial Environmental Forum (GMEF) – the Global Environment Ministers Forum – along with main personalities of industries, economics, science, local governments, civil society, unions, and intergovernmental organisations. Among these personalities we can mention the following: Tulsi Tanti, Administrative Director of India’s Suzlon wind energy company; Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; and Juan Somavia, Director General of the International Labor Organization. Other key personalities include Gunter Pauli, entrepreneur, businessman, founder of the educational initiative called Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives, and an expert in nature solutions to environmental challenges; James Cameron, founder of Climate Change Capital – an investment banking group specializing in financing low-carbon economies; and Fernando Ibanez, General Manager of Saguapac, one of the world’s largest and most successful water cooperatives. V. Ramanathan of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and expert in the emerging challenge posed by “global dimming,” participated along with them. Professor Ramanathan leads the research team of the Atmospheric Brown Cloud, which is carrying out research on the existing relationship between soot in the atmosphere and climate impacts. These impacts include the accelerated glacier melting, the reduction in harvest yields, and changes in monsoon rain patterns. Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said, “the last climate convention meeting made public the Bali Plan of Action. This is the roadmap followed by more than 190 countries in order to draft a new agreement, which will be decisive in Copenhagen in 2009.” The UNEP Regional Director attended this global meeting and supported the participation of Latin American and Caribbean delegations that met in Monaco. He also coordinated the various bilateral meetings among the Executive Director and Latin American delegations and supported the civil society delegates who attended the event.
How to Overcome Barriers toward a Green Economy
An emerging green economy is glimpsed in the latest of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Year Book, as growing numbers of companies embrace environmental policies and investors pump hundreds of billions of dollars into cleaner and renewable energies. Climate change, as documented in the Year Book, is increasingly changing the global environment and is observed from the melting of permafrost and glaciers to extreme weather events. But it is also beginning to change the mind-sets, policies and actions of corporate heads, financiers and entrepreneurs as well as leaders of organized labour, governments and the United Nations itself. Increasingly, combating climate change is being perceived as an opportunity rather than a burden and a path to a new kind of prosperity as opposed to a brake on profits and employment, the new report shows. The UNEP Year Book 2008 says the emerging green economy is also driving invention, innovation and the imagination of engineers on a scale perhaps not witnessed since the industrial revolution of more than two centuries ago. It includes the growing interest in novel ‘geo-engineering’ projects such as giant carbon dioxide (C02) collectors that absorb greenhouse gases from the air rather like trees do during photosynthesis. “ “Based on technology used in fish tank filters and developed by scientists from Colombia University’s Earth Institute, this method called ‘air capture’…can collect the C02 at the location of the ideal geological deposits for storage,” says the report. See the full note at:
The Committee, to which the UNEP Regional Director belongs, went over the nominations in the various categories of the Zayed Awards and handed to the High Level Committee the recommendations to be taken into account in the final decisions.
Costa Rica: National Environmental Management Congress
Discussions focused on the main environmental problems that adversely affect Costa Rica and enabled ending the congress with a document that outlines the recommendations to improve the country’s environmental policies. UNEP Regional Director Ricardo Sanchez Sosa participated in the congress, and he was the keynote speaker at the opening session with the topic Main Environmental Challenges for Latin America. His speech was based on the elements outlined in the GEO-4 and the report handed at the Forum of Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean recently held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on the progress made upon the Latin American and Caribbean Initiative for Sustainable Development (ILAC).
Doctorate Degree: Rural Studies and the Environment
More than 250 people attended the event, as did the top authorities of this prestigious Colombian university.
Workshop: Green Customs for Latin America
At the opening session, Jesus Castillo, Director General of Environmental Quality of the People’s Power Ministry for the Environment, pointed out that this stage is important, because it enables the exchange of experiences and coming up with mechanisms, so that chemical safety, biosafety, and biocommerce will take place in advisable terms. The United Nations representative added that these control systems must be prepared to achieve thorough knowledge of the international agreements on the commitments made and learn how to implement them in each nation. While referring to the event, which was attended by delegates from Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Mexico, Argentina, and Canada, as well as officials of the SENIAT and the Ministries for the Environment and Light Industries, he said that the workshop is very important, because there is a set of environmental agreements that outline commitments by countries, substance control, living modified organisms, and the control and international trade of endangered species. One example, he maintained, is substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (refrigeration gases), which deplete the ozone layer and which our countries have to eliminate already. The consumption of methyl bromide, a product used in agriculture to control fungus and other living organisms, needs to be reduced or totally eliminated by 2010. In this regard, each country has established license and control mechanism systems, since many of these substances are being illegally traded in the international arena disguised as other products inadequately labeled.
Workshop: Trade and the Environment in Caribbean Countries
The event was attended by specialists in trade and the environment from the Caribbean Region. The United Nations Environment Programme made several presentations on the ties between trade and the environment. Meanwhile, discussions on a broad approach to Climate Change, in the Caribbean in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme, will continue.
Workshop on Connectivity and Administration of Protected Areas
The Natural Resources Officer of the Regional Office was the keynote speaker and moderator of the roundtable on the Meso-American Biological Corridor.
The event, whose welcoming speech was delivered by Arturo Perez, President of the People’s Government Municipal Assembly, was attended by more than 100 delegates and guests. Local authorities, municipal officials, representatives of social organisations, planning technicians and specialists, journalists, representatives of the private sector, and international cooperation representatives in the city stand out among the participants. The agenda included a large number of speeches that addressed the topics dealing with Bayamo River, solid waste, and urban mobility. These issues were presented by Luis Canut, Alejandro Jimenez, and Carlos Tamayo, respectively, members of the Agenda 21 Team.
Representatives from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Panama and an Officer of the Early Warning and Assessment Unit of the UNEP / ROLAC participated in this virtual meeting. The meeting’s main objective was to agree upon the terms of reference of the new work group on environmental statistics of the Statistical Conference of the Americas.
Workshop on PCB Inventories and Elimination
Afterward, the Workshop on the continued management of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in Latin American and Caribbean countries took place, and it addressed the issue of “PCB Inventories and Elimination.” Finally, the Regional Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) took place from February 14th to 16th. The results of the meeting included an agreement on the establishment of a regional coordination committee (subject to a final consultation on the structure of members) to help the SAICM focal points, the SAICM terms of reference, regional focal points, and the regional representatives in Latin America and the Caribbean at the deliberations on the Executive Board of the Quick Startup Programme (QSP). More than 105 participants, including representatives from 27 LAC governments, 11 intergovernmental organisations, 19 nongovernmental organisations, and other parties interested in chemical management, attended the meeting. Let us recall that the synthesis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) was described in 1881, but their commercial production did not begin until the late 1920’s, with interruptions in some of their applications in various products, except transformers, condensers, heat exchangers, and hydraulic equipment. It is estimated that since the 1930’s, approximately 1 million tons have been manufactured. These components are included in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which outlines commitments for the countries that have signed it on the ban and/or adoption of legal and administrative measures to eliminate their production and use or release to the environment as non-intentional by-products of industrial incineration. However, since the pieces of equipment that contain them are still necessary, particularly certain electric transformers and condensers, an exception has been established that enables the use of these pieces of equipment until 2025, but determined efforts are expected to be made to identify and label the pieces of equipment and eliminate their use. The first problem faced by countries that still use transformers and condensers that contain BPCs is how to locate and identify these pieces of equipment and the need to manage, reclassify, and eliminate the contaminated equipment, which entails having bases and infrastructure for the environmentally sound management of hazardous waste and their shipment to countries that are members of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and have the capacity to destroy them.
Among these activities, TV programmes, conducted between the Albatros Foundation and UNEP / ROLAC, are included. They are being broadcast through a Latin American channel network. A token of them was the series of interviews made as part of the Forum of Ministers recently held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Programmes such as “Al Natural” have been broadcast in Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. The programme “El Mundo Informa” will start being broadcast soon on “CNN en Español” on weekends. One of the posters that will be shown in media outlets and billboards along roads recently appeared in magazine “K en tu vida”, published in Panama and circulated in Central America.
The best ways for coordinated work with the Division of Regional Offices, Regional Offices, and the DTIE were also discussed at the meeting.
Third International Symposium and Exhibit on Cleaner Production
The UNEP/ROLAC Regional Director, Ricardo Sanchez Sosa, who participated in the event, pointed to the significance of the entrepreneurial initiative in the promotion and application of clean technologies.
In the next few weeks, a presentation on this initiative will be made for the technical directors of the Venezuelan Environment Ministry. Mr. Sanchez reported that in a meeting with the United Nations Programme Resident Coordinator in Venezuela, it was agreed to include the UNDP Environment Officer in these meetings.
This tool will feature valuable information, which will be accessible to visitors of the UNEP/ROLAC site, and it will also be linked to the Europe GRID Office at http://www.grid.unep.ch/, which features the most relevant UNEP publications.
17th International Children’s Painting Competition on the Environment
The children’s drawings show ideas about how to come up with concrete actions, such as the use of renewable energy, car pooling, using public transportation, and tree planting, among others. In the case of Latin America and the Caribbean, the selection process was conducted by a group of five artists and an art professor from a Panamanian university. The regional winners will be announced on April 22th, 2008, and the global winners, on June 5th, 2008.
Congress: Construction of Sustainability by Indigenous Peoples
This congress was held to begin a process of understanding among indigenous peoples and Latin American governments for the construction of societies based upon principles of sustainability and social justice. Enrique Leff, Coordinator of the UNEP Regional Office Environmental Education Network, was especially invited to participate in the opening of the congress.
At the meeting, an agreement to share tools and information that could be used as data in information activities within UNEP/ROLAC (Caribbean Environmental Programme), especially a geospatial information exchange protocol project and a GEO LAC Data Portal.
Workshop: Validation of Cartographic Studies and Analysis of Vulnerability to Climate Change
Preliminary recommendations for adaptation policies and strategies were also made at the workshop.
A meeting was also held along with representatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of the Environment, and the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) to debate on the project entitled “Whole Forest Observatories” (WFO). Finally, a work meeting was held with representatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology, in which the topic was the Virtual Biodiversity Network.
Monaco: Global Civil Society Forum
This presentation took place at a parallel act held during the Ninth Session of the Global Civil Society Forum, organised by the UNEP-GEF Division. Thanks to the participation of civil society representatives, a recommendation on the continuity of the GEC Project was proposed during the closing session of the Ninth Global Civil Society Forum, and it maintains that efforts must be made to continue with and broaden the Global Environmental Citizenship Project, implemented in Latin America and the Caribbean, including other regions.
Julio Calderon, UNEP/ROLAC Natural Resources Officer, participated in the meeting, which was also attended by the Municipal Mayor, various national institutions and organisations, such as the National Environment Authority (ANAM) of Panama, the Ministry of Housing (MIVI) of Panama, and the National Tourism Institute (IPAT), and which had the support of various private companies and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB).
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The largest meetings by environment ministers since Bali, where significant progress on climate change was made, was held in Monaco under the slogan “Mobilising Finance for Climate Change.” 
UNEP made public the 2008 Report at the Tenth Special Session of the Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environmental Forum held in Monaco.
The meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Zayed International Awards took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from February 7th to 10th.
The National Environmental Management Congress took place in San Jose, Costa Rica. It was organised by the University of Costa Rica and was attended by the country’s main environmental authorities, as well as decision makers from this Central American country.
The Doctorate Degree in Rural Studies and the Environment recently opened at the Pontificia Xavier University in Bogota, Colombia. Enrique Leff, Coordinator of the UNEP Regional Office Environmental Education Network, attended the opening, and he was in charge of the master’s lecture with which the doctorate programme opened.
Under the organisation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the sponsorship of the Integrated National Service for Customs and Tax Administration (SENIAT) of Venezuela and the People’s Power Ministry for the Environment and the People’s Power Ministry for Light Industries, the “First Workshop on Green Customs for Latin America” was held.
With support from the Inter-American Development Bank, the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the World Trade Organisation, the workshop Trade and the Environment in Caribbean Countries was held in Barbados. 
The First International Workshop on Connectivity and Administration of Protected Areas took place in Montes Azules, Mexico, from February 12th to 15th.
In order to examine results and assess the possibility of continuing the search for methods, approaches, and techniques to improve the planning and urban management of the city, the Agenda 21 Project held sessions in Bayamo on January 31st.
The first virtual “shop” of the Group of Interest of the Statistical Conference of the Americas (CEA), organised by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, took place on February 7th.
The Latin America and Caribbean Regional Workshop of Experts in Hazardous Substances and Chemical Waste was held in Panama City from February 11th to 12th. It was organized by the Regional Office of Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Environment Programme and the Office of the Deputy Director General of Chemical Substances and Waste of the Panamanian Ministry of Health.
A series of media activities aimed at making the people aware of Climate Change began recently. The Regional Office, along with the Albatros Foundation, will carry out these activities in Panama and Latin America.
A meeting by UNEP Regional Directors took place recently in Paris to discuss a Climate Change Strategy and future joint actions along with the UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE).
Experts meeting at the Third International Symposium and Exhibit on Cleaner Production: Emissions from Static and Mobile Sources and Soil Pollution held in Panama City concluded that integrated waste management is an issue of national interest that could lead to the improvement in competitiveness and environmental management of national companies through the appraisal of waste.
In a recent visit to Caracas, Venezuela, the UNEP/ROLAC Regional Director held a meeting with Venezuelan Deputy Environment Minister Cristobal Francisco, in which the key issue of the meeting was the Andean Plains Project.
A data portal was recently incorporated into the UNEP/ROLAC Server. It will be mirrored at the server of the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC).
The selection process of the International Children’s Painting Competition on the Environment, organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE), Bayer and the Nikon Corporation, has ended. The competition has been held since 1991 and has received more than 190,000 entries from children in over 100 countries. This year’s Competition will focus on Climate Change: actions we can take to reduce our negative impact.
The Congress entitled Construction of Sustainability by Indigenous Peoples was held at the San Andres Mayor University, in La Paz, Bolivia, from February 19th to 21st.
On February 21, Nicolas Poussart of the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP, headquartered at the Regional Activities Centre of the LBS Protocol in Cuba, the Centre of Engineering and Environmental Management of Coasts and Bays LBS/RAC-Cimab) visited the Early Warning and Assessment Unit (DEWA) of the UNEP Regional Office to discuss the possible ways to cooperate in activities dealing with a Geographic Information System.
On February 19th, a briefing session on national policies to fight deforestation in Brazil took place with the participation of UNEP Brazil and the embassies accredited in Brazil. The new regulations include livestock control, the creation of conservation units, blocking funds for activities that trigger deforestation, and the registration of properties located in deforested zones. These measures have been taken in 36 cities in the Amazon region deeply affected by deforestation.
The Coordinator of the UNEP Office in Brazil was invited to participate in the workshop entitled Validation of Cartographic Studies and Analysis of Vulnerability to Climate Change, presented by the Center for Strategic Management and Studies (CGEE), on February 21st. The workshop included areas such as soil, forests, coastal zones, and health and examined the current risks and impacts.
Several meetings were held from February 27th to March 1st by the GEF Regional Coordinator in Sao Paulo and Brasilia, Brazil; the Ministry of Budget and Administration; and the UNDP/GEF focal points to discuss activities and areas of priority work for the UNEP/GEF.
The Ninth Session of the Global Civil Society Forum took place in Monaco from February 19th to 22th. The Coordinator of the Global Environmental Citizenship Project (GEC) and the Regional Coordinator of Consumers International (a member of the GEC Project Network) participated in this event, in which the achievements of the GEC Project were presented, along with another project of the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) in Africa as a token of the Fund’s intense work with civil society organizations.
A Project Fair for the development of environmental conservation plans and the improvement in the living standards of people living in the district of Boquete, Chiriqui, and its surrounding areas took place on February 22nd and 23rd in Chiriqui Province, Panama.2005 |
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