UNEP NEWS OCTOBER 2007

UNEP Launches GEO-4

With presentations in various capitals of the world, the UNEP made public its GEO-4: Global Environment Outlook Year Book.

“This is the time to change, to improve our relationship with the environment; we cannot wait any longer,” said Ricardo Sanchez Sosa, Regional Office Director of the UNEP for Latin America and the Caribbean, who, along with Enrique Lendo, of the Semarnat, Mexico, and GEO researchers Salvador Sanchez and Ana Rosa Moreno, were responsible for presenting the report to the media in Mexico City.

It was in 1987 when the World Commission on Environment and Development made public the concept of sustainable development; today, two decades later and after many natural disasters triggered by hurricanes, ice melting, and different weather phenomena, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) delivers the Fourth GEO Report: Global Environment Outlook Year Book. The presentation for Latin America was simultaneously made in various Latin American countries (Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, and Trinidad and Tobago), including one made at the United Nations Information Centre in Mexico.

This fourth world environment assessment addresses all issues dealing with environmental degradation, beyond climate change, and answers key questions that will be used as input by decision-makers in the definition of public policies.

What is happening to the environment? What are the main consequences of alterations in the environment? What has been done about it so far? Where are we heading? What actions will be carried out for a sustainable development? These are some of the questions outlined in the report, which it tries to answer.

The GEO Year Book outlines prognosis and possible solutions to revert the damage already caused to the environment worldwide; in addition, the document makes an assessment on Latin America and the Caribbean. The UNEP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ricardo Sanchez Sosa, explained that the main environmental trends in this region are deforestation (almost 5 million hectares of forests are lost every year) and reduction and pollution of water resources, urban pollution, and the growing vulnerability.

Mexico is not immune to these situations; despite it, Sanchez Sosa emphasized that the main publication of the study was done in Mexico City, because “in this country, we see clear signs of political resolve to revert these trends.” In fact, “of the 250 million trees the Government promised to plant, more than 200 million have already been planted so far this year.”

Even so, according to GEO-4 collaborator, Salvador Sanchez, Latin America and the Caribbean have several problems they must face and try to resolve as a priority: uncontrolled urbanisation, threats to biodiversity and ecosystems, degradation of coasts, and a high vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Thus, the report also warns about the region’s scarce capacity to prevent, monitor, and adapt to the consequences that, for several years already, are stemming from climate changes. Stressing this weakness, Sanchez sent a very clear message: “Latin America must make an effort to adapt itself to climate change, because unfortunately, it is going to suffer its consequences in a disproportionate fashion with regards to its contribution to it.”

For more information please visit: www.pnuma.org/GEO4

"II Congress of Latin American National Parks and Protected Areas"

The Second Congress of Latin American National Parks and Protected Areas took place from September 30 to October 6 in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.

The purpose of the meeting was to analyze the state of the region’s protected areas, which are inhabited by more than 40 percent of the planet’s flora and fauna.

In various speeches, conference participants warned about the main threats looming over ecosystems. The expansion of the single-crop system, the production of biofuels, mining exploitation, and the development of large-scale infrastructure were the most mentioned threats.

Environmentalists and academicians warned that Latin America concentrates the world’s largest biodiversity, but the economic development model in place, based upon the extensive exploitation of natural resources to be exported, does away with ecosystems and even protected areas, and governments are doing nothing to stop it.

For a week, the meeting gathered the top authorities on environmental matters, responsible for protected area systems and conservation units; researchers; conservation activists; and members of the following organizations: FAO, Redparques, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), and the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The number of participants, 2,140, even broke the record. 

A meeting with the Executive Committee of the Regional Network of National Parks and Protected Areas (Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and the FAO) was held as part of the summit, with the participation of the UNEP.

The UNEP participated as part of the Organising Committee, along with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the National Parks Administration of Argentina, the IUCN, and the Natural Parks Network for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Regional Director made a presentation at the opening session for more than 1,000 participants, welcoming them on behalf of UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner.

The event ended with the Declaration of Bariloche, which will be presented to the Environment Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean at the next forum, which will be held in the Dominican Republic in January 2008.

See declaration at: http://www.congresolatinoparques2007.org/graficos/DECLARACION.DOC

Latin American and Caribbean Civil Society Forum

The Latin American and Caribbean Civil Society Forum opened on October 12 in Monterrey, Mexico, with the participation of the Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Ricardo Sanchez Sosa; the Director of the UNEP Major Groups and Stakeholders Branch in Nairobi, Olivier Deleuze; the Coordinator for International Affairs of the SEMARNAT, Enrique Lendo; Enrique Gonzalez on behalf of the President of the University of Nuevo Leon; Yolanda Diaz and Victor Campos, who were the co-chairs of the meeting held the previous year in Bogota, Colombia.

The event was attended by 45 delegates from 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries, in addition to Mexican observers from various environmental organisations and experts, who were responsible for the issues of the Latin American and Caribbean Initiative, Environmental Governance, the UNEP Mid-Term Strategy, Climate Change and its Financing, as well as for a workshop on the GEO-4.

During these three days, in addition to making proposals and recommendations on the aforementioned issues, the delegates drafted the Declaration of Monterrey, which sums up the participants’ concerns about the issues discussed at the event.

The main part of the Declaration points to “the commitment to cooperating with the governments and the UNEP in the publication of the ILAC and the results of the evaluation presented at this Forum through its organisations, networks, dialogue venues, and other means at its disposal.” It later states: “We believe it is vital to incorporate trade agreements among ILAC’s priorities, in order to measure their environmental risks and impact in the region. It is understood that these agreements hinder sustainable development, and this is why civil society is progressively paying further attention to this issue.” 

With regard to the issue Globalisation and the Environment: Mobilising Financing to Meet Climate Change, the Declaration of Monterrey explicitly mentions “the significance for the international community to apply the principle of shared, yet differentiated responsibility in order for the largest generators of greenhouse gases to change their production and consumption patterns; accept the weight of compensatory measures; and facilitate mechanisms favouring the prevention and mitigation of and the adaptation to impact in the adversely affected countries, especially the most vulnerable ones. It is important to analyse the barriers that have kept us from addressing this issue despite the strong scientific evidence that has existed for more than a decade.” 

On the issue International Environmental Governance and the UNEP Mid-Term Strategy, they affirm “that increasing and effective participation of civil society in the UNEP decision-making bodies is of fundamental importance, that the opportunity to formulate declarations in ministerial dialogues should continue being provided and that these declarations should be included in the related reports. It is essential for the UNEP Mid-term Strategy to include mechanisms to increase the influence of national environmental authorities, principally the countries’ economy, finance and planning cabinets.”

As for participation mechanisms, they stated that “it is important to establish mechanisms to ensure that the Global Civil Society Steering Committee serves as a channel for the voices of the principal groups and that the regions express themselves at global entities in which UNEP participates through consultation and collective agenda building processes.”

The Declaration of Monterrey will be presented at the Forum of Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean, which will take place next November in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

With the participation of numerous representatives from the media, the closing of the Forum took place on Saturday, October 13. It was attended by the Director of the Universal Forum of Cultures, Dr. Jorge Angel Diaz; the Director of the UNEP Major Groups and Stakeholders Branch, Olivier Deleuze; and the President of the Civil Society Forum, Mexico’s Carlos Gomez, who is also a member of the Sustainable World Foundation.

Let us recall that the meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Civil Society took place as part of the Universal Forum of Cultures that was taking place in Monterrey and that is organised by UNESCO, the University of Nuevo Leon, and the State of Nuevo Leon. It was an occasion in which the Regional Office was present at a number of cultural and academia activities.

The UNEP at the Forum of Civilizations

The Dialogue Director of the Universal Forum of Civilizations of Monterrey, Mexico, Jorge Angel Diaz Lopez, chaired the press conference where the Forum announced UNEP’s participation in the activities that were part of this important event.

Diaz Lopez, who was accompanied by authorities from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, the Regiomontana University, the Sustainable World NGO, and the UNEP Information Officer, made public a series of activities that had been organised, including the Latin American and Caribbean Civil Society Forum, a meeting that brought together more than 30 delegates from 20 countries of the region and that discussed for three days matters such as the Climate Change Financing, the evaluation of the Latin American and Caribbean Initiative for Sustainable Development, and the improvement of the participation of Civil Society, among others. 

The UNEP’s participation also included the beginning of the course on Climate Change, in collaboration with the private sector and the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon.

Meanwhile, the Director of the Regional Office of the UNEP delivered the speech entitled “Myths and Realities of Climate Change,” and the Information Officer gave the lecture entitled “State of the Environment in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Meanwhile, the “Art for the Earth” exhibit also took place. It included the exhibition of environmental billboards from the world’s best schools and graphic currents, such as those from Poland, Italy, China, Japan, the United States, and Mexico, among others. The exhibit also included a sample of drawings by children from various regions of the world that are part of the drawings that won the Environmental Children’s Drawing Contest annually sponsored by the UNEP and a selection of cartoons by outstanding Latin American cartoonists. Environmental movies were also shown.

Monterrey: Course on Climate Change

During the Natural Resources Week, which was marked as part of the Universal Forum of Cultures held in Monterrey, the Regional Director of the UNEP delivered the conference entitled Climate Change: Myths or Realities on October 11.
The description course on Climate Change that will be taught at the University of Nuevo Leon, in cooperation with the UNEP and the business organisation Environmental Promoter, were established in this same venue.

IV Subregional Workshop on Comparative Legislation and Access to Justice

From October 7 to 11, 2007, the IV Subregional Workshop on Comparative Legislation and Access to Justice took place in Cuba as part of the Parlatino and GEC Project. The event was attended by 32 participants from several Cuban institutions involved in the information access and environmental justice processes, as well as by congressmen from Cuba, Uruguay, and Venezuela and two experts of the Aarhus Agreement on Citizen Participation and Environmental Justice.

The Workshop was used as a platform to negotiate two different processes that had been taking place at the Parlatino Environment and Tourism Commission: on the one hand, the promotion of the Latin American Environmental Citizenship Declaration in order to promote a mechanism similar to the Aarhus Convention on the participation of citizens, and on the other hand, an initiative promoted by the Venezuelan delegation known as the Latin American Ecologic Declaration.

Brazilian Agroecology Congress

The Fifth Brazilian Agroecology Congress took place from September 30 to October 2 in Gurapari, Espiritu Santo, Brazil. The Coordinator of the UNEP Office in Mexico, Enrique Leff, was the keynote speaker in this Congress organised by the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment. The speech was on “Global Vision on Sustainability,” and the objective was to share experiences and coordinate the processes that are being carrying out in the construction and promotion of Agroecology.

Mexico: International Tourism Congress

The VII International Tourism Congress was held in Mexico, with the participation, on behalf of the UNEP, of the Coordinator of this organisation in Mexico, Enrique Leff, who also was the keynote speaker. He spoke about Environmental Sustainability in Tourist Development. 

The Congress was organised by the National Tourist Companies Council of Mexico, and the objective was to contribute to the urgent need to draft a national agenda for the development of Sustainable Tourism, as well as to strengthen the participation of and exchange among players of private, public, academia, and social tourism, whose agreements will turn into guidelines for the participation of Mexico’s tourist sector authorities.

The 2007 Global Dialogue between Trade and Industries

The 2007 Global Dialogue between Trade and Industries took place in São Paulo on October 15 and 16, 2007. The event was organised by the UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, with support from the UNEP Office in Brazil and a group of industrial collaborators.

More than 150 delegates from enterprises and government representatives, entrepreneurial organisations, industries, financial institutions, and nongovernmental organisations participated in the meeting to discuss the new trends, innovations, and opportunities of association with the United Nations.

Issues such as climate change, energy, and responsible administration of chemical products were discussed at the event. During the event, UNEP representatives met with representatives of the National Industries Confederation (CNI) and the São Paulo State Industrial Federation (FIESP) to explore cooperation opportunities in Brazil.

Regional Consultation on Consumption, Production, and Sustainable Consumption

The IV Meeting of the Government Experts Council on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CPS) for Latin America and the Caribbean took place on October 18 and 19, as part of the Marrakech Process and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

The objective of the meeting was to strengthen cooperation in order to achieve the objectives of 10-Years Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns: the Marrakech Process, which include changes to unsustainable production and consumption patterns; review of regional strategies; implementation of four subregional plans of action; and identification of regional priorities to be included in the Framework Programs on CPS within 10 years, among others. 

The event gathered approximately 90 participants from 24 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, representatives of the industrial sector, the government, international organisations, and segments of civil society.  

Among the conclusions of the event, the following stand out: proposals for the strengthening of the CPS Regional Government Experts Council; development of National Policies and Strategies on CPS; development of National Dialogue Tables open to and with the participation of all segments of society; and attention to actions exclusively on small- and mid-scale companies.

See the final report at: http://www.pnuma.org/industria/consumo/pdf/Informesaopaulo.pdf

Training of Technologies Dealing with Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)

A training workshop was held in Barbados for five days in order to train and brief all customs agents, national players, and personnel of the National Ozone Office of this Caribbean country on the presentation of reports and the administration of commercial data on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) that contain ODS technologies.

Approximately 30 officials of the customs sector of Barbados attended the meeting.

2007 Annual International Research Conference on Methyl Bromide Alternatives and Emissions Reductions

From October 29 to November 1, the Programme Officer of the Regional Office responsible for the Methyl Bromide Phaseout, Jose de Mesa, attended the 2007 Annual International Research Conference on Methyl Bromide Alternatives in San Diego, California.

The over 300 participants received updated information on technology transfer, scientific data exchange, and possible alternatives to methyl bromide for their later implementation in the future evaluation and determination of priorities in Methyl Bromide projects sponsored by the UNEP and the Multilateral Fund.

Meanwhile, the UNEP/ROLAC Officer participated in the event organised by Michelle Marcot (COTBM Co-chair) and the countries of Article 5, where they explained their needs and way in which the United States Government (EPA and the USDA), in cooperation with the UNEP, could help them.

Conference on the Condition of the Ozone Layer

On October 18th, Jose de Mesa delivered a speech on the ozone layer to sixty students from the American School of Panama. During the presentation, Jose explained the latest matters related to the condition of the ozone layer and global warming.

First International Fair on Clean Technologies (FITEL 2007)

The First International Fair on Clean Technologies (FITEL 2007) took place in Caracas, Venezuela, on October 31, 2007. One of the points the various speakers who participated in the opening of FITEL 2007 agreed on was that businessmen require clear rules to act according to them and that to do so, it is necessary to implement norms that will regulate the environmental aspects of industrial production.

Such regulations would be part of a joint policy between the public and private sectors that would allow experiences on clean production and sustainable development, as explained by the President of the Industrial Reconversion Fund (Fondoin), Osmer Castillo, during his opening remarks at this event.

In this regard, the Director of the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Ricardo Sanchez Sosa, a special guest of the Fondoin, said that the proposal’s ultimate goal is to slowly diminish the ecologic trends that have been accelerating global warming and the greenhouse effect while doing away with the paradigm consumption patterns imposed by developed countries.

“The economic model we have maintained has led us to increase the margin of inequality and maintain the poverty levels, even though an economic growth has taken place,” he said.  

Sanchez explained that Latin America must choose new ways to save energy and preserve natural resources, even though he stressed the importance of the steps some countries – Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela – have taken in this direction, including the promotion of the Energy Revolution carried out by the National Executive Branch and the island of Cuba.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Regional Director met with the Vice-Minister of the Environment, Mr. Cristobal Francisco, to examine matters pertaining to the Forum of Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The basic objective of the International Fair on Clean Technologies (FITEL) 2007 was to promote the development of a new productive model that will diminish environmental impacts and efficiently use energy and natural resources.

ECOLATINA

The VII Latin American Conference on the Environment and Social Responsibility (Ecolatina) took place in the southwestern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte with broad discussions on the so-called “green fuels” among authorities, academicians, and environmentalists. This year, the key topic was the effects of climate change in the region.

Various forums and seminars of the conference gathered specialists to debate challenges and opportunities of renewable types of energy, particularly biofuels, carburating alcohol, and biodiesel distilled from such vegetables as sugarcane, corn, soy beans, sunflowers, and castor-oil plant, among others.

According to data presented by Ecolatina, bioenergy is a rapidly expanding market that received investments amounting to approximately $21 billion in the last few years.

The fear is that this vertiginous and growing demand may trigger increases in the prices of foodstuffs and environmental impacts because of the expansion of areas to grow a single crop for the so-called “agrofuels.”

The concern initially brought up by peasant and academia organisations was “institutionalised” as the result of a report made public by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) last June.

According to the FAO study, the growing demand for biofuels this year could increase world spending to import foodstuffs by 5 percent, amounting to a record $400 billion.

The UNEP was represented by its Regional Director, who at the opening session, made an explanation of the state of Climate Change and its impact on Latin America.

Preparatory Meeting for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

The Latin American countries that are part of the COP13/MoP 13 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held a preparatory meeting in Panama on October 22 and 23. Focal points on climate change, officials from 16 countries, and representatives of the UNFCCC Secretariat attended the meeting.

The meeting analysed the issues of future multilateral negotiations from the perspective of the Latin American region with a view to coordinating the participation and positions of the delegations of Latin America and the Caribbean in the next COOP on Climate Change, to be held in Bali, Indonesia, this December.

Peru: First International Congress on the Environment and Environmental Law

The First International Congress on the Environment and Environmental Law took place on October 25. It was organised in Arequipa, Peru, by the Professional Law School and the Professional Environmental Engineering School of the Alas Peruanas University.

More than 1,500 people (students, law professionals, NGO members, and government officials) participated in the congress, as did renowned international speakers, including Walter Lilienblum (Germany), Nestor Pedro Sagues (Argentina), and Carlos Anibal Rodriguez (Argentina), among others.  
 
On behalf of the UNEP, its Environmental Legislation Officer, Andrea Brusco, attended the congress.

Follow-Up Workshop on Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA)

The Follow-Up Workshop on Millennium Ecosystem Evaluation (MEA) was held in Stockholm on October 22 to 24. This meeting was organised to respond to the challenge of increasing the impact of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Project. The general objective was to reach an agreement on the world joint framework to take measures leading to action in relation to the MEA conclusions and the promotion of ecosystem services based upon decision-making processes in the public and private sectors.

The following were the specific objectives: (I) according to the expected results, the separation of duties and responsibilities, a tentative schedule including the role of the UNEP as an “anchor” (or catalyst) and the role of the key collaborators; (II) examine the needs and possible options of the process that leads to the Second Phase of the Ecosystem Evaluation Services (GESA) or to a permanent regular Ecosystem Assessment Service.

The meeting was a success, and a follow-up meeting is scheduled for next year.

The IV International University Seminar on the Environment

The IV International University Seminar of the Environment was held in Bogota, Colombia, on October 25, 2007. The UNEP Coordinator in Mexico participated in the event in order to incorporate Colombia into the regional activities of a Decade of Education on Sustainable Development and to develop an Ibero-America University Network.

During his stay, he met with the Colombian participants of the Environmental Education Network to discuss their contribution to the future development of the ETN, as well as to inform them of the PLACEA and PANACEA initiatives during the first two years of activities.

A meeting was also held with Mr. Juan Lozano and Ms. Claudia Mora, Minister and Vice- Minister of the Environment of Colombia, respectively. At the meeting, they discussed the development of National and Regional Networks and the important role played by Colombia in the conciliation and institutionalisation of the National Network since the beginning of the Environmental Education Network in the 1980s. They also discussed the PLACEA and PANACEA processes and the decisions that must be taken at the next Forum of Ministers of the Environment.

PLACA Water Prizes Award Ceremony 2007

In Panama, the Water Centre for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean handed the awards that acknowledge the good use and conservation of this resource in the region. This year, they went to groups and individuals from Argentina, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador.

The “Latin American and Caribbean Water Awards “PLACA 2007”, given for the third time by the Water Centre for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC), stress the conservation work of a group, an association, an enterprise, young people, an individual, and the lifetime achievement, which this year was awarded to US Nobel Peace Prize winner Mary Elmendorf.

Elmendorf, the first woman who led the CARE humanitarian organisation in Mexico, was honoured for “her special dedication to water and sanitation projects in Latin America and throughout the world,” according to CATHALAC.

The PLACA Business Award was handed to the Yaku Water Park Museum, located in Quito, Ecuador, for its “extensive support” in promoting a new water culture, according to the organisation. .

This museum-park, according to CATHALAC, “perceives water as a collective heritage, a finite and strategic resource” and sponsors meetings for recreation and citizen education in order to contribute to “knowledge, value, and affection for this vital resource.”

Meanwhile, the Frayle River Users Association, located in the Municipality of Florida in the Department of Cauca Valley, Colombia, was awarded the PLACA Community Award.

The initiative of the Water Centre for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean is supported by various institutions, including the UNEP, who was represented at the ceremony by the Programme Officer, Jose de Mesa.

CLIMALATINO

The more than 1,550 representatives of civil society, scientific organisations, national and municipal authorities, business groups, indigenous peoples, universities, NGOs, and students who are participating in the Clima Latino event drafted a document, which was forwarded to Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, so that he will be the spokesman of Latin Americans.

These proposals constitute a contribution to a Latin American Strategy to be presented at the various events on Climate Change.

The meeting, which was organised by the Andean Community General Secretariat and the municipalities of Quito and Guayaquil, with support from the Government of Ecuador, was attended by renowned personalities from around the world who are related to Climate Change.

The UNEP Regional Director participated in the opening of the event by delivering the Conference on Climate Change in Latin America, as well as in the Workshop of Climate Change Impact on Health, which was organised by the PAHO, the Andean Community, and the UNEP.

See Clima Latino 21 proposals for the 21st century: www.comunidadandina.org/desarrollo/climalatino_21propuestas.htm

“Plant for the Planet” Issues Postal Stamp in Cuba

A new Cuban postal stamp launched on November 6 supports the world campaign “Plant for the Planet,” sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  

The initiative came from the Cuban Association of the United Nations (ACNU) and the Antonio Nunez Jimenez Foundation for Nature and Mankind. The launching ceremony was attended by Cuban and foreign personalities, including Dr. Armando Hart and the Vice-Minister for Science, Technology and the Environment, Dr. Jose Antonio Diaz Duque.

As a special guest, Mr. Herman van-Hoof, Acting Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Cuba and Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in the Caribbean country, attended the event.

The ceremony held at the main offices of the Foundation opened with a speech by Ms. Lupe Veliz, President of the Foundation, who was followed by the ACNU Director General, Ambassador Carlos Amat.

Next, the first day envelopes were stamped, with the participation of Ms. Veliz; Dr. Diaz Duque; Armando Hart; the President of the Cuban Philatelic Federation, Jose Raul Lorenzo; and Mr. Herman van Hoof.

The stamp, with a nominal value of 65 cents of Cuban peso, features a tree and the slogan “Plant Your Tree”.

Angela Cropper of Trinidad and Tobago named new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Deputy Executive Director by UN Secretary-General

Ms. Angela Cropper of Trinidad and Tobago was today named as the Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The announcement was made by Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary-General. Ms. Cropper is expected to take up her post in February 2008.

Ms. Cropper is currently an independent member of the Senate of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago and President of The Cropper Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable organization committed to sustainable development

She has worked at the local, national, regional and international levels on the nexus between environment and sustainable development.

Ms. Cropper has been an inspiration for activities in public policy, environmental education and policy making, and social justice within Trinidad and Tobago and throughout the Caribbean Region.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said:” I am delighted that the Secretary General has appointed a person of such demonstrable intellect; depth of experience in the environment and sustainable development fields; outstanding management qualities and natural diplomatic skills to the post of UNEP Deputy Executive Director at this important juncture in the organization’s evolution”.

Ms Cropper’s list of achievements and successes including senior positions held in a wide range of national and international institutions as well as contributions to numerous key and relevant boards, trusts, committees and global assessments—within and outside the UN—will be an asset and an inspiration to UNEP and its staff, he underlined.

For further information, see: www.pnuma.org

Young Environmental Envoys

The Bayer-sponsored programme called Young Environmental Envoys took place on September 25. A representative of the Brazil UNEP Office joined the evaluating commission of a contest that selects the most creative and innovative environmental projects designed by youths between 18 and 25.

The authors of the best projects are awarded a trip to Germany, with visits to industrial facilities, which offer them the opportunity to learn first-hand of the technological solutions for sustainable development.

National Workshop on Halons in Haiti

From October 8 to 9, 2007, the National Workshop on Halons took place in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, under the coordination of Artie Dubrie, Ozone Programme Officer. In this workshop, the main groups of interests were trained on the national and global requirements for the management of Halons. The calendar for the establishment of the National Halons Management System was also established. A total of 15 people representing both the public and private sector attended the workshop.

After this workshop, the Customs Training Workshop was held in the same city of Port-au-Prince in order to identify the substances that deplete the ozone layer. In addition, it was a key tool to comply with and make recommendations on the application of the SAO License System.
 
A total of 20 customs officials and other technical government officials attended this training programme. Those participated deemed this experience with the Protocol of Montreal a useful tool in the oversight of SAO and the equipment containing ODs that come into Haiti. They stressed, however, that without a license concession system, no legal control can be managed adequately.

Brazilian Congress on Biotechnological Safety

The V Brazilian Congress on Biotechnological Safety, organised by the National Biotechnology Association, took place in the city of Ouro Preto, Brazil from September 18 to 21, 2007.

The V Congress was held simultaneously with the V Latin American Symposium on Transgenic Products; the Bioenergy Seminar entitled “Bioenergy as a Tool to Achieve Sustainability and the United Nations Millennium Goals;” and the II Symposium on Public Dissemination of Biotechnology (UNESCO), in addition to various courses and collateral events.

ANBio congresses are internationally renowned as biotechnological safety landmarks. Approximately 800 participants from 31 countries attended the meeting this year. The UNEP (Dependence of Biotechnological Safety) was invited to give a lecture; and many other international organizations were also invited, such as REDBIO (FAO), PRRI (Public Research Initiatives and Regulations), the UNU, BINAS, the UNIDO, and the ILSI (International Life Sciences Institute), as well as biotechnological companies and universities.

As an event collateral to the Congress, representatives of the MICIT (Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil) and members of the UNEP-BCH team organised two training activities, such as the second series of BCH workshops in Brazil, being carried out through their BCH Project. As part of the UNEP Biotechnological Safety Unit, Tea Garcia-Huidobro, GEF Officer, made presentations on the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol, answered questions, and distributed material among workshop participants.

Alter the Congress, on September 24 to 28, 2007, a course on biotechnological safety by the ICGEB was taught in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, organised in close collaboration with the ANBio, the United Nations, Argentine authorities, and other co-financing institutions. The current activities of the ICGEB of the biotechnological safety training programme are focused on regional courses. This is the fourth course on biotechnological safety that takes place this year. The UNEP/ROLAC participated in the Congress.

Panama: Seminar on the Cartagena Protocol

On October 12, 2007, a seminar on the Cartagena Protocol and its implications on Panama took place in Panama. It also analysed the development of the country’s regulatory procedures on the import and transit of foodstuffs.

On this occasion, Tea Garcia-Huidobro, Global Environment Fund Programme (GEF) Officer made a presentation as part of the training seminar for authorities and professionals of the recently created Panamanian Food Safety Authority (AUPSA).

There were many debates on food safety and the concerns about the country’s real capacity to control food imports and essays on the presence of the OMG. However, the current initiative by the Government of Panama to develop a more solid regulatory framework for biotechnological safety was considered a positive step to increase the country’s capacity to made informed decisions and better manage OMGs.

FUTURE ACTIVITIES

UNEPNEWS is a publication of the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Mr. Ricardo Sánchez Sosa
Regional Director, UNEP/ROLAC

Original text in Spanish
Mr. Rody Oñate Zúñiga

Communications and Public Information Unit

This issue, translated by
Mónica Moedano

Version for Web Site, prepared by
Luis Enrique Mudarra

Contents of this Newsletter can be freely reproduced as far as UNEPNEWS is given due credits.

Closing date of this issue:
30 of October 2007