ENB UPDATE

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On Thursday, the UN-Habitat Assembly elected its Executive Board and hosted its inaugural Board meeting. The Executive Board elected Lori Dando (US) as Chair, and adopted its agenda and rules of procedure.

In plenary, delegates heard national statements. A high-level session on innovative mobility for sustainable cities in Africa took place in the afternoon, exploring the policy dimensions of urban mobility, with many calling for better coordination between national transport and urban policies. Read full report

On Wednesday, UN-Habitat Assembly held its high-level segment with Heads of State and Government, and others exchanging opinions ideas on strategic approaches to sustainable urbanization. Three high-level thematic dialogues convened, focusing on: creating an enabling environment for innovation; implementation, partnerships, and good practices for cities and communities; and investing in urban innovation for business.

Many parallel events took place during the day, including two special events: a Partnerships and Pledging Conference, and the Local and Regional Governments Forum. Throughout the day, delegates convened in side events all over the campus of the UN Office at Nairobi, and also spent time hearing from thought leaders on the City Stage. Read full report

On Tuesday, the first ever session of the Assembly of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) continued its deliberations, considering national statements; and negotiating draft resolutions on gender, capacity building, the strategic plan, and the transition to UN-Habitat’s new governance structure.

A variety of parallel events took place during the day, including a special event on the One United Nations Dialogue to discuss how to best utilize the UN Sustainable Development Group in the implementation of the UN System-wide Strategy on Sustainable Urban Development. Read full report

The High-Level Dialogue on the Implementation of the UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All 2014-2019: A Mid-Point Review convened to discuss the implementation of the UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All 2014-2024, including its global plan of action.

As 2019 marks the mid-point of the UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All 2014-2024, the Dialogue also provided an opportunity for energy policymakers and other relevant stakeholders to assess progress and identify challenges and solutions. Participants also addressed the linkages between Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 (on energy), the other SDGs, and the Paris Agreement on climate change, in advance of the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit to be held in New York on 23 September 2019.

Two reports were also launched during the Dialogue: ‘Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report’ and ‘the SDG7 Policy Briefs 2019.’ Read full report

The third and final substantive session of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) established by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 72/277 (“Towards a Global Pact for the Environment”) completed its mandate and adopted its recommendations to the UNGA, following its consideration of possible gaps in international environmental law (IEL) and environment-related instruments with a view to strengthening their implementation.

The final document, adopted by the OEWG in the early morning hours of 23 May 2019, has three sections, setting out:

• Objectives, including the reinforcement of environmental protection for present and future generations and strengthening IEL and environment-related instruments;
• Substantive recommendations; and 
• Consideration of further work. 

The OEWG asked UNGA to circulate its recommendations to UN Member States and members of UN specialized agencies and governing bodies of multilateral environmental agreements for consideration and action. The OEWG also recommends that UNGA forward the recommendations to the United Nations Environment Assembly for its consideration, in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations Environment Programme in 2022, with a view to strengthening IEL and environmental governance. Read full report

The International Conference on Climate Action (ICCA2019) took place in the lead-up to the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit, scheduled for September 2019, and focused on how vertical and horizontal cooperation can strengthen climate mitigation and adaptation activities. Deliberations during the two-day event showed that many solutions for increasing climate ambition already exist, but that enhanced collaboration between different government levels is needed to further strengthen their roll-out and upscaling. Takeaways from workshop discussions shaped the ICCA2019 outcome – the Heidelberg Declaration – which will inform discussions at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit and the 25th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. Read full report

The final day of the Sixth 2019 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2019) in Geneva, Switzerland, discussed how to work towards achieving the international agendas set out in the Sendai Framework for DRR, the Paris Agreement on climate, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in a coherent manner, with a strong focus on reducing vulnerability and poverty. Participants said urbanization is this century’s defining trend, and will require resilient and inclusive infrastructure. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction announced the 2019 winner of the RISK Award, which this year went to Nandan Mukherjee at the University of Dundee, for his work in developing floating homes in Bangladesh and improving coastal resilience. Read full coverage

The sixth session of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2019) took stock of countries’ progress toward achieving the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and affirmed the role of DRR in scaling up action on climate adaptation and resilience. GP2019 urged governments to step up their efforts in implementing the Sendai Framework. The conference issued a Chairs’ Summary of the event, which includes recommendations for a mid-term review of the Sendai Framework to be conducted, and for DRR to be fully integrated in the implementation of the SDGs. Read full coverage

The fourth annual meeting of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—STI Forum 2019—convened under the theme of “STI for ensuring inclusiveness and equality.” The two-day Forum featured a series of 90-second innovation pitches and nine substantive panel discussions. The Forum also examined the way forward for the facilitation of STI for the SDGs, with calls for, inter alia, greater science-business connections to drive implementation, more resources and funding, operationalization of an online inventory of STI, and making the STI Forum a culmination of intersessional work. The outcomes of the STI Forum 2019 will be summarized by its Co-Chairs and serve as inputs to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July 2019. Read full report

Discussions on DRR and resilience continued at the 2019 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2019) in Geneva, Switzerland. Sessions on risk-informed investments suggested that disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures such as promoting energy efficiency, building resilient infrastructure, and addressing conflict and security threats make good business sense, while sessions on health and disaster-induced displacement focused attention on the human cost of disasters. Read full report

The 49th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-49) concluded Sunday, 12 May, and adopted the Overview Chapter of the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2019 Refinement) and accepted the underlying report.
IPCC-49 also adopted decisions on:

• the terms of reference of the Task Group on Gender Policy and Gender Implementation Plan;
• guidance to the Board of Trustees on the use of the IPCC Scholarship Programme Fund;
• beginning preparatory work during the sixth assessment cycle for a methodological report on short-lived climate forcers to be completed during the seventh assessment cycle; and
• the Trust Fund Programme and Budget. Read full report

Preparatory events on the eve of the sixth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2019) included the Fourth World Reconstruction Conference (WRC4), the second Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems Conference (MHEWS), and the Science and Policy Forum. WRC4 discussed the benefits of inclusion in disaster preparedness, response and recovery, with participants calling for including women and local communities in recovery efforts, not only as beneficiaries but also as key actors. At MHEWS, panelists stressed the importance of making warnings clear and accessible so that recipients understand what action they should take. The Science and Policy Forum highlighted the opportunities that technology provides for building resilient and inclusive societies, while cautioning that new technologies also create new vulnerabilities.

The official opening ceremony for GP2019 takes place on Wednesday, with discussions focused on the theme, “Taking Stock.” Read full report

Opening remarks at the STI Forum 2019 called attention to how science, technology and innovation (STI) is helping the world address global challenges and highlighted key accomplishments under the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM), such as the release of the “Guidebook for the Preparation of STI for SDGs Roadmaps,” and the development of a prototype of the online platform to help connect providers of technology solutions to those who seek them.

Keynote presentations covered the “haves” and the “have-nots,” stressing that technology can be a force for good but has also resulted in severe disparities around the globe. Throughout the day, sessions focused on the impact of rapid technological change on the SDGs, STI for education and decent work, and gender and STI. Read full coverage

The 2019 joint Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions achieved several notable outcomes, including:

• the establishment of a compliance mechanism under theRotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade
• the listing of dicofol and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and PFOA-related compounds under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants; and
• the adoption of an amendment to address certain plastic wastes under the Basel Convention (BC) on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. Read full report in English

The fourteenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF14) held technical discussions on implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 (UNSPF), taking into account the review cycle of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), and the theme of the 2019 International Day of Forests, “Forests and Education.” As outlined in the current format for the Forum’s two-year thematic cycles, 2019 was to comprise discussions on implementation and technical advice and 2020 will focus on policy dialogue, development, and decision-making.

At the conclusion of the week-long meeting, UNFF14 Chair Boris Greguška (Slovakia) presented a Chair’s Summary, which contains four parts:

• a summary of technical discussions, for transmission to UNFF15;
• UNFF14 inputs to the 2019 HLPF, for transmission to the HLPF;
• information on UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) reforms pertaining to the Forum, for transmission by UN DESA to appropriate UN bodies that are considering the reforms; and
• an indicative list of intersessional activities suggested during UNFF14 to facilitate policy deliberations at UNFF15. Read full report in English

The Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction 2019 (GP2019) began two days of preparatory events on Monday, ahead of the forthcoming high-level meeting from 15 – 17 May that will be promoting implementation of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Events included the Fourth World Reconstruction Conference (WRC-4), which highlighted inclusivity as a centerpiece of national DRR frameworks, and the Second Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems Conference (MHEWS-II), which drew attention to the need for a multi-hazard approach in light of the anticipated impacts of climate change. Read full report in English

On Sunday, the Panel adopted the Overview Chapter of the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2019 Refinement) and accepted the underlying report. The Panel also adopted decisions on, inter alia: the IPCC Scholarship Programme; short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs); and the Task Group on Gender Policy and Gender Implementation Plan. IPCC-49 was gaveled to a close at 11:15 pm. Read full coverage

IPCC-49 continued its work on Saturday, discussing the IPCC Scholarship Programme, short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs), the Task Force on Gender and the Task Group on the Organization of the Future Work of the IPCC in light of the Global Stocktake. Participants also discussed outstanding issues related to the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2019 Refinement). Read full coverage

On the final day of the 2019 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, delegates worked intensively to finalize work on a range of issues. Highlights of the day included a “historic” decision to address certain plastic wastes under the Basel Convention, technical guidelines on environmentally sound management of electrical and electronic wastes, and a decision on enhancing the effectiveness of the Rotterdam Convention. Following the conclusion of negotiations on the programme of work and budget for 2020-2021, the meetings were gaveled to a close at 10:13 pm. Read full coverage

The final day of the fourteenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF14) marked another milestone for the Forum, as delegates completed their deliberations in a record three hours.

Discussions of the day included Monitoring Assessment and Reporting, Means of Implementation, Emerging Issues and the UNFF Trust Fund. Delegates adopted the UNFF14 report and took note of the UNFF14 Chair’s Summary, they also agreed on the date, venue and agenda for UNFF15, to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York from 4-8 May 2020. Read full coverage

IPCC-49 continued its work on Friday, discussing the IPCC Scholarship Programme, short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs), the Trust Fund Programme and Budget, and the Ad Hoc Task Group on Financial Stability. The Plenary also discussed outstanding issues related to the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2019 Refinement). Read full report in English

Work continued apace on Thursday at the 2019 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions. Delegates convened in plenary in the morning to look into issues of joint concern, as well as work related to the Rotterdam Convention. Plenary was suspended after the morning session to allow delegates to work in contact groups and carry out informal consultations. The critical issues that remain before closure of the meetings on Friday include plastic wastes, and electronic and electrical wastes (e-wastes) under the Basel Convention, the listing of four chemicals under the Rotterdam Convention’s Prior Informed Consent procedure, and a budget to fund the work that will be carried out in 2020-2021 to implement all three Conventions. Read full report in English

On Thursday morning, delegates participated for the first time in UNFF history, in discussions on “enhancing global forest policy coherence and a common international understanding of sustainable forest management (SFM).” Many appreciated that a common understanding of SFM can contribute to coherence in forest-related policies. However, some urged for sensitivity to diverse national definitions and forest management approaches.

Throughout the day, governments also engaged in interactive debates spurred by three panel discussions on enhanced cooperation, coordination and engagement in forest-related issues. Read full coverage

The 49th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-49) continued on 9 May 2019 in Kyoto, Japan. Participants continued discussing the overview chapter of the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 Guidelines on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2019 Refinement). The Plenary also addressed, inter alia: issues related to the Task Group on Data Support for Climate Change Assessment (TG-Data); the Progress Report on Outreach and Communications; and Admission of Observer Organizations. Read full report in English

On the ninth day of the 2019 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions, delegates addressed two significant agenda items under the Rotterdam Convention: compliance and listing of chemicals in Annex III. After 15 years of negotiations, parties took the historic step of voting to create a new Annex to the Convention which sets procedures and mechanisms to facilitate compliance. Parties also agreed to list hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and phorate in Annex III to the Convention, but deferred further consideration of chrysotile asbestos to COP10. Read full report in English

On Wednesday, delegates at UNFF14 resumed discussions on the UNDESA Reform Pertaining to UNFF. They also addressed Means of Implementation, noting progress on the activities of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network (G3FN), and discussed the process of setting up a G3FN satellite office in Beijing, China.

Throughout the day, the Forum also engaged in interactive discussions in panel sessions on: Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting (MAR); and Means of Implementation for SFM. Read full coverage

The 49th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-49) opened on 8 May 2019 in Kyoto, Japan. Hoesung Lee, IPCC Chair, reaffirming that IPCC-49 will approve the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 Guidelines on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2019 Refinement), noted that the IPCC’s work on inventory guidelines began in 1994 to improve reporting to ensure that IPCC assessments are based on the latest science. During the day, the IPCC discussed: the IPCC Trust Fund Programme and Budget; the report of the IPCC Task Group on Gender; a progress report on the Task Group on the Organization of the Future Work of the IPCC in light of the Global Stocktake; and the Overview Chapter of the 2019 Refinement. Read full report in English

On Tuesday, delegates to the 2019 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention (BRS COPs) faced a packed agenda as they wrapped up work related to the Basel Convention and began negotiations on thorny issues under the Rotterdam Convention. Fifteen years after the entry into force of the latter Convention, parties have yet to achieve consensus to establish a compliance mechanism. They are also tackling challenging questions about how to ensure its effectiveness, especially given the growing list of substances that meet the criteria for listing but which delegates cannot agree to add to Annex III, raising questions about the ability of this Convention to fulfil its objective to facilitate information exchange. Read full report in English

On Tuesday, UNFF14 resumed discussions on the Implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030. Throughout the day, delegates made general statements on their progress made nationally with some announcing voluntary national contributions.

Delegates participated in a panel discussion on the Contributions to CPF Members to Implementation of the UNSPF 2030. They also held interactive discussions in technical panel discussions on links between the Global Forest Goals (GFGs), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under review by the 2019 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). gh-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). Read full coverage

The seventh session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES-7) approved the summary for policy makers (SPM) and acceptance of the chapters of the Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the first intergovernmental global assessment of this kind and the first comprehensive assessment since the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) released in 2005. IPBES-7 also adopted the IPBES’s Rolling Work Programme up to 2030, including new assessments on: the nexus between biodiversity and water, food, and health; the determinants of transformative change; the impact and dependence of business on biodiversity; and a technical report on biodiversity and climate change intended to be prepared jointly with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); and adopted a response to the External Review of the Platform. The Global Assessment offers an overview of biodiversity and ecosystem trends and closely examines them in relation to key goals of the international environmental agenda, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and the Paris Agreement on climate change. It builds on previous IPBES Assessments, including the regional ones, the Pollinators’ Assessment, and the Land Degradation and Restoration Assessment. Read full coverage

On Monday, delegates to the 2019 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions continued work related to implementation of the Basel Convention. Participants made swift progress through many of the outstanding items of the agenda, adopting decisions on, inter alia, technical guidelines on environmentally sound management (ESM) of waste lead-acid batteries and wastes consisting of, containing, or contaminated with mercury or mercury compounds. Several delegates have expressed hope that the constructive approach that has led to productive work under the Basel and Stockholm Convention COPs will continue when delegates turn their attention to the Rotterdam Convention on Tuesday morning. Read full report in English

The fourteenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF14) opened on Monday. In the morning, delegates addressed organizational matters and adopted the meeting agenda. They also discussed the implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030. In the afternoon, delegates participated in thematic technical panel discussions that link forests to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under review by the 2019 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). Read full coverage

On Friday, IPBES-7 delegates continued negotiations in two working groups to finalize the summary for policy makers (SPM) of the Global Assessment and the Platform’s future work programme. The working group on the Global Assessment continued discussing the SPM background section, focusing on references to internationally recognized rights of indigenous peoples and the need to reduce consumption and waste. The working group on the future work programme finalized its draft decision, agreeing, among other things to ask the Secretariat to launch scoping processes for assessments on the nexus between biodiversity, water, food and health, and on and transformative change. Read full report in English

Delegates to the 2019 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions worked through a packed agenda on Friday. In the morning, participants discussed work undertaken intersessionally by expert working groups, including on the development of guidelines for environmentally sound management and technical guidelines on: e-waste; incineration on land and specially engineered landfill; and waste lead-acid batteries. Stockholm Convention COP9 convened in the afternoon and took a series of decisions, including on exemptions for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts, and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF), and to list perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds. Basel Convention COP14 will resume Saturday. Read full report in English

On Thursday, IPBES-7 delegates continued discussing the summary for policymakers (SPM) of the Global Assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services and the Platform’s future work programme. Discussions on the Global Assessment focused on key messages on simultaneously achieving nature conservation and other societal goals, such as food security, climate change mitigation, and sustainable economic development. Regarding the work programme, delegates among other things discussed how to consider the topic of connectivity, which many Multilateral Environmental Agreements requested IPBES to focus on, and the need for follow-ups to the Global and Regional Assessments. Read full report in English

On Tuesday, IPBES-7 delegates began negotiating the summary for policy makers (SPM) of the Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. In general comments delegates asked to develop clear and concrete messages. They subsequently engaged in a first reading of the SPM’s key messages, discussing, among other issues, how to reference the rate of species extinction. In the afternoon, a second Working Group discussed how IPBES should respond to the results of the external review. Read full report in English