During the 11th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), Olivier de Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, stressed that indigenous peoples’ food rights were under "serious threat" given the increased pressure on their lands through food production, carbon credit schemes and the search for fossil fuels.

At a meeting in China, CITES Secretary-General Scanlon emphasized the role of e-permitting systems in helping build the essential foundations for environmental sustainability and sustainable development. Countries also discussed the role of South-South cooperation, and recommended various projects including one between Brazil, Namibia and China on using new e-permitting technologies to ensure legal, sustainable and traceable trade in listed species.

France and the Slovak Republic signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia (Raptors MOU). They are now the 39th and 40th signatories, respectively. The MOU will become effective in the two countries on 1 June 2012.

AEWA has allocated €20,000 for SGF projects, augmented by voluntary contributions from contracting Parties. National government institutions and non-governmental organizations concerned with the conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats in African countries are eligible to submit project proposals.

On the opening day of the fifth session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP 5) of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds Agreement (AEWA), the CMS and Ramsar Secretariats signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the development of a Joint Work Plan (JWP) for 2012-2014. Bert Lenten, CMS Deputy Executive Secretary, noted the importance of wetlands for not only waterbirds but also other migratory species addressed by CMS.

The Yearbook of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) compiles annual data on production and trade in forest products. The 64th issue, containing data for the years 2006-2010, is now available. The compilation is based on country submissions and includes the volume of production, volume of trade, and value of trade in forest products.

The UN Pavilion highlights the work of 24 UN bodies and international organizations, to raise Expo visitors' awareness on: marine pollution from oil; marine litter; deep seabed marine biodiversity; over-fishing; and the impacts of climate change on oceans and coasts. International Exposition 2012 (Expo 2012) is taking place in Yeosu, Republic of Korea, under the theme "Oceans and Coasts: Connecting Our Lives, Ensuring Our Future—The Choice is Yours."

The Latin American Development Bank (CAF) will work with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to prepare a feasibility study on fishing gear and the marine ecosystem. The study is hoped to pave the way for a financing scheme to help Ecuador's fishermen replace craft and gear in order to reduce by-catch of sea turtles, marine mammals and sharks.

In Honduras, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) gave the "Bio Award" to two cooperatives of small coffee growers. In Costa Rica, the Award went to the Pérez Zeledón Cooperative of Savings and Credit and Multiple Services Alliance, a financial institution that delivers credits to sectors including organic agriculture and sustainably managed forestry.

This workshop is convened by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO).