7 May 2013: As a contribution to the 2013 World Migratory Bird Day (11-12 May), the sixth issue of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) thematic fact sheet series focuses on migratory species and desertification. The publication notes the efforts of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) and the UNCCD to conserve migratory wildlife and to improve the conditions of ecosystems that support such species and are affected by land degradation.
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1 May 2013: As an element of a joint project between the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), representatives from Azerbaijan and Georgia convened to negotiate elements of a draft agreement on the sustainable management of the Kura River basin.
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The International Expert and Stakeholder Workshop on the Contribution of Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems to IPBES: Building Synergies with Science will be convened by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Japan. It is being co-organised by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the UN University (UNU). The objectives of the workshop are to examine and identify procedures and approaches for working with indigenous and local knowledge systems in the framework of IPBES; and to review and assess possible conceptual frameworks for the work of IPBES that are based on or accommodate indigenous and local knowledge systems and worldviews. The workshop is part of the on-going intersessional process leading up to the second session of the Platform's Plenary (IPBES-2), where the outcomes of this workshop will be presented for further consideration.
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The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will hold the first 'Full Members of the Platform (MEP) and Bureau meeting' to implement Decision IPBES/1/2 on next steps for the development of the initial IPBES work programme, as requested by the IPBES Plenary at its first session. The meeting will be hosted by the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management.
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CITES at 40 Marks a Major Decision Point for Sharks, Trees, Snakes, Turtles and other Wildlife Species: Guidelines, toolkits, standards and action plans fostering capacity, financing, law enforcement, livelihoods, science, sustainability, traceability and synergies also adopted
The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP16) held March 2013 in Bangkok, will be remembered as a defining moment in the 40 year history of the Convention.
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May 2013: The final report of the fourteenth regular session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA 14) of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), including the Commission's decisions, has been made available online.
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The Third High-level Roundtable on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) is organized under the patronship of the Government of Indonesia in the context of the International Conference on Plant Genetic Resources, Food Security and Climate Change. The High-level Roundtable will focus on the policy contribution of the Treaty to cope with global challenges related to biodiversity, climate change and food security.
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6 May 2013: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Chinese actress, Li Bingbing, have recently undertaken activities to address wildlife crime and highlight the gravity of its impacts.
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26 April 2013: The first draft of the Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2015-2023, prepared by the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Intersessional Strategic Plan Working Group, has been released for comments, which are requested by 30 September 2013.
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The workshop on 'Land for Business – Business for Land: The Economics of Land Degradation' will serve as catalyst for private sector involvement in the Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative. Corporate strategists, leaders in sustainability and other representatives of the business community will be asked to outline their needs within the context of further development of the ELD private sector work programme. The objectives of the workshop are to: Understand companies‘ needs; Profile the economic valuation of land and ecosystems services within business strategy development; Identify business sectors most affected by land degradation and explore how to document the impact of unmitigated risk on business strategy and value chains; Raise awareness of options for managing land degradation risk; Explore examples of sustainable land use in specific sectors and showcase enterprises implementing scalable, win-win solutions; Identify barriers to scaling up good practices and explore options to enable the private sector to invest in sustainable land management; and Identify a programme of work and sector leaders to be integrated into subsequent stages of the ELD Initiative. The workshop will take place in the context of the BONN PERSPECTIVES, an initiative of the City of Bonn and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
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