18 June 2012: The first Global BioTrade Congress, organized by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), discussed the achievements and lessons learned of the BioTrade initiative, which aims at supporting biodiversity objectives while providing a source of income for local development.
19 June 2012: On the sidelines to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) launched a joint brochure outlining gender mainstreaming in the three Conventions, and describing challenges and opportunities for synergistic action.
11 June 2012: The European Environment Ministers met in the Environment Council to adopt conclusions on setting the framework for the 7th EU Environment Action Programme (EAP) and on preparations for key biodiversity and climate meetings, among other items.
May 2012: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has reported that Mexico became the fifth country to ratify the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the CBD, on 16 May 2012. It is the first of the so-called megadiverse countries to do so.
This side event will be held during the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) and is being co-organized by the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Capacity Development Initiative and the Confederation of Danish Industry. The aim of the event is to deliver messages from the ABS business dialogue which was held two weeks before Rio +20, during which participants formulated messages on how to effectively implement the Nagoya Protocol and how different business models can contribute to it.
Launched by the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD) in 2003, the triennial Mesoamerican Congress of Protected Areas brings together experts from Mexico and the eight Central American Integration System (SICA) countries (Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) and interested regional and international actors to dialogue, share experiences and propose initiatives involving protected areas, including marine protected areas, and their role in sustainable development. The IV Congress, organized by Costa Rica's National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) with CCAD support, is expected to discuss, inter alia: governance; research within protected areas and access to biodiversity; protected areas and climate change; protected areas as social and economic instruments; and regional cooperation.
18 May 2012: The 11th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) concluded with the adoption of nine draft recommendations by consensus, including on: the special theme of the ongoing impact of the Discovery Doctrine on indigenous peoples and the right to redress; arrangements for the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples; intellectual property; food sovereignty; human rights; and emerging issues.
13 May 2012: The fifth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction (hereafter, the Working Group) convened from 7-11 May 2012, at UN Headquarters in New York.
The Ad Hoc Technical Advisory Committee on the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) and the Multilateral System (MLS) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) advises the Treaty Secretary on implementation questions raised by users.
The first workshop, to be held from 13-16 August 2012, will focus on Articles 8(j) (traditional knowledge), 10(c) (sustainable customary use) and related provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), as well as the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing, and aims at preparing indigenous and local community representatives for the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD. In support of "Train the Trainer" methodology, the second workshop, to be held from 17-18 August 2012, is focused on indigenous and local community trainers and aims at familiarising trainers with Convention training materials and preparing them for the further dissemination of information received. Documents for the second meeting are at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=WSILC-LAC-01
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