Event: Fourth Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention [viewed]
This meeting is the fourth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the UN Economic Commission on Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention). It will seek to provide an opportunity to discuss public participation in international forums, the procedure for accession to the Convention by States from outside the UNECE region, and the role of the Aarhus Convention in promoting sustainable development. The latter is the theme of the high-level segment on 1 July 2011. The meeting is expected to adopt the draft Chisinau Declaration on the role of the Aarhus Convention in promoting sustainable development, as a contribution to the UNCSD process.
8 March 2011: The 43rd issue of Arborvitae, the IUCN Forest Conservation Programme's Newsletter, is subtitled "Attending to Gender" and highlights gender-related initiatives, including those related to climate change, forests and land tenure. 
8 March 2011: The UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS) will hold an informal preparatory meeting for the 12th meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP 12) on 9 March 2011, in New York, US.
3 March 2011: In celebrations for the ninth Africa Environment Day, the African Union (AU) Commission, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and local partners, highlighted the importance of sustainable forest management (SFM) for sustainable development and addressing climate change.
1 March 2011: A policy guide from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), titled "Promoting the Growth and Development of Smallholder Seed Enterprises for Food Security Crops," describes lessons learned from case studies of smallholder seed enterprises in Brazil, India and Cote d'Ivoire.
February 2011: The first issue of the newsletter of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) EU Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories Programme has been released, with a focus on Greenland.
27 February 2011: The 26th session of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC 26/GMEF) convened from 21-24 February 2011, at the UN Office in Nairobi, Kenya.
19 February 2011: Spain has established a EUR300 million fund to target rural poverty and food security, as part of a strategic partnership between the country and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to combat rural poverty and promote sustainable development. The announcement was made at the opening of IFAD's annual Governing Council meeting on 19 February 2011, in Rome, Italy.
18 February 2011: The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) announced the creation of an indigenous peoples' forum under the Fund, following a two-day workshop. The workshop took place at IFAD's headquarters in Rome, Italy, from 17-18 February 2011.
