8 October 2012: The 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) opened on 8 October 2012, in Hyderabad, India, directly following the sixth Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The two-week meeting will address a series of cross-cutting and ecosystem-related issues, as well as financial, administrative and implementation-related topics.
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3 October 2012: At a seminar on “Future Fisheries,” Maria Damanaki, the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, noted that, although the European Union is lagging behind the rest of the world with regard to the sustainable management of fisheries resources, some progress is being made through the introduction of new management initiatives, such as new rules against illegal fishing.
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The overall objective of the workshop is to support the development of the International Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines) by providing inputs and advice, both with regard to good policies and practices in the region and in respect of overall principles and contents and to provide comments on the current Zero Draft of the SSF Guidelines. Discussions at the workshop will be forward looking and address implementation issues. The SSF Guidelines are intended to become an integral part of ongoing governance and development processes in support of small-scale fisheries. Accordingly, the workshop will promote cross-linkages between the SSF Guidelines and the policies and actions required in the Caribbean region.
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25 September 2012: During the “Three for the Tree – Investing in Natura 2000 for Future Prosperity and Well-Being,” event organized by WWF, IUCN and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potočnik celebrated the 20th anniversary of the EU Habitats Directive and Natura 2000 network.
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23 September 2012: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has released the full report on "The State of the World's Forests 2012" (SOFO 2012), which reveals that forest loss and degradation over the past ten years are estimated to have cost the global economy as much as US$4.5 trillion per year.
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21 September 2012: During the 11th European Geoparks Conference, the Global Geoparks Network Bureau added four new sites in China, Indonesia, Hungary and Spain. The Global Geoparks Network links geological heritage sites of international importance, rarity or beauty that are also used to promote sustainable development for local communities.
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15 September 2012: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress elected Zhang Xinsheng of China as the new President of IUCN, during the Congress held in Jeju, Republic of Korea. Before closing, the 2012 Congress also approved the IUCN Programme for 2013-2016, adopted several other motions, and adopted the Jeju Declaration on "nature-based solutions."
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The Fifth Annual Conference of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) will take place from 29-30 November 2012, in Beirut, Lebanon. Expected topics of discussion include: ecological deficits in Arab countries; population demands on natural capital; environmental performance of Arab countries; comparison of ecological footprints to gross domestic product (GDP); achieving sustainability during expected population growth; and regional cooperation. AFED will release its 2012 annual report, “Ecological Footprint and Survival Options in Arab Countries,” during this annual conference. This report is the fifth annual report about the Arab environment published by AFED since 2008. The report findings will be presented and debated to facilitate discussion on further policy recommendations and implementation action.
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Centered on Eastern Europe and Northern and Central Asia, the forum will discuss opportunities and challenges associated with shifting to a Green Economy within the forest sector. The forum will examine lessons learned and good practices and discuss ways forward within the framework of the outcomes of Rio+20. Organizers include: the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and State Forest Resource Agency of Ukraine, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), FORZA, HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation, Bern University of Applied Sciences – School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (HAFL), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).
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July 2012: The 2012 East Asian Seas Congress took place in Changwon City, Republic of Korea, with a focus on building a "blue economy" in the region. It addressed, in particular, progress in the governance of regional/sub-regional seas within the framework of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA). The Congress included the Fourth Ministerial Forum, an Exhibition, an East Asian Seas Partnership Council Meeting, and a PEMSEA Network of Local Governments Forum.
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