17 May 2013: In preparation for the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB), to be celebrated on 22 May 2013, with celebrations around the globe focusing on the theme 'Water and Biodiversity,' the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has circulated the IDB's logo, booklet and messages, all of which are available for use by parties in their celebrations.
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16 May 2013: The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) announced that it has received National Ivory Action Plans from China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania and Viet Nam, the first group of countries identified as primary source, transit and import countries affected by illegal trade in ivory.
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14 May 2013: At the 2013 World Customs Organization (WCO) IT Conference & Exhibition, John Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), highlighted cooperation with the WCO on intercepting illegal wildlife trade.
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14 May 2013: Following extensive informal consultations among members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the WTO General Council has approved the appointment of Ambassador Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo (Brazil) as the next Director-General of the WTO. Azevêdo will take office on 1 September 2013.
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6 May 2013: The European Commission adopted a green infrastructure strategy designed to: promote green infrastructure in the main policy areas; improve research and data, strengthen the knowledge base and promote innovative technologies; improve access to finance for green infrastructure projects; and support EU-level green infrastructure projects.
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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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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 UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) has adopted a revised draft resolution on 'Crime prevention and criminal justice responses to illicit trafficking in protected species of wild fauna and flora' and has recommended its adoption to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
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29 April 2013: Held from 22-26 April 2013, in Geneva, Switzerland, the 24th session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) focused on improving a draft text of an international legal instrument on intellectual property and traditional knowledge.
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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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