World Water Week 2012 Opens with Focus on Water and Food Security [viewed]
26 August 2012: World Water Week 2012 is underway in Stockholm, Sweden, with a focus on the theme "Water and Food Security." The programme aims to engage participants on challenges posed by increased competition for water resources, driven in part by population growth and climate change, and its effects on agriculture and food security. World Water Week is organized annually by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).
26 August 2012: The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has invited stakeholder comments on an Action Plan to augment its Strategy and Results Framework (SRF). The CGIAR institutions use the SRF as a roadmap for sustainable agricultural development, and the new Action Plan is expected to link the efforts of the CGIAR Research Programmes to system-wide outcomes.
24 August 2012: Citing increasing concern about bats' potential for spreading disease to animals and humans, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has released a manual to help countries minimize the risks to public health. The guide aims to increase public understanding on the changes that affect bat populations and approaches to limiting the exchange of viruses between species.
2 August 2012: The UN Indigenous Peoples Partnership (UNIPP) has made available its five-year program framework, titled “United Nations Indigenous Peoples Partnership: Strategic Framework 2011-2015," which outlines UNIPP's thematic areas of focus for the realization of indigenous peoples' rights. It has also published a brochure describing the genesis, governance and guiding principles of UNIPP and its Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
8 August 2012: A new book, titled "Sustainable Diets and Biodiversity: Directions and Solutions for Policy, Research and Action," urges action to promote sustainable diets and food biodiversity for the health of humans and the Earth. The book contains the proceedings of the International Scientific Symposium titled "Biodiversity and Sustainable Diets United Against Hunger," which convened in November 2010. 
19 July 2012: The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has announced that an updated and improved version of the course for customs officials is now available through the CITES Virtual College. The course is designed to assist officials in identifying and processing specimens of CITES-listed species.
13 June 2012: The Executive Board of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) released a draft sub-regional programme document for the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) for 2013 to 2017. The programme includes support for accelerated action toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including on climate change, disaster risk reduction (DRR), and environmental management activities.
6 July 2012: The Global Biodiversity Informatics Conference (GBIC) has agreed on key priorities to foster the use of information technologies and social networks to: improve understanding of the role of biodiversity in sustaining human lives and livelihoods; and support biodiversity conservation. Participants agreed to develop an outlook document that will set priorities for biodiversity informatics, with a view to establishing an effective system for forecast and rapid response.
