This online discussion group is organized as part of the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) Online Forum on Public Awareness, Education and Participation Concerning the Safe Transfer, Handling and Use of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs). The discussion group aims to enable exchange of views and information regarding facilitating public access to biosafety information in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. It will address the following themes: procedures for facilitating public access to biosafety information; format and language; timelines for providing information upon request; charging for providing information upon request; denial of information upon request; confidentiality; appeals; means of active dissemination; and biosafety records management systems. Parties, other governments and relevant organizations are invited to nominate individuals involved in, or responsible for, promoting public awareness, education and participation at the national level to participate in the Forum.
dates: 11-18 June 2012 venue: CBD Biosafety Clearing House Website location: Montreal, Canada (virtual)
The 64th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the associated meetings of its Scientific Committee and other sub-groups will take place in Panama City, Panama from 11 June – 6 July 2012.
dates: 11 June - 6 July 2012 venue: El Panamá Hotel and Convention Centre location: Panama City, Panama
The Rio Conventions Pavilion at Rio+20 is a collaborative outreach activity of the Secretariats of the Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, UNCCD and CBD), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and 25 other international, national and local partners. It aims to promote and strengthen synergies between the Rio Conventions at implementation levels by providing a coordinated platform for awareness-raising and information-sharing about the linkages in science, policy and practice between biodiversity, climate change and combating desertification/land degradation.
dates: 13-22 June 2012 location: Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro), Brazil
The ICLEI World Congress 2012 takes place every three years and provides mayors, local government officials, representatives of international institutions and other partners opportunities for peer exchange, knowledge-sharing, capacity building and on-site visits and exhibits. ICLEI is supported by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR), the World Bank and others. Key themes to be addressed during the conference include: green urban economy; changing citizens, changing cities; greening events; and food security and how can biodiversity protection be integrated into municipal planning and decision making.
dates: 14-18 June 2012 location: Belo Horizonte, Brazil
The 2012 celebration of World Day to Combat Desertification, an annual event on 17 June, will focus on the theme "Healthy soil sustains your life: LET'S GO LAND-DEGRADATION NEUTRAL". In 2012, World Day to Combat Desertification falls three days before the start of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), and the global observance is planned to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
date: 17 June 2012 location: Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro), Brazil
