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Christiana Figueres, New UN Climate Convention Executive Secretary

Biographical Information http://goo.gl/fb/3b1Lb

With a long and distinguished career in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Ms. Figueres has been a member of the Costa Rican negotiating team since 1995. She represented Latin America and the Caribbean on the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism in 2007, and was then elected Vice President of the Bureau 2008-2009. One of the most skilled mediators of the Convention, she is frequently asked to chair controversial negotiations. She conceived the new financial instrument “programmatic CDM” with four groundbreaking publications that have marked global thinking on this novel concept.

She initiated her life of public service as Minister Counselor at the Embassy of Costa Rica in Bonn, Germany in 1982. She served as Director of International Cooperation in the Ministry of Planning in Costa Rica, and was then named Chief of Staff to the Minister of Agriculture. Moving to the USA, she was Director of Renewable Energy in the Americas (REIA) and in 1995 founded the Center for Sustainable Development of the Americas (CSDA) which she directed for eight years. She designed and helped to establish national climate change programs in Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, becoming a prime promoter of Latin America’s active participation in the Climate Change Convention. In 2001 she received the Hero for the Planet Award by the National Geographic Magazine.

Ms. Figueres has made important contributions to the analytic literature on the design of the climate regime, is one of the most widely published authors on the topic, and a frequent public speaker. She has a Masters Degree in Anthropology from the London School of Economics, and a certificate in Organizational Development from Georgetown University. She speaks Spanish, English and German.

May 19, 2010 | 8:05 PM Comments  0 comments



Christiana Figueres Appointed New UN Climate Convention Executive Secretary

(Bonn, 17 May 2010) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Christiana Figueres as the new Executive Secretary of the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat based in Bonn, Germany. The appointment was endorsed by the Bureau of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on Monday.

In announcing her appointment the UN Secretary-General said: "Ms. Figueres is an international leader on strategies to address global climate change and brings to this position a passion for the issue, deep knowledge of the stakeholders and valuable hands-on experience with the public sector, non-profit sector and private sector."

Ms. Figueres' leadership at the helm of the UNFCCC comes at a crucial time in global efforts to take effective action on climate change.

"I am honored by the designation of the Secretary General and I am thankful to the members of the UNFCCC Bureau for their vote of confidence. Most of all, I am humbled by the opportunity of the challenging task at hand," said Ms. Figueres.

"As I take on my new responsibilities at the helm of the secretariat, I will have two immediate priorities: to work with the Secretary General to strengthen trust in the process, and to support the Danish and Mexican COP Presidencies as well as all other Parties in the preparation of a successful COP16 in Cancun," she added.

Ms Figueres has been a member of the Costa Rican negotiating team since 1995. She represented Latin America and the Caribbean on the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism in 2007, and was then elected Vice President of the Conference of the Parties 2008-2009.

She has served as Director of International Cooperation in the Ministry of Planning in Costa Rica, and as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Agriculture. She was also the Director of Renewable Energy in the Americas (REIA) and is founder of the Center for Sustainable Development of the Americas (CSDA).

Outgoing UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer said: "I have known Christiana Figueres for many years and can testify to her deep commitment and work to establish the robust and effective international climate regime that is the only way for all nations to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. She is familiar with the different interests a successful outcome of negotiations must address and can help stakeholders to find common ground. I wish her every success."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in turn commended Yvo de Boer:"I am grateful for his dedicated services and tireless efforts on behalf of the climate change agenda," he said.

Ms. Figueres, 53, holds a Masters Degree in Anthropology from the London School of Economics, and a certificate in Organizational Development from Georgetown University.

About the UNFCCC

With 194 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has near universal membership and is the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol has been ratified by 190 of the UNFCCC Parties. Under the Protocol, 37 States, consisting of highly industrialized countries and countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy, have legally binding emission limitation and reduction commitments. The ultimate objective of both treaties is to stabilize

Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.

Source: http://unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=624&ArticleID=6568&l=en&t=long

Visit also: http://whenitravel.blogspot.com/

May 18, 2010 | 8:10 AM Comments  0 comments

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Thai protests expose military rifts, incompetence

Monday, May 17, 2010


by DENIS D. GRAY, Associated Press

BANGKOK – Soldiers have been hit by their own tear gas. Riot police scattered in fear when a party balloon popped. An anti-government protester, surrounded by security forces, escaped down a rope from a hotel balcony to the cheers of supporters.

In the two-month standoff between Thai security forces and protesters in Bangkok, there have been times when the demonstrators have seemed more organized and the troops hobbled by incompetence, divided loyalties and dangerous infighting.



Some troops have seemed unwilling to obey government orders. Others openly fraternized with the Red Shirt demonstrators — a motley alliance of rural and urban poor.

Rather than quash the protest movement while it was vulnerable, these actions have allowed the number of demonstrators to mushroom and fortify themselves.

See more: http://whenitravel.blogspot.com/

May 17, 2010 | 11:46 PM Comments  0 comments

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What are you going to do for World Environment Day 2010 on June 5, 2010?
Related to country: Philippines


What are you going to do for World Environment Day 2010 on June 5, 2010?

Post it at: http://whenitravel.blogspot.com/2010/05/what-are-you-going-to-do-for-world.html

Celebrate WED

Join thousands of people from countries all over the world in celebrating WED this year. There are literally thousands of ways to do something positive for the environment. Again, whatever you decide to do, tell us about it so we can post your activities on this website and make it part of the ‘Wide World of WED’ map.

Get involved online through some of the activities and competitions we will launch in the coming weeks – there will be interesting prizes. Check out the Around the World Archive which lists the activities organized in the past years in more than 80 countries.

What are you going to do for WED?

Post your events or plans here. Thank you!

Did you know that you are one in a million? Or more precisely, one of millions on this wondrous planet - anywhere in fact between an estimated 5 million to 100 million species. Scientist have only managed to identify about 2 million species so far. If you think about it, that means there a huge amount we still don't know about our planet or whom we share it with. What we do know though is that humans are among only a handful of species whose populations are growing, while most animals and plants are becoming rarer and fewer.

A total of 17,291 species are known to be threatened with extinction – from little-known plants and insects to charismatic birds and mammals. This is just the tip of the iceberg; many species disappear before they are even discovered.

The reason? Human activities. With our present approach to development, we have caused the clearing of much of the original forest, drained half of the world’s wetlands, depleted three quarters of all fish stocks, and emitted enough heat-trapping gases to keep our planet warming for centuries to come. We have put our foot on the accelerator, making species extinctions occur at up to 1000 times the natural rate.

As a result, we are increasingly risking the loss of the very foundation of our own survival. The variety of life on our planet – known as ‘biodiversity’ – gives us our food, clothes, fuel, medicine and much, much more. You may not think that a beetle in your backyard or grass growing by the roadside has a fundamental connection to you - but it does. When even one species is taken out of the intricate web of life, the results can be catastrophic.

For this reason, the United Nations has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. It is an opportunity to stress the importance of biodiversity for human well-being, reflect on our achievements to safeguard it and encourage a redoubling of our efforts to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss.

The theme of WED 2010 is “Many Species. One Planet. One Future.” It echoes the urgent call to conserve the diversity of life on our planet. A world without biodiversity is a very bleak prospect. Millions of people and millions of species all share the same planet, and only together can we enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

As we celebrate WED, let us consider carefully the actions each of us must take, and then address ourselves to our common task of preserving all life on Earth.

Through WED, we can employ our individual and collective power to stem the tide of extinction. Our conservation action has brought some species back from the brink, and has restored some vital natural habitats around the world. On WED, let us resolve to do much more, and much faster, to win the race against extinction!

Visit: http://www.unep.org/wed/2010/english/theme.asp

May 17, 2010 | 5:27 AM Comments  0 comments



Committe of the Whole Report (10a.m.-1:00 p.m), GC/GMEF 2009, Nairobi, Kenya
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

TUESDAY, 17 FEBRUARY, 2009

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE (10 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. CONFERENCE ROOM 2)



Youth Representatives:



1.) Jessie James L. Marcellones

2.) Handy Acosta Cuellar



Minutes of the meeting:



I.) UNEP discussed about the Budget and programme of work for the biennium 2010-2011 and the Environment Fund and other budgetary matters. (UNEP Secretariat)



Responses from the Government Delegations:



The following countries expressed support and agreed the budget and the programme of work for the biennium 2010-2011 and the Environment Fund and other budgetary matters, to wit:



1.) United States of America

2.) Mexico

3.) Switzerland

4.) Kazakhstan

5.) Tajikistan

6.) Indonesia

7.) Others



II.) Agenda 4 (a) State of the Environment (UNEP Secretariat)



Presentation by UNEP:



1.) Current State of the Environment: Financial, energy, food, climate change problems;

2.) Tipping Points: Critical Thresholds, beyond which natural systems are not able to recover from further disturbance;

3.) Tipping Element: Arctic Summer Sea-Ice Melting;

4.) UNEP Year Book 2009 was launched by UNEP, which discussed the call for the latest science along the six (6) thematic themes: Climate Change, Ecosystem Management, Resource Efficiency, Environmental Governance, Hazardous Substances, and Disasters and Conflicts;



a.) Climate Change: Is the Overriding environmental issue of our time (Ban Ki-Moon, 2008);

b.) Ecosystem Management: Maximizing beneficial changes and reducing less advantageous elements;

Danger: Major Ecosystems approaching tipping points are not able to recover;

c.) Resource Efficiency: Industrial and Environmental Management is not necessary for development;

d.) Environmental Governance: Cumulative effects and interlinkages: Constantly under revision with new science and other enquiries;

e.) Hazardous Substances: Harmful chemicals we use and discord continue to weaken ecosystem and to imperil human health;

f.) Disasters and Conflicts: Earthquakes, storms, droughts, and civil unrest stress human population and ecosystems.



Note of the Speaker from UNEP: The more we delay, the more we risk our future. GREEN IS THE NEW BIG DEAL.





The following countries expressed congratulations to UNEP for providing a report on the State of the Environment. Some of the countries provided their additional inputs and comments:



1.) China: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment. China suggested that in assessment, activities of UNEP should help developing countries in establishing data and all member countries should have an active role in the assessment mechanism.

2.) USA: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment. They support the capacity building components.

3.) Czech Republic: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment. They are speaking in behalf of the European Union (EU).

4.) Norway: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment. They suggested that other agencies must be involved in the assessment processes like UNDP, World Bank, etc.

5.) Argentina: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment. They suggested the issue of agriculture must be included in the assessment.

6.) Malaysia: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment.

7.) Switzerland: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment.

8.) Kenya: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment.

9.) Indonesia: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment.

10.) Mauritania: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment.

11.) Kyrgyzstan: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment.

12.) WHO: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment.

13.) UNECA: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment.

14.) Base Convention; Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment.

15.) Comoros: Appreciates the report of UNEP on the State of the Environment.

III.) UNEP/GC.25/11 Fourth Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law (Report by the Executive Director of UNEP).



List of documents:



1.) UNEP/GC.25/11

2.) UNEP/GC.25/INF/15

3.) UNEP/GC.25/INF/15/Add. 1

4.) UNEP/GC.25/11/Add. 2

5.) UNEP/GC.25/INF/Add. 2

6.) UNEP/GC.25/11/Add. 2

7.) UNEP/GC.25/INF/Add. 3

8.) UNEP/GC.25/INF/7





The following countries expressed approval and support regarding the documents presented above, with some suggestion of changes, which will be made by the drafting group.





1.) USA: Approves and supports the programme for the development and periodic review of environmental law

2.) Canada: Approves and supports the programme for the development and periodic review of environmental law.

3.) Japan: Approves and supports the programme for the development and periodic review of environmental law.

4.) Norway: Approves and supports the programme for the development and periodic review of environmental law.

5.) Australia: Approves and supports the programme for the development and periodic review of environmental law.

6.) Comoros: Approves and supports the programme for the development and periodic review of environmental law.

7.) Cuba: Approves and supports the programme for the development and periodic review of environmental law.

8.) Argentina: Approves and supports the programme for the development and periodic review of environmental law.









Prepared by:



Jessie James L. Marcellones

UNEP TYAC for Asia and the Pacific

Feb. 17, 2009

25th Session of the GC/GMEF

Nairobi, Kenya



February 17, 2009 | 9:56 AM Comments  0 comments

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