Negotiating Bloc
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Highlights and images for 17 July 2019
2nd Part of the 25th Annual Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA)
Highlights for Wednesday, 17 July 2019
The ISA Council meets in Kingston for its third day
On Wednesday morning, the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) continued its deliberations on the draft regulations for exploitation of mineral resources in the Area, focusing on the protection and preservation of the marine environment as well as on rights and obligations of the contractors. In the afternoon, the Council heard the reports of the Chairs of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) and the Finance Committee.
Highlights of the day included the:
impressive array of ideas tabled on the part of the draft exploitation regulations referring to the protection and preservation of the marine environment;
tug of war between speed and quality, reflecting the need for timely adoption of the Mining Code and the necessity to ensure that its provisions serve all stakeholders;
discussion on cost-saving measures, including remote interpretation services; and
appropriate follow-up for contractors that have not complied with recommendations.
At lunchtime, a side event was organized by India under the title “Near four decades of India’s role in deep-sea exploration and mining: efforts in the Indian Ocean.” During the afternoon, a side event organized by the Natural History Museum of the UK and the Deep-Sea Biology Society, in collaboration with the ISA Secretariat focused on empowering the next generation of deep-sea researches. For more details on the day’s events and to hear what delegates said in the breezeways, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB).
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from the 2nd Part of ISA-25. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary and analysis from the meeting, which is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Pippa Howard, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
Gina Guillén Grillo, Costa Rica
Robert Milbourne, Mining Standards International
Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group
Ingo Narberhaus and Urs Daniel Engels, Germany
L-R: Alden Denny, Greg O’Brien, and Laura Strickler, US
Joseph Appiott, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat
Esther Salamanca Aguado, Spain
Roberto Álvarez and Francisco Javier Bernales Errázuriz, Chile
Gou Haibo, China
Andrzej Przybycin, Chair of the Finance Committee
Young Lee and Lee Hyun Seung, Republic of Korea
Tetsuya Yoshimoto, Japan
Carlos Alberto Michaelsen den Hartog, Brazil
Kathy-Ann Brown, Jamaica
Eden Charles, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the ISA for the Enterprise
Tevita Suka Mangisi, Tonga
Patricio Ureña Palacio, Argentina
Gina Guillén Grillo, Costa Rica, discusses with Francisco Javier Bernales Errázuriz, Chile
L-R: John Fintakpa Lamega and Franck Kokou Kpayedo, Togo; Tidiani Couma, Monaco; and Didier Ortolland, France
Gulardi Nurbintoro, Indonesia, and Khurshed Alam, Bangladesh
L-R: Patrik Schotte, Belgium; Kris Van Nijen, Global Sea Mineral Resources; and Steven Vandenborre, Belgium
L-R: Carsten Rühlemann, Germany; Gesa Seeger, Die Zeit; and Christian Reichert, Germany
Delegates reading the latest ENB before Wednesday’s proceedings
L-R: Luke Roughton, Sarah Renouf, and Malcolm Clark, New Zealand; and Nyan Lin Aung, Myanamar
Tasha Goldberg, ENB, and Gina Guillén Grillo, Costa Rica
The Chinese delegation at the 2nd Part of ISA-25
Highlights and images for 15 July 2019
2nd Part of the 25th Annual Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA)
Highlights for Monday, 15 July 2019
Second Part of ISA-25 opens at ISA Headquarters in Kingston
On Monday, the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) opened for the second part of the 25th annual session in Kingston, Jamaica.
Throughout the day, the Council addressed organizational matters; discussed national legislation with respect to activities in the Area; and heard the report on the implementation of the 2018 Council Decision relating to the summary report of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) Chair. The Council also started its consideration of components of the draft regulations for exploitation of mineral resources in the Area, focusing on the financial model and the outcomes of the relevant Working Group, held prior to the Council’s opening.Highlights of the day include the:
election of Erasmo Alonso Lara Cabrera (Mexico) to replace Alonso Francisco Martinez Ruiz (Mexico) on the LTC until 2021;
approval of an application for a plan of work for exploration of polymetallic nodules by the Beijing Pioneer Hi-Tech Development Corporation, sponsored by China, in the western Pacific Ocean;
announcement of several workshops planned to facilitate the development and review of regional environmental management plans; and
discussion on the outcomes of the second meeting of the Working Group’s on the financial model, including options for the payment mechanism and two related submissions by the African Group.
Two side events took place during the day: one organized by the Authority on coherent, inter-disciplinary, and adaptive approaches for the development of regional environmental management plans (REMPs) in the Area; and the other organized by the Commonwealth Secretariat on perspectives on liability rules and procedures for harm arising from activities in the Area. For more details on the day’s events and to hear what delegates said in the breezeways, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB).
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from the 2nd Part of ISA-25. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary and analysis from the meeting, which is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Lumka Yengeni, South Africa, Council President for the 25th Session
Michael Lodge, ISA Secretary-General (right), and Alfonso Ascencio-Herrera, ISA Legal Counsel and Deputy to the Secretary-General
Bernd von Münchow-Pohl and Urs Daniel Engels, Germany
Conn Nugent, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Guy Sevrin and Patrik Schotte, Belgium
Kathy Ann Brown, Jamaica
Gina Guillén Grillo, Costa Rica, and Félix García, Dominican Republic
Duncan Currie, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC)
Marzia Rovere, Daniele Bosio, and Marcello Iocca, Italy
Gavin Watson, United Kingdom (UK)
Gou Haibo, China
Russell Howorth and Josefa Caniogo, Fiji
Clement Yow Mulalap, Federated States of Micronesia
Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group
Francisco Javier Bernales Errázuriz and Roberto Álvarez, Chile
Eden Charles, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the ISA for the Enterprise, and Katie Elles, ISA Secretariat
Tomasz Abramowski, Interoceanmetal Joint Organization
Open-ended Working Group Chair Olav Myklebust and Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, Norway
Delegates from the Russian Federation consult before the start of the morning session
Juan José González Mijares, Mexico, and Michael Lodge, ISA Secretary-General
Marie Bourrel-McKinnon, ISA Secretariat, and Carlos Alberto Michaelsen den Hartog, Brazil
Open-ended Working Group Chair Olav Myklebust, Harald Brekke and Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, Norway
Delegates during informal discussions
Ingo Narberhaus, Germany, and Patrik Schotte, Belgium
Nicole Lyas and Emily Johnson, Australia
L-R: Cadinia Funganitao, ‘Elisiva ‘Akauola, and ‘Ilaisaane Vea, Tonga
The UK delegation shares a laugh at the end of the morning session
Summary report 15–26 July 2019
2nd Part of the 25th Annual Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA)
Highlights and images for 27 June 2019
Bonn Climate Change Conference - June 2019
Highlights for Thursday, 27 June 2019
On the last day of the Bonn Climate Change Conference, many countries, including those most vulnerable to climate change, remind delegates that 'science is not negotiable.'
The last day of the Bonn Climate Change Conference started slow, to allow parties to work through difficult issues, and ended smoothly, as parties adopted the outcomes of the meetings.In a much-awaited decision on the Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming (SR1.5), the SBSTA “expressed its appreciation and gratitude to the IPCC and the scientific community for responding to the invitation of the Conference of the Parties (COP) and providing the SR1.5, which reflects the best available science.” The decision reflected a razor-thin compromise between the many parties who wanted to celebrate the scientific achievements of the report and the few who expressed concerns with the report.Groups of developing countries that are vulnerable to climate change defended the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) SR1.5, saying “listening to science not a choice, but a duty.” Wearing t-shirts that exemplify their message, the Environmental Integrity Group, declared “Science is not negotiable.”Parties agreed to several outcomes, including:
Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture: New Zealand will host an intersessional workshop on sustainable land and water management, and strategies and modalities to scale up practices and technologies to increase resilience and sustainable production;
The terms of reference for the review of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage associated with climate change impacts was adopted. This sets out the scope of the review of the WIM to take place at the Santiago Climate Change Conference in December 2019.
Nairobi Work Programme: The Programme will prioritize thematic areas in its work on adaptation and vulnerability to climate change, namely: extreme weather events, drought, forests and grasslands, oceans, and agriculture and food security.
Article 6 (markets and non-market approaches): Countries brought together their work from Katowice to forge a path forward. They agreed to proceed on the basis of texts put together by the Co-Facilitators. As decision looms in Santiago, countries will arrive with an agreed basis for negotiations.
The meeting was gavelled to a close at 10:07 pm.The next meeting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is in December in Santiago, Chile.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from the Bonn Climate Change Conference - June 2019, which is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Consultations throughout the Day
The room is filled to capacity during the SBSTA Chair's consultations with Heads of Delegations.
SBI informal consultations on administrative, financial and institutional matters: Programme budget for the biennium 2020–2021.
Co-Facilitators and the Secretariat of the SBI/SBSTA informal consultations on the terms of reference for the 2019 review of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (WIM) share a moment as the session concludes.
Family photo of the SBSTA contact group on matters relating to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Delegates huddle informally in the corridors.
SBI Closing Plenary
SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, eSwatini, closes the SBI plenary.
Abdullah Tawlah, Saudi Arabia
Ammar Hijazi, Palestine, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China
SBSTA Closing Plenary
After a week-long heatwave across Europe, SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France, closes the SBSTA plenary with the same image that he showed at the opening plenary: the Keeling Curve, a graph of the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Ana Villalobos, Costa Rica, speaking on behalf of the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC)
Lois Young, Belize, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
Franz Perrez, Switzerland, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG)
Ian Fry, Tuvalu, speaking on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary
Stella Gama, SBSTA Rapporteur
SBSTA family photo.
Joint Closing Plenary
View of the dais during the closing plenary.
Ion Cîmpeanu, EU
Kunzang, Bhutan, speaking on behalf of the LDCs
Majid Shafiepour, Iran, speaking on behalf of the Like-minded Developing Countries (LMDCs)
Martine Badibanga Kamunga, Democratic Republic of the Congo, speaking on behalf of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN)
Sandra Leticia Guzman Luna, Mexico, speaking on behalf of the EIG
Mohamed Nasr, Egypt, speaking on behalf of the African Group
Gareth Williams, Australia, speaking on behalf of the Umbrella Group
Felipe Andres Gutierrez, Climate Justice Now!, and Paula Tassara, Climate Action Network (CAN), speaking on behalf of the Environmental NGOs (ENGOs)
Jisun Hwang, Local Government and Municipal Authorities (LGMA), and Juan Carlos Jintiach, Indigenous Peoples Organizations
Dolphine Atieno Magero and Tomasz Ferenz, Youth NGOs (YOUNGOs)
Around the Venue
Delegates meet informally in the corridors as they wait for the closing plenary to begin.
Delegates read the draft conclusions.
Ayman Shasly, Saudi Arabia, speaks with his delegation.
Representatives of the EIG wear shirts saying "science is not negotiable."
Representatives from AOSIS working on loss and damage, and adaptation.
YOUNGOs family photo.
SBI Family Photo: Katia Simeonova, SBI Coordinator; SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, Laurence Pollier, UNFCCC Secretariat; and Vanessa Matarazzi, UNFCCC Secretariat
Ana Villalobos, Costa Rica, and SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France
Katia Simeonova, SBI Coordinator
Federica Fricano, Italy, speaks with a delegate.
Ulrik Lenaerts, Belgium
Vladimir Uskov, Russian Federation
Delegates between sessions
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) team covering the Bonn Climate Change Conference: Rishikesh Ram Bhandary, Nepal; Nancy Williams, US; Jen Allan, Canada/UK; Bernard Soubry, Canada; Beate Antonich, Germany; and Kiara Worth, South Africa
Highlights and images for 21 June 2019
Bonn Climate Change Conference - June 2019
Highlights for Friday, 21 June 2019
Members of civil society demonstrate outside the venue as part of the international movement of school students striking to demand action to prevent further global warming.
The Bonn Climate Change Conference continued on Friday. Discussions were technical, with countries negotiating a range of issues that are crucial for implementing the Paris Agreement.A common theme in these detailed discussions was data: what data to gather, how to present it, what data is fair to expect from developing countries. Countries discussed how to report their projected future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which can help the world understand the looming climate challenge, and the impact that today’s policies can have in the future. These projections can be difficult for developing countries to report, in part because they are based on historical emissions for which there may be little data. Conversely, as reported in discussions on the GHG data interface, a growing number of developing countries are reporting their emissions data.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global body that, among other functions, outlines how countries can report their data, presented the refinements to its GHG inventory guidelines in a special event. The guidelines will be used by parties to report their GHG emissions and removals under the Paris Agreement.Also speaking in numbers, the UNFCCC Executive Secretary reminded us that “in today’s world, facts matter.” For her, four numbers mattered:
1.5°C: A key goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise;
2050: When countries are to achieve carbon neutrality;
2030: When countries must limit global emissions by 45%; and
2020: When new or revised nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are due.
Others also spoke of a climate emergency outside the venue - young people from 16 countries were demonstrating in nearby Aachen and more demonstrators gathered in support nearer the negotiations. For some, this was a sharp contrast between those preparing civil disobedience out of a sense of urgency and what many saw as an increase in technical negotiation delays.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB).
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from the Bonn Climate Change Conference - June 2019, which is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Third Meeting of the Paris Committee on Capacity-Building
Delegates attend the third meeting of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building (PCCB).
Renilde Ndayishimiyo, Burundi
Crispin d'Auvergne, Saint Lucia
Adriana Valenzuela, Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE)
PCCB Co-Chair Rita Mishaan, Guatemala
Madeleine Diouf Sarr, Adaptation Committee
Technical Expert Meeting
A delegate takes notes during the Technical Expert Meeting (TEM).
Moderator Sasha Koo-Oshima, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)
Peter Minang, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
Ben Sonneveld, VU University Amsterdam
Ina Säumel, Humboldt University
Briefing Session with the High-Level Champions on Global Climate Action
The room is filled to capacity as delegates attend the briefing session.
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa
Shyla Raghav, Conservation International
Gonzalo Muñoz, High-Level Champion, Chile
Tomasz Chruszczow, High-Level Champion, Poland
After commenting that "we need to bridge the political divides" that prevent us from taking climate action, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa thanks the High-Level Champions for the important role they play in fostering cooperation and inspiring climate action.
Partnership-Building Dialogue on Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform
Delegates gather for the partnership-building dialogue on work relevant to the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) outside the Convention.
Co-Chairs Majid Shafie-Pour, UN Regional Group: Asia-Pacific, and Pasang Dolma Sherpa, UN Indigenous Sociocultural Region: Asia
Celina Yong, UN Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD)
Yusra Khan, Indonesia
Janene Yazzie, International Indian Treaty Council
SBSTA-IPCC Special Event on Refinement to the IPCC Guidelines
Delegates at the special event on the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.
Yurii Pyrozhenko, Task Force on National Greenhouse Inventories (TFI) Technical Support Unit (TSU), IPCC
Eduardo Calvo Buendía, Co-Chair, TFI, IPCC
Pavel Shermanau, TFI TSU, IPCC
A slide from one of the presentations.
Delegates pose questions to the panel.
Consultations throughout the Day
SBSTA informal consultations on the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming.
View of the dais during the SBI/SBSTA informal consultations on the terms of reference for the 2019 review of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (WIM).
SBSTA informal consultations on matters relating to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Joint SBI/SBSTA dialogue with observer organizations.
Civil Society Climate Strike
Members of civil society participate in a climate strike outside the venue as part of the #FridaysForFuture movement started by climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Around the Venue
On the first day of the African Cup of Nations, taking place in Egpyt, representatives of Climate Action Network (CAN), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Greenpeace, and the World Resources Institute (WRI) bring footballs to the African Group, chaired by Egypt, saying that everyone can be a 'champion' by stepping up ambition for NDCs.
Tasneem Essop, Interim Executive Director, CAN, and Mohamed Nasr, Egypt
Delegates from Africa show off their football skills.
Delegates from Nepal.
Delegates from Ukraine.
Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt
Seyni Nafo, Mali
Delegates from Zimbabwe
Xiang Gao, China
Carlos Fuller, Belize
High-Level Champions Gonzalo Muñoz, Chile, and Tomasz Chruszczow, Poland, take a selfie.
A video at an exhibition booth livestreams over 4,000 climate activists from Ende Gelände protesting to block the coal fields in Rhineland, Germany.
Materials on display around the venue.
Summary report 17–27 June 2019
Bonn Climate Change Conference - June 2019
Highlights and images for 31 May 2019
1st Session of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Assembly
Highlights for Friday, 31 May 2019
Victor Kisob, Deputy Executive Director, UN-Habitat, UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif, and Martha Delgado Peralta, UNHA 1 President, gavel UNHA 1 to a close.
On Friday, the first UN-Habitat Assembly (UNHA 1) concluded its deliberations, adopting a Ministerial Declaration, five resolutions, and one decision to promote sustainable urbanization. The resolutions concern:
The Strategic Plan for the period 2020–2023;
UN System-Wide Guidelines on Safer Cities and Human Settlements;
Enhancing capacity-building for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and the urban dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Achieving gender equality through the work of UN-Habitat to support inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements; and
Enhancing urban-rural linkages for sustainable urbanization and human settlement.
The decision highlights the arrangements for the transition towards the new governance structure of UN-Habitat, and the Ministerial Declaration portrays the commitment for accelerated implementation of the NUA towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).In the closing plenary, delegates adopted the draft report and the draft proceedings of UNHA 1 as well as the report of the first meeting of the Executive Board. In her closing remarks, Executive Director Sharif announced that “UN-Habitat is back” and lauded the Assembly for successfully completing its work, noting that 21 countries had pledged USD 152 million to support the implementation of the NUA. President Delgado gaveled the meeting to a close at 5.17 pm.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and also produced a summary report from the 1st Session of the UN-Habitat Assembly, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Morning Plenary
Delegates gather for the morning plenary.
Pamela Charlette, Minister of Habitat, Land, Infrastructure, and Land Transport, Seychelles
Ramesh Prasad Singh, Nepal Trust, Ministry of Urban Development, Nepal
Yousef Al Nuaimi, International Coordination for Housing, United Arab Emirates
Klára Dostálová, Minister of Regional Development, Czech Republic
William Bradford Marau, Minister of Lands, Housing, and Survey, Solomon Islands
Erik Lundberg, Ambassador of Finland to Kenya
Gariballa Khidir Ali Eldaw, Ambassador of Sudan to Kenya
Vladimir Lenev, Russian Federation
Andrii Pravednyk, Ambassador of Ukraine to Kenya
Zaheer Allam, The Port Louis Development Initiative
Isaac Muasa and Linda Olango, Youth Advisory Board
Amie Figueiredo, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Erik Berg, Advisory Group on Gender Issues
Delegates from Shelter Afrique
Events Throughout the Day
Martha Delgado Peralta, UNHA 1 President, and UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif, speak at the final UN-Habitat press conference.
Delegates share their views during the youth event 'Tide Turners Partners Challenge.'
Closing Plenary
Delegates gather for the closing plenary.
Martín Gómez Bustillo, Ambassador of Argentina to Kenya
Jesús Manzanilla, Ambassador of Venezuela to Kenya
Fernando Coimbra, Chair of the Drafting Committee
Lori Dando, Chair of the Executive Board
Waziri Maman, Niger, speaking on behalf of the African Group
Julia Pataki, EU
UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif
Judut Sutoyo, Indonesia
Delegates applaud the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration on innovation for better quality of life in cities and communities through accelerated implementation of the NUA towards the achievement of the SDGs.
Around the Venue
Delegates from Nigeria and Niger.
Delegates consult between sessions.
UN Security around the venue.
Delegates post their hopes for UN-Habitat on a world map made from electronic waste.
Delegates pose with their favourite SDGs.
An example of urban hydroponics on display around the venue.
A prosthetic hand made from a 3-D printer demonstrates how technology is being revolutionized to provide quicker, cheaper, and more accessible products. The same technology can be used for the fabrication of housing in the implementation of the NUA.
A wheelchair-friendly "matatu" (public service mini-van) on display around the venue demonstrates how transport systems need to take into account basic human rights.
An electric car linked to a solar-powered 'smart home' demonstrates how new designs can help to promote sustainability.
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin + team covering UNHA 1: Asheline Appleton, Kenya; Nancy Williams, US; Tallash Kantai, Kenya/Uganda; Asterios Tsioumanis, Greece; and Kiara Worth, South Africa
Highlights and images for 27 May 2019
1st Session of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Assembly
Highlights for Monday, 27 May 2019
Delegates gather for the start of the first UN-Habitat Assembly
On Monday, the inaugural UN-Habitat Assembly (UNHA 1) started its deliberations at the UN Office at Nairobi (UNON), Kenya. Delegates elected Martha Delgado Peralta, Mexico, as President of the Assembly, as well as regional Vice-Presidents, members of the Executive Board, and other officers, and adopted the meeting’s agenda and rules of procedure. In his opening address, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya, emphasized that the world “is currently ill-prepared to plan effectively for rapid urbanization,” urging for international cooperation to fulfill UN-Habitat’s mandate. Participants also listened to opening statements by, inter alia: UN Secretary-General António Guterres, via video; Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Acting Director-General, UNON, and UN-Habitat Executive Director; UN-Habitat Assembly President Delgado; Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UN Environment Programme; and Ridwan Kamil, Governor of West Java Province, Indonesia.The UN-Habitat Assembly heard reports from Fernando Coimbra, Brazil, Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, as well as from Executive Director Sharif on UN-Habitat activities, including on progress in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Throughout the day, several platforms were opened, including the Urban Solutions Expo, the City Stage, and the Youth Tent. Delegates also attended two special events, including a ministerial roundtable on infrastructure, cities and local action to mobilize commitments for the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit, and a women’s event on promoting inter-generational leadership for sustainable urbanization.Twenty-two side events took place during the day focusing on, inter alia:
planning for climate action, including modern, low carbon, and inclusive public transport;
innovative financing and engagement strategies for urban development, as well as efforts to close the infrastructure gap;
regional and national sustainable urban initiatives;
integration of migrants in urban areas;
community-driven data, local participation, and multi-stakeholder partnerships for innovative inclusive cities at the local, national and international levels; and
promoting spatial equality and justice.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and also produced a summary report from the 1st Session of the UN-Habitat Assembly, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Opening Plenary
View of the dais during the opening plenary
Plenary opens with a number of musical performances
UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif congratulates Martha Delgado Peralta, Mexico, on her election as the President of UNHA 1
UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif
Martha Delgado Peralta, UNHA 1 President
Shipra Narang-Suri, Urban Planning and Design Branch, UN-Habitat
Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya
Emma Stevens, Indigenous Youth Representative
Ridwan Kamil, Governor of West Java Province, Indonesia
Sona Jobarteh, UN-Habitat’s Goodwill Ambassador
Moderator James Ohayo, UN-Habitat
Delegates stand as plenary is filled to capacity
Special Events Throughout the Day
Susannah Price, Head of Communications Branch, UN-Habitat Secretariat; Martha Delgado Peralta, UNHA 1 President; and UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif, speak during the UN-Habitat Assembly Opening Press Conference
Young Women to Women - Promoting Inter-generational Leadership for Sustainable Urbanization
Ministerial Roundtable on Infrastructure, Cities and Local Action: Mobilizing commitments for the UN Secretary-General's Climate Action Summit 2019
Afternoon Plenary
View of the dais during the afternoon plenary
Fernando Coimbra, Chair, Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR), UN-Habitat
Lori Dando, US Permanent Representative to the UN in Nairobi
Delegates applaud the election of various officers
Elias Guia Lopez, Spain
Wallis Goelen, EU
Celestine Ketcha Courtès, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Cameroon
Russom Beyene, Eritrea, speaking on behalf of the African Group
Vladimir Yakushev, Minister of Construction and Housing, Russian Federation
Hazem Shabat, Palestine, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China
Abdou Karim Fofana, Minister of Urban Planning, Housing, and Public Health, Senegal
Around the Venue
Delegates speak informally before the start of plenary
President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya, arrives at the venue
President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya, visits various exhibitions around the venue
UN Security around the venue
UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif; Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Fiji; and Martha Delgado Peralta, UNHA 1 President, during the Ministerial Roundtable
Shipra Narang-Suri, Urban Planning and Design Branch, UN-Habitat (far right) helps delegates play a game of Minecraft to redesign green spaces around the UN Offices in Nairobi, demonstrating innovative ways of engaging people in urban design and planning
The Urban Solutions Expo aimed at promoting innovative and sustainable solutions for the challenges faced by cities and communities
Delegates discuss new ideas at one of the information booths
Summary report 27–31 May 2019
1st Session of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Assembly
Summary report 20–22 May 2019
3rd Substantive Session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group Towards a Global Pact for the Environment