Alliance of Small Island Developing States

Highlights for Wednesday, 17 July 2019 As 16 countries present their VNRs, questions remain as to whether we will be able to achieve the SDGs by 2030. Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Wednesday, 17 July 2019 At the HLPF on Wednesday, 16 countries presented voluntary national reviews (VNRs) during two sessions, in the morning and afternoon. VNR presentations were made by Central African Republic, eSwatini, Iraq, Saint Lucia, Serbia, Tonga, South Africa, Rwanda, Kuwait, New Zealand, Chad, Ghana, Israel, Timor-Leste, Tanzania, and Vanuatu.Meanwhile, the General Debate continued in parallel throughout the day, with 73 Heads of State, Heads of Government, ministers, and ambassadors making statements, which can be accessed here.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from HLPF 2019. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting, 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. Voluntary National Reviews Mona Juul, Vice-President, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Félix Moloua, Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation, Central African Republic Tambo Gina, Minister for Economic Planning and Development, eSwatini Nouri Al-Dulaimi, Minister of Planning, Iraq George Gyan-Baffour, Minister for Planning, Ghana Gale Rigobert, Minister of Education, Gender Relations, Innovation, and Sustainable Development, Saint Lucia Zeev Elkin, Minister of Environmental Protection and of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage, Israel Slavica Đukić Dejanović, Minister without Portfolio in charge of Demography and Population Policy, Serbia Semisi Lafu Kioa Sika, Deputy Prime Minister, Tonga Philip Mpango, Minister of Finance and Planning, Tanzania Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, Minister of Tourism, South Africa Craig Hawke, Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the UN Claudine Uwera, Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Rwanda Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, Minister of Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs, Timor-Leste Issa Doubragne, Minister of Economy and Development Planning, Chad Khaled Mahdi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development, Kuwait Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and External Trade, Vanuatu Video presentations are shown as part of the country VNRs. General Debate Delegates gather in the Trusteeship Council to listen to the General Debate. Bocchit Edmond, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cults, Haiti, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Lois Young, Permanent Representative of Belize to the UN, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Julio César Arriola, Paraguay, speaking on behalf of the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) Hala Helmy El-Said, Minister of Planning, Monitoring, and Administrative Reform, Egypt Maria Ubach Font, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andorra Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Iran Francis Kai Kai, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Sierra Leone Mohd Radzi Md Jidin, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs, Malaysia A delegate listens to the discussions from the gallery. Around the Venue Delegates speak informally at the start of the session. Kehkashan Basu, World Future Council Danilo Arsenijevic, Serbia President Thomas Esang Remengesau, Palau Rafael Da Soler, Brazil Delegates speak informally between sessions. A delegate reads the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) to keep up to date with the meeting's proceedings. An exhibition hosted by Singapore shares information on innovative waste systems.

Highlights for Wednesday, 10 July 2019 "If women stop, the world stops." As discussions focused on SDG 8, decent work and economic growth, representatives from the Women's Major Group dress in red to remind delegates about the important role women play in the global workforce. Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Wednesday, 10 July 2019 HLPF 2019 continued on Wednesday at UN Headquarters in New York. A thematic review on empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality in the morning included two sessions, on the perspectives of small island developing states (SIDS), and of least developed countries (LDCs) and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). Speakers highlighted innovations, such as a peer review system for voluntary national reviews (VNRs); and challenges, such as high vulnerability and capacity needs, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They emphasized mutually reinforcing synergies between achieving the SDGs and the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway; the Vienna Programme of Action (VPoA) for LLDCs; and the Istanbul Programme of Action for LDCs.In the afternoon, a review of implementation and interrelations among SDGs focused on SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth). Progress on achieving this Goal was reported as being slow, and somewhat mixed: despite an increase in gross domestic product growth globally, the LDCs are falling short of their 7% target; 22% of the young people around the world are not in education, employment, or training; and the increase in labor productivity shows a high variation across regions.Several speakers discussed the impacts of the digital economy, describing it as a "double edged sword" that empowers people but can also have disruptive implications for the future of work. The need to reform educational curricula to ensure that skills match future needs was emphasized, as was the critical need to increase women’s participation in the labor market in general, and in the digital economy in particular.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from HLPF 2019. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting, 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. Thematic Review: Perspectives of Small Island Developing States Panel speakers discuss the main findings from the mid-term review of the SAMOA Pathway (L-R): Yvonne Hyde, CEO, Ministry of Economic Development and Petroleum, Belize; Douglas Slater, Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Social Development, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat; Pat Breen, Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market, and Data Protection, Ireland; Mona Juul, Vice-President, ECOSOC; Lesley Brough, ECOSOC Affairs Branch; Moderator Emele Duituturaga, former Executive Director, Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (PIANGO); Rakesh Bhuckory, Minister Counsellor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade, Mauritius; and Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General, Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). Pat Breen, Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market, and Data Protection, Ireland Rakesh Bhuckory, Minister Counsellor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade, Mauritius Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Samoa Stacy Richards-Kennedy, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago Yvonne Hyde, CEO, Ministry of Economic Development and Petroleum, Belize Lois Young, Belize, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Willy Missack, Pacific Climate Change Collaboration, Influencing, and Learning (PACCCIL) Thematic Review: Perspectives of Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries Panel speakers discuss the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action for LDCs (L-R): Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, UN High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS; Saad Alfarargi, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development; Jerry Tardieu, Congressman, Haiti; Mona Juul, Vice-President, ECOSOC; Ziad Mahmassani, Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM); Moderator Hope Muli, Hivos, Kenya; Ricardo Fuentes-Nieva, Executive Director, Oxfam Mexico. Saad Alfarargi, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development Richard Ssewakiryanga, Co-Chair, Civil Society Organization (CSO) Partnership for Development Effectiveness Doma Tshering, Permanent Representative of Bhutan to the UN, and Co-Facilitator of the Political Declaration of the Midterm Review of the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action (VPoA) for LLDCs Moderator Hope Muli, Hivos, Kenya Jerry Tardieu, Congressman, Haiti Perks Ligoya, Malawi Khomraj Koirala, Nepal Chika Mercedes Ibeh, Women's Major Group; Vladislav Kaim, Major Group for Children and Youth; and Enma Catu Raxjal, Indigenous Peoples Discussion on SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth Panel speakers during the session (L-R): Peter Robinson, President, US Council for International Business (USCIB); Darja Isaksson, Director-General, Vinnova, Sweden; Mamadou Diallo, Deputy Secretary-General, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); Valentin Rybakov, Vice-President, ECOSOC; Emer Herity, UN DESA; Moderator Moussa Oumarou, Deputy Director-General for Field Operations and Partnerships, International Labour Organization (ILO); and Fu Xiaolan, Professor and Founding Director, Technology and Management Centre for Development, Oxford University. Faryal Ahmed, Statistics Division, DESA Fu Xiaolan, Oxford University Using the interactive platform Sli.do, delegates highlight what they consider to be the most important challenges and opportunities facing employment in the years leading up to 2030. Mamadou Diallo, Deputy Secretary-General, ITUC Darja Isaksson, Director General, Vinnova, Sweden Lead Discussants Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE); and Matthias Thorns, Deputy Secretary-General, International Organization of Employers (IOE) Anne-Beth Skrede, Norway Rodrigo Carazo, Costa Rica Around the Venue Delegates share a moment at the start of a session. Delegates from Morocco Delegates from Italy Delegates from the Dominican Republic Delegates from Kuwait Delegates speak informally between sessions. Visitors to the UN watch the proceedings of HLPF from the observation window. Celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the ILO, an exhibition around UN Headquarters highlights the importance of ensuring social justice and decent work. In the SDG Media Hub, Red, the Angriest Bird, commits himself to climate action, to the delight of visitors to the UN.

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 for Monday, 17 June 2019 Delegates gather at the World Conference Center Bonn for the first day of the Bonn Climate Change Conference 2019. For the first time in 14 years, delegates gathered for a smaller session in Bonn with only two bodies convening. The fiftieth meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 50) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 50) launched their work on all agenda items.Outlining expectations for the meeting, many parties pressed to keep the momentum generated in December 2018 when they adopted the Katowice Climate Package, the so-called “rulebook” supporting the Paris Agreement. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), other international organizations, and developing countries continue to draw attention to the impacts of climate change on the environment, people, and livelihoods, several parties urged more ambition in pledges to the Paris Agreement; many developing countries called for greater financial resources. Chile, the host of the next Conference of the Parties (COP), declared ambition a central theme of the upcoming meeting.In the second workshop of the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture, participants grappled with three questions: how do we measure and evaluate adaptation practices in agriculture? What are the co-benefits of adapting agriculture systems to climate change? and how can we share knowledge and practices to ensure resilience in global food security? The workshop heard from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Adaptation Committee, the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Expert Group, and the World Bank on recent practices in monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation planning; and shared views and best practices on adaptation in the agricultural sector.As delegates finished their first day of work, several were pleased that the SBSTA avoided a delay in adopting its agenda through informal discussions regarding the item on the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming. In December, the COP asked the SBSTA to consider the Special Report “with a view to strengthening the scientific knowledge on the 1.5°C goal.” Parties agreed to hold this discussion without pre-judging any potential outcome. Some delegates warned that sensitivity around this issue would continue throughout the conference. 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 SBI Opening Plenary SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, eSwatini, opens the SBI plenary. Chizuru Aoki, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary Birgit Aru, Estonia, reporting back on Katowice Committee of Experts on Impacts of Implementation of Response Measures (KCI) Hana Hamadalla, Sudan, reporting back on the LDC Expert Group (LEG) Gervais Ludovic Itsoua, Congo, reporting back on the Consultative Group of Experts (CGE) Nicole Wilke, Germany, reporting back on the host agreement Delegates during the session. SBSTA Opening Plenary SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France (center), convenes the opening of the SBSTA plenary with an up-to-date version of the Keeling Curve, a graph of the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. Jörg Schulz, European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Executive Secretary Anne Larigauderie Abdalah Mokssit, IPCC Secretary Salvatore Aricò, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture View of the dais during the workshop on methods and approaches for assessing adaptation, adaptation co-benefits, and resilience. Milagros Sandoval, Peru, Co-Facilitator of the Koronivia Workshop Zitouni Ould-Dada, FAO Navina Sanchez, Adaptation Committee Martien van Nieuwkoop, World Bank SBI/SBSTA Joint Plenary - Opening Statements View of the dais during the joint plenary for opening statements. Ammar Hijazi, Palestine, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China Rodrigo Olsen Olivares, incoming COP Presidency, Chile Majid Shafiepour, Iran, speaking on behalf of the Like-minded Developing Countries (LMDCs) Lois Young, Belize, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Ana Villalobos, Costa Rica, speaking on behalf of the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC) Franz Perrez, Switzerland, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG) Mona Al-Attas, Saudi Arabia, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group Sonam Wangdi, Bhutan, speaking on behalf of the LDCs Ion Cîmpeanu, EU Around the Venue Delegates gather informally before the start of plenary. UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa speaks with Stéphane Dion, Canadian Ambassador to the EU Richard Kinley, former UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary Sin Liang Cheah, Singapore, speaks with a delegate. Delegates from Ghana review a document. Members of the SBI Secretariat share a moment. Delegates speak informally between sessions. A delegate visits 'Awakening,' a photographic exhibition that confronts the urgency of sustaining life on earth by focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and challenging all people to 'design a world that works for everyone.' Delegates meet informally in the exhibit area. Materials on display.