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Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt, assisting Edson Gonçalves Duarte, Minister of Environment, Brazil, during a tree planting event at the margins of the UN Biodiversity Conference High-level Segment On Thursday morning, the High-level Segment of the UN Biodiversity Conference held two parallel round table discussions, on mainstreaming biodiversity in the energy and mining, and in the health sectors. In the afternoon, plenary heard reports from the round tables; adopted the Sharm El-Sheikh Ministerial Declaration; held a panel discussion on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and 2050 vision; and launched the International Alliance on Nature and Culture. During lunchtime, high-level participants planted olive trees at the Peace Park, a botanical garden in Sharm El-Sheikh.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 Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports, daily web coverage, and a summary and analysis from the 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference. Photos by IISD/ENB | Franz Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Round table: “Mainstreaming biodiversity in the health sector” Hala Zayed, Minister of Health and Population, Egypt Karolina Skog, Minister of Environment, Sweden L-R: Cristina Romanelli, CBD Secretariat, and Joy St. John, Assistant Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) Joy St. John, Assistant Director-General, WHO Barbara Thomson, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environmental Affairs, South Africa Round table: “Mainstreaming biodiversity in the energy and mining sector” L-R: Tarek El-Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Egypt; Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, CBD Secretariat; and Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica Fatima Zohra Zerouati, Minister of Environment and Renewable Energies, Algeria Surasak Karnjanarat, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand Nestor Batio Bassiere, Minister of Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change, Burkina Faso Almoustapha Garba, Minister of Environment, Urban Sanitation and Sustainable Development, Niger L-R: Cristiana Paşca Palmer, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt; and David Cooper, Deputy Executive Secretary, CBD Eugenie Sage, Ministry of Conservation, New Zealand Eugenia Arguedas Montezuma, Costa Rica Claire Tutenuit, Entreprises pour l' Environnement Martha Rojas Urrego, Secretary General, Ramsar Convention L-R: Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs, and Fisheries, European Union; Manuel Pulgar Vidal, Global Lead, Climate and Energy, WWF International; and Mirna Inés Fernandez, Global Youth Biodiversity Network Ghaith Fariz, Director of Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Inger Andersen, Director General, IUCN Cristiana Paşca Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary Huang Runqiu, Vice Minister, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China Yeshing Juliana Upún Yos, Indigenous Youth Representative from Guatemala Ahmed Kamali, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform, Egypt Mohamed Salem, Ministry of Environment, Egypt View of the plenary during the High-level Segment L-R: Cristiana Paşca Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary; Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt; and Huang Runqiu, Vice Minister, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China Coletha Ruhamya, Director General, Rwanda Environment Management Authority Fiame Naomi Mataafa, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Natural Resources and Environment, Samoa Sean Fraser, Parliamentary Secretary to Environment, Canada Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt, gaveled the meeting to a close at 6:54 pm. Photos from the Tree Planting Event Participants at the tree planting event              

  L-R: Siim Kiisler, Minister of Environment, Estonia, President of UN Environment Assembly; Cristiana Pașca-Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary; and Facilitator Jorge Laguna-Celis, UN Environment The following events were covered by IISD Reporting Services on Thursday, 15 November, 2018: Innovative Solutions to Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Key Economic Sectors Business Engagement Post-2020 – A New Deal for Business and Nature Ministerial meeting of the Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC) Group   Innovative Solutions to Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Key Economic Sectors Presented by UN Environment, in collaboration with the CBD Secretariat and UNEP-WCMC L-R: Siim Kiisler, Minister of Environment, Estonia, President of UN Environment Assembly; Cristiana Pașca-Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary; and Facilitator Jorge Laguna-Celis, UN Environment Facilitator Jorge Laguna-Celis, UN Environment, opened the event, highlighting the importance of creating “spaces where an open, transparent dialogue can take place.” He emphasized the need for concrete steps to take the biodiversity agenda forward by identifying and adopting joint solutions that allow fostering innovation and embracing sustainability. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt, emphasized the need to integrate sustainability concerns in other sectors, noting that “there is a cost for inaction.” She underscored that voluntary action alone will not be adequate to address biodiversity concerns and urged to “raise the bar,” building robust regulatory and legislative frameworks. Fouad further called for “education, information, knowledge, and communication,” directly involving women and youth. Siim Kiisler, Minister of Environment, Estonia, President of UN Environment Assembly, stressed the need for concrete suggestions and solutions, noting current fragmentation in environmental multilateral negotiations. He addressed, inter alia: the creation of green markets, increasing the share of green public procurements; ways to change behavioral patterns; the importance of environmental data for better assessments of environmental impacts; and resource efficiency. Cristiana Pașca-Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary, stressed the need to “put down the segmentation and fragmentation barriers, and bring everybody at the table.” She highlighted new solutions and innovative business models that take into account environmental protection, noting the generation of co-benefits. She further emphasized that “scaling up does not mean more of the same, we need a pragmatic transformation,” and underscored that a set of valuable tools are already in place in that respect. A discussion ensued, including on ways to: move the business case of mainstreaming biodiversity from impact to opportunity; and use innovation to mainstream biodiversity into business operations. Mark Gough, Natural Capital Coalition, stressed understanding of the value - monetary and otherwise - of impacts and dependencies on nature was essential for businesses to mainstream biodiversity, and that the problem is not lack of data, but their flow. Underscoring the urgency to address environmental issues and calling for science-based biodiversity targets, Jonathan Ekstrom, The Biological Consultancy, highlighted work integrating biodiversity into natural capital and assessing loss of natural habitats. Peter White, World Business Council For Sustainable Development, called for a systemic approach based on collaboration, an effective multi-stakeholder platform, and clear targets. Brian Sullivan, IPIECA, noted the need for a detailed understanding of impacts and a holistic apprehension at site level of the effects of human activities. He further stressed the need for balancing energy transition, security, and access. Marco Lambertini, WWF, highlighted the need for a new narrative, a more compelling vision for biodiversity conservation that will bring nature loss at the center of the development agenda. Steven Dickinson, Total, underscored the need provide a Biodiversity Mainstreaming Framework to simplify data-sets, avoid the silo effect, and enact funds for networks of protected areas, including through public-private partnerships. Carolyn Margaret Jewell, Heidelberg Cement AG, noted the role of SDGs to induce sustainable activities and highlighted sector-led associations and platforms. Gilles Kleitz, French Development Agency, emphasized the need to understand the economics of mainstreaming and the importance of national, sectoral, inclusive platforms that can link with and positively influence national biodiversity activities. Claire Tutenuit, Entreprises pour L’Environnement, called for the establishment of new business models, highlighting the role of regulation in creating an enabling environment and noting that “voluntary action by businesses is important, but not sufficient.” Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General for the Environment, European Commission, stressed that “we don’t ask the private sector for philanthropy, the most successful businesses integrate sustainability concerns in their models.” He highlighted: the development of business and biodiversity platforms; the need for more effective financial instruments; the need to define sustainable investments; work to develop a kind of an eco-label for financial products; and meaningful pledges and commitments. Francisco Javier Cachón, Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Spain, emphasized that the circular economy is “the only way forward, there is no plan B,” underscoring the need to reduce consumption and waste generation. Patricia Zurita, BirdLife, highlighted the importance of a single, compelling message from the conservation community, noting the wealth of existing information and data on Key Biodiversity Areas is now providing this. Helen Crowley, Kering, stressed that the last two years have seen amazing successes in the fields of climate change and biodiversity, adding that natural capital accounting offers a brilliant framework to articulate and prioritize actions. Tita Korvenoja, Ministry of the Environment, Finland, emphasized the need for an integrated approach “to break the silos,” noting that the 2030 Agenda offers a great tool in that respect. Theresa Mundita Lim, Asean Center for Biodiversity, addressed regional initiatives to coordinate on economic, political, and socio-cultural levels, noting the need for harmonization of indicators across the financial and biodiversity sectors. Andre Weidenhaupt, Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Luxembourg, discussed his country’s experience as a hub for the finance industry, noting relevant knowledge could be useful in attracting private money to leverage public funds. George Jaksch, Biodiversity Partnership Mesoamerica, urged for more dialogue with the business community, highlighting joint ventures supported by enabling policies. Facilitator Laguna-Celis summarized the discussion, noting the need for governments, businesses, and relevant organizations to: work together and aim higher; integrate better; move forth in the Business and Biodiversity Forum fostering solutions; and address existing priorities, including data use to improve the management of natural resources. Cristiana Pașca-Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary Facilitator Jorge Laguna-Celis, UN Environment Brian Sullivan, IPIECA Siim Kiisler, Minister of Environment, Estonia, President of UN Environment Assembly L-R: Francisco Javier Cachón, Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Spain; Jonathan Ekstrom, The Biological Consultancy; and Patricia Zurita, BirdLife Mark Gough, Natural Capital Coalition Marco Lambertini, WWF Nigel Topping (center), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), We Mean Business, and Mark Johnston (right), BP, during the event discussions George Jaksch, Biodiversity Partnership Mesoamerica Claire Tutenuit, Entreprises pour l’Environnement Participants during the event Patricia Zurita, BirdLife Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt L-R: Gilles Kleitz, French Development Agency; Clarissa Arida and Theresa Mundita Lim, Asean Center for Biodiversity Helen Crowley, Kering Andre Weidenhaupt, Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Luxembourg A view of the room during the event Theresa Mundita Lim, Asean Center for Biodiversity Steven Dickinson, Total Participants during the event Kimmo Tiilikainen, Finland Carolyn Jewell, Heidelbergcement CONTACT Charlotte Ndakorerwa | charlotte.ndakorerwa@un.org MORE INFORMATION https://www.unenvironment.org/ https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/report/mainstreaming-biodiversity-well-being Business Engagement Post-2020 – A New Deal for Business and Nature Presented by UN Environment, The EU, Japan Biodiversity Fund, UNIDO, UNCTAD, Union for Ethical Biotrade, Biotrade Initiative, the ABS Capacity Development Initiative, and UNDP Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Thursday, 15 November 2018 View of the Panel during the event Moderator Carlos Manuel Rodriquez, Minister of Environment, Costa Rica, opened the panel discussion by reflecting on how decisions could be taken that really make a difference and change the way we measure success, progress, and prosperity, noting that markets are failing to reflect negative externalities. Citing the Paris Agreement, Inger Anderson, IUCN, Director General, emphasized that a target needs to enumerate what can be achieved, especially around species, genetic biodiversity, and ecosystems and this should entail translating the Aichi targets into science-based targets for business, against which companies can measure their performance. She noted that countries and companies are coming forward with voluntary commitments ahead of COP 15, in Beijing, and that these should be assessed to see if the Aichi targets can be reached. Derk Loorbach, Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT), reflected on creating a broader momentum for transformational change and how new ways of thinking emerge and develop over time, after routine systems and structures are destabilized. He cautioned against quick fixes and establishing new global targets, preferring to mainstream alternatives that are inherently better, as well as creating communities of entrepreneurial actors. Emphasizing that “solutions are close to us,” Shonisani Munzhedzi, South Africa, highlighted a WWF southern African sustainable seafood initiative, which allows consumers to check the sustainability of seafood choice, in real time, via the SASSI App. He noted that consumers make decisions according to the information provided and that this then forces businesses to adopt a transformative agenda.  Peter White, World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD), highlighted three Ms: message, material, and methodology in relation to business engagement. He preferred the term “nature,” explaining that “biodiversity” does not resonate with consumers. He explained that material refers to which aspect of nature is going to benefit or hit the bottom line and where business fits in. On methodologies, he called for creating frameworks so that everything fits together, noting that for the Paris Agreement there was a clear target and that the science was indisputable. Majda Dabaghi, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), highlighted bottom up and top down approaches, explaining that the bottom up entails aligning business and scientific perspectives on biodiversity, emphasizing the “millennial factor,” where consumers seek to engage with responsible businesses. On top down frameworks, she stressed that leadership is vital and that business should be involved in policy at the global and local levels. Akanksha Khatri, World Economic Forum, discussed the need for a multistakeholder approach involving making connections on environmental, social, and political risk. She called for engaging on an action-oriented agenda to shift the narrative, pledging her organization’s support. Gilles Kleitz, French Development Agency, emphasized the need for pro nature businesses and mid-and long-term targets, as well as for working on the ground. He also advocated making voluntary commitments, including on agriculture and the need for using existing measurement metrics. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed: illegal logging and wildlife trade; enforcing compliance; establishing a clear target for biodiversity; changing mentalities; and engaging the youth and private sector. Carlos Manuel Rodriquez, Minister of Environment, Costa Rica; Akanksha Khatri, World Economic Forum Akanksha Khatri, World Economic Forum, and Gilles Kleitz,French Development Agency Derk Loorbach, Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT) Carlos Manuel Rodriquez, Minister of Environment, Costa Rica; Shonisani Munzhedzi, South Africa A participant during the session  Panelists during the session  A participant asks a question during the session  Panelists pose for a photo.  CONTACT www.cbd.int/business/meetings-events/2018/default.shtml --> Name goes here | email address Name goes here | email address MORE INFORMATION www.cbd.int/business/meetings-events/2018/default.shtml Ministerial meeting of the Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC) Group Presented by the Government of Malaysia Xavier Jayakumar, Minister of Water, Land, and Natural Resources, Malaysia; Barbara Thomson, Deputy Minister, Environmental Affairs, South Africa Xavier Jayakumar, Minister of Water, Land, and Natural Resources, Malaysia, and current Chairman of the Like Minded Mega Diverse Countries (LMMC) Group, welcomed ministers and delegates observing that the meeting represented a significant milestone. He reflected on the Group’s success in influencing decision-making, highlighting the Nagoya Protocol as a notable achievement; as well as the adoption of the LMMC Carta to Achieve Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 (conserving by 2020, 17% of terrestrial water areas and 10% of coastal and marine areas, through protected areas and other area-based conservation measures) at COP 13, in Cancun, Mexico. Jayakumar announced that the Sharm El Sheikh Declaration, focusing on digital sequence information, genetic resources, Achi target 11, and the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework would be presented during the course of the day. He also noted that the Declaration had been led by Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and South Africa, while the CBD Secretariat had been the lead organization. Congratulating delegates on its adoption, henoted that the Declaration would be submitted to the Secretariat and circulated as an information document for COP 14.  Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, Germany, expressed gratitude as he received a certificate of Appreciation to acknowledge his country’s contribution as the largest donor to the LMMC and support to biodiversity conservation in LMMCs, including 500 million euros, per year, for forestry conservation. Cristiana Paşca Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary, was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation for the CBD Secretariat’s organizational support to the LMMC Group. Receiving the certificate, Paşca Palmer: reflected on her engagement with the CBD agenda since its adoption;  expressed appreciation to the Secretariat for their hard work: and pledged continued commitment to work in the same spirit and support to the Group. Melesse Maryo, Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, delivering remarks on behalf of Gemedo Dalle, Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Ethiopia, after the appointment of Ethiopia as Chair of LMMCs for the 2019-2020 period expressed sincere gratitude to member countries for honoring Ethiopia through this appointment. He congratulated Malaysia for its stewardship of the Group during the last two years; and looked at the task ahead as an opportunity rather than a challenge. Observing that a significant amount of biological and cultural diversity has flourished and is still maintained within LMMC territories, he noted that coordinated efforts should be multifaceted and would have far-reaching impacts on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. However, Maryo acknowledged limited success, when viewed in the light of challenges to the environment, including climate change, ecosystem degradation, invasive alien species, pollution, and emphasized the need for coordinated efforts by those countries that harbour the largest proportion of global biodiversity. Representatives from Ethiopia then presented gifts to LMMC delegations. Expressing continued commitment and support to the Group, Barbara Thomson, Deputy Minister, Environmental Affairs, South Africa, announced that her country had recently designated 21 Marine Protected Areas. Xavier Jayakumar, Minister of Water, Land, and Natural Resources, and Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, Germany Melesse Maryo, Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Ethiopia, and  Xavier Jayakumar, Minister of Water, Land, and Natural Resources Cristiana Paşca Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary, and Xavier Jayakumar, Minister of Water, Land, and Natural Resources ???? Barbara Thomson, Deputy Minister, Environmental Affairs, South Africa Ministers and high-level representatives pose for a photo  CONTACT Edji Seyoum | Tel. +1 514 288 2220 ext.: 247 or 514-287-7022 MORE INFORMATION lmmcgroup.wordpress.com   Photos by IISD/ENB | Felipe Ruiz and Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page  

Lobby outside the Summit Hall, venue of the COP14 High-Level Segment On Wednesday morning, the High-level Segment of the UN Biodiversity Conference heard opening statements and engaged in a panel discussion on “Investing in biodiversity for people and planet.” In the afternoon, participants heard from the Prime Minister of Egypt Mostafa Madbouly. They then held two parallel round table discussions, on mainstreaming biodiversity in the infrastructure sector, and on mainstreaming biodiversity in the manufacturing and processing sectors.  IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports, daily web coverage, and a summary and analysis from the 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference. Photos by IISD/ENB | Franz Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page L-R: View of the dais during the opening session of the High-level Segment with Siim Kiisler, Minister of Environment, Estonia, President of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA); Khaled Fouda Saddiq Mohammed, Governor of South Sinai, Egypt; Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt; Cristiana Paşca Palmer, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme (UNEP); and José Octavio Tripp Villanueva, Ambassador of Mexico to Egypt, COP 13 Presidency Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt José Octavio Tripp Villanueva, Ambassador of Mexico to Egypt, COP 13 Presidency Khaled Fouda Saddiq Mohammed, Governor of South Sinai, Egypt View of the opening session of the High-level Segment Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UNEP Siim Kiisler, Minister of Environment, Estonia, President of UNEA Cristiana Paşca Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica Mohamed Maait, Minister of Finance, Egypt Jonathan Baillie, Executive Vice-President and Chief Scientist, National Geographic Society Emmanuelle Wargon, State Minister of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, France Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility (GEF) Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) L-R: Rene Castro Salazar, Assistant Secretary-General for Climate, Biodiversity, Land and Water, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO); Adriana Dinu, Deputy Director, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and Emad El Din Adly, General Coordinator, Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED)   Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt Round table: “Mainstreaming biodiversity in the infrastructure sector” Round table: “Mainstreaming biodiversity in the manufacturing and processing sectors” COP 14 theme displayed prominently at the venue Participants from the Global Youth Biodiversity Forum and the WWF with Edson Gonçalves Duarte, Minister of Environment, Brazil Delegates from the EU and the Austrian Presidency Delegates from South Africa  

Delegates from the European Union (EU) in discussions at the contact group on Adjustments The thirtieth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP 30) convened for its final day on Friday, 9 November 2018, in Quito, Ecuador. The Budget Committee, contact groups and informal discussions met throughout the day. The High-Level Segment (HLS) convened in the morning to hear statements from heads of delegation, then adjourned for a brief resumption of the Preparatory Segment to receive updates from contact groups and informal discussions. The afternoon was devoted to contact groups and informal discussions, with the Preparatory Segment tentatively scheduled for a stocktaking session at 8:30 pm.Updates:- 7:55 pm: Plenary is rescheduled to 9:00 pm.- 9:35 pm: Preparatory Segment reconvenes.- 10:12 pm: High-Level Segment resumes to consider decisions forwarded by the Preparatory Segment.- MOP closed at 11:10 pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily reports and daily web coverage from MOP 30. In addition, IISD Reporting Services will publish a summary and analysis report of the meeting 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 High Level Segment MOP 30 President Liana Ghahramanyan, Armenia, gavels the meeting to a close at 11:10 pm. Delegates during the adoption of the meeting report Alfredo Pérez, Director General, Environmental Quality Management, Venezuela Taefu Lemi Taefu, Associate Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Amb. Diennaryati Tjokrosuprihatono, Indonesia Laurentiu Neculaescu, State Secretary, Romania Amb. Jean Baptiste Chaurin, France Alexander Teabo, Minister of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development, Kiribati Amb. Igar Paluan, Belarus Charles Ikeah, Nigeria Rosa Luisa Ebentretch, Ministry of Production, Peru Amb. Luigi William Ixcot Rojas, Guatemala Arsen Ryspekov, State Agency on Environment Protection and Forestry, Kyrgystan Jeanne Josette Acacha Akoha, Ministry of Life Framework and Sustainable Development, Benin Racine Kane, Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Senegal Roxanne Blesam, Executive Director, Environmental Quality Protection Board, Palau Satyendra Kumar Purkayastha, Bangladesh Ibraheem Alallan, Director, Atmospheric Safety, Syria Thelma Krug, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Marissa Gowrie, Ministry of Planning and Development, Trinidad and Tobago Didier Coulomb, International Institute for Refrigeration Avipsa Mahapatra, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) Juan Sebastián Salcedo, Ecuador Giovanni Brunelli, Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea, Italy Delegates during the contact group on Adjustments Alain Wilmart, Belgium, and Agustín Sánchez Guevara, Mexico, Co-Chairs of the contact group on Adjustments L-R: Alain Wilmart, Belgium; Agustin Sánchez Guevara, Mexico; Katherine Theotocatos and Flavia Barlassina, Ozone Secretariat; and Tina Birmpili, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat Delegates from the Adjustments contact group in informal consultations Delegates during the contact group on Energy Efficiency​ Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) delegates in discussions Tjekero Tweya, Minister of Industrialisation, Trade and Small and Medium-Size Enterprises (SME), Namibia, and MOP 30 President Liana Ghahramanyan, Armenia L-R: María Barroeta, Alfredo Pérez, and Yusbelys Belsario, Venezuela The delegation from Romania The delegation from Benin The delegation from Slovakia The delegation from the Maldives The Brazilian delegation, L-R: (back row) Gabriela Lira, Alessandra Toledo, and Maria Eugênia Pulino, (front row) Magda Luduvice and Patricia Leite L-R: Gilbert Bankobeza, Ozone Secretariat; Yaqoub Almatouq, Kuwait; MOP 30 Rapporteur Bitul Zulhasni, Indonesia; Tina Birmpili, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat; MOP 30 President Liana Ghahramanyan, Armenia; Megumi Seki, Deputy Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat; and Martha Leyva, Ozone Secretariat Around the Venue Rajendra Shende, TERRE Policy Centre, and Amit Love, India Duncan Brack, Report Writer, and Keith Reply, ENB Delegates read the ENB The ENB team at MOP 30, L-R: Keith Ripley, US; Claudia Friedrich, Germany; Tallash Kantai, Kenya; Nadia Sohier Zaman, Canada; Diego Noguera, Colombia; and Priscila Pereira de Andrade, Brazil  

Highlights for Thursday, 8 November 2018 Committee on Reforestation and Forest Management Chair Dambis Kaip, Papua New Guinea, receiving a wooden fish from the Amazon as a gift from Hwan Ok-Ma, ITTO Secretariat On the final substantive day of ITTC-54, delegates finalized work in the three Committees and on five related decisions in the morning.In the early afternoon, the Council convened a panel discussion on the role of women in achieving ITTO objectives.Consultations continued throughout the day in contact and caucus groups, as well as in plenary, to find consensus on a final decision on selection of candidates for the position of ITTO Executive Director.The closing plenary continued into the evening to find a way forward on the Executive Director selection process.ITTC-54 Chair Zhang Zhongtian declared the meeting closed at 9:35 pm.The summary and analysis of ITTC-54 will be available on Sunday, 11 November 2018. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis from ITTC-54. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Council Session ITTC-54 Chair Zhang Zhongtian presents a framed gavel to ITTC-55 Chair John Leigh Gerhard Breulmann, ITTO Secretariat, and Gerhard Dieterle, Executive Director, ITTO Arsene Ewossaka, Congo, with Richard Gbadoe Edjidomele, Togo Anna Tyler, New Zealand Zhang Zhongtian, Chair of ITTC-54, gaveling approval of a Council decision Kumiko Tanaka, Fellowship Assistant, ITTO John Leigh, Peru Delegates from Producer countries during negotiations Delegates from the EU Delegates from Indonesia Delegates from Consumer countries during negotiations Panel Discussion: The Role of Women in Achieving ITTO Objectives From L-R: Françoise van de Ven, Secretary-General, Industrial Forestry Trade Union, Gabon; Delphine Ahoussi, President, Association of Women Producers and Traders of Secondary Forest Products (MALEBI); Cécile Ndjebet, The African Women's Network for Community Management of Forests (REFACOF), Cameroon; Session Chair Sheamala Satkuru, ITTO Secretariat; Adi Estela Lazos Ruíz, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City (UNAM), Mexico; and Jennifer Conje, US Session Chair Sheamala Satkuru, ITTO Secretariat Delphine Ahoussi, President, MALEBI Adi Estela Lazos Ruíz, UNAM, Mexico Cécile Ndjebet, REFACOF, Cameroon At the conclusion of the panel discussion, female staff of the ITTO Secretariat joined panelists for a group photo. Committee on Reforestation and Forest Management Group photo of some participants of the Committee on Reforestation and Forest Management Makiko Uemoto, Japan Christine Dawson, US Jorge Malleux Orjeda, Peru, and Polycarpe Masupa Kambale, ITTO Secretariat Committee on Finance and Administration Katharina Kuehmayer, EU Committee Chair Luke Thompson, US Joint Session of the Committee on Economics, Statistics and Markets (CEM) and the Committee on Forest Industry (CFI) View of the dais during the joint session André de Boer, the Netherlands Matthias Schwoerer, Germany Between Sessions