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On Friday, delegates to the nineteenth meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-19) completed their work. In the morning, delegations were given an opportunity to review the Co-Chairs’ draft summary of the week’s discussions. Plenary then reconvened for a page-by-page review. Delegates discussed the draft and suggested corrections and clarifications to best capture discussions. Key points from the summary included: Importance of addressing socioeconomic impacts on sectors such as tourism, fishing and transportation, among others; Gaps in knowledge and lack of data on sources and impacts of anthropogenic underwater noise; Anthropogenic underwater noise as a form of pollution and links with other drivers such as ocean acidification; Management approaches highlighted by delegates, including area-based management tools and Environmental Impact Assessments; and Suggestions that the UN General Assembly in a resolution could characterize anthropogenic underwater noise as a form of transboundary pollution to be mitigated and addressed. The Co-Chairs thanked delegates for their participation in discussions over the course of the week and Co-Chair Beckles closed ICP-19. A side-event titled, “The International Nitrogen Management System: A New Science-Policy Initiative to Reduce Nitrogen Pollution,” was hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage from the 19th Meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. In addition IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting, which is 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 Plenary A view of the room during the last day of the meeting Co-Chair Kornelios Korneliou, Cyprus Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS John Brincat, European Union Elizabeth Phelps, US Alice L. de Juvigny, International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) Rebecca Lent, International Whaling Commission (IWC) Nathan Merchant, Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture, United Kingdom Frank Thomsen, Central Dredging Association (CEDA) G. Latha, India Fleur Hamilton, Australia Nadia Deckert, France Mariana Melcon, Argentina Heidrun Frisch-Nwakanma, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) René Dekeling, the Netherlands Howard Rosenbaum, WCS Ramona Sladic, Canada Delegates read the Co-Chairs’ draft summary of the meeting Delegates from Australia Delegates from Guatemala Delegates consult informally Around the UN L-R: Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, ENB; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Diego Noguera, Teya Penniman, and Wanja Dorothy Nyingi, ENB

On Thursday morning, delegates at the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-19) resumed discussions. On inter-agency cooperation and coordination, delegates heard from Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Counsel, in his capacity as the UN-Oceans Focal Point, on progress of work under UN-Oceans. He highlighted the UN-Oceans voluntary commitment process, launched at the 2017 Ocean Conference, to raise awareness of relevant regulatory and policy frameworks and members activities for conserving and sustainably using oceans and their resources and advancing work under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14. Delegates briefly discussed issues related to development of the SDG 14 indicators. Delegates also received an update on the financial status of the Voluntary Trust Fund from UNDOALOS Director Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli who reiterated the need for replenishment of the Fund. Delegates completed the general exchange of views that began on Monday morning before considering the process for the selection of topics and panelists, and issues that could benefit from further consideration under the UN General Assembly on ocean affairs and the Law of the Sea. The meeting then adjourned to provide time for the Co-Chairs and Secretariat to prepare the draft Co-Chairs’ summary to be reviewed by delegates on Friday. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage from the 19th Meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. In addition IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting, which is 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 Plenary The dais during Thursday’s proceedings Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS Elizabeth Phelps, US John Brincat, EU Frank Thomsen, Central Dredging Association (CEDA), and Rebecca Lent, International Whaling Commission (IWC) Stefan Micallef, International Maritime Organization (IMO) L-R: Elizabeth Phelps, US; Nathan Merchant, Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture, United Kingdom; and Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) John Brincat, EU, and Herlinde Vanhoutte, Belgium Larisa Chernysheva, Russian Federation, and Mirela Pascaru, Romania Nicolas Entrup, OceanCare, and Mark Tasker, International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) Kirstie Knowles, New Zealand, and John Bennett, American Society of International Law (ASIL) Delegates share a laugh at the end of Thursday’s proceedings L-R: Kirstie Knowles, New Zealand; G. Latha, India; and Lora Nordtvedt Reeve, OceanCare Maggie Carey and Kevin Chand, Maldives Delegates from France Delegates from the Alliance of Small Island States Around the UN

The nineteenth meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-19) resumed on Wednesday, 20 June 2018, at UN Headquarters in New York. In morning and afternoon sessions, panel discussions continued to focus on cooperation and coordination in addressing anthropogenic underwater noise. In the morning session, panelists presented information on collaborative approaches to underwater noise, including on: EU regional strategies, including its Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), which has “human-induced marine underwater noise” as part of a pollution definition; The Impulsive Noise Registry by the Commission on the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR); Addressing anthropogenic underwater noise through other relevant processes in the absence of specific national legislation; A collaborative approach to assess vessel-noise impacts on Commerson’s dolphins in the Argentine Sea; and A voluntary vessel slowdown trial in Canada within the endangered southern resident killer whale feeding area. In the afternoon session, key points from presentations included: A whale stranding event in Madagascar that helped identify gaps in knowledge, expertise, and legislation to investigate, evaluate or prevent noise pollution; The Green Marine independent certification program with 124 participating countries that establishes performance indicators; A review of key events and milestones for addressing ocean noise; The role of industry in managing the impacts of underwater noise on marine life; and The application of underwater sound for fish stock surveys. During the lunch break, a side event, “Sonic Sea: Film screening and Q&A” was hosted by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage from the 19th Meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. In addition IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting, which is 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 Morning Panel on “Cooperation and Coordination in Addressing Anthropogenic Underwater Noise” Participants during the session René Dekeling, European Commission A slide from René Dekeling’s presentation Nathan Merchant, Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture, United Kingdom A slide from Nathan Merchant’s presentation Loúreene Jones, National Environment and Planning Agency, Jamaica Ramona Sladic, Canada Jonathan Vallarta, Mexico Mariana Melcon, Fundación Cethus A slide from Mariana Melcon’s presentation Carrie Brown, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Canada A slide from Carrie Brown’s presentation G. Latha, India Michael Jasny, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Stefan Micallef, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Rebecca Lent, International Whaling Commission (IWC) Martijn Peins and Sidney Kemble, the Netherlands L-R: Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius; Michael Jasny and Lauren Kubiak, NRDC Afternoon Panel on “Cooperation and Coordination in Addressing Anthropogenic Underwater Noise” The dais during the session René Dekeling, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Netherlands A slide from René Dekeling’s presentation Véronique Nolet, Green Marine A slide from Véronique Nolet’s presentation Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society A slide from Howard Rosenbaum’s presentation Frank Thomsen, Central Dredging Association (CEDA) A slide from Frank Thomsen’s presentation Mark Tasker, International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) A slide from Mark Tasker’s presentation Frank Thomsen, CEDA Ramona Sladic, Canada, and Brendan Burke, US L-R: Amelia Faotusia, Tonga; Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, ENB; Adi Talanaivini Mafi, Tonga; and Kevin Chand, the Malidves Delegates from the Czech Republic and Japan check the ENB website Around the UN

The nineteenth meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-19) opened on 18 June 2018 at the UN Headquarters in New York, under the theme, “Anthropogenic underwater noise.” Delegates heard opening remarks from: Co-Chair Kornelios Korneliou (Cyprus) and Pennelope Althea Beckles (Trinidad and Tobago); Miguel de Serpa Soares, UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs; Elliott Harris, Assistant Secretary-General UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA); and Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco. During the general exchange of views, delegates highlighted, inter alia: Impacts of underwater noise on marine biota; Capacity building for identifying, measuring and addressing underwater marine noise; Considering underwater noise as a form of marine pollution; Guidelines for reducing underwater marine noise, including consideration of International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines for commercial shipping; Relevance of the issue to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Consideration of including ocean noise in the negotiations on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ); Research and data gaps; and Application of the precautionary approach. In the afternoon, the ICP focused on sources and environmental socioeconomic impacts of underwater marine noise. Five presentations provided overviews on sound and its propagation through water; sounds from submarine cables and pipeline operations; shipping as a source of noise; offshore energy development; and sonar imaging and ocean mapping. During ensuing discussions, delegates highlighted the “win-win” link between energy-efficiency improvements for ships and noise reductions; standardization of survey methodologies; and selection of ecologically sensitive areas for prioritizing solutions. During the afternoon break, delegates attended a side event on “The Role of Environmental Impact Assessments in Managing the Impacts of Noise on Marine Food Web and Higher Trophic Levels.” IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage from the 19th Meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. In addition IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting, which is 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 Plenary L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Elliott Harris, Assistant Secretary-General, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA); Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs; Omar Hilale, Vice-President of the UN General Assembly, Morocco; Co-Chair Kornelios Korneliou, Cyprus; Co-Chair Pennelope Althea Beckles, Trinidad and Tobago; Dmitry Gonchar, UNDOALOS; and Michele Ameri, UNDOALOS Secretariat Co-Chair Kornelios Korneliou, Cyprus Elliott Harris, Assistant Secretary-General, UNDESA Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Omar Hilale, Vice-President of the UN General Assembly Co-Chair Pennelope Althea Beckles, Trinidad and Tobago Emad Morcos Mattar, Egypt Amadou Jaiteh, The Gambia Lachezara Stoeva, European Union (EU) Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius Panel Discussion on “Sources and Environmental and Socioeconomic Aspects of Anthropogenic Underwater Noise” The dais during the afternoon panel Lee Kindberg, Maersk Line A slide from Lee Kindberg’s presentation Jill Lewandowski, US Department of Interior A slide from Jill Lewandowski’s presentation Larry Mayer, University of New Hampshire A slide from Larry Mayer’s presentation Christopher Clark, Cornell University Richard Hale, Director, EGS Survey Group John Brincat, EU Yasufumi Onishi, Japan Ramona Sladic, Canada Adrián Madirolas, Argentina Rebecca Lent, International Whaling Commission G. Latha, India Delegates discussing informally Around the Venue

The Special Session of the 2018 Vienna Energy Forum convened on Monday, 14 May, in plenary session and high-level roundtables with the participation of over 430 attendees. The Special Session breaks the bi-annual cycle of the Forum in order to provide feedback on SDG 7 (energy) to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). During the morning plenary, focusing on the transformation of energy systems, participants heard Jeremy Rifikin, Foundation on Economic Trends, describing the energy transition as humanity’s third economic revolution, which he said was founded on the convergence of decarbonization, decentralization and digitization of transport. Panelists discussed challenges and opportunities in several regions, including energy access, energy efficiency, the EU clean energy package, and private sector considerations. In the first afternoon plenary, panelists addressed climate change and clean energy technology innovation, as well as how to empower and catalyze entrepreneurial eco-systems for climate innovation in developing countries. In the second plenary, focused on the role of partnerships in achieving development, panelists addressed, among others, interlinkages between different Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), regional initiatives and centers of excellence in the energy sector, and the role of donors. The morning high-level roundtable focused on enhancing the participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups from developing countries in climate and clean energy technology and innovation markets. Participants discussed, among others, policy support needed to nurture SMEs, how to move from project-based to integrated approaches, how large companies can provide support for SMEs, and barriers for clean energy development. In the afternoon, a roundtable heard from the clean energy centers of the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC) and other regional initiatives on the role of regional approaches to scaling up clean energy. The last roundtable addressed socio-economic impacts of low-carbon energy systems, finance, and the potential for clean energy to catalyze industrial transformation in developing countries. In the high-level segment on powering innovation for prosperity, panelists reflected on national experiences, the effectiveness of policy instruments, and how the international community can help accelerate energy transitions. During the closing session participants heard about preparations for the SDG 7 review during the HLPF. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided digital coverage and a summary report from VEF 2018. The summary report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Opening Session From L-R: Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA); Karin Kneissl, Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Austria; Li Yong, Director-General, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); Marie Chatardová, President, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); and Abdelrahman Ayman Ibrahim, Global President, International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC) Li Yong, Director-General, UNIDO Marie Chatardová, President, ECOSOC Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN DESA Karin Kneissl, Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Austria Abdelrahman Ayman Ibrahim, Global President, AIESEC Li Yong, Director-General, UNIDO, with Abdul Hussain Ali Mirza, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, Bahrain Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, with Abze Djigma, CEO, AbzeSolar High-level Segment: Powering Innovation for Prosperity Simon D’Ujanga, Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda Waldemar Łagoda, Deputy Director of the Department of Energy, Ministry of Energy, Poland Philippe Scholtès, Managing Director, Programme Development and Technical Cooperation, UNIDO Abdul Hussain Ali Mirza, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, Bahrain Dadan Kusdiana, Advisor to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia Plenary 1: Energy System Transformation: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing and Emerging Economies From L-R: Jeremy Rifkin, President, Foundation on Economic Trends; Scott Foster, Director, Sustainable Energy Division, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); Mohamed Ali Alhakim, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA); Edu Willemse, Public Relations and Partnerships Manager, Energising Development (EnDev) program, GIZ; Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All; Lamberto Dai Pra, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Australia, Enel Green Power; and Megan Richards, Director of Energy Policy, Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All Megan Richards, Director of Energy Policy, Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission Scott Foster, Director, Sustainable Energy Division, UNECE Jeremy Rifkin, President, Foundation on Economic Trends Mohamed Ali Alhakim, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, ESCWA Lamberto Dai Pra, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Australia, Enel Green Power Plenary 2: Climate and Clean Energy Technology and Innovation: Empowering and Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Eco-systems for Climate Innovation in Developing Countries From L-R: Harish Hande, Chairman, SELCO India; Tadej Slapnik, State Secretary, Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Slovenia; Pavel Kabat, Director-General and CEO, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA); Stephan Sicars, Director, Department of Environment, UNIDO; Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Howard Bamsey, Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF); and Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Howard Bamsey, Executive Director, GCF Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, WMO Pavel Kabat, Director-General and CEO, IIASA, and Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC Harish Hande, Chairman, SELCO India Tadej Slapnik, State Secretary, Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Slovenia Stephan Sicars, Director, Department of Environment, UNIDO Plenary 3: Delivering Prosperity through Partnerships: North-South and South-South Technology Cooperation From L-R: Dirk Fransaer, Managing Director, Flemish Institute for Technological Research; André Faaij, Professor, University of Groningen; Robert Zeiner, Director of International Programmes and Projects, Austrian Development Agency; and Christine Lins, Co-Founder, Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition Peter Traupmann, Managing Director, Austrian Energy Agency Irene Giner-Reichl, President, Global Forum on Sustainable Energy Alexandre Pinho, Global Lead for the UN, Microsoft Round Table 1: Enhancing the Participation of SMEs and Start-ups from Developing Countries in the Growing Markets for Climate and Clean Energy Technology and Innovation Nisha Pillai, International moderator and Journalist Leena Srivastava, Vice-Chancellor and Professor, TERI University Habiba Ali, Managing Director and CEO, Sosai Renewable Energies Company Vijay Modi, The Earth Institute, Columbia University, and Dennis Pamlin, Senior Advisor, Research Institute Sweden Faris Hasan, Director, OPEC Fund for International Development, and Paul S. Horwitz, Strategic Planning Consultant, Green Climate Fund Round Table 2: A “New Deal” for Economies of Scale and Inclusiveness - The Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC) From L-R: Christine Lins, Co-Founder, Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition; Robert Zeiner, Director, Programmes and Projects International, Austrian Development Agency; Albert Binger, Secretary-General, Small Island Developing States Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience International Organization; Tareq Emtairah, Director, Department of Energy, UNIDO; and Igor Barat, Director, European Regional Office, International Investment Bank Solomone Fifita, Manager, Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Radia Sedaoui, Chief Energy, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Mark Lister, Head, Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency Mahama Kappiah, Executive Director, ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, and Yan Huang, Deputy Chief Engineer, Chang Jiang Survey Planning Design Research Co., Ltd. Berthold Breid, CEO, The Renewables Academy, and Benedikt Hoskuldsson, Partnerships Lead, Sustainable Energy for All Round Table 3: Emerging Low-carbon Energy Systems as a Catalyst for Industrial Transformation in Developing Countries From L-R: Miquel Muñoz Cabré, IISD; Cecilia, Ugaz Estrada, Director, Department of Policy Research and Statistics, UNIDO; Edu Willemse, Public Relations and Partnerships Manager, EnDev program, GIZ; Carsten Hellpap, Programme Manager, Energising Development Partnership, German Corporation for International Cooperation; and Tareq Emtairah, Director, Department of Energy, UNIDO Rana Ghoneim and Mark Draeck, Energy and Climate Change Branch, UNIDO Roberto Ridolfi, Special Advisor on Strategy and Financing Development, Food and Agriculture Organization, and Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Deputy Director-General and Deputy CEO, IIASA Rana Adib, Executive Secretary, Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, and Tarek Al-Amad, CEO, European Jordanian Renewable Energy Projects Abze Djigma, CEO, AbzeSolar, and Scott Foster, Director, Sustainable Energy Division, UNECE Closing Session Tareq Emtairah, Director, Department of Energy, UNIDO Minoru Takada, Team Leader (Sustainable Energy), Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN DESA Between Sessions