European Union

On Tuesday morning, two sessions of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) took place at the 2016 meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). In the afternoon, a special address by UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Ban Ki-moon was followed by another session of VNRs, and the general debate. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports, daily web coverage and a summary and analysis from HLPF 2016, which is available in HTML and PDF format. 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: Session 1 View of the dais during the first session on Voluntary National Reviews Sven Jürgenson, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN and Vice President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Francisco Guzmán Ortiz, Office of the President, Mexico Manuel Sager, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland Mohamed El Ouafa, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government, Morocco Milorad Šćepanović, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Montenegro Patrick Saidu Conteh, Minister of State II, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Sierra Leone Sabine Döbeli, Swiss Sustainable Finance Sandra Andovska, National Focal Point for Sustainable Development, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Robert Glasser, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Jelena Kneževič, Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Montenegro Rachel Kyte, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Voluntary National Reviews: Session 2 Panel speakers for the second session on Voluntary National Reviews Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC Martin Østerdal, Norwegian Children and Youth Council David Zalkaliani, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Georgia Herilanto Raveloharison, Minister of Economy and Planning, Madagascar Halit Çevik, Permanent Representative of Turkey to the UN Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, African Development Bank (AfDB) Dejan Bojanić, Major Group for Children and Youth, speaking on behalf of all Major Groups and other stakeholders Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Environment and Energy, Maldives Special address by the Secretary-General UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Voluntary National Reviews: Session 3 View of the dais for the third session on Voluntary National Reviews Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of Agriculture and the Environment, Finland Ana María Baiardi, Minister for Women, Paraguay Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Rilli Lappalainen, Finnish NGDO Platform to the EU, Kehys Matia Kasaija, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Uganda Sili Epa Tuioti, Minister of Finance, Samoa Thomas Silberhorn, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany Morten Jespersen, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark Ansgar Klinger, German Education Union Marianne Beisheim, German Institute for International and Security Affairs General Debate View of the dais Wu Hongbo, Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs José Antonio Ocampo, Chair of the Committee for Development Policy (CDP) Lubomír Zaorálek, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic Samatha Power, Permanent Representative of the US to the UN Li Baodong, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, China Abdul Sattar Murad, Minister of Economy, Afghanistan Boima Kamara, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Liberia Sahar Nasr, Minister of International Cooperation, Egypt Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest  Economy, Sustainable Development and Environment, Republic of Congo Edgar Gutiérrez Espeleta, President, Second UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-2), and Minister for Environment and Energy, Costa Rica Mohammed Maziad Al Tuwaijri, Vice-Minister of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia Around the Venue Preparations being made for the morning plenary Delegates from Finland Delegates from Denmark Delegates speak informally Jade de Andrade, Federica Pietracci, and Irena Zubcevic, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Delegates collect and share materials relating to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Delegates between sessions Around the UN Headquarters

The thirty-eighth session of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Montreal Protocol (OEWG 38) convened for its second day in Vienna, Austria, on 19 July 2016. In the morning, delegates addressed the Technological and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) organizational matters and a conference room paper on forming an ad hoc standard coordinating group on criteria or standards on substitutes. A contact group on the terms of reference for the study on the 2018-2020 replenishment of the Multilateral Fund (MLF) then convened. The HFC Management Contact Group met throughout the afternoon and evening. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports and also produced a summary and analysis report from the Resumed OEWG 37, OEWG 38 and ExMOP 3, which is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. View of the dais during the plenary session OEWG 37 Co-Chair Paul Krajnik, Austria Zhou Xiaofang, China Cindy Newberg, US OEWG 37 Co-Chair Leslie Smith, Grenada Yaqoub Al-Matouq, Kuwait Andrei Pilipchuk, Belarus Yoliangel Rivas, Venezuela Gudi Alkemade, and Philip Owen, European Union (EU) Mirjana Ilijin Jug, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with OEWG 37 Co-Chair Paul Krajnik, Austria Maria Rendiles Bermudez, Venezuela Aminah Ali, Malaysia Annie Gabriel, Australia Philippe Chemouny, Canada, and Obed Baloyi, South Africa, Co-Chairs, Contact Group on Replenishment Study TOR Emma Rachmawaty, Indonesia Augustin Sánchez Guevara, Mexico Enoh Peter Ayuk, Cameroon Taha Mohammed Zatari, Saudi Arabia, with Tina Birmpili, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat Mikkel Adaman Sørensen, Denmark Hassan Ali Mubarak, Bahrain  Caitlin Grady, US Samuel Pare, Burkina Faso Manoj Kumar Singh, India Laura Berón, Argentina Liana Ghahramanyan, Armenia

Following the opening of the Ministerial Segment on Monday, participants at the 2016 meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) discussed “Main messages from first HLPF week: our starting point.” This was followed by keynote speeches and panel discussions related to the meeting’s theme of “Ensuring that no one is left behind,” on: “Reaching the most vulnerable;” “Challenges of countries in special situations;” and “Unlocking means of implementation (MOI) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and creating an enabling environment.” A general debate took place at the end of the day. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports, daily web coverage and a summary and analysis from HLPF 2016, which is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Opening of the Ministerial Segment Delegates gather for the opening of the Ministerial Segment Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Oh Joon, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the UN and President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC Héctor Alejandro Palma Cerna, Deputy Permanent Representative of Honduras to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC Mogens Lykketoft, President of the UN General Assembly Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh, Vice President of Viet Nam Ensuring that no one is left behind: reaching the most vulnerable Panel speakers during the session Hugo Roger Martínez Bonilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs, El Salvador Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany Guy Ryder, Director-General, International Labour Organization (ILO) Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Md. Shahidul Haque, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Christian Friis Bach, Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Delegates watch proceedings from the gallery Ensuring that no one is left behind: challenges of countries in special situations View of the dais during the session Álvaro García, Office of Planning and Budget of the Presidency, Uruguay Gyan Chandra Acharya, Under Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Dame Meg Taylor, Secretary-General, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Helen Clark, Administrator, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Tawakkol Abdel-Salam Karman, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Karina Gould, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development, Canada Ricardo Cardona, Minister of Social Development, Honduras Shamshad Akhtar, Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Daniel Mensinga, Major Group for Children and Youth Ensuring that no one is left behind: unlocking the means of implementation for the Sustainable Development Goals and creating an enabling environment View of the dais during the session  Michelle Muschett, Vice Minister of Social Development, Panama Ardalan Shekarabi, Minister for Public Administration, Sweden Axel Bertuch-Samuels, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Vaughan Turekian, Advisor to the US Secretary of State Neven Mimica, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Douglas Frantz, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Mahmoud Mohieldin, World Bank Group Representatives from the Women's Major Group hold up pictures of environmental and human rights activists who have been killed, demonstrating the need to create an enabling environment for stakeholder participation General Debate Delegates participate in a general debate Virachai Plasai, Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China Juan Temístocles Montás, Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Dominician Republic, speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Bernard Kamphasa, Zambia, speaking on behalf of the LLDCs Eden Charles, Deputy Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the UN, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Jiko Fatafehi Luveni, Fiji, speaking on behalf of the Group of Pacific SIDS Mohammed Khaled Khiari, Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the UN, speaking on behalf of the African Group Mohammed Maziad Al Tuwaijri, Vice-Minister of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia Celebrating Nelson Mandela Day A special event is held in the ECOSOC Chamber to commemorate "Mandela Day" Delegates stand to observe a moment of silence to honor Nelson Mandela and his contribution to freedom and justice in the world Stevie Wonder, UN Messenger of Peace Around the Venue Delegates gather for the start of the Ministerial Segment Delegates greet each other before the start of plenary Delegates from the Democratic Republic of the Congo Delegates from South Africa Delegates speak informally Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, and Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh, Vice-President of Viet Nam, participate in an event "Scream from Nature" that emphasized the importance of environmental protection Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, and Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh, Vice-President of Viet Nam, stand with children during the event Musical performance by fifth graders from the Special Music School, New York Around the UN Headquarters

The thirty-eighth session of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Montreal Protocol (OEWG 38) opened in Vienna, Austria on 18 July 2016. In the morning, delegates heard opening remarks and addressed the agenda and the organization of work. Discussion then turned to the Technical and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) report on updated and new information on alternatives for ozone depleting substances (ODS). In the afternoon, parties addressed the Dubai Pathway on HFCs, the TEAP 2016 report, and issues related to exemptions under Articles 2A–2I of the Montreal Protocol, including nominations for essential-use exemptions for 2017 and nominations for critical-use exemptions for 2017 and 2018. They also addressed issues related to the phase-out of HCFCs, the availability of recovered, recycled or reclaimed halons, terms of reference for the study on the 2018-2020 replenishment of the multilateral fund, a report by the TEAP and the Scientific Assessment Panel on carbon tetrachloride discrepancies, and the destruction of ODS banks. The HFC Management Contact Group met in the evening. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports and also produced a summary and analysis report from the Resumed OEWG 37, OEWG 38 and ExMOP 3, which is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. From L-R: Tina Birmpili, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat; OEWG 37 Co-Chair Paul Krajnik, Austria; and OEWG 37 Co-Chair Leslie Smith, Grenada OEWG 37 Co-Chair Paul Krajnik, Austria Blaise Horisberger, Switzerland, with Husamuddin Ahmadzai, Sweden OEWG 37 Co-Chair Leslie Smith, Grenada Taha Mohammed Zatari, Saudi Arabia Laura Berón, Argentina  Iftikhar-ul-Hassan Gilani, Pakistan Sylla Cheikh Ndiaye, Senegal John Thompson, US Hassan Ali Mubarak, Bahrain Roberto Peixoto​, TEAP Member, Brazil Antonio Asuncion Oposa, Federated States of Micronesia Lambert Kuijpers, TEAP Member, the Netherlands Alice Gaustad, Norway Enoh Peter Ayuk, Cameroon Alaa Aljahdali, Saudi Arabia Blaise Horisberger, Switzerland Philip Owen, European Union (EU) Nancy Seymour, Canada Rafael Da Soler, Brazil The Kuwaiti delegation Gilbert Bankobeza, Ozone Secretariat, with Masa Nagai, Senior Legal Advisor, UNEP Zhou Xiaofang, China, and  Iftikhar-ul-Hassan Gilani, Pakistan Tumau Neru, Samoa Obed Baloyi, South Africa Hammami Youssef, Tunisia Amit Love, and S.V. Subbarao, India Rafael Da Soler, Brazil, with Maria Verónica Grygianec, Argentina

The resumed OEWG 37 met for its final day on Saturday, 16 July 2016, in Vienna, Austria. Informal discussions were held throughout the day and night. Topics addressed included funding, HCFCs-HFCs linkages and exemptions not related to HAT. The HFC Management Contact Group reconvened in the evening to assess whether solutions had been generated for the identified challenges. As more time was required, informal discussions resumed. Following protracted negotiations, the contact group reconvened to conclude its work in the early hours of Sunday, 17 July 2016. Participants then convened in plenary, which heard an update on the status of discussion on each of the identified challenges. OEWG 37 was gavelled to a close at 3.12 am. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports and also produced a summary and analysis report from the Resumed OEWG 37, OEWG 38 and ExMOP 3, which is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. OEWG 37 Co-Chair Paul Krajnik, Austria OEWG 37 Co-Chair Leslie Smith, Grenada From L-R: Gilbert Bankobeza, Ozone Secretariat; Tina Birmpili, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat; OEWG 37 Co-Chair Paul Krajnik, Austria; OEWG 37 Co-Chair Leslie Smith, Grenada; and Megumi Seki, Ozone Secretariat View of the room during the Informal discussions on funding Odessa Shako, Guyana Philippe Chemouny, Canada Blaise Horisberger, Switzerland Iftikhar-ul-Hassan Gilani, Pakistan, and Hassan Ali Mubarak, Bahrain Delegates from the EU conferring Ishida Mayuka, Japan Yaqoub Al-Matouq, Kuwait Dennis Clare, Federated States of Micronesia Italo Andrés Flamenco Córdova, and Rubén Armando Escalante Hasbún, El Salvador From L-R: Krystel Loutfi, Lebanon; Lara Haidar, Lebanon; Mazen Khalil Hussein, Lebanon; Iftikhar-ul-Hassan Gilani, Pakistan; and Hassan Ali Mubarak, Bahrain Zhou Xiaofang, China Miguel Antonio Gonzalez, Guatemala Cornelius Rhein, EU Annie Gabriel, Australia, with Nancy Seymour, Canada Fahad Naim, with S.V. Subbarao, India Cindy Newberg, US, with Cornelius Rhein, EU Hamoud Al-Otaibi, Saudi Arabia, with Philippe Chemouny, Canada Participants reading the proposed text on the screen From L-R: Manoj Kumar Singh, India; Iftikhar-ul-Hassan Gilani, Pakistan; Amit Love, India; Tina Birmpili, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat; S.V. Subbarao, India; Husamuddin Ahmadzai, Sweden; and Fahad Naim, India Benjamin Deh-Deh, Côte D'Ivoire, and Ismael Nour, Djibouti Delegates from India and Saudi Arabia Exhibition: Metamorphose des Menschenbildes by Alfred Hrdlicka