NGOs

Highlights for Wednesday, 12 June 2019 Dayne Buddo, Alligator Head Foundation, Jamaica, during his presentation in the morning on the role of non-governmental organizations in supporting ocean science On Wednesday, ICP-20 delegates resumed informal consultations through two panel discussions, under the topic, “International Cooperation and Coordination in Advancing Ocean Science and Addressing Related Gaps.”On gaps in ocean science and possible approaches to fill them, delegates discussed, inter alia: current ocean science technologies, such as use of Argo robots to collect temperature and salinity data, and integration with emerging technologies through the Global Ocean Observing System; the role of the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre in promoting international collaboration on ocean acidification through data portals, standardized methodology, and sharing of best practices with member states; the utility of exploration data from International Seabed Authority for cooperation and coordination in deep-sea marine science; and the OceanX pursuit to step up underwater exploration in order to increase scientific knowledge and public awareness of the ocean and its vital importance to humanity. On increased cooperation and coordination, key topics considered included: the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in supporting ocean science, with examples of public-engagement strategies to protect and restore marine habitats and fish stocks in marine sanctuaries; international cooperation in data management, noting the need for a new paradigm to ensure data are findable, accessible, interpretable, and reusable; strengthening the science-policy interface at the global level, noting that supporting the management and sustainable development of natural resources is a key role of science. Key additional points included the unique opportunity provided by the UN Decade to strengthen collaboration and data sharing to empower nations in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and the benefits of combining traditional ecological knowledge and western science to develop models for sustainable resource use.During the afternoon break, delegates attended a side event on “Traditions, Tools and Technologies for Advancing Ecosystem-based Management for the Global Ocean.” IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, provided daily web updates from the 20th 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 of the meeting, which is available in HTML and PDF. Morning Panel on International Cooperation and Coordination in Advancing Ocean Science and Addressing Related Gaps Panelists of the morning session on “International cooperation and coordination on ocean science” with Co-Chairs and Secretariat Peter Haugan, Chair, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), Norway Michael Lodge, Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority Ray Dalio, Co-founder, OceanX Frida Maria Armas-Pfirter, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina Panelists from the side event on “Traditions, Tools and Technologies for Advancing Ecosystem-based Management for the Global Ocean” Afternoon Panel on International Cooperation and Coordination in Advancing Ocean Science and Addressing Related Gaps Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary, Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission – Helsinki Commission Carlos F. Gaymer, Millennium Nucleus Center of Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Islands Tarmo Soomere, Estonian Academy of Sciences, Estonia Luke Roughton, New Zealand, follows the panel discussion Delegates listen during panel discussions

Highlights for Monday, 27 May 2019 View of the GSW 2019 plenary with Co-Facilitator Alexander Müller, Managing Director, Töpfer, Müller, Gaßner - Think Tank for Sustainability (TMG Research) delivering his opening address Global Soil Week 2019 (GSW 2019) opened on Monday morning, 27 May, with the two-day technical segment of the conference. During the opening plenary, Co-Facilitators Alice Kaudia, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Eco-Entrepreneurs Ltd., and Alexander Alexander Müller, Töpfer, Müller, Gaßner — Think Tank for Sustainability (TMG Research), welcomed representatives from government, science, NGOs, and international organizations, as well as farmers, and introduced the conference theme, ‘Creating an Enabling Environment for Sustainable and Climate Resilient Agriculture in Africa.’ Explaining the rationale for the conference, Müller observed that four years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world is still not on track to achieve these ambitious global targets. He noted that discussions at GSW 2019 would seek to explore the “missing middle” that is critical for delivering the Global Goals, including access to finance and legislative and governance frameworks that ensure secure access to land, productive resources and decision making processes, especially for women and other marginalized actors at the local level.Participants then convened in five working groups for the rest of the day to discuss experiences from more than 20 local projects in Africa and Asia. The discussions took an in-depth look at some of the factors that support or hinder the creation of an enabling environment for sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture Some of the broad themes addressed in the presentations included: •    Good practices to empower women’s participation in sustainable land management and decision-making; •    Innovative approaches to secure smallholder farmers' access to land, finance and other agricultural inputs; •    Business models to strengthen financial and market inclusion for smallholder farmers and pastoralists; •    Opportunities to strengthen participatory governance systems for sustainable soil management and ecosystem restoration; •    Mechanisms for bridging macro- and micro-level land governance structures; and •    How to ensure sustainability of promising local initiatives. Funding for IISD Reporting Services coverage of GSW 2019 has been provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage from GSW 2019. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary report from the meeting, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Peter Murunga, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Serah Kiragu-Wissler, TMG Research Co-Facilitator Alice Kaudia, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Eco-Entrepreneurs Ltd. Co-Facilitator Alexander Müller, Managing Director, TMG Research Participants watching a video presentation by TMG and GRAF Jes Weigelt, TMG Research Saydou Koudougou, GRAF Co-Facilitators Alexander Müller, Managing Director, TMG Research, and Alice Kaudia, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Eco-Entrepreneurs Ltd. going over the agenda for the day Analysis of Cases - Parallel Implementers' Workshops David Kersting, Co-Moderator, GIZ (right) L-R: David Kersting, Co-Moderator, GIZ, with Zacharie Segda, Minister of Agriculture, Burkina Faso Paul Okongo, Kenyan Farmer Rhoda Birech, Limbua Foundation Violet Shivutse, Shibuye Community Health Workers Co-moderator Sonja Scheele, TMG Research Co-moderator Alexander Erlewein, GIZ Workshop session from the Cocoa room Jony Girma, Apis Agribusiness Ann-Kathrin Neureuther, Rare Carolyne Musee, Vi Agroforestry Amos Wekesa, Vi Agroforestry Walter Engelberg, GIZ Leigh Ann Winowiecki, ICRAF L-R: Samie Blasingame, TMG Research, with Zwide Jere, Total Land Care, Malawi L-R: Marai El Fassi, TMG Research, with Joseph Letunyoi, Laikipia Permaculture Centre