Youth

Delegates from Canada, the EU, Kenya, the Philippines, and the US consulting on the resolution on intertidal wetlands During the morning and afternoon of COP13’s last day, plenary adopted the remaining 11 resolutions, on: financial and budgetary matters; enhancing the Convention’s implementation, visibility, and synergies with other multilateral environmental agreements; Ramsar Regional Initiatives 2019-2021 and their operational framework; future implementation of scientific and technical aspects of the Convention for 2019-2021; promoting conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of coastal blue carbon ecosystems; cultural values, indigenous peoples and local communities, and climate change mitigation and adaptation in wetlands; rapid assessment of wetland ecosystem services; sustainable agriculture in wetlands; promoting the conservation and wise use of intertidal wetlands and ecologically associated habitats; wetlands in West Asia; and wetlands in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. Delegates adopted one more resolution acknowledging and thanking the UAE for hosting COP13. Representatives from the Youth Engaged in Wetlands called on parties and all stakeholders to empower youth to actively participate in wetlands issues, and proposed “Youth in Wetlands” as the COP14 theme. COP13 President Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE, thanked delegates and organizers for their collaboration and team spirit at COP13, which was gaveled to a close at 4:36pm.Key takeaways from COP13 included: a step-by-step plan and timetable for including Arabic as the fourth official Convention language; a consensus approach and deft negotiations demonstrating that parties can reach agreement, even on politically sensitive issues, such as cooperation on wise use of wetlands in West Asia; and the launch of the Global Wetland Outlook as a significant accomplishment of both the STRP and CEPA Programme, underscoring the urgency and scale of work needed to ensure the conservation and wise use of wetlands. Please return to this site on 1 November for the Earth Negotiations Bulletin summary and analysis of Ramsar COP13. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided a curtain raiser, daily web coverage, and a summary and analysis report from COP13.   Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page COP13 Alternate President Mohamed Saif Al Afkham and Marwa Al Amiri, UAE Serge Hervé Ondoua, Cameroon Simon Malete, South Africa L-R: Rita Khanna and Manju Pandey, India L-R: Cheryl Case and David Stroud, UK L-R: María José Viñals and Magdalena Bernues Sanz, Spain Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland Hela Guidara, Tunisia Barbara De Rosa-Joynt, US Tricia Lovell, Antigua and Barbuda Monique Curtis, Jamaica Gert Michael Steiner, Austria Cynthia Silva Maturana, Bolivia Mark Taylor, Australia Daniel Nicer, the Philippines Anayeli Cabrera Murrieta, Mexico Yoshiko Motoyama, Japan Karen Jenderedjian, Armenia Pedro Julio Ruiz Hernandez, Cuba Abdou Salam Kane, Senegal Joon-woo Seo, Republic of Korea Subutay Yüksel, Turkey COP13 Vice President Paul Mafabi, Uganda, at the African Region consultations L-R: Jonathan Barzdo, Ramsar Deputy Secretary General; Martha Rojas Urrego, Ramsar Secretary General; COP13 Vice President Kristiina Niikkonen, Finland; and COP13 Alternate President Mohamed Saif Al Afkham   L-R: COP13 Vice President Paul Mafabi, Uganda; COP13 Alternate President Mohamed Saif Al Afkham; and COP13 Vice President Kristiina Niikkonen, Finland Delegates from the Latin America and the Caribbean Group consulting Delegates from the US, Iran and Iraq, consulting L-R: Takuma Satoh and Anne Valentina Bourbon, Youth Engaged in Wetlands Salomón Botero Bermudez, one of the youngest COP13 participants L-R: Martha Rojas Urrego, Ramsar Secretary General; COP13 President Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE; and COP13 Alternate President Mohamed Saif Al Afkham Martha Rojas Urrego, Ramsar Secretary General Jonathan Barzdo, Ramsar Deputy Secretary General COP13 Alternate President Mohamed Saif Al Afkham COP13 President Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi COP13 President Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi gaveled the meeting to a close at 4:36 pm  

Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE, receiving the Ramsar flag from Jorge Rucks, Vice Minister of Housing, Territorial Planning and Environment, Uruguay On Monday evening , 22 October, following a welcome reception, COP13 opened under the theme, "Wetlands for a Sustainable Urban Future" in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). During opening ceremonies, Uruguay, the COP12 host country, handed over the ceremonial Ramsar flag to UAE, transferring the COP Presidency for the next triennium.Delegates heard opening remarks from Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and  Environment, UAE, and Jorge Rucks, Chair of the Standing Committee. Additional speakers welcomed delegates, considered the Ramsar Convention in the international context, and highlighted wetlands protection and restoration efforts in the UAE.A video presentation illustrated the rich diversity of life in protected UAE wetlands. The evening closed with the Ramsar Awards Ceremony, which recognized: Fundación Global Nature, Spain, for wise use of wetlands; and Youth Climate Action Network of Samoa, for young wetlands champions. Ma Guangren, China, received a Merit award for lifetime achievement in wetlands conservation and restoration projects in China and Asia. Danone was recognized for its 20 years of commitment to conservation and sustainable management of wetlands of international importance. Regional meetings took place earlier in the day and a midday special event, “UN Ocean Conference Community of Ocean Action on Mangroves: Progress and Opportunities,” highlighted the critical role of mangrove ecosystems for coastal and ocean resilience. Key takeaways from the first day included: a strong emphasis on links between the Ramsar Convention and other international multilateral agreements, especially the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals; a sense that urgent action is needed at all levels; and recognition for those individuals and groups making a difference in wetlands protection and restoration. For a brief history of the Ramsar convention and more details on opening ceremonies, see our curtain raiser. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided a curtain raiser, daily web coverage, and a summary and analysis report from COP13.   Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Jorge Rucks, Vice Minister of Housing, Territorial Planning and Environment, Uruguay Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE Dawoud Al Hajiri, Dubai Municipality Razan Al Mubarak, Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi Stewart Maginnis, IUCN Peter Thomson, UN Special Envoy for the Ocean Martha Rojas Urrego, Ramsar Secretary General Elizabeth Mrema, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Jane Madgwick, Wetlands International Florence Fontani, Engie Video presentation on protected wetlands of the UAE   L-R: Facundo Etchebehere, Danone; Cosme Morillo, Fundación Global Nature, Spain; Jorge Rucks, Vice Minister of Housing, Territorial Planning and Environment, Uruguay; Samantha Kwan, Youth Climate Action Network, Samoa; Martha Rojas Urrego, Ramsar Secretary General; and Ma Guangren, Director General, China Wetland Conservation Association   L-R: Jorge Rucks, Vice Minister of Housing, Territorial Planning and Environment, Uruguay; and Facundo Etchebehere, Danone Special Event: UN Conference Community of Ocean Action on Mangroves L-R: Elizabeth Mrema, UNEP; Peter Thomson, UN Special Envoy for the Ocean; Martha Rojas Urrego, Ramsar Secretary General; and Stewart Maginnis, IUCN Peter Thomson, UN Special Envoy for the Ocean; and Martha Rojas Urrego, Ramsar Secretary General Elizabeth Mrema, UNEP Stewart Maginnis, IUCN Ana Paula Leite Prates, Brazil Mark Taylor, Australia Carolina Montalván, Ramsar Regional Initiative of Mangroves and Coral Reefs Ahmed Senhoury, Regional Partnership for Marine and Coastal Conservation in West Africa (PRCM) Michael Löfroth, Sweden Sandeep Singh, Fiji View of the room from the perspective of the dais L-R: Diane Klaimi, UNEP; Martha Rojas Urrego, Ramsar Secretary General; Elizabeth Mrema, UNEP; and Katharina Rogalla von Bieberstein, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC)  

CFS 45 Delegates gathered in the Red Room to share lessons and good practices ©FAO On Friday morning, CFS delegates attended two sessions on good practices and lessons sharing on: food systems and nutrition; and on CFS and the 2030 Agenda. In the afternoon, delegates completed the discussion of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018 Report and adopted the Meeting’s Report. During the session on food security and nutrition, keynote speaker Stineke Oenema, Coordinator of the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition, stressed the importance of nutrition for all SDGs and encouraged members to overcome institutional barriers and “start planning together.” Panelists then presented experiences and lessons learned, including: China’s National Nutrition Plan; Germany’s initiatives to improve the quality of convenience food and to reduce food waste; A tax on sugary beverages imposed in Mexico; and Using pulses to address anemia in women of reproductive age. During the session on CFS and the 2030 Agenda, panelists reported their experiences with SDG implementation. Key takeaways include: In Spain, the VNR process led to institutional realignment turning the 2030 Agenda into an “agenda of opportunities”; In the Dominican Republic, implementation of a roadmap for SDG 2 (zero hunger) also created benefits for education (SDG 4) and poverty (SDG 1); and In Sudan, the VNR process revealed the need to, among other needs, address livelihoods of women in agriculture, and making agriculture more attractive to youth. In the afternoon, delegates completed the consideration of the SOFI report and decided to urge all stakeholders to act to reverse the trend in rising hunger. Delegates then adopted the meeting’s report. CFS Chair Mario Arvelo gaveled the meeting to a close at 4:28pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web updates and a summary report from CFS 45. Ana Lartey, Director of Nutrition and Food Systems, FAO ©FAO Stineke Oenema, Coordinator, United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition ©FAO Kora Perlzweig, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Germany ©FAO Marisa Macari, El Poder del Consumidor (Mexico) ©FAO Zhang Zhiqiang, National Health Commission, China ©FAO Cindy Brown, Chippewa Valley Bean Co Inc, PSM ©FAO L-R : Valentia Savastano, CFS Vice Chair and Mark MacGuire, CFS Chair ad interim ©FAO Patricia Rodriguez, Alternate Permanent Representative of the UN Agencies of the Dominican Republic ©FAO Dais during the session on CFS and the SDGs. L-R:  Patricia Rodriguez, Alternate Permanent Representative of the UN Agencies of the Dominican Republic; Amir Abdulla, Deputy Executive Director, WFP; Mark McGuire, CFS Secretary at interim; Gabriel Ferrero, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spain; Sid Ahmed M. Alamain Hamid Alamain, Alternate Permanent Representative of the UN Agencies of Sudan ©FAO Gabriel Ferrero, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spain ©FAO Sid Ahmed M. Alamain Hamid Alamain, Alternate Permanent Representative of the UN Agencies of Sudan ©FAO CFS Side Event: CFS Boosting the Role of Farmers in Fairer and more Sustainable Value Chains ©FAO ©FAO ©FAO ©FAO CFS Side Event: Challenges and Opportunities for Youth in Agriculture – Perspectives from Future Leaders ©FAO ©FAO ©FAO ©FAO ©FAO