Youth

The High-level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) took place on Thursday, 21 April 2016, at UN Headquarters, in New York. Following opening keynote speeches, plenary convened throughout the day for national statements on the theme “Action at All Levels: National Implementation.” In the morning, two panels took place on the theme “financing poverty eradication and sustainable development” addressing successful frameworks and strategies for financing SDGs and the paradigm shift towards low carbon societies, and enhancing international cooperation in tax and financial matters. A high-level lunch discussed partnerships for SDG implementation. In the afternoon, two panels took place under the theme “technology and data for SDGs,” on enhancing technology development and cooperation for SDGs and harnessing the data revolution for SDGs. In the evening, a high-level reception addressed climate action in the context of sustainable development. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided web coverage from the High Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a briefing note from the debate in HTML and PDF formats. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Opening Ceremony Drummers from Mamaroneck High School President of the UNGA Mogens Lykketoft Moderator Ghida Fakhry UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson Forest Whitaker, SDG Advocate and Actor Victoria Barrett, ACE Fellow Leymah Gbowee, SDG Advocate and Liberian peace activist Sunny George Verghese, Co–Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, Olam International Ltd. Moderated dialogue on the SDGs L-R: Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Deputy Director-General, International Institute for Applied System Analysis; Moderator Ghida Fakhry; and Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute, Columbia University Statements: János Áder, President, Hungary Ribulik Naoero, President, Nauru Evo Morales, President of Bolivia Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director Youth participants at the SDGs Interactive Dialogues: Financing Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development View of the interactive dialogue on financing poverty eradication and sustainable development L-R: Barbara Adams, Senior Policy Advisor, Global Policy Forum; Namita Vikas, Group President and Country Head, Responsible Banking & Chief Sustainability Officer, YES Bank; Torbin Möger Pedersen, CEO, Pension Denmark; Izabella Teixeira, Minister of Environment, Brazil; Maggie Lake, Anchor and Correspondent, CNN International; and Mark Carney, Governor, Bank of England Barbara Adams, Senior Policy Advisor, Global Policy Forum Namita Vikas, Group President and Country Head, Responsible Banking & Chief Sustainability Officer, YES Bank Izabella Teixeira, Minister of Environment, Brazil Torbin Möger Pedersen, CEO, Pension Denmark Maggie Lake, Anchor and Correspondent, CNN International Mark Carney, Governor, Bank of England L-R: Enrique García Rodríguez, Executive President and CEO, Development Bank of Latin America; Héla Cheikhrouhou, Executive Director, Green Climate Fund; and Stefano Prato, Managing Director, Society for International Development Enhancing International Cooperation in Tax and Finance Matters L-R: Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International; Vicente Paolo Yu, Head of Administration and Coordinator, Global Governance for Development Programme, South Centre; Min Zhu, Deputy Managing Director, IMF; Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General, UNCTAD; José Antonio Ocampo, Director of the Economic and Political Development Concentration in the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; and Tom Butler, President and CEO, International Council on Mining and Metals Vicente Paolo Yu, Head of Administration and Coordinator, Global Governance for Development Programme, South Centre Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General, UNCTAD L-R: Tove Maria Ryding, Policy and Advocacy Manager – Tax Justice, EURODAD; and Marcos Bonturi, Director, Global Relations Secretariat, OECD Technology and Data for SDGs: Enhancing Technology Development and Cooperation for SDGs L-R: Andrew Steer, President and CEO, World Resources Institute; Thomas Videbeck, Novozymes; Sirodjidin Aslov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tajikistan; Esben Lunde Larsen, Minister for Environment and Food, Denmark; Rachel Kyte, CEO, SE4ALL, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General; and Barbara Birungi, Director, Women in Technology, Uganda Andrew Steer, President and CEO, World Resources Institute Barbara Birungi, Director, Women in Technology Uganda Rachel Kyte, CEO, SE4ALL, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General Harnessing the Data Revolution for SDGs—Opportunities and Challenges Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, UNDESA L-R: Amina Mohammed, Minister of Environment, Nigeria; Lara Birkes, Chief Sustainability Officer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Lisa Grace Bersales, Co-Chair, IAEG-SDGs; Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA; Christian Friis Bach, Chair, UN Regional Economic Commissions; and Erica Hagen, Board Member and Founder, Map Kibera Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA Amina Mohammed, Minister of Environment, Nigeria Christian Friis Bach, Chair, UN Regional Economic Commissions High-Level Lunch: Partnerships for SDG Implementation L-R: Rhea Suh, President, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC); Peter Bakker, President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); Jeremy Oppenheim, Programme Director, Global Business for Sustainable Development; and Moderator Ghida Fakhry High-Level Reception: Climate Action in the Context of Sustainable Development Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Rumaihi, Minister of Municipality and Environment, Qatar Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez, Civil society representative L-R: Victoria Barrett, ACE Fellow; Rima Cempaka, Office of the President of the General Assembly; Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez, Civil society representative

On Friday morning, following presentations by two young “agripreneurs,” participants reconvened in thematic groups to finalize their messages and collective actions for inclusion in the GCARD3 Outcomes Statement. In the afternoon, participants convened in plenary for presentation of the Youth Agripreneurs Project (YAP) awards. Peter Casier, Independent Consultant, introduced five of the six YAP finalists from Barbados, India, the Philippines, Ethiopia and Kenya who each described their winning projects. Following an overview by Chairs and Co-chairs of the key messages from the two days of thematic discussions, Shadrack Moephuli, President and CEO, ARC, presented the draft GCARD3 Outcomes Statement for adoption. He noted that the Outcomes Statement sketches the overall context of the GCARD3 Global Event and the five key challenges that were explored during the thematic discussions. Moephuli then highlighted the main messages and commitments that emerged from the five thematic groups, noting commitments to, inter alia: establish innovative, farmer-led platforms; create 1,000 additional PhDs per year in “next-generation, future-relevant agricultural research”; continue professional development in agriculture for innovation and entrepreneurship; develop a “culture of impact”; contribute to national measurements of progress and create a platform to harmonize agriculture-related indicators linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); build value chain partnerships, while protecting smallholder farmers’ access to resources and developing their business skills; and address cross-cutting themes such as public health and nutrition in agricultural research and innovation programmes. A final high-level panel discussion moderated by Frank Rijsberman, CEO, CGIAR Consortium, provided regional and global perspectives relating to the GCARD3 outcomes. Mariam Al Jaajaa, The Arab Network for Food Sovereignty/Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, highlighted the growing problem of food insecurity due to protracted crises in the Near East and North Africa region, and stressed the need for comprehensive research to understand the root causes and devise strategies to create a better future. Bernard Rey, European Commission, highlighted the jointly funded and co-owned EU-Africa Partnership on Research and Innovation on food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture. Elisabeth Atangana, Plate-forme Régionale des Organisations Paysannes d’Afrique Centrale (PROPAC) underlined the need for science to evolve and adapt to communities’ demands. Sana Jatta, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), recommended deeper involvement of developing country governments in the GCARD process. Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb, Minister of State, Belgium, called for increasing resources in rural communities through government lobbying and decentralization. In his vote of thanks Rijsberman noted the Conference had offered an invaluable networking opportunity and welcomed the feedback provided by various stakeholders on how to align the new Strategic Framework with national and regional priorities. Noting that “for first time, we have bridged science and society to shape our futures,” Mark Holderness, Executive Secretary, GFAR, expressed appreciation for the willingness shown by more than 500 GCARD3 delegates from 83 countries “to go forward together.” He noted that the Conference has shaped a package of tangible actions that “we can proudly take to the SDGs review process.” Litha Magingxa, Agricultural Research Council (ARC), thanked partners, organizing committees, theme Chairs and Co-chairs, ‘catalysts,’ participants and all others involved in the organization and facilitation of the event. He declared GCARD3 closed at 5:35 pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage from GCARD3. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has produced a summary report from GCARD3, which is available in HTML and PDF formats. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Morning Plenary Participants during the morning plenary Maria Letizia Gardoni, Coldiretti Giovani Impresa Tshepiso Marumo, Tshepiso Bees Theme 1: Scaling Up - From Research to Impact Presenters for Theme 1 Judith Francis, Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA)/ European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development (EFARD) Raghunath Ghodake, Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) Christian Hoste, Agreenium Marc Bernard, AfricaRice Participants discuss matters in breakout groups Theme 2: Showcasing Results and Demonstrating Impacts Participants discuss matters related to Theme 2 Sana Jatta, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Mellissa Wood, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Ashok Ambalal Patel, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University Participants work in breakout groups Theme 3: Keeping Science Relevant and Future-Focused Participants listen to presentations related to Theme 3 Iddo Dror, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Lana Repar, Agricultural Transformation by Innovation (AgTraIn)/Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) Europe James Kung'u, Kenyatta University Trevor Nicholls, CEO, Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) Participants in breakout groups Theme 4: Sustaining the Business of Farming A participant takes notes during discussions on Theme 4 Litha Magingxa, Agricultural Research Centre (ARC) Oseyemi Akinbamijo, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) Participants discuss matters related to Theme 4 Theme 5: Ensuring Better Rural Futures Robin Bourgeois, Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), facilitates a discussion around Theme 5 Participants work in breakout groups Afternoon Plenary Peter Casier, Independent Consultant, thanks Fiona Chandler, GFAR, for her support in realizing the Youth Agripreneurs Project Josine Macaspac, the Philippines Jony Girma, Ethiopia Kellyann Allicot, Barbados Lillian Beauttah, Kenya Nikki Pilania Chaudhary, India Michelle Kovacevic, YPARD Chairs from the thematic groups report back on their sessions Theme 1 Chair Patrick Caron, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), and Co-Chair Judith Francis, CTA/EFARD Theme 2 Chair Thomas Price, GFAR, and Co-Chair Dhanush Dinesh, CGIAR Theme 3 Chair Aissetou Yaye, African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) (center), and Co-Chairs Shoba Sivasankar, CGIAR (left), and Wayne Powell, CGIAR (right) Theme 4 Chair Jethro Greene, Caribbean Farmers’ Network (CaFAN) Theme 5 Chair Iman El-Kaffass, Independent Consultant (center), Co-Chair Courtney Paisley, YPARD (right), and facilitator Robin Bourgeois, GFAR (left) Jasper Rees, ARC Closing Plenary Panel speakers for the closing plenary Mariam Al Jaajaa, The Arab Network for Food Sovereignty/ Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) Bernard Rey, European Commission Frank Rijsberman, CEO, CGIAR Consortium Sana Jatta, IFAD Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb, Minister of State, Belgium Elisabeth Atangana, Plate-forme Régionale des Organisations Paysannes d’Afrique Centrale (PROPAC) Shadrack Moephuli, President and CEO, ARC Mark Holderness, GFAR Around the Venue Participants before the start of plenary Hlamalani Ngwenya, Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), and Nkhensani Khosa, Women on the Move Tshepiso Marumo, Tshepi Bees, speaks with Courtney Paisley, YPARD Participants between sessions Participants meet informally A participant checks the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) website Support staff for the meeting IISD team covering the GCARD3 meeting (L-R): Wangu Mwangi, Cleo Verkuijl, Olivia Freeman and Kiara Worth

On Wednesday morning, the GCARD3 opening plenary began with a historical overview of the GCARD process. Mark Holderness, Executive Secretary, Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), described how the 2008 food crisis led to the initiation of the GCARD process resulting in the GCARD Road Map and the reform of the CGIAR. Kwesi Atta-Krah, CGIAR, highlighted some lessons and recommendations from the national and regional consultations leading up to GCARD3, followed by a panel discussion focusing on recent GCARD consultations in Tanzania, Ethiopia, India and the Asia-Pacific region. The opening plenary concluded with two keynote addresses by youth representatives. Jim Cano, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), posed the challenge of getting youth interested in agriculture. Dimakatso Sekhoto, Makolobane Farmers Enterprises, discussed her vision for contributing to agricultural transformation in South Africa as a young, emerging, black, female farmer. Delegates then convened in parallel discussion sessions for the rest of the day, focusing on the five GCARD3 themes of: ‘Scaling up - from research to impact’; ‘Showcasing results and demonstrating impact’; ‘Keeping science relevant and future-focused’; ‘Sustaining the business of farming’; and ‘Ensuring better rural futures.’ The discussions were facilitated by ‘catalysts’ who presented key challenges, opportunities and emerging issues. Round table discussions then took place to elicit concrete lessons and future-oriented recommendations that will be included in the Conference’s final outcome. Discussions under the first theme were chaired by Patrick Caron, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and co-chaired by Judith Francis, Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA). These addressed how to scale up research through improved linkages and learning across the local, national, regional and global levels. Presentations highlighted strategies for achieving scale in research for impact drawing on theories, case studies and tools to facilitate and evaluate impact. The second theme was chaired by Thomas Price, GFAR and co-chaired by Dhanush Dinesh, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), and focused on experiences from different organizations involved in agricultural research and innovation in showcasing their research results and demonstrating impact. Under the third theme, which was chaired by Aissétou Yayé, African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE), and co-chaired by Wayne Powell and Shoba Sivasankar, CGIAR, the discussions highlighted challenges, perspectives, strategies, solutions and collective actions needed to scale-out individual and institutional capacity development. The fourth theme, chaired by Jethro Greene, Caribbean Farmers’ Network (CaFAN) and co-chaired by Pamella Thomas, CaFAN, and Naledi Magowe, Brastorne Enterprises, explored how agri-food research and innovation partners across the spectrum of research, education, extension and business can support each link in the value chain. Under the fifth theme, which was chaired by Iman El-Kaffass, Independent Consultant, and co-chaired by Courtney Paisley, YPARD, the discussions addressed grassroots and regional perspectives in ensuring better rural futures, with a focus on: milestones, outputs and outcomes; and partnerships and resources needed towards collective action. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage from GCARD3. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has produced a summary report from GCARD3, which is available in HTML and PDF formats. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Morning Plenary Delegates gather for the morning plenary Mark Holderness, Global Forum of Agricultural Research (GFAR) Kwesi Atta-Krah, CGIAR Jim Cano, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) Dimakatso Sekhoto, Makolobane Farmers Enterprises Panel speakers during the morning plenary Regina Emilian Kapinga, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Siboniso Moyo, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Peter Carberry, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Raghunath Ghodake, Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) Theme 1: Scaling Up - From Research to Impact Delegates gather to discuss matters related to Theme 1 Chair Patrick Caron, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) Ulf Magnusson, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Aboubakar Njoya, West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) Sophia Alami, CIRAD Tom Remington, International Potato Center (CIP) Theme 2: Showcasing Results and Demonstrating Impact Delegates gather to discuss matters related to Theme 2 Rémi Kahane, Platform for African European Partnership on Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD) Ehsan Dulloo, Bioversity International Raghunath Ghodake, APAARI Participants break out into discussion groups Theme 3: Keeping Science Relevant and Future-Focused Delegates gather to discuss matters related to Theme 3 Raymond Erick Zvavanyange, YPARD Co-Chair Shoba Sivasankar, CGIAR Eike Luedeling, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Didier Pilot, AGRINATURA John Kennelly, University of Alberta Theme 4: Sustaining the Business of Farming Delegates gather to discuss matters related to Theme 4 Chair Jethro Greene, Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN) Wole Fatunbi, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) Agnes Mwang’ombe, University of Nairobi Pamella Thomas, CaFAN Delegates discuss in groups Theme 5: Ensuring Better Rural Futures Presenters for Theme 5 Chair Iman El-Kaffass, Independent Consultant Nelson Ojijo, FARA Mohammadreza Davari, YPARD Elisabeth Atangana, Plate-forme Régionale des Organisations Paysannes d’Afrique Centrale (PROPAC) Joseph Jojo Baidu-Forson, Bioversity International YPARD Celebration: 10 Years of Youth Engagement in Agriculture Participants gather to celebrate 10 years of YPARD Daniela Rivas Aybar, Peru Msekiwa Matsimbe, Malawi Kristina Roing de Nowina, IITA Courtney Paisley, YPARD A 10-year anniversary cake Around the Venue Participants gather before the start of plenary Participants meet informally Participants work in small groups A participant checks the daily programme Materials on display around the venue

Delegates at the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (OECPR-2) discussed the proposed outcome of the ministerial High-Level Segment of the Second UN Environment Assembly of the UN Environment Programme (UNEA-2) in the morning, while Cluster 2 discussed a resolution on sustainable consumption and production (SCP). In the afternoon, Cluster 3 discussed resolutions on marine plastic debris and microplastics, and on the International Environment Forum for Basin Organizations. Cluster 5 addressed the UNEP Medium-Term Strategy (MTS), Programme of Work (PoW) and budget. In the evening, Cluster 1 discussed promoting the effective implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, and the roles of UNEP and UNEA in delivering on the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, while Cluster 4 conducted a second reading of resolutions dealing with natural capital and conflict-affected areas. Negotiations continued late into the night. A side event on “Guidelines for Integrated Waste Management Framework Legislation” took place at lunchtime, convened by UNEP. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from OECPR-2. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary and analysis from OECPR-2 in HTML and PDF formats. Available in ENB Mobile at: http://enb.iisd.mobi/unep-oecpr2016/. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Discussion of UNEA-2 High-Level Segment Outcome L-R: Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary of Governing Bodies, UNEP; Julia Pataki, CPR Chair; and Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, UNEP Julia Pataki, CPR Chair Herman Sips, EU Joel Hansen, US Raúl Rodríguez Ramos, Cuba Sherif Dawoud, Egypt Clara Cerqueira, Brazil Yingxian Xia, China Kennedy Samaneka, Zimbabwe, speaking on behalf of the African Group Miak Aw Hui Min, Singapore Eduardo Sánchez, Mexico Cluster 1 Delegates gather to discuss matters related to Cluster 1 Cluster 1 Chair Pedro Escosteguy Cardoso, Brazil Majid Shafie-Pour, Iran Bibiana Jones, Argentina, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China Cluster 2 Delegates gather to discuss matters related to Cluster 2 Cluster 2 Chair John Moreti, Botswana Ayelén María Ghersi, Argentina Timothy Epp, US Hussein Roshdy, Egypt Iván Mendoza Benítez, Colombia Cluster 3 Delegates gather to discuss matters related to Cluster 3 Cluster 3 Chair Corinna Enders, Germany Ingeborg Mork-Knutsen, Norway Sylvie Côté, Canada Cluster 4 Delegates gather to discuss matters related to Cluster 4 Ntesang Molemele, Botswana Mphatso Kamanga, Malawi Nathan Ndoboli, Uganda Cluster 5 Amendments are made to the negotiating text in Cluster 5 Cluster 5 Chair Raza Bashir Tarar, Pakistan Wilson Sumner, US Ruth Kitonyi, Kenya Abdullah K. Tawlah, Saudi Arabia UNEP Side Event: Guidelines for Integrated Waste Management Framework Legislation Panel speakers for the event (L-R): Marcello Cousillas, Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, Uruguay; Christine Akello, National Environment Management Authority, Uganda; Oyun Sanjaasuren, UNEA President; Naohito Watanabe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan; and Sumitra Amatya, National Planning Commission, Nepal Oyun Sanjaasuren, UNEA President Naohito Watanabe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan Moderator Mahesh Pradhan, UNEP Masa Nagai, UNEP Surendra Shrestha, UNEP Around the Venue Major Groups and Stakeholders strategy meeting Delegates between sessions Delegates from Nigeria Delegates from the Children and Youth Major Group Cluster 1 Chair Pedro Escosteguy Cardoso and Marcela Nicodemos, Brazil, speak with delegates Delegates from the Asia region meet informally Masa Nagai and Surendra Shrestha, UNEP Fiona Fraser and Alex Surace, Australia Delegates from the EU Oyun Sanjaasuren, UNEA President, with Naohito Watanabe, Japan The UNEP grounds at night

In preparation for the second meeting of the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (OECPR-2), Major Groups and Stakeholders (MGS) met on Sunday, 14 February 2016, at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Kenya. They discussed, inter alia: the need for input from UNEA-2 to the Third UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III); the environmental impact of the refugee crisis; and the role of the MGS in the OECPR and UNEA processes. The MGS also engaged in joint and working group talks on the OECPR agenda, with a view to presenting concrete messages to Member States on the draft resolutions to be negotiated and forwarded to UNEA-2. They considered topics including: the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda; the Paris Climate Agreement; mobilizing finances for investment in sustainable development; the Global Thematic Report on the theme of “Healthy Environment – Healthy People”; and the sixth Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-6) process. Julia Pataki, CPR Chair, expressed appreciation for the contribution of MGS to CPR meetings, assuring them that the CPR “is determined to continue on a path of openness and transparency.” Ibrahim Thiaw, UNEP Deputy Executive Director, noted that as implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) begins, the world’s attention has been taken up by humanitarian crises. He drew attention to the need for tackling the root causes of displacement and conflict, and urged MGS to highlight critical challenges such as integrating the climate and biodiversity agendas, “decarbonizing and detoxifying” economic growth, and moving beyond “private sector philanthropy” towards new sustainable business models. In the afternoon, MGS held an interactive dialogue with representatives of Member States and Jorge Laguna Celis, UNEP Secretariat of Governing Bodies. They discussed issues including improving opportunities for stakeholder engagement through creative and less costly means of interaction, and implementing a genuinely inclusive green economy agenda. Member States endorsed the role of stakeholders in the preparations toward UNEA-2. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from OECPR-2. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary and analysis from OECPR-2 in HTML and PDF formats. Available in ENB Mobile at: http://enb.iisd.mobi/unep-oecpr2016/. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. View of the dais at the start of the Major Groups and Stakeholders Preparatory Meeting Julia Pataki, CPR Chair Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, UNEP Yunus Arikan, Local Authorities Major Group Tareq Hassan, Arab Youth Climate Movement (AYCM) Peter Denson, Regional Representative for North America Members of civil society raise their hands during the meeting Norine Kennedy, Business and Industry Major Group Leida Rijnhout, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Major Group Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary of Governing Bodies, UNEP Jan-Gustav Strandenaes, Stakeholder Forum Major Groups and Stakeholders discussions continue throughout the day Fazal Issa, Regional Representative for Africa Dalia Marquez, Children and Youth Major Group Brian Aberi, International Youth Council