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Newsletter 08 Jul 2024

Environment: What’s Up in GENeva | 8 – 21 July 2024

The Geneva Environment Network’s weekly newsletter includes the latest information on the global environmental agenda, main events, job vacancies, as well as other useful resources and updates. Stay tuned and follow us on X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Youtube, or visit our website regularly for additional updates.

As the holiday season has begun for many, this newsletter exceptionally covers a period of two weeks. Consult our green summer in Geneva update for suggestions of activities.

Image of the week | The UN Special Rapporteur of the Aarhus Convention on Environmental Defenders, Michel Forst, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change, Elisa Morgera, exchanging experiences and perspectives with the audience during the Geneva Rights and Climate Talks session on The Crucial Role of Environmental Defenders in Ensuring a Safe Climate. © UNEP/GEN | Palais des Nations, 3 July 2024

Rooting Sustainable Wildlife Trade and Conservation in Science

Scientific experts serving as Members of the scientific advisory bodies to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as well as representatives of observer Parties and observer organizations to the Convention, are gathering in Geneva for the 27th meeting of the CITES Plants Committee (PC27) and the 33rd Meeting of the CITES Animals Committee (AC33), taking place back to back, respectively from 8 to 12 July and 12 to 19 July 2024, at the International Conference Center Geneva (CICG).

  • The CITES Plants Committee will discuss the regulation of trade in medicinal and aromatic plants, orchids, and various African and neotropical tree species. Plants comprise over 80 percent of the wildlife species listed in the Appendices of the Convention – roughly 35,000 species. → Read the CITES Press Release, consult all documents, watch live, and check our dedicated page for highlights
  • For the review of matters concerning both fauna and flora, the CITES Plants Committee will meet with the CITES Animals Committee for a joint session on 12 and 13 July 2024, to address key complementary matters including the transport of live specimens and guidance on Non-detriment Findings (NDFs).
  • The CITES Animals Committee will address various agenda items, including review of significant trade in specimens, and discuss species such as the West African vultures, amphibians, tortoises in Madagascar, big cats, pangolins, songbird, eels, sharks and rays, and  seahorses. → Consult all documents and check our dedicated page for highlights
  • As part of the meetings, various side events will be taking place in Room 4 (level -1 of CICG), from 12:15-13:45 and 17:15-18:45 CEST.

Promoting Human-Rights in the UN Common Approach to Biodiversity

As part of the UN Common Approach to Biodiversity webinar series, the UN Environment Management Group is organizing an interactive webinar “Incorporating human rights-based approaches to biodiversity conservation: A UN inter-agency and multi-stakeholder discussion”, on Tuesday 9 July from 14:00–15:30 CEST.  This event, hosted in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), will launch a new sub-series within the Common Approach to Biodiversity Webinar Series, focusing on the incorporation of human rights-based approaches to biodiversity conservation.  The sub-series aims to build capacity on and promote human rights-based approaches to the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity, and the equitable sharing of the benefits from its utilization. It will promote awareness and implementation of the Common Approach in the UN system, as well as exchange and disseminate best practices and lessons learned from actions that consider rights-based approaches for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. → Register to join online on 9 July from 14:00–15:30 CEST.

Environment @ 56th Session of the Human Rights Council

The 56th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC56) is expected to conclude in Geneva on 12 July. → Consult regular updates on key environmental issues at HRC56, side events, and further resources available on our dedicated HRC56 and the environment update.

Resolutions relating to the global environmental agenda tabled at this session include:

  • A/HRC/56/L.12 | Freedom of opinion and expression | Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Brazil, Canada, Fiji, Namibia, Sweden
  • A/HRC/56/L.14/Rev.1 | Human rights and climate change | Viet Nam, Bangladesh, Philippines
  • A/HRC/56/L.17 | Enhancing the support capabilities of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights, established by Human Rights Council resolution 26/9 | Ecuador
  • A/HRC/56/L.19 | The promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests | Switzerland, Costa Rica
  • A/HRC/56/L.23 | Plastic pollution implications on the full enjoyment of human rights | Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru

Notable events taking place this week include:

Recent news related to topics addressed at the Council include:

Advancing the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The 17th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) is taking place at Palais des Nations, from 8 to 12 July 2024. EMRIP is a subsidiary body of the Human Rights Council, created through HRC resolution 6/36 adopted in 2007, meeting once a year to provide Indigenous-based expertise to the Council.

At this session, the Expert Mechanism will present the draft study on “Constitutions, laws, legislation, policies, judicial decisions and other mechanisms through which States have taken measures to achieve the ends of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in accordance with article 38 of the Declaration” (A/HRC/EMRIP/2024/2). The study concludes with Expert Mechanism Advice No. 17 (2024) on how States should take such measures to achieve the ends of the Declaration within the context of their human rights obligations and responsibilities. The Expert Mechanism will also tackle the agenda of enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples’ representatives and institutions in meetings of relevant United Nations bodies on issues affecting them. This takes place ahead of the First intersessional meeting of the Human Rights Council on concrete ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Council on 18-19 July 2024 at Palais des Nations.

As the environment is tackled in this session, consult a list of environment-related side events and activities taking place on the sidelines of the 17th session, including:

  • UNVF and Indigenous Peoples Participation in UN Meetings | 8 July 2024 | 16:00-17:00 CEST | Room XXVI | OHCHR/UNVFIP | Interpretation E, F, S, P, R
  • Bridging Generation: Social-transformation, Climate-justice | 9 July 2024 | 10:00-11:00 CEST | Room XXVI | INCOMINDIOS | Interpretation E, S
  • Acuerdo Agrario de Paz Guatemala | 9 July 2024 | 14:00-15:00 CEST | Room VIII | Peace Brigades International | No interpretation
  • Aty Seikuinduwa: Judge Between Worlds | 9 July 2024 | 19:00-21:00 CEST | Route de Ferney 106 | Docip | Interpretation E, S
  • Medicamentos indígenas y propiedad intelectual | 10 July 2024 | 9:00-10:00 CEST | Room VIII | Maloca Internationale | No interpretation
  • Recognition of Existence of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation | 10 July 2024 | 10:00-11:00 CEST | Room VIII | Amazon Conservation Team | Interpretation E, S
  • Indigenous Peoples against gold-mining in Brazilian Amazon | 10 July 2024 | 15:00-16:00 CEST | Room VIII | Aliança em Defesa dos Territórios | Interpretation E, P, S
  • Enhanced Participation of Indigenous Peoples at the HRC | 11 July 2024 | 11:00-12:00 CEST | Room XXVI | Indigenous Coordinating Body (ICB) | Interpretation E, S, F
  • Regional perspectives: Participation and Representation | 11 July 2024 | 16:30-18:00 CEST | Room XXVI | Genève pour les droits de l’homme formation internationale | Interpretation E, F, S, R, A, P, Sami
  • Indigenous Peoples, Culture, Environment and Mining Rights | 12 July 2024 | 12:00-13:00 CEST | Room XXVI | Across Atlantic development LTD | Interpretation E, F
  • One Health approach to resilience and advance UNDRIP | 12 July 2024 | 13:00-14:30 CEST | Room XXVI | FAO | Interpretation E, F

→ Consult our dedicated event page highlighting environment-related activities at EMRIP17.

Road to Busan | Intersessional Work for Negotiations on a Plastics Treaty

At the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), the Committee accepted the proposal of a compilation document of the five non-papers prepared by the Sub-Groups. The compilation document (UNEP/PP/INC.5/4), released by the INC Secretariat on 1 July 2024, will be the starting point for continued negotiations at the in-person meeting of Ad Hoc Intersessional Open-ended Expert Groups, scheduled in Bangkok in August 2024, and at its fifth session (INC-5), scheduled in Busan, in November 2024. Various observers noted that the document contains an important number of brackets.

An upcoming Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogue will present the results of the research “Global producer responsibility for plastic pollution”, published in Science Advances, and discuss how they can help the development of the legally binding treaty. The event will discuss the findings of a research that has used data from a 5-year (2018–2022) worldwide (84 countries) program to identify brands found on plastic items in the environment through 1,576 audit events. → Register on Webex to attend the webinar taking place on 23 July 2024 from 16:00 to 17:30 CEST.

Other relevant news and upcoming events related to plastics and the Plastics treaty include:

International Geneva at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

The 2024 edition of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is taking place frm 8 to 17 July 2024 at the UN Headquarters in New York, under the theme “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions” (A/DEC/77/553). It will include the three-day ministerial segment of the forum from 15 to 17 July 2024 and the High-level Segment of ECOSOC on 18 July 2024. 

The Forum will feature an in-depth review of various Sustainable Development Goals, including  Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere; Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture; Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts; Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels; and Goal 17.  →  Follow the Earth Negotiation Bulletin daily summaries and highlights

Various Geneva actors will be in New York to contribute to HLPF 2024, and will organize side events, including:

Santiago Network on Loss and Damage

The Second Advisory Board Meeting of the Santiago Network for averting, minimizing, and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change took place in Geneva earlier this month. The meeting’s goal was to develop draft guidelines on preventing potential and addressing actual and perceived conflicts of interest in relation to the Santiago network, including any conflicts of interest that may arise when organizations, bodies, networks, and experts (OBNEs) are engaged in providing technical support to the Santiago network secretariat while responding to technical assistance requests, or when the host of the Santiago network secretariat is responding as an OBNE to technical assistance requests. At its closing, the meeting only adopted the guidelines for the Designation of Organizations, Bodies, Networks and Experts (OBNEs). The meeting was stalled by discussions on a new document on the results framework of the Santiago Network, which adoption was postponed to when the Director of the Santiago Network and the permanent Secretariat will be in place. To advance work related to the guidelines for responding to Technical Assistance requests, intersessional work will be carried out ahead of the third meeting.

More Happening Abroad

What (Else) To Read Next?

  • DDG Paugam — WTO at a “crossroads” in addressing trade and climate nexus | WTO | 4 July 2024
    With uncoordinated green actions having the potential to fragment world trade and trigger unnecessary conflicts, the cause of the environment “will oblige us in the WTO to invent new forms of trade commitments and global cooperation.
  • Digital regulators embrace strategy to unlock benefits of transformative technologies | ITU | 3 July 2024
    “With change being the only certainty facing regulators and policymakers, we must work together to pursue regulatory approaches to leverage transformative technologies such as AI, promote the space economy, encourage innovation, and support climate action and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
  • ITLOS Clarifies State Obligations Under UNCLOS in Relation to Climate Change | IISD SDG Knowledge Hub | 3 July 2024
    According to the advisory opinion, States do not only have the obligation to take all necessary measures to prevent, reduce, and control marine pollution from anthropogenic GHG emissions with respect to areas under their jurisdiction or control, but also in a transboundary setting.
  • Rebuilding Global Fisheries, Safeguarding Biodiversity Requires Urgent Action | Pew Charitable Trust | 3 July 2024
    Last month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released its latest report on the state of the world’s fisheries and aquaculture, and it is a disappointing indictment of how governments are managing our shared ocean resources. Despite some success stories, including the recoveries of some previously overfished tuna species, the number of fish populations within biologically sustainable limits has decreased from 90% in 1974 to 62% in 2021, and overfishing remains the greatest threat to ocean health.
  • Joint Ministerial Statement on Conclusion of Negotiations for the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability | Ministers for Trade from Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand and Switzerland | 2 July 2024
    The ACCTS will deliver new, high-quality, trade commitments that meaningfully contribute to addressing climate change as well as loss of biodiversity, pollution, and other serious environmental challenges. In delivering the ACCTS, we continue to recognise the challenges faced by developing countries and their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.
  • Record-breaking Hurricane Beryl threatens Caribbean | WMO | 2 July 2024
    Hurricane Beryl poses a major threat to communities in the Caribbean Sea after intensifying at an explosive rate. It is the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record. It sets an alarming precedent for what is expected to be a very active hurricane season with risks for the entire basin and once again highlights the need for multi-hazard early warnings.
  • Cambodia: Environmental Activists Sentenced to 6 to 8 Years | Human Rights Watch | 2 July 2024
    The Phnom Penh Capital Court handed down a guilty verdict in the criminal trial of 10 activists from Mother Nature, an award-winning, youth-led Cambodian environmental group, on charges that stem from the group’s peaceful environmental activism from 2012 to 2021. At least four of the activists were immediately arrested outside the courtroom, where they were sitting with supporters and calling for a more just court system that defends environmental rights.
  • UNESCO raises global alarm on the rapid degradation of soils | UNESCO | 1 July 2024
    Healthy soils are essential for maintaining ecosystems and biodiversity, regulating the climate, producing food and purifying water. However, according to the World Atlas of Desertification, 75% of them are already degraded, directly impacting 3.2 billion people. And if current trends continue, this proportion will rise to 90% by 2050.
  • The Geneva Graduate Institute and André Hoffmann sign an agreement to establish the Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability |  Geneva Graduate Institute | 1 July 2024
    Building on the rich legacy of the Geneva Graduate Institute Centre for International Environmental Studies, the new Centre will conduct cutting-edge academic research on the complex interactions between natural, economic, social, legal and political systems and inform, through research, expertise and outreach, decision-making and action on global sustainability for a peaceful and equitable world for current and future living communities.
  • ASEAN Environmental Rights Declaration Needs Transparency | Human Rights Watch | 1 July 2024
    The working group released its first – and so far only – version of the draft declaration in March 2024 and solicited public comments. Human Rights Watch made a submission in April raising concerns over the text’s lack of protections for Indigenous peoples and failure to include provisions on corporate accountability and climate-related mobility – when the effects of climate change compel people to move.
  • Why carbon offsetting undermines climate targets | Joint CSOs Statement | 1 July 2024
    More than 80 leading civil society organizations have issued a joint statement rejecting the use of carbon offsets to meet corporate climate targets, calling on accounting bodies like the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to continue excluding offsets and stick to scientifically-sound methodologies for tracking corporate climate efforts.
  • Creation of international standard on net zero gets underway | ISO |  27 June 2024
    Work is underway to develop ISO’s first international standard on net zero. It will provide clarity on the net zero transition, robust requirements, and ultimately enable independently verified and comprehensive climate action and accelerate progress towards a sustainable world.

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23 Aug 2026

Ongoing Contests

Climate | Nature | Chemicals and Pollution

SDG11 | SDG12

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