The World Council of Churches says it has reached an agreement with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for the two international organizations to work more closely on several global issues, particularly climate change.
Participants at the third World Congress of Biosphere Reserves, which took place from 4-9 February 2008, in Madrid, Spain, and was organized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), have adopted the Madrid Declaration, which underlines that biosphere reserves can spur efforts “to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and to promote the greater use of renewable energy,” as well as to tackle challenges such as the loss of traditional knowledge and cultural diversity. 
Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO’s Director-General, will officially launch the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) during ceremonies on 12-13 February 2008 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. 
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Delegates to the 122nd session of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Executive Board meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, adopted a resolution on climate change and health (EB122.R4). 
In an address to the Information Meeting of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Executive Board, Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, said UNESCO will extend current research efforts – such as those undertaken by the World Climate Research Programme jointly sponsored by WMO, UNESCO/IOC and ICSU – to include adaptation research. 
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