22 November 2008: The 35th Special Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference, which convened from 18-22 November 2008, in Rome, Italy, has adopted a three-year Immediate Plan of Action (IPA), which will implement an agenda for “reform with growth” as recommended by an independent external evaluation completed last year.
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20 November 2008: Organized by Tebtebba (Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Research and Education), the UN University (UNU) Institute of Advanced Studies Traditional Knowledge Initiative, the UN REDD Programme and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat, the Global Indigenous Peoples Consultation on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) was held from 12-14 November 2008, in Baguio City, the Philippines. Participants adopted a global indigenous peoples strategy on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
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19 November 2008: Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the
UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) addressed the African
Conference of Ministers in Charge of Environment on Climate Change for
Post-2012, and underscored the urgency of incorporating land and soil into the
climate change dialogue.
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14 November 2008: The first Special Session of the Committee
on Science and Technology (CST S-1) and the seventh session of the Committee
for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 7) of the UN
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) convened in Istanbul, Turkey, from
3-14 November 2008.
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29 October 2008: Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the UN
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) told a news conference at UN
Headquarters, NY, US, that “the nexus between land degradation and climate
change is clear,” with global warming being likely to lead to more extreme
weather events, which could lead to soil erosion and loss of land cover.
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27 October 2008: The Second Committee of the UN General
Assembly considered, on 27 October 2008, the Secretary-General’s note on
Implementation of UN environmental conventions, transmitting the report
submitted by the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, and the report of the
Secretary-General on implementation of the UN Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD) and the outcome of the observance of the International
Year of Deserts and Desertification (Document A/63/294).
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9 October 2008: The UN University (UNU) is hosting the
International Conference on Environment, Forced Migration and Social
Vulnerability, which is taking place in Bonn, Germany, from 9-11 October 2008.
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), UN Environment Programme
(UNEP), and International Organization for Migration (IOM) are among the
Conference’s organizing partners. Participants have been asked to capture the
current state of research and debate on the issue, and to conclude with
recommendations for moving forward.
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8 October 2008: In a statement to mark the International Day
of Disaster Reduction, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Executive Secretary Luc Gnacadja highlighted that action on climate change
mitigation and adaptation must consider managing risks to drought in a global
coordinated approach, and said the Hyogo Framework for action is a platform to
achieve these considerations.
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12 September 2008: The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
released a tool known as the “Biofuels Sustainability Scorecard” during the
fourth Annual Western Hemisphere Energy Security and Cooperation Forum, held on
9 September 2008, at IDB’s headquarters in Washington, DC, US.
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25 August 2008: The World Bank launched a worldwide
documentary competition that will highlight the social aspects of climate
change as experienced and/or observed by the film-maker(s).
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