Report of the Secretary of the MAB Programme on activities undertaken since the 23 rd session of the ICC (SC- 12/CONF.224/INF.3)

Transcription

1 Provisional Agenda Item 6 Report of the Secretary of the MAB Programme on activities undertaken since the 23 rd session of the ICC (SC- 12/CONF.224/INF.3) 24 th Ordinary Session of the ICC 9-13 July 2012 UNESCO Headquarters, Paris

2 Provisional Agenda for the 24 th session of the ICC contains 20 items (SC-12/CONF.224/1) Detailed working and information document pertaining to each agenda item will be presented at the time ICC will address particular items This report addresses salient features and key developments that may not get adequate coverage under the various agenda items

3 th Anniversary of the MAB Programme An international Conference on For life, For the Future: Biosphere Reserves and Climate Change 27/28 June 2011 Dresden Declaration A MAB and BR day 3 Nov 2011! local products from BRs from all parts of the world were highlighted during the reception a high-level of appreciation and seen as an innovation! Several National and Regional events organized by networks, MAB National Committees and UNESCO Commissions

4 23 rd session of the MAB/ICC in Dresden, Germany (28 June 1 July 2012) Adopted the Dresden Declaration which was the outcome of the International Conference that preceded the session on 27 and 28 June 2012 Based on intense consultation carried out within the framework of ISG meetings with Delegates Adopted with necessary amendments the Statutes of the International Advisory Committee for Biosphere Reserves (IACBR) and the Statutes of the International Coordinating Council of the MAB/ICC

5 36 th Session of the UNESCO General Conference (Oct-Nov 2011) Adopted the Dresden Declaration without any amendments Adopted the Statutes of the ICC as proposed by the 23 rd session of the ICC Adopted the recommendations of the 23 rd session of the ICC on the mid-term evaluation of MAP for BRs ( ) Noted that the Executive Board had adopted the Statutes of the International Advisory Committee for BRs in its session that immediately preceded the General Conference Reiterated the decision of the 35 th session of the GC encouraging the use of MAB and WNBR as learning platforms for sustainable development

6 36 th Session of the UNESCO General Conference (Oct-Nov 2011) Called upon the DG and the Member States to highlight the work of MAB and WNBR at Rio + 20 Summit Called upon the Secretariat to begin the thinking process for the work of MAB and WNBR beyond 2013 when the implementation of MAP for BRs ( ) will come to an end

7 th Anniversary of the MAB Programme The impacts has been positive and high The level of awareness of the MAB Programme and WNBR activities increased considerably within and outside of UNESCO Level of support for MAB and WNBR in terms of the number of Member States referring to them and the frequency of reference during EXB and General Conference sessions of Fall 2011 unprecedented; But.other events of the General Conference which impacted UNESCO s RP Budget for

8 RIO + 20 SUMMIT (20-22 June 2012) and related activities ESD side event 21 June 2012; in her opening remarks the Director General drew attention to the 580 BRs in 114 countries as learning platforms for sustainable development Special side-event organized by UNESCO-Montevideo and Brazil MAB and the Mata Atlantica BR (16 June 2012) Mata Atlantica BR representatives participated in UNESCO sponsored side event on Oceans

9 MAB and WNBR in the post-rio + 20 world (see document SC- 12/CONF.224/11) 36 th session of the General Conference requested progress on a strategy and action plan for MAB and WNBR beyond 2013 to be presented to its 37 th session (autumn of 2013) Final evaluation of MAP for BRs ( ) will be only be ready for the ICC session in 2014 Other important events for MAB and WNBR futures: end of Decade ESD Conference (Japan end of 2014); evaluation of MDG achievements ( ); Kyoto Protocol (2015) Aichi Targets of IDB ( ) etc

10 MAB and WNBR in the post-rio + 20 world (see document SC- 12/CONF.224/11) The document proposes the period the next UNESCO Medium Strategy as the timeframe for planning a phase of evaluation of MAP for BRs ( ) to be followed by implementation of the next plan ( ) German MAB feedback there should be at least draft strategy/action plan for MAB and WNBR for available at the next General Conference of UNESCO (late 2013)

11 MAB and WNBR in the post-rio + 20 world (see document SC- 12/CONF.224/11) Rio + 20 outcome SDGs to replace MDGs after 2015; can the MAB and WNBR experience and case studies contribute to thinking and deriving of SDGs How can the role of BR coordinators, MAB National Committees and UNESCO National Commissions in plan implementation strengthened Can BRs be positioned as priority internationally designated spaces for SD experimentation? How can we have bilateral, multilateral, One UN, UNDAF and other buy-in to such a position?

12 MAB and WNBR in the post-rio + 20 world (see document SC- 12/CONF.224/11) Contributing to SDGs can it be linked to end of Decade and ESD follow-up with BRs as the learning and experimental sites? How can MAB regional and ecosystem networks contribute towards promoting BRs as prime learning sites for SD in bilateral, multilateral co-operation as well as under One and UNDAF related frameworks? Growing interest of new funds and other partners in REDD and REDD+ arena: Althelia, Wildlife Works; the example of Sierra Gorda

13 ecosystem networks The interregional network of coastal and small island BRs dedicated to climate change and sustainable development announced as a partnership in Jeju (2009) by Spain and Republic of Korea had its first meeting in Menorca, Spain earlier this year. This is a critically important network which can contribute to a range of UNESCOwide themes including SIDS, Climate Change etc. Needs critical financial and staff support within UNESCO Mountain network made contributions to the science agenda via the Planet under Pressure Conference UK, March 2012)

14 ecosystem networks The Urban Futures Initiative following Shanghai (2010) - new impetus to MAB urban ecosystem work BIRUP Project with Chinese Private Company dealing agricultural systems and productivity EC interest to link Covenant of Mayors to MAB Urban Futures focus on energy efficiency issues US BR urban areas as target places in the context of attaining MAP target no: 23 Energy efficiency and shifting to renewable sources El Hiero and the Canary Islands BR interest to launch a BR Smart initiative

15 Regional, sub-regional networks AfriMAB new experiment in selffinancing; needed partners to encourage and support the trend; IberoMAB, EABRN, SeaBRNet and EuroMAB continue to contribute significantly through very effective activities South and Central Asia (SACAM) some positive development with specific interests from Iran are encouraging SC-12/CONF.224/12 requested by the last session of the ICC role of networks in the MAB Programme?

16 Research partnerships in BRs Partnership with the Stockholm Resilience Center MOU signed in 2007 is now active as part of Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS) GLEAN Global Survey on Learning IberoMAB, EABRN and Participation in Ecosystem Management in Biosphere Reserves BR and IFRI (International Forest Research Institute) sites on sustainable socio-ecological systems initiated by the late Prof. Elinor Ostrom, Nobel Laureate for Economics (2009) Mining and BRs an event in Brazil in October 2012 likely to provide impetus

17 Africa Priority ERAIFT 27 African countries have benefited; 60 students enrolled for MS and Ph.D. since 2010; an additional 30 comprising E&F will start later this year. Financial and institutional sustainability of ERAIFT beyond 2012 needs thinking and donor support South-South Cooperation for Sustainable Development of Humid Tropical Lands also launched in 2009 in Jeju Progressing with ERAIFT playing an important role in partnership with Brazilian (Amazon) and Indonesian partners. Already other countries like Australia, Columbia and Sri Lanka joined at the last event in Sumatra

18 Education for SD Capacity Building Rwanda and Kenya BRs women involvement in rural energy development training to be provided in collaboration with an Indian NGO MAB YSA being provided despite difficult financial time in UNESCO this year again there will be 12 Awards; the 2 additional awards to the normal 10 is feasible thanks once more to Austria which has now provided the two additional awards for 3 consecutive years Michel Batisse Award to Columbia s Seaflower BR; the winner is here and will present the case study to the ICC Education for Sustainable Development in MAB Biosphere Reserves and other Designated Areas - A Resource Book for Educators in South-Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean UNESCO Venice

19 Thank you