Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2011 & Green Growth: Hawai’i Briefing with US Ambassador Tong, 9 August, 2011

“Hawai`i has the potential to be a pioneer and advocate for green growth,” said U.S. Ambassador Kurt Tong, Senior Official to APEC, at the APEC 2011 and Green Growth Hawai’i Briefing in Honolulu on August 9, 2011.

The briefing was attended by Hawai`i leaders from government, business and civil society in key positions to help Hawai`i build a green economy for the future. Organized by the Hawai`i Green Growth Working Group and the Global Island Partnership, the briefing provided an opportunity to learn about U.S. priorities to promote green growth with APEC partners and to explore opportunities for Hawai`i to engage in this national and international agenda.

For more information on the briefing, please see the Event Spotlight

Island-related Events at COP 10, Nagoya, Japan

Islands Briefing: Islands and COP 10
Sunday 17 Oct, 1 – 4.30 pm
Venue: room 130, building 1, 3rd floor

Lead: Bernard O’Callaghan, IUCN Oceania Office Supported by: Kate Brown, GLISPA; Easter Galuvao and Posa Skelton, SPREP; Oliver Hillel, CBD Secretariat; Neville Ash and Dominique Benzaken, IUCN; Spencer Thomas, Grenada; Tania Temata, Cook Islands; Jamie Ervin, UNDP GEF POWPA project.

Focussed on issues important for islands at COP 10, this briefing will provide a guide to island-related areas of interest, including the COP agenda, side events and the Ecosystem Pavilion. It will provide a guide on how to use time at the COP and to best engage with the Convention.

This briefing is open to all parties, observers and others who are interested in islands. A printed islands guide to COP 10 (titled Island Journey) will be distributed.

Rio Conventions' Ecosystem Pavilion
Monday, 18 October, 16h30-17h45
Thematic day on the linkages between biodiversity, sustainable land management and climate change
With the European Commission and other partners
Presentation by Dominique Benzaken, Coordinator, EU Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories, IUCN

IUCN will provide an overview of biodiversity and climate change issues in EU overseas entities, drawing on the Message of la Reunion (2008) and the IUCN publication Climate Change and Biodiversity in the Overseas Entities of the European Union and present a perspective on ecosystem-based adaption to climate change with some examples of work in EU overseas entities.

Making it Happen – WIO Partners Meeting
Saturday 23 October 15:00 - 18:00
Venue: room 231c

Informal planning meeting for the Western Indian Ocean region.

High-level Cocktail and Fiesta
Tuesday, 26 October, 19:00 (to be confirmed)
Venue: Ecosystems' Pavilion, room 211a, building 2, first floor

Organized by GLISPA, the Caribbean and Micronesia challenges, the Nature Conservancy, Micronesia Conservation Trust and the CBD Secretariat, the GLISPA high-level event at COP 10 will bring together leaders from islands around the world – small island developing States, archipelagic countries and countries with islands – with donors and IGO/NGO partners to share updates on on-going initiatives, announce significant progress and profile innovative and inspiring partnerships for the conservation and sustainable use of island biodiversity. The in-depth review of the programme on work on island biodiversity (to take place at COP 11 in 2012) will also be launched.

This event will demonstrate progress in the Caribbean Challenge and Micronesia Challenge in terms of financing, partnerships and implementation. Highlights will include the formal launch of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, a $40 million regional endowment created as part of the Caribbean Challenge, which was launched at a GLISPA high-level event at CBD COP 9, in 2008.

Objectives:
1. Formally launch the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund
2. Highlight leadership and progress on GLISPA commitments to achieve the CBD 2010 target
3. Confirm support for the GLISPA 2012 Strategy and launch in-depth review of the programme of work on island biodiversity
4. Affirm GLISPA as an effective platform to accelerate the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other international policies
5. Engage international media to recognize GLISPA commitments and island leadership in conservation and sustainable livelihoods
6. Celebrate achievements

In attendance will be Mr. Maurice Ponga, who is a Member of the European Parliament elected for the Overseas constituency and is from New Caledonia. Mr. Ponga will make a call for action on behalf of the islands of the European Union.

Event Agenda: The event – a cocktail, with light food, followed by an island fiesta hosted by Micronesia and Caribbean countries – is a combination of updates and announcements, facilitated by an experienced Master of Ceremonies. It will include a brief summary of GLISPA's history and successes, including updates of the Micronesia Challenge and Caribbean Challenge – both launched during the GLISPA high-level events at COP 8 and COP 9, respectively. The central part of the event will focus on the launch of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, followed by announcements to advance island biodiversity conservation.

This high-level cocktail will be followed by an island celebration.

For more information contact Kate Brown (kate.brown@iucn.org)

SIDE EVENTS

Click here for the complete calendar of side events

Assessing Implementation of CBD National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (I.D.: 1776)
Monday, 18 October, 13:15 - 14:45
Organized by: United Nations University, Institute of Advanced Studies

Room 130 - Bldg 1 - 3rd Floor

Since 2008 UNU-IAS has been undertaking an assessment of the preparation, content, adequacy and effectiveness of national biodiversity strategies and action plans. One of the objectives of this project is to provide COP, Parties and others with an assessment of the extent to which objectives 3.1, 3.3 and 3.4 of the CBD Strategic Plan have been achieved and suggest priorities for supporting national implementation in the post-2010 period. The project has sought to examine the mechanisms by which some countries seem to have developed successful and well-implemented NBSAPs, while others appear to have been unable to do this. It attempts to assess the extent to which NBSAPS integrate biodiversity concerns into sectoral and cross-sectoral policies including sustainable development strategies, poverty reduction strategy papers (PRSPs), and national processes to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The project hopes to draw out lessons learned from national experiences in NBSAP development and implementation, and to identify the obstacles that have prevented some Parties from making progress. UNU-IAS presented a preliminary overview of findings to WGRI-3 and this side event will present the findings of the final report.

As part of this side event, IUCN will be reporting on a project funded by France on the implementation of the CBD in EU overseas entities. IUCN will report on the peculiar status of EU overseas entities, in particular, how it affects the implementation of the obligations of the Convention in regions where those entities are located, and offer recommendations for discussion.

Advancing the Biodiversity and Climate Adaptation Agenda in the Western Indian Ocean (I.D.: 1844)
Wednesday, 20 October, 16:30 - 18:00
Organized by: GLISPA

Room 232 - Bldg 2 - 3rd floor

Discussion and presentations from countries and institutions in the Western Indian Ocean (islands of the Indian Ocean and coastal areas of East Africa) hosted by the Global Island Partnership. Will include the environmental and climate change needs and threats and how to address these through implementation of CBD commitments in the region, examples of cutting-edge conservation work that can help address the region’s climate threats and discussion of a potential major regional initiative/platform that mobilizes high-level leadership and support.

Pacific SIDS: Value Island Biodiversity: It's Our Life (I.D. 2215)
Friday, 22 October 2010, 16:30 - 18:00
Organized by: SPREP

Room 211B - Bldg 2, 1st floor

The side event aims at sharing success stories from around the Pacific region and to highlight some of the key challenges in the Pacific with regards to biodiversity conservation. There will be presentations by selected keynote speakers as well as an exhibition and display of products from the Pacific throughout the side event.

Ecosystem-based Management and Adaptation Lessons from the Pacific (I.D.: 2072)
Monday, 25 October, 16:30 - 18:00
Organized by: Wildlife Conservation Society and the Government of Fiji

Room: 233B - Bldg 2 - 3rd Floor

As part of the Pacific's celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)-Fiji and its partners will launch an Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) guide for the EBM practitioners in the Tropical Western Pacific, which is based on lesson learned from four years of researching and implementing ecosystem-based management in the Western Pacific.

The Micronesia Biosecurity Plan - An Unprecedented Cooperative Effort to Proactively Analyze and Prevent Invasive Species Threats to the Region of Micronesia (I.D. 2305)
Wednesday, 27 October, 16:30 - 18:00
Organized by: US National Invasive Species Council, GISP, TNC and GLISPA

Room 136 - Bldg 1 - 3rd floor

The US Government, in conjunction with partners in Micronesia, is completing a comprehensive, science-based biosecurity plan to minimize invasive species threats to the region of Micronesia associated with the pending US Military build-up on Guam. The plan will include risk analyses of invasive species pathways, vectors and targeted individual species that threaten terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems in Micronesia. The plan will also include recommendations of best management practices and port of entry staffing, training and technology levels necessary to prevent, detect and eradicate incipient invasive species. This side event, to last approximately 45 minutes, will highlight three major themes:
1. The magnitude of invasive species threats to trade and sustainable economic growth, biodiversity and the cultural resources of islands in the Pacific and worldwide.
2. The critical role that regional, international, and intra-governmental coordination played in making this globally-unique effort possible.
3. The cooperative global efforts by partnerships such as the GLISPA, GISP and the Helping Islands Adapt Symposium to call attention to the many impacts of invasive species and strengthen invasive species prevention, early detection and eradication efforts on islands worldwide.

My Island - My Community: Capacity Building Workshop, April 25 - May 7 2010

My Island - My Community will hold a two-week regional capacity building workshop (April 25 - May 7 2010) for national partners, producers, directors, and writers on how to develop a communications strategy and serial drama for social change. Further, the workshop will provide core training in “Communications for Change” and background on climate change challenges facing the Eastern Caribbean. The training workshop will include a presentation of the findings of preliminary formative research. Participants will use the formative research to design the characters, settings and story lines for a serial drama. Further, training will be provided in how to run complementary radio magazine shows and support community action campaigns.

My Island – My Community is a unique network of organizations committed to using the power of communications to enhance knowledge sharing, engage the public and directly support CBA activities (Community Based Adaption) across the nine countries of the Eastern Caribbean. My Island – My Community is a partnership of Media Impact, the Secretariat of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), GEF Small Grants Programme, implemented by UNDP (GEF SGP), Global Island Partnership (GLISPA), the Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), BirdLife International, Durrell, SeaWeb and the St Lucia Folk Research Center.

For more information: Alleyne Regis, Program Manager, Caribbean Media Impact aregis@mediaimpact.org

EVENT	MAJOR OUTCOMES AND COMMITMENTS
US Coral Reef Task Force Meeting Koror, Palau December 5-7, 2005	Palau President commits to protect 20% of the terrestrial resources and 30% of the near-shore marine resources of Palau by the year 2020 and challenges the other Micronesian chief executives to do the same, thus initiating the Micronesia Challenge
CBD SBSTTA 10 Bangkok, Thailand February 7-11, 2005	Island Biodiversity Programme of Work revised
International Meeting for the 10-year Review of the Barbados Programme of Action High Level Event: Islands, Reefs & Communities: Committing to the Future Hosted by: Seychelles & United Kingdom Cosponsors: ICRI, WWF, TNC, ICRAN, RARE Port Louis, Mauritius January 10-14, 2005	1st highly successful Islands High Level Event, which became the foundation for GLISPA 3 country conservation commitments US$20+ million pledged (in order on programme) Presidents of Palau and the Seychelles call for a Global Island Partnership Commitments (in order of programme) Belize – comprehensive National Protected Areas Policy and System Plan by 2005 Bahamas – development of a network of fully protected Marine Reserves Fiji – 30% inshore & offshore marine areas in MPA network by 2020 TNC – US$2 million for Early Action Grants for MPA networks in island states RARE/TNC – US$3 million for social marketing campaigns (not only islands) France – 9 million Euros for reef conservation (2005 – 2007) – IFRECOR & CRISP Australia – AU$500,000 to support freshwater management on islands (critical ecosystem often not included in protected area systems)