| GUEST ARTICLES Spring-boarding from Ocean Conservation to Sustainable Development: The Barcelona Convention Gaetano Leone, Coordinator, UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention Secretariat The Barcelona Convention, adopted in 1976 and amended in 1995, as the legally-binding component of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), is the first regional seas convention under the auspices of UN Environment Programme (UNEP), providing for the protection of the marine and coastal environment of the Mediterranean. In line with the commitment of the Convention’s 22 Contracting Parties[i] to protect the Mediterranean Sea and its coastal areas and contribute towards its sustainable development, it addresses marine litter and plastic pollution, social and economic development, natural and cultural heritage, and the quality of life of those dependent on the Sea and its resources. POLICY BRIEFS SDG Knowledge Weekly: Circular Economy Transitions and Resource Use Adam Fishman, Thematic Expert for 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (US) This week’s SDG Knowledge Weekly reviews publications launched around the 2019 World Circular Economy Forum, which convened from 3-5 June in Helsinki, Finland, on the themes of a fair and just transition; impactful investments; and progressive governance. The SDG Knowledge Hub’s June monthly forecast elaborates on many of the elements on which this brief is based, particularly plastic pollution. FEATURED UN Officials, Co-facilitators Provide Updates on September High-level Events 14 June 2019: With 100 days until the UNGA’s 74th session opens, UN Member States were briefed on preparations for five events that will convene during the high-level week in September 2019. The briefing was convened by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) President and included updates from UN officials and co-facilitators for the high-level meetings. Africa SDG Index Finds Stagnating Progress, Calls for Accelerated Action 14 June 2019: The SDG Center for Africa (SDGC/A) and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) released the 2019 Africa SDG Index and Dashboards Report. The report calls for accelerated action to address poverty (SDG 1), infrastructure and innovation (SDG 9) and environmental sustainability (SDGs 12, 13, 14 and 15, among others). NEWS GEF’s Newly Adopted Work Program to Deliver Transformational Change in Food Systems, Land, Forests 13 June 2019: The 56th meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council adopted the largest-ever Work Program for the GEF Trust Fund, totaling USD 865.9 million and comprising 31 projects, seven programs, and three multi-trust fund projects. The Work Program will benefit 91 recipient countries, including 30 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and 32 small island developing States (SIDS). GEF Council Approves Mercury MoU, Chemicals Management Work in SIDS 13 June 2019: The 56th meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council, which convened from 11-13 June 2019, approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Council and the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, as well as a five-year project on managing toxic chemicals in small island developing States (SIDS). GEF Council Endorses Projects, Guidelines to Combat Land Degradation 13 June 2019: A significant proportion of the USD 865.9 million allocated to the Work Program of the seventh replenishment of the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF-7) is targeted at land-related projects. Approved by the 56th meeting of the GEF Council, the Work Program signals GEF’s shift from focusing on a country or sector towards landscape-wide transformative programmes. DIHR Presents Tools Outlining SDGs and Human Rights Links 18 June 2019: The Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) organized a webinar that discussed strategic tools developed by the Institute to operationalize the synergies between SDGs and Human Rights, namely the Human Rights Guide to the SDGs and the SDG-Human Rights Data Explorer. UN High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation Calls for 2020 Global Commitment 10 June 2019: The High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation presented its recommendations to the UN Secretary-General in a landmark report titled, ‘The Age of Digital Interdependence.’ The panel, chaired by philanthropist Melinda Gates and e-business leader Jack Ma, is calling on the UN to facilitate the development and adoption of a “global commitment for digital cooperation” by 2020, drawing on the experience of the World We Want process that helped formulate the SDGs. UNFCCC Secretariat Reviews 2018 and Work Going Forward 7 June 2019: The UNFCCC Secretariat has launched its annual report for 2018, highlighting progress made on confronting climate change and the ways in which the international community can increase ambition and achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. IEA Scenarios Show Possibilities for Clean Energy Transformation Process June 2019: Energy production and consumption are the largest source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and energy solutions need to be advanced and implemented to meet the objective of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the temperature goal in its Paris Agreement on climate change. The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2018 New Policies Scenario warns the world is not on course yet. However, its 2018 Sustainable Development Scenario shows that the global energy sector can still evolve to deliver on three energy-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). |