October 2008: The UN International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction (UN/ISDR) has released its proposal in response to the Bali Action
Plan's call for enhanced action on adaptation through consideration of disaster
risk reduction strategies, risk management and risk transfer mechanisms.
9 October 2008: European countries met from 9-10 October
2008, in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, to discuss practical ways to reduce the
impacts of natural hazards through strengthened collaboration among the World
Meteorological Organization's (WMO) National Meteorological and Hydrological
Services and disaster risk management institutions.
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.
8 October 2008: The Division for Sustainable Development of
the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DSD/DESA) is organizing an
expert group meeting on “Climate Change and Sustainable Development: The Role
of Indicators.”
8 October 2008: Climate change and human health experts
discussed health risks from climate change at a meeting in Madrid, Spain, from
6-8 October 2008, and agreed on a research agenda for the topic.
8 October 2008: The
2008 edition of the World Resources Report argues that properly designed
enterprises can create economic, social, and environmental resilience that
cushion the impacts of climate change, and help provide needed social
stability.
7 October 2008: The website for ‘Paint for the Planet,'
which features climate change-themed paintings from the UN Environment
Programme's (UNEP) International Children's Painting Competition, was launched
on 7 October 2008.
7 October 2008: On the eve of International Day for Disaster
Reduction, during a news conference in New York, US, UN Under-Secretary-General
for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes
underlined the cost-effectiveness of reinforcing hospitals to make them safe
from disasters. He explained that the Day aims to raise awareness of the
inter-connection between disaster reduction and climate change prevention,
mitigation and preparedness.
7 October 2008: In his second annual report on the work of
the Organization (A/63/1), UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon notes the UN's
unique place to lead the response to global threats, in particular: climate
change, counter-terrorism, disarmament and non-proliferation, and global
health.
7 October 2008: In a press conference at the UN Headquarters
in New York, US, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon characterized climate change
as the “defining challenge of our era,” and warned that the fight against this
challenge risks being “obscured by shorter-term problems, and in particular the
deepening financial crisis.” He expressed the hope that the climate
negotiations scheduled to take place in December 2008 in Poznan, Poland, will
result in increased cooperation and agreement on a timeframe of work, as well
as “a strong willingness” by developed and developing countries to lead on this
issue.
| Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) |
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| Conference Reporting Services (CRS) |
