28 October 2008: The Second Committee on Economic and Financial issues, of the 63rd UN General Assembly (UNGA), considered the report of the Secretary-General on the Implementation of the Outcome of the UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) (document A/63/291).
22 October 2008: The Office of the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR) convened an open-ended consultation meeting on the
relationship between climate change and human rights on 22 October 2008, in
Geneva, Switzerland.
24 October 2008: Mayors and senior officials from 36 of the
world's largest cities gathered from 22-24 October 2008, in Tokyo, Japan, for
talks on how to fight global warming in the latest meeting of the so-called C40
climate initiative.
23 October 2008: The UN Human Settlements Programme
(UN-HABITAT) has launched “State of the World's Cities 2008/2009: Harmonious
Cities,” a flagship report published every two years by the UN agency.
10 October 2008: The international Conference on “Competitive Cities and Climate Change,” organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), took place from 9-10 October 2008, in Milan, Italy. The event provided the opportunity for mayors from some of the world's most important and influential cities to both address common challenges and share best practices on climate solutions.
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.
6 October 2008: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in
cooperation with governments, is drawing up some projects to demonstrate that
re-investing in damaged ecosystems can generate significant economic,
environmental and social returns.
6 October 2008: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
António Guterres told the opening session of his agency's governing Executive
Committee, which met in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2-6 October 2006, that
climate change, extreme poverty and conflict are increasingly inter-related,
leading to a surge in forced displacement rising and demands on the UNHCR.
6 October 2008: Top UN officials marked World Habitat Day by
drawing attention to the need to raise awareness of the problems of rapid
urbanization, its impact on the environment and the challenges of rising urban
poverty. The UN has designated the first Monday in October each year as World
Habitat Day, to reflect on the state of towns and cities and the basic right to
adequate shelter for all. This year, Luanda, Angola, led the observance of the
celebration, which focused on the theme “Harmonious Cities.”
3 October 2008: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) is co-organizing with the province and the city of
Milan, a Conference on Cities and Climate Change, which is scheduled to convene
from 9-10 October 2008, in Milan, Italy.
| Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) |
|
| Conference Reporting Services (CRS) |
