On 26 October, the 26 UN agencies based in Belgium together with the City of Brussels organized the UN Day celebrations under the overarching theme of ‘Green Cities’ on 26th of October. The UN agencies arranged an information village on the Grand Place to celebrate the UN Day with the wider public. UNEP Brussels Liaison Office presented UNEP and its work on sustainable cities and green economy in the tents ‘Green Cities’ and ‘Green Societies’ together with other UN agencies.

Besides smaller activities in the tent, UNEP provided face painting for children during the day. The spacious area of the Grand Place provided furthermore the possibility to showcase UNEP’s photo exhibition ‘We Have the Power: efficient, renewable, affordable’ which is part of the Sustainable Energy for all (SE4ALL) project. Another UNEP initiative, think.eat.save, was promoted in the ‘United Nations for you’ (UN4U) tent.

Please find below a link to the short TV5MONDE videos from our UNDay event, including an interview with Thierry Lucas, UNEP Programme Officer – www.rebelmouse.com/UNday

More information: alexa.froger@unep.org

UNEP, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and South Sudan government officials jointly hosted a three-day training for national and state level regulators dealing with water harvesting. The training, which brought together over 35 participants from key government institutions, offered new insights and policy recommendations from water construction projects in the various states of South Sudan.

Drawing on joint UNEP-FAO assessment work and utilizing new technical and operational guidelines, the sessions provided important guidance on how to develop cost effective, socially acceptable and environmentally sound water harvesting facilities for livestock. By working with government personnel, the training sought to improve the planning and implementation of water harvesting and in turn contribute to peace building by reducing local-level conflicts over water and livestock among communities.

The workshop was part of a new FAO-UNEP joint project, ''Assessment of water harvesting structures for sustainable livelihoods and peace building in South Sudan'', financed by the Peace Building Fund Office for South Sudan.

More information: cassidy.travis@unep.org

On 30 September, a high-level conference entitled “Nature-based Solutions: Innovation Potential for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Europe” was held in the European Parliament. It promoted the solutions nature can offer to tackle major challenges, conserve biodiversity, ensure food security and protect the health of the EU citizens.

The event was organized by the European Parliament Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the European Commission. It brought together 140 participants, ranging from representatives from the European Institutions, regional and local authorities, NGOs, research institutions and international organisations as well as representatives from the private sector.

UNEP was represented in the panel on “Turning visions into actions on EU level” by Ulf Björnholm, Head of UNEP Brussels Liaison Office. Mr Björnholm highlighted the importance of quantifying - in economic terms - the value of ecosystem services, and highlighted The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) aimed at improving knowledge about the economic value of ecosystems. Improving communication efforts through convincing economic arguments is key to creating the necessary political momentum for turning biodiversity vision to action.

More information: alexa.froger@unep.org

Gabon and Germany organized a high-level discussion in the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) held at UN Headquarters in New York on 26 September.

The event was moderated by John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

There was wide acceptance that poaching and illegal wildlife trade is a multi-faceted issue – encompassing development, economic, environmental, social and security dimensions, with some noting links to the rule of law and others referencing paragraph 203 from The Future We Want.

Several participants noted that illegal wildlife trade threatens the three pillars of the UN – peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. 

More information: juan.vasquez@cites.org

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany and

Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Gabonese Republic.