The
initiative aims to build upon the Johannesburg
WSSD outcomes by developing cohesive responses to linked environmental
problems, especially in the areas of capacity development, information and
knowledge management and national/regional support mechanisms.
Among
this year's activities:
March – ASEAN regional workshop, Kuala Lumpur. Co-organized with the ASEAN Secretariat and other regional partners,
the workshop focused on integrated capacity development in South East Asia
and produced a set of recommendations, tabled and adopted at the ASEAN
Working Group on MEAs, which met immediately after the workshop.
Presentation of
the inter-linkages approach during CSD 11 in New York.
May
– Training course at the 11th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), New
York.
This session, part of the CSD learning center, centered on how
inter-linkages can contribute to the implementation of the WSSD Plan of
Action, especially at regional levels. It presented both challenges and
good practices through practical examples of integrated management and
capacity development from Asia and Pacific, given by both experts from the
UNU and practitioners from the ASEAN and Pacific regions.
June
– Asia Pacific capacity building partnership.
UNU initiated a partnership on integrated capacity building in
the Asia Pacific together with key regional and international
organizations (ASEAN Secretariat, IGES, UNDP-Capacity 2015, UNDP-GEF, UNEP,
UNITAR, and SPREP) to promote coordination and collaboration at
the regional and national levels.
July – 15th national inter-linkages case study, Bhutan. At the invitation of the Bhutanese government,
UNU undertook its 15th
national inter-linkages case study on the management of multilateral
environmental agreements.
Coming after the 10 ASEAN member countries and four Pacific nations, Bhutan is the first South-Asian country
to be studied. UNU intends to expand its work to this region in
the coming months.
August – Papua New Guinea national workshop. UNU discussed the
results of its Papua New Guinea case study with stakeholders at a national workshop. The feedback will provide important input for the
finalization of a report, which outlines findings and recommendations of a
study undertaken with the PNG Government and UNDP/PNG.
In
September, the Inter-linkages Initiative will hold a side-event during the
Governing Council of the
South Pacific Regional Environment Programme where the
four case study countries of the region and other international
organizations will discuss and promote joint regional approaches for
environmental management. The event will pave the way for a Pacific
regional workshop scheduled for late 2003.
More
information on the case studies and recent
activities is available online at: http://www.geic.or.jp/
March – ASEAN regional workshop, Kuala Lumpur.
