Even before COVID-19, new technologies were changing the mining industry. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, cheap sensors, automation, drones, and digitization of operations mean that new mines look very little like traditional ones. We have already seen the opening of completely automated mines like Resolute’s Syama in Mali. The global pandemic has made these sorts of innovations even more critical, but has also sharpened the focus on new tech’s unresolved challenges, including its impacts on the mining workforce.
What does COVID-19 mean for new technologies and the future of mining?
The Multilateral Framework on Investment Facilitation: What investment treaty negotiators need to know
This webinar was held on Thursday , August 20, 2020, at 3 p.m. (CEST) and involved a discussion of the multilateral framework on investment facilitation (MFIF) and its linkages to the international investment treaty regime.
August 20, 2020 9:00 am - 10:30 am
(Open to public)
** En français ci-dessous**
What would be the scope and coverage of a potential MFIF, and how would it interact with the wide web of existing international investment agreements (IIAs)? This key question remains unresolved, and this webinar sought to facilitate a greater understanding of the technical issues at play in the relationship between the proposed MFIF and the current IIA regime.
The webinar reviewed the status of the “structured discussions” on the MFIF among some of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Members —specifically the relationship and interaction between the draft MFIF and the international investment treaty regime—ahead of the discussions that will take place during the 13th Annual Forum of Developing Country Investment Negotiators.
The topic of investment facilitation has developed an increasingly high profile among policy-makers, academics, and international organizations over the past five years. Investment facilitation is now the subject of a Joint Statement Initiative in the proposed MFIF among a group of WTO Members. The WTO Members that are part of this group are working together to identify and develop the elements of a multilateral framework that would facilitate foreign direct investments.
In December 2019, these WTO Members had agreed to launch negotiations. To this end, an “Informal Consolidated Text” was circulated in January 2020, with subsequent revisions, the most recent dated July 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, four in-person substantive meetings were cancelled, and four informal virtual meetings were scheduled for June and July. The group of WTO Members involved in the initiative is now looking to commence negotiations in September.
This webinar served as an instrumental technical background to the broader discussions that will take place during IISD’s 13th Virtual Forum of Developing Country Investment Negotiators, which will address the extent to which the MFIF can contribute to achieving sustainable development objectives.
Speakers:
Nathalie Bernasconi, Executive Director of IISD Europe, Senior Director of the Economic Law and Policy Program
Soledad Leal Campos, Senior Policy Advisor with the Economic Law and Policy Program, IISD
Discussants:
Hamed El-Kady, Investment Policy Adviser, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Interpretation: French and Spanish interpretation was available during the webinar. Recordings of each language version are available at IISD's YouTube channel. The English version can also be watched below.
** En français**
Webinaire | Le cadre multilatéral sur la facilitation des investissements : Ce que les négociateurs de traités d'investissement doivent savoir.
Quelle serait la portée et la couverture d'un éventuel MFIF et comment interagirait-il avec le vaste réseau d'accords internationaux d'investissement (AII) existants? Cette question clée reste non résolue et ce webinaire a cherché à y répondre, afin de faciliter une meilleure compréhension des problèmes techniques en jeu dans la relation entre le MFIF proposé et le régime actuel des AII.
Le webinaire a examiné l'état des «discussions structurées» sur le MFIF à l'OMC, en particulier la relation et l'interaction entre le projet de MFIF et le régime du traité international d'investissement, notamment en amont des discussions qui auront lieu lors du 13e Forum annuel des négociateurs en investissement des pays en développement.
Le thème de la facilitation des investissements a acquis une place de plus en plus importante parmi les décideurs, les universitaires et les organisations internationales au cours des cinq dernières années. La facilitation des investissements fait désormais l'objet d'une déclaration conjointe sur un projet de cadre multilatéral pour la facilitation des investissements (MFIF) au sein d'un groupe de pays Membres de l'OMC. Les pays Membres de l'OMC qui font partie de ce groupe travaillent ensemble pour identifier et développer les éléments d'un cadre multilatéral qui faciliterait les investissements directs étrangers.
En décembre 2019, le groupe des pays membres de l'OMC participant à l'initiative de déclaration conjointe avait accepté de lancer des négociations. À cette fin, un «texte consolidé informel» a été diffusé en janvier 2020, avec des révisions ultérieures, la plus récente datant de juillet 2020. Cependant, en raison du Covid-19, quatre réunions de fond qui devaient avoir lieu en personne ont été annulées; quatre réunions virtuelles informelles ont donc été organisées en juin et juillet. Le groupe des pays Membres de l'OMC participant à l'initiative envisage désormais d'entamer des négociations en septembre.
Ce webinaire servira de base technique aux discussions plus larges qui auront lieu pendant le 13e Forum virtuel de l'IISD pour les négociateurs en investissement dans les pays en développement, qui traiteront de la mesure dans laquelle le MFIF peut contribuer à la réalisation des objectifs de développement durable.
Intervenants :
Nathalie Bernasconi, Directrice exécutive d'IIDD Europe, Directrice principale du programme Droit Economique et Politique
Soledad Leal Campos, Conseillère principale en politique au sein du programme de droit économique et politique, IIDD
Commentateurs :
Hamed El-Kady, Conseiller en politique d’investissement, CNUCED
Dr. Chantal Ononaiwu, Spécialiste de la politique commerciale et juridique, Bureau des négociations commerciales, Secrétariat de la CARICOM
Interprétation: une interprétation en français et en espagnol était disponible pendant le webinaire.
[ES] Webinario | Avances en Compras Públicas Sostenibles y Economía de Triple impacto en América Latina y el Caribe
July 16, 2020 1:15 pm
(By invitation)
Este webinario tendrá lugar el 16 de julio y es parte de una nueva serie sobre El poder de las compras públicas para la transformación económica: compras públicas con triple impacto.
El tema de este primer webinario de la serie implica Avances en Compras Públicas Sostenibles y Economía de Triple impacto en América Latina y el Caribe. En las presentaciones se abordarán las buenas prácticas de América Latina y el Caribe en compras públicas sostenibles, tomando en cuenta la necesidad de avanzar en los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), entre varios otros temas.
El evento será organizado por la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA), el Banco Interamericano de Desarollo (BID), la Red Interamericana de Compras Gubernamentales (RICG), el International Development Research Centre, el gobierno de Canadá y el International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
El evento comienza a las 10:00 hrs EDT, con una duración de 1 hora y 15 minutos. El agenda completo se encuentra en el sitio web de la OEA.
The 2020 Virtual Impact Summit will showcase how data and community indicators are, or can be, used to foster opportunity, catalyze change, and advance community resilience.
Community resilience is the capacity of all of a community’s parts—including individuals, communities, institutions, nonprofits and foundations, businesses, and systems—to survive, adapt, and grow no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. From the effects of pandemics and climate change to changing population structures and infrastructure support, resilience is what helps communities adapt and transform in the face of these challenges, helping them to prepare for both the expected and the unexpected.
Hosted by the Community Indicators Consortium, the 2020 Virtual Impact Summit will explore the role of community data in building and supporting resilience at the local level. We will examine how we engage and empower; how we understand and address biases; whether we carefully consider the methods and processes we use; how effective our reporting is; whether we use data to help us understand not only what is, but also what is coming; and how data can and do inform decision-making, support allocation of resources, and focus efforts to improve outcomes.
Several IISD team members will present at the conference:
Wednesday, August 5, 2020, 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. (PDT) on Community Resilience
Measuring Community Resilience: Basic Concepts and Perspectives from Around the Globe – Anika Terton
Building Evidence-Based Community Resilience in Winnipeg: Peg’s Relevance in Post-COVID Recovery Efforts – Beth Timmers
Friday, August 7, 2020, 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. (PDT) on Data Tools
Handing Over the Reins: Giving Organizations the Tools to Developing CISs – Kyle Wiebe
Parliamentarian Action #2 | Advancing gender equality in the context of family farming
July 22, 2020 6:30 am - 12:30 pm
(Open to public)
En français plus bas
The second virtual dialogue in the Parliamentarians' Actions for Gender Equality and Resilient Food Systems in Response to COVID-19 series was held on July 22, 2020, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (CEST).
This dialogue's theme, Advancing gender equality in the context of family farming, discussed the role of parliamentarians in the implementation of gender policies, legislation, and investments in support of family farming. In particular, the role of rural women in contributing to sustainable agriculture and food systems during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond was addressed.
The dialogue specifically:
Raised awareness about the United Nations Decade of Family Farming as an opportunity to address rural poverty, support family farming, and address gender inequalities through the design and implementation of national action plans.
Enhanced parliamentarians’ commitment to the achievement of SDG 2 on zero hunger and SDG 5 on gender equality in order to tackle the specific challenges faced by rural women in family farming.
Promoted a multi-stakeholders’ policy dialogue among parliamentarians, farmers’ organizations, and women’s organizations on how to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on rural women and family farmers.
This virtual meeting was the second in a series of dialogues organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), IISD, and Oxfam as part of their policy support to the ECOWAS Network of Parliamentarians on Gender Equality and Investments in Agriculture and Food Security. The objective of the series was to enhance the role of African parliamentarians in mitigating the gender-differentiated impacts of COVID-19 on food systems.
Watch the webinar's full recording
Speakers:
H.E. Amie Fabureh, Minister of Agriculture, The Gambia
Hon. Angelique Ngoma, President of the Cooperation and International Development Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie
Hon. Maryse Gaudreault, President of the Network of Women Parliamentarians of the Francophonie
Hon. Omar Darboe, Member of the National Parliament of Gambia
Hon. Veneranda Uwamariya, Member of the National Parliament of Rwanda
Hon. Simona Bucura-Oprescu, Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania
Hon. Yves Fernand Manfoumbi, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Alliance Network for Food and Nutrition Security of the ECCAS region
Marcela Villarreal, Director of the Partnership Division, FAO
Nadjirou Sall, Secretary General of Réseau des organisations paysannes et de producteurs de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA)
Stéphanie Barrial, Content Manager, World Rural Forum
Ika Krishnayanti, Aliansi Petani Indonesia, Asian Farmers Association
Julie Cissé, Coordinator, Groupe d’initiatives pour le Progrès social
Tiousso Halima, Réseau des organisations paysannes et de producteurs de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA)
Clara Park, Regional Gender Officer for Near East and North Africa, FAO
Le deuxième dialogue virtuel de la série les Actions des parlementaires pour l'égalité des sexes et des systèmes alimentaires résilients en réponse au COVID-19 était organisé sous le thème: Faire progresser l’égalité des sexes dans le contexte de l’agriculture familiale. Le dialogue a abordé le rôle des parlementaires dans la mise en œuvre des politiques, des législations et des investissements porteurs de transformation en matière d’égalité des genres et œuvrant en faveur de l’agriculture familiale. En particulier, le rôle des femmes issues des zones rurales dans la contribution à l'agriculture et aux systèmes alimentaires durables pendant la pandémie de COVID 19 et au-delà a été abordé.
Le dialogue a contribué spécifiquement à:
Sensibiliser à la Décennie des Nations Unies pour l'agriculture familiale comme une opportunité pour lutter contre la pauvreté rurale, pour soutenir l'agriculture familiale et pour lutter contre les inégalités entre les sexes, par la conception et la mise en œuvre de plans d'action nationaux.
Renforcer l'engagement des parlementaires en faveur de la réalisation de l'ODD 2 sur la faim et de l'ODD 5 sur l'égalité des sexes afin de relever les défis spécifiques auxquels sont confrontées les femmes rurales dans l'agriculture familiale.
Promouvoir un dialogue politique multipartite entre les parlementaires, les organisations d'agriculteurs et les organisations de femmes sur la manière d'atténuer l'impact de COVID-19 sur les femmes rurales et les agriculteurs familiaux.
Cette réunion virtuelle a été la deuxième d'une série de dialogues organisés par l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (FAO), l'IIDD et Oxfam dans le cadre de leur soutien politique au Réseau des parlementaires de la CEDEAO sur l'égalité des sexes et les investissements dans l'agriculture et La sécurité alimentaire. L'objectif de la série a été de renforcer le rôle des parlementaires africains dans l'atténuation des impacts différenciés selon le sexe du COVID-19 sur les systèmes alimentaires.
Panélistes
SE Amie Fabureh, ministre de l'Agriculture, Gambie
Hon. Angelique Ngoma, Présidente de la Commission Coopération et Développement International de l'Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie
Hon. Maryse Gaudreault, Présidente du Réseau des femmes parlementaires de la Francophonie
Hon. Omar Darboe, Membre du Parlement national de la Gambie
Hon. Veneranda Uwamariya, Membre du Parlement national du Rwanda
Hon. Simona Bucura-Oprescu, Membre de la Chambre des députés de Roumanie
Hon. Yves Fernand Manfoumbi, Secrétaire général du Réseau de l'Alliance parlementaire pour la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle de la région CEEAC
Marcela Villarreal, Directrice de la Division des partenariats, FAO
Nadjirou Sall, Secrétaire général du Réseau des organisations paysannes et de producteurs de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA)
Stéphanie Barrial, Responsable du contenu, Forum rural mondial
Ika Krishnayanti, Aliansi Petani Indonésie, Association des agriculteurs asiatiques
Julie Cissé, Coordonnatrice, Groupe d’initiatives pour le Progrès social
Tiousso Halima, Réseau des organisations paysannes et de producteurs de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA)
Clara Park, Responsable régionale du genre pour le Proche-Orient et l'Afrique du Nord, FAO
Modératrice: Tacko Ndiaye, Administrateur principal de programme / Chef d'équipe Genre, FAO & Francine Picard, Chargée des politiques, IISD
Interprétation: Une traduction simultanée en français et en anglais sera disponible.
Date: 22 juillet 2020
Heure: 12 h 30 (CEST) à 15h00 (CEST) (durée: 2h30)
Join the Ceres2030 and the SDG2 Advocacy Hub for a virtual event to be held on July 21, 2020, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. (CET). This virtual event is intended to drive investments in the Sustainable Development Goal 2 related to ending hunger via raising awareness of numbers and costs needed.
**En français ci-dessous**
COVID-19 has caused massive disruptions to almost every aspect of our food systems, making the invisible visible. New hunger numbers released on July 13 in the 2020 State of Nutrition and Food Security in the World report and costing from Ceres2030 will drive the conversation on greater equity and the path to delivering good food for all.
Speakers
Introductory remarks
Maximo Torero, Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Development Department, FAO
Carin Smaller, Director, Agriculture, Trade and Investment, International Institute for Sustainable development (IISD) – Ceres2030
Panelists
H.E. Koutéra Noël Bataka, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Togo
Agnes Kalibata, UN Special Envoy for 2021 Food Systems Summit
Karina Gould, Minister of International Development, Canada (TBC)
Thanawat Tiensin, Chairperson of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
Esther Penunia, Asian Farmers Association
Elizabeth Mpofu, Via Campesina
Gerda Verburg, Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement
Moderator: Femi Oke, Senior Host/Journalist Al Jazeera
Hashtag: #GoodFood4All
This event is convened by Ceres2030 and the SDG2 Advocacy Hub.
Interpretation: Simultaneous interpretation into French will be available.
Rejoignez le Ceres2030 et le SDG2 Advocacy Hub pour un événement virtuel qui se tiendra le 16 juillet 2020 à 15h (CET).
Le COVID-19 a causé des perturbations massives dans presque tous les aspects de nos systèmes alimentaires, rendant l'invisible visible. En s'appuyant sur les nouveaux chiffres de la faim publiés par la FAO le 13 juillet dans l'État de la nutrition et de la sécurité alimentaire dans le monde en 2020 ainsi que l'estimation des coûts effectué par Ceres2030, cette réunion permettra de mener une conversation sur une plus grande équité et la voie vers une bonne nourriture pour tous. Cet événement est organisé par le Ceres2030 et le SDG2 Advocacy Hub.
Intervenants:
Allocutions d'introduction
Maximo Torero, Sous-Directeur général, Département du développement économique et social, FAO
Carin Smaller, directrice, Agriculture, commerce et investissement, IISD - Ceres2030
Panélistes
SE Koutéra Noël Bataka, ministre de l'agriculture, de l'élevage et de la pêche, Togo
Agnes Kalibata, Envoyée spéciale des Nations Unies pour le Sommet des systèmes alimentaires de 2021
Karina Gould, Ministre du Développement international, Canada (à confirmer)
Thanawat Tiensin, Président du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale (CSA)
Esther Penunia, Association des agriculteurs asiatiques
Elizabeth Mpofu, Via Campesina
Gerda Verburg, coordinatrice du mouvement de renforcement de la nutrition
Modératrice: Femi Oke, animatrice principale / journaliste Al Jazeera
Mot-dièse de la réunion: # GoodFood4All
Cet événement est organisé par le Ceres2030 et le SDG2 Advocacy Hub.
Interprétation: L'interprétation simultanée en anglais sera disponible.
The 2020 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development already had the ambitious goal of supporting the Decade of Action, which the Secretary-General launched in January 2020 to get the Sustainable Development Goals back “on track,” before the pandemic struck.
With a world reeling from the health and economic impacts of COVID-19, how will the HLPF build momentum for the 2030 Agenda as events move online? The International Institute for Sustainable Development invites you to a panel discussion and Q&A session the day after the Forum closes, answering:
How did first virtual HLPF go?
What challenges were identified and what themes emerged for moving forward with SDG implementation?
Where does the 2030 Agenda go from here?
Event Details:
Webinar: High-level Political Forum 2020 Review
Friday, 17 July 2020
9 AM - 10 AM EST Register on Zoom
Panelists:
Dr. Lynn Wagner is the Senior Director of the Tracking Progress program at the IISD, overseeing projects that seek to increase the accountability of decision making for the SDGs, enhance engagement in SDG implementation, and develop SDG indicator and reporting tools. She began working with IISD in 1994 as a writer for the Earth Negotiations Bulletin and continues to observe and analyze multilateral environmental negotiations as the leader of that flagship publication.
Kali Taylor leads the Geneva 2030 Ecosystem initiative under IISD's Tracking Progress program, promoting collaboration and initiatives for Geneva-based actors focused on SDG implementation. IISD has partnered closely with the UNOG SDG Lab to fulfill this vision and Kali is seconded part-time to the UN Office at Geneva, representing non-governmental organizations' (NGO) viewpoints, and providing expertise on systems change and innovation best practice.
Eleonora Bonaccorsi is a Junior Project Officer with the IISD Tracking Progress group, focused on the Geneva 2030 Ecosystem. Prior to joining the IISD, Eleonora worked at the United Nations Office at Geneva helping manage the network of private, governmental, and non-profit actors in Geneva committed to implementing the SDGs. Her support for SDG achievement builds on her studies on securing human rights and how states prevent, escalate, and defuse conflict. Past roles include research at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at National Defense University and the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.
IISD-UNIGE Webinar | Trade and Health: What the World Health Assembly outcomes mean for the trade regime
This webinar was held on Tuesday, July 14 and explored issues related to trade, public health, intellectual property rights, and the COVID-19 response.
July 14, 2020 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm CEST
(Open to public)
The 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA)—the annual meeting of the WHO's decision-making body—adopted a series of important resolutions in May 2020, including on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The debate leading up to the WHA—and in its wake—brought up issues at the nexus of the trade and public health regimes, such as the use of intellectual property rights (IPRs) flexibilities in global trade rules to support the COVID-19 response.
This webinar was held on Tuesday, July 14, at 3 p.m. CEST / 9 a.m. EDT and explored these issues in further detail. The webinar featured Suerie Moon, Co-Director of the Global Health Centre at the Graduate Institute, as the speaker, as well as Thiru Balasubramaniam, Geneva Representative for Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), as discussant.
Engaging the Private Sector in National Adaptation Plans: A toolkit to guide effective strategies
The private sector plays an important role in the success of any National Adaptation Plan (NAP), so recognizing how to best engage local businesses and larger stakeholders in the NAP process should be prioritized.
The private sector plays an important role in the success of any National Adaptation Plan (NAP), so recognizing how to best engage local businesses and larger stakeholders in the NAP process should be prioritized.
Ask yourself, which business should be engaged in your climate change adaptation planning processes: the smallholder farmer or the big banker? Or when should you engage them: in the formulation or implementation stage of the NAP process?
In this interactive webinar, your decisions will guide the story!
Our policy advisors will take participants through an exercise that requires your input at five important junctures of a case study. The majority votes made by participants will impact the direction of the story, as you collectively play the role of a government worker responsible for the NAP process in a sunny and totally made-up island nation.
To help guide your decisions, this virtual event will mark the official launch of theToolkit for Engaging the Private Sector in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs): Supplement to the UNFCCC Technical Guidelines for the NAP Process. The toolkit was designed to help governments develop strategies to effectively engage private sector actors in their country’s NAP process.
Co-hosted by the NAP Global Network and the UNFCCC Adaptation Committee, this webinar will demonstrate the versatile nature of the toolkit, as well as its applicability.
Voluntary Sustainability Standards and Resilient Supply Chains: Bananas, cotton, palm oil, and soybeans
Join us to learn about and discuss the key findings from the recent reports in the Sustainable Commodities Marketplace Series from the State of Sustainability Initiatives at the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
Join us on Thursday, June 25 at 9:00 a.m. (Ottawa) / 3:00 p.m. (Geneva) to learn about and discuss the key findings from the recent reports in the Sustainable Commodities Marketplace Series, from the State of Sustainability Initiatives at the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
The reports track consumption and production trends, with a focus on the performance of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs), in the banana, cotton, palm oil, and soybean markets.
The panelists will also investigate the potential for VSS-compliant production to promote resilience and traceability across agricultural value chains, which have gained renewed prominence with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Confirmed panelists:
Thomas Bernet, Group Lead, Value Chains & Markets, FiBL
Pierre Courtemanche, Sustainability and Supply Chain Strategist, Founder of GeoTraceability, Groupe OPTEL
Rochelle Eisen, Organic Certification Expert, Former president of Canadian Organic Growers
Verina Ingram, Senior Researcher and Assistant Professor, Forest & Nature Conservation Policy Group, Wageningen University & Research Centre
Vivek Voora, Sustainability Standards Advisor and Lead Author of Sustainable Commodities Marketplace Series 2019, International Institute for Sustainable Development
The private sector plays an important role in the success of any National Adaptation Plan (NAP), so recognizing how to best engage local businesses and larger stakeholders in the NAP process should be prioritized.