Join IGF and the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) for a webinar exploring mining tax policy responses to the COVID-19 health crisis. The one-hour webinar will take place on Thursday, April 16, at 9:00 a.m. (Ottawa) / 2:00 p.m. (London) / 3:00 pm (Switzerland).

As COVID-19 spreads, governments are responding with drastic measures to combat the pandemic’s health and economic impacts.

In the mining industry, the virus has harmed workers, disrupted supply chains, and halted operations in many nations. The crisis presents commodity-specific risks to supply and/or demand, which is reflected in ongoing price volatility throughout the sector. Mining companies, under pressure to balance worker safety with business imperatives, may seek supportive tax relief.

There is a risk that countries dealing with this unprecedented crisis may adopt unnecessary or poorly designed tax policies that cut vital government revenues while providing minimal benefits.

Trust between government and citizens is especially critical during this period. To this end, tax measures should be transparent, based on clear policy objectives, clearly prescribed in law, and subject to monitoring and review.

This webinar will provide guidance on which tax measures may be appropriate in this context and outlines specific policies to avoid.

Register today for the webinar.

The coronavirus pandemic has presented a series of challenges to the global volunteer community.

However, despite the various obstacles and hurdles, volunteers around the world are using this as an opportunity to come together in solidarity and turn the crisis into a catalyst to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Join Lynn Wagner and Faye Leone of the International Institute for Sustainable Development for a webinar hosted by the International Association for Volunteer Effort as they share insights on how the pandemic will likely impact the SDGs and its implications for volunteer-led organizations around the world.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020
9 a.m. EST 

Watching webinar recording
 

This year, countries are working to enhance their commitments to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

At the same time, the global community is engaged in a review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—the most ambitious plan ever agreed for achieving gender equality—25 years after its adoption.

(Français ci-dessous) 

Climate change and gender inequality are increasingly seen as interconnected, requiring an integrated approach that builds climate resilience while also promoting human rights and justice, particularly for people who are marginalized. The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process provides an unprecedented opportunity to reduce vulnerability to climate change, while also addressing social and gender inequalities.

In 2018, the NAP Global Network released its first synthesis report to highlight the challenges and opportunities faced by countries in addressing gender considerations in their NAP processes and make recommendations for taking this forward. Two years on, we see that significant progress has been made in certain areas, while progress is lagging behind in other areas.

This webinar provided an overview of trends we identified in our second synthesis report on countries’ progress in advancing gender-responsive NAP processes. An interactive discussion highlighted recent country experiences on the key steps they have taken to advance this agenda and the lessons learned.

Agenda:

• Introduction and moderation | Patrick Guerdat, NAP Global Network
• Overview of progress made to date in advancing gender-responsive NAP processes | Julie Dekens, NAP Global Network
• Interview with Joseph Kogbe, climate change expert, Togo
• Interview with Jean Douglas Anaman, NAP Focal Point, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Côte d’Ivoire and NAP-GCF project coordinator, UNDP Côte d'Ivoire
• Q&A

*** Français ***

Les progrès réalisés dans l’avancement de processus de PNA qui répondent aux questions de genre

Cette année plusieurs pays s'emploient à renforcer leurs engagements à atteindre les objectifs de l'Accord de Paris. Parallèlement, la communauté globale s’est engagée dans la révision de la Déclaration et du Programme d'action de Beijing, le plan le plus ambitieux jamais décidé pour atteindre l’égalité des genres, vingt-cinq ans après son adoption. Les changements climatiques et l’égalité des genres sont de plus en plus considérés comme étant interconnectés et exigent une approche intégrée qui renforce la résilience climatique tout en favorisant les droits humains et la justice sociale, principalement pour les personnes marginalisées. Le processus de Plans Nationaux d’Adaptation (PNA) fournit l’occasion de réduire la vulnérabilité aux changements climatiques et d’adresser les inégalités sociales et de genres.

En 2018, le Réseau mondial de PNA a publié son premier rapport de synthèse pour mettre en lumière les opportunités et enjeux dans la mise en œuvre d’un processus de PNA qui réponde aux questions de genre et pour offrir des recommandations afin d’aller plus loin. Depuis deux ans, nous avons été témoins de progrès importants dans certains domaines alors que d’autres sont à la traîne.

Ce webinaire a fourni un aperçu des tendances dont nous avons identifié dans notre deuxième rapport de synthèse sur les progrès réalisés dans l’avancement de processus de PNA qui répondent aux questions de genre. Une discussion interactive a mis ensuite en lumière les expériences récentes de pays au niveau des principales étapes mises en place pour avancer cet agenda et les leçons tirées.

Programme :

• Introduction et modérateur | Patrick Guerdat, Réseau mondial de PNA
• Présentation des progrès accomplis jusqu’à présent dans l’avancement de processus PNA qui répondent aux questions de genre | Julie Dekens, Réseau mondial de PNA
• Entretien avec Joseph Kogbe, Expert sur les changements climatiques, Togo
• Entretien avec Jean Douglas Anaman, Point focal de PNA, Ministère de l’Environnement et du Développement Durable, Côte d’Ivoire et coordonnateur projet NAP-GCF, PNUD Côte d’Ivoire
• Questions-réponses

La vidéo du webinaire :

Join us on Wednesday, April 15 at 11:00 a.m (Central time). for an hour-long webinar to learn more about AquaHacking Lake Winnpeg and how you can work virtually with expert mentors to develop innovative tech solutions to freshwater issues plaguing Lake Winnipeg.

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR HERE

AquaHacking is a start-up competition designed to support technology and business development addressing environmental problems related to fresh water.

In 2020, we are challenging students (undergraduate and graduate), recent grads and young professionals from across the disciplines to develop innovative tech solutions to problems plaguing the Lake Winnipeg watershed, such as microplastics, fish health, agriculture, drinking water, or watershed investment. 

With guidance and support from expert mentors in water, tech and business, the multidisciplinary teams of hackers will compete for $50,000 in cash prizes and incubator space!

We will tell you everything you need to know, including:

• How the competition works;
• The scope of the competition and key dates;
• The profiles of potential “AquaHackers” and how they can participate.

As experts in freshwater science and policy, the International Institute for Sustainable Development is proud to host the AquaHacking Lake Winnipeg Challenge in 2020. Launched by the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation in 2015, the AquaHacking Challenge has engaged over 1,500 youth in 12 critical water issues and resulted in 18 new startups.

You can register for the webinar here.

This webinar was held on Thursday March 26 at 3 PM CET / 10 AM EST. It involved a discussion on the termination and renegotiation of investment treaties, including a presentation of our paper from our Best Practices Series, entitled Terminating a Bilateral Investment Treaty.

This paper situates the growing trend of bilateral investment treaty (BIT) termination and renegotiation in the context of UNCTAD’s Phase II of International Investment Agreement (IIA) Reform, examining recent developments in this area. It undertakes a detailed examination of recent state practice in BIT terminations and related drafting, and presents options and recommendations for states that wish to use termination and renegotiation to deal with their stock of older BITs.

The event is part of our series of Webinars in Investment Law and Policy. Our featured speakers included Sarah Brewin and Suzy Nikièma from IISD and Hamed El Kady from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, IISD Senior Director, Economic Law and Policy, served as the webinar moderator. It also involved a dedicated Q&A session.

The webinar video is available for viewing below.

In 2015, the global community adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR); all of which have substantial areas of overlap and clear convergence of objectives related to strengthening resilience, fostering sustainable development and reducing vulnerability to climate change and disasters.

The global agendas provide the overarching frame for guiding national policy efforts on DRM, CCA and SDGs, as national governments are working to operationalize the commitments under these international agreements. Within countries, a number of policy processes and strategies have been established under these global agendas. These include National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), strategies to achieve the SDGs and DRR strategies. Building strategic linkages and coordinating actions of the policy processes will likely maximize the outcome of related goals, increase the effectiveness of different actions and enable smart use of resources.

To date, the research on good examples of coherent policy processes under different agendas is limited. This webinar aimed at NAP teams, DRR practitioners and other stakeholders interested in getting started on aligning different policy processes by identifying enabling factors and learn about first efforts and good practices from country examples. In particular, it will:

• Provide background on the rationale for alignment and where the different global agendas connect
• Present national approaches to coherence in climate change adaptation and disaster risk management
• Explore how the NAP process can be aligned with obligations countries have under other agendas
• The role of development cooperation in supporting coherence

Speakers

• Alignment to Advance Climate-Resilient Development | Anika Terton, NAP Global Network
• Common Ground between the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework – National Approaches | Nicolina Lamhauge, OECD
• Lessons on Alignment from Nepal’s Experience | Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, Chief, Climate Change Management Division, Ministry of Forests and Environment, Nepal
• Lessons on Alignment from the NAP Global Support Programme | Representative from the UNDP-UNEP NAP Global Support Programme (NAP-GSP)

Watch the webinar's recording below.

The Progressing National SDGs Implementation report provides an independent analysis of reporting by United Nations Member States to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

Supported by a coalition of civil society organizations from around the world and prepared by the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, the report examines the current status of 2030 Agenda implementation, unpacks trends in reporting and identifies good practices.

This year’s report will showcase positive trends with respect to reporting on leaving no one behind and stakeholder engagement. However, it also underlines the continued silence by Member States in Voluntary National Review reports on closing of the civic space and discusses how this impacts the ability of all stakeholders to engage and implement the sustainable development goals.

The interactive, global launch webinar will outline key findings from the report, offer reflections from global and national civil society organizations on the findings and provide insights on opportunities for engagement by civil society and other stakeholders at the HLFP and in VNR processes in 2020.

Report

Read Progressing National SDGs Implementation

Register

8:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

This seminar, held on Wednesday January 29, 2020, focused on the Joint Statement Initiative on Electronic Commerce. It presented the history and developments in the exploratory talks and subsequent negotiations on electronic commerce among a group of WTO Members, a process that was launched at the organization’s Eleventh Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2017.

The seminar involved presentations and discussions about the history and developments in e-commerce discussions, along with an update on the current state of play, as presented in a new publication prepared for the event.

Bringing together Geneva-based delegates from developing and least developing countries, it also looked at issues of particular interest to those countries, along with helping identify development-related issues that will be analysed in a subsequent paper.

The seminar was part of the TAF2+ Umbrella Grant Project on New WTO Issues, which covers the areas of investment facilitation, electronic commerce, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and which will include national workshops, regional workshops, and the production of various papers, among related activities, in the lead-up to the WTO’s Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, this upcoming June. It also foresees further work post-MC12.

Please note that event attendance was by invitation only and that the discussions were held under the Chatham House rule.

This seminar and related materials have been produced with funding by UK aid from the UK Government. The Umbrella Grant is a project of the Trade and Investment Advocacy Fund (TAF2+), and implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, in consortium with CUTS, BKP Economic Advisors, and InterAnalysis.

Views expressed in the seminar and related publications are the participants’/authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect HM Government’s official positions or those of TAF2+.

This seminar, held on Tuesday January 28, 2020, focused on the Joint Statement Initiative on Investment Facilitation, launched by a group of 70 WTO Members at the organization’s Eleventh Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2017.

The seminar involved presentations and discussions about the history and developments in the structured discussions on investment facilitation, along with an update on the current state of play, as presented in a new publication prepared for the event.

Bringing together Geneva-based delegates from developing and least developing countries, it also looked at issues of particular interest to those countries, along with helping identify development-related issues that will be analysed in a subsequent paper.

Please note that event attendance was by invitation only and that the discussions were held under the Chatham House rule.

The seminar was part of the TAF2+ Umbrella Grant Project on New WTO Issues, which covers the areas of investment facilitation, electronic commerce, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and which will include national workshops, regional workshops, and the production of various papers, among related activities, in the lead-up to the WTO’s Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, this upcoming June. It also foresees further work post-MC12.

This seminar and related materials were produced with funding by UK aid from the UK Government. The Umbrella Grant is a project of the Trade and Investment Advocacy Fund (TAF2+), and implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, in consortium with CUTS, BKP Economic Advisors, and InterAnalysis.

Views expressed in the seminar and related publications are the participants’/authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect HM Government’s official positions or those of TAF2+.

How is the world acting on climate change?

Midway through the 2019 Climate Change Conference, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin team will host a concise webinar to update the global sustainable development community on what progress has been made in Madrid, what obstacles have risen and what to expect in the second week of negotiations.

Join us for an insightful talk and question and answer session with Dr. Jennifer Allan, Earth Negotiations Bulletin Team Leader for COP25.

Sunday, 8 December 2019
3:00 PM Madrid (CEST) / 9:00 AM New York (EST) / 7:30 PM New Delhi (IST)

Register in Advance
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About Earth Negotiations Bulletin

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin is a balanced, timely and independent reporting service on United Nations environment and development negotiations. Since 1992, our subject matter experts have comprehensively and objectively shared the world’s efforts to respond to our planet’s most pressing problems.

About Dr. Jennifer Allan

Dr. Jennifer Allan is a Strategic Adviser and Team Leader with Earth Negotiations Bulletin, as well as a Lecturer at Cardiff University. Her work focuses on the global governance of climate change, chemicals, and wastes. Her publications explore the complexities of setting global rules for the environment and the role of non-state actors in negotiation processes. With ENB since 2011, she has attended over 30 negotiation sessions and often leads IISD's work on climate change and other negotiations.