Lead Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: - Building awareness on the importance of Education for rural people as a crucial step to achieve the Millennium goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education , gender equity and sustainable natural resources management
- Contributing to achieve the Education for All goals,
- Overcoming the urban/rural gap in education.
- Increasing access to basic Education for Rural People
- Improving the quality of basic Education for Rural People
- Fostering the national capacity to plan and implement ERP as part of National Education for All and Rural Development Plans.
- Building awareness on the importance of ERP as a crucial step to achieve all the Millennium Development Goals, and particularly, eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education and promoting gender equity.
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Lead Partner: United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) - United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) -Technical Focal Point
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The goal of the WSSD GHS Partnership is to mobilize support and catalyze partnerships for coordinated activities at the global, regional and national levels to strengthen capacities in developing countries and countries in transition towards effective implementation of the GHS. In the medium and long-term, the Partnership is expected to lead to a decrease in environmental and human health related effects attributable to the use of hazardous chemicals. It thus makes a direct contribution to important objectives of sustainable development including protection of marginalized groups, protection of water supplies and drinking water, and poverty eradication.Specific objectives of the Partnership include mobilization of resources for:
* awareness raising, capacity assessment and GHS implementation at the regional level;
* awareness raising, capacity assessment and GHS implementation at the national level; and
* development of GHS guidance, training and resource material. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Canada - Natural Resources - Government of South Africa - Department of Minerals and Energy
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The objective of the Intergovernmental Forum is to enhance and promote the contribution of the mining, minerals and metals sector to sustainable development.
The functions of the Intergovernmental Forum are consultative and advisory based on the principles of voluntary partnership. The Forum provides governments with a framework in which to discuss the opportunities provided by mining, minerals and metals and to respond to the challenges they pose. The Intergovernmental Forum will meet to share experiences and information, to consider and to provide advice and, where appropriate, make recommendations for consideration by governments, intergovernmental bodies and others. The Intergovernmental Forum will meet at high level or officials level, as appropriate. [more]
Lead Partner: Cap-Net - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Global Water Partnership (GWP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Many developing countries have not yet been able to develop and integrate the requisite suite of human and institutional capacities into an effective water management regime.
What is urgently needed is a new water paradigm, one of integrated, holistic capacity development based on country ownership, adaptive homegrown policies, inclusive stakeholder participation and greater equity in the North-South development relationship.
Through partnership with national and regional capacity building networks in integrated water resources management, and as GWP's spearhead for capacity building, with support of IHE, UNDP/Cap-Net supports the establishment of networks and facilitates their access to global information. It also facilitates the exchange of information between the regions and responds to demands from regional and country networks. It aims to improve access to capacity building materials and in partnership with the networks to develop new tools and materials based on capacity building needs analysis. UNDP/Cap-Net strongly advocates local ownership of networks and capacity building activities and materials being developed for integrated water resources management. At the global level Cap-Net takes the role of ensuring access to information and experience for local practitioners. Local adaptation must then take place to ensure cultural and technical relevance to specific country situations. This way local ownership and responsibility is being enhanced. In collaboration of specialized international agencies, UNDP/Cap-Net develops adequate tools and materials to be put at the disposal of regional and country networks based on their demands and to improve their capacities in addressing capacity building for integrated water resources management. [more]
Lead Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Mountain Partnership is a voluntary alliance of partners dedicated to improving the well-being, livelihoods and opportunities of mountain people and the protection and stewardship of mountain environments around the world. The Mountain Partnership taps the wealth and diversity of resources, knowledge, skills and expertise of its members to support positive change in mountain areas. The Partnership was launched as a type-2 outcome of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2002: the basic concept and guiding principles of the Mountain Partnership resulted from a consultative process that took place during the preparatory sessions of the WSSD with its core document (known as the Bali Document) finalized at the Fourth Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Bali, Indonesia, 27 May - 7June 2002). Commitment to the Mountain Partnership has increased rapidly at the country, regional and international levels and concrete action is now underway to improve the lives of mountain people and protect mountain environments around the world. By March 2009, 50 countries, 16 intergovernmental organizations and 96 major group organizations (e.g. civil society, NGOs, private sector) had already joined the Mountain Partnership. A Mountain Partnership Secretariat, with financial support from the governments of Italy and Switzerland, is hosted at the central level by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Decentralized hubs of the secretariat have also been established in Latin America (hosted by CONDESAN), Asia Pacific (hosted by ICIMOD) and North America (hosted by the Banff Centre) and an Environmental Reference Centre is hosted by UNEP to provide guidance and support on environmental issues related to the Mountain Partnership.
The Mountain Partnership facilitates the effective and efficient implementation of Chapter 13, Agenda 21 and promotes, inter alia, joint initiatives based on paragraph 42 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and other related instruments regarding mountains, by enhancing on-the-ground action and by working at the policy, programme and project levels. Specific partnership initiatives have been identified by members and are focussing on priority areas of action, such as biodiversity, education, gender, policy and law, research, sustainable livelihoods, sustainable agriculture and rural development in mountains (SARD-M) and watershed management. Additionally, geographically-focussed Initiatives have been launched and are operational in the Andes, Central Asia, Europe, the Hindu Kush Himalaya and other regions. New initiatives are developed as new priority areas are identified by members. Linkages between partnership initiatives are being encouraged at the local, national, regional and global levels, with members entering into specific initiatives according to their priorities, needs and capacities.
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Lead Partner: Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Methane to Markets Partnership is an international initiative that advances cost-effective, near-term methane recovery and use as a clean energy source. The goal of the Partnership is to reduce global methane emissions in order to enhance economic growth, strengthen energy security, improve air quality, improve industrial safety, and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
The Partnership currently focuses on four sources of methane emissions:
- Agriculture (animal waste management)
- Coal mines
- Landfills
- Oil and gas systems [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Canada - Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Andean region Summary: The current project was made possible as a result of the strong institutional bonds created by a previous four Andean country multi-national initiative (funded through CIDA and NRCan, 1996-2002). The Project goal is to improve the quality of life for peoples of the Andes by reducing the negative impact of natural hazards (volcanoes, earthquakes and landslides). Through the project, updated and integrated geoscience and geospatial information on natural hazards will be provided for: 1- land use planning and, 2- natural hazard mitigation.
The Project will transfer technologies to the National Andean Geoscience Institutions of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela to enhance their capacity to efficiently and effectively provide on a continuous basis the required services:
1. To provide to the governments, communities, and planners geoscientific information fundamental to good decision making with respect to the placement of public works (infrastructure), and human settlements;
2. To contribute to mitigation of the effects of natural hazards on the local population and public works (infrastructure), to support sustainable development with more disaster resistant communities;
3. To increase the capacities of the Geoscience Agencies in the evaluation of geological hazards; and
4. To assist other government organizations such as Civil Protection agencies to incorporate geoscience information into emergency plans. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Spain - Government of the Basque Country - Nrg4SD Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Nrg4SD Network was formed by the "regional governments" -understood as the largest and first level of political subdivision within an individual state represented at the UN but which is above de municipal level- that attended the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, to share information and experience about sustainable development policy-making at the regional level of governance. They agreed the `Gauteng Declaration' which is the founding document of the Network. Nrg4SD promotes understanding, collaboration and partnerships in sustainable development and seeks greater international recognition of the importance of the contribution which regions make to sustainable development. Nrg4SD aims to be a voice for, and to represent, regional governments at the global level, promoting sustainable development at regional level around the world. Nrg4SD has members from the five United Nations (UN) regions of the globe and focal points in each of them. [more]
Lead Partner: International Model Forest Network Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Latin America and the Caribbean Summary: This collaborative initiative supports the development and establishment of a Regional Network of Model Forests in Latin America and the Caribbean. Model Forests are about translating higher-level policy goals into achievable and locally relevant models of sustainable use and best practices for the conservation of all forest resources. They use locally-based partnership to find working solutions to forest resource management issues through capacity building, improved decision-making and governance systems, economic diversification, integrated resource management, and poverty alleviation.
The Regional Centre:
- provides technical support to promote and strengthen model forest development in the region;
- documents and demonstrates best practices for sustainable forest management and sustainable economic development opportunities for local communities;
- substantially strengthens the transfer of technology from Canada to the region and among countries and projects in the region;
- secures new country and institutional partners and donors. [more]
Lead Partner: REEEP International Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Accelerate a global market for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Systems (REES).
Tremendous financial resources from the private and public sector will be needed to meet developing and transition countries' future energy demand in a sustainable way. Obstacles prohibiting this development include a lack of reliable policies and regulatory measures, and the perceived high risk and low return investments in REES.
The removal of the obstacles to sustainable energy is urgently needed:
- Robust policies and favourable, transparent and stable regulatory frameworks are required to attract private investors and to guarantee affordable energy services to the consumers.
- New forms of financing, risk mitigation and guarantee models will be necessary to make small sized renewables and energy efficiency projects bankable and economically attractive.
REEEP aims to work as an enabler, multiplier and catalyser of institutional change, and to have a real impact over the next decade with the following objectives:
1. Significant global increase of investments in renewable energy
2. Significant global increase of energy efficiency measures
3. Significant increase in access to sustainable energy services for the poor
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Lead Partner: World Nuclear Association
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The mission of the World Nuclear University (WNU) is to strengthen the international community of people and institutions so as to guide and further develop:
- The safe and increasing use of nuclear power as the one proven technology able to produce clean energy on a large global scale; and
- The many valuable applications of nuclear science and technology that contribute to sustainable agriculture, medicine, nutrition, industrial development, management of fresh water resources and environmental protection.
Through a worldwide network that coordinates, supports and draws on the strengths of established institutions of nuclear learning, the WNU promotes academic rigour and high professional ethics in all phases of nuclear activity, from fuel and isotope supply to decommissioning and waste management.
While looking to the future, the WNU will strengthen capabilities to manage, and responsibly dispose of, the waste legacy of early weapons and power programmes in compliance with rigorous standards of custodianship and environmental protection. [more]