Lead Partner: Government of United Arab Emirates - Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Main objectives of AGEDI are:
Ø To achieve more cost-effective and relevant environmental data collection and assessment,
Ø To strengthen and enhance environmental capacity to collect, analyze, use and update multi-sectoral environmental data and information in the decision making process,
Ø To develop and strengthen means of ensuring that planning for sustainable development in all sectors is based on, inter alia, quality, timely, reliable, and usable environmental data and information,
Ø To make relevant environmental data and information accessible to all stakeholders in the form, and at the time, required to facilitate its use,
Ø To strengthen existing national and international mechanisms of information collection, exchange and processing,
Ø To strengthen mechanisms for incorporating environmental information in decision making,
Ø To strengthen national capacities, including capacities within governments, NGOs and private sector, in data/information collection, handling and communication, particularly in developing countries, and
Ø To ensure full participation of developing countries in the collection, analysis, assessment, use and update of environmental data and information.
Lead Partner: The World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: There is high demand for information on environmental law. Various Governing Council decisions of UNEP recognise the need to make this information available and accessible, a task now included in the Montevideo Programme, adopted by UNEP/GC in 2001 and endorsed thereafter by UN/GA. Linguistic barriers must be overcome. The information is fragmented and changing constantly as new laws are being drafted and entering into force.
The objective of this ongoing initiative is to increase access to authoritative information on environmental law by establishing a single gateway on the Internet (ECOLEX) and publishing a range of products on specific topics.
The main beneficiaries will be policy-makers in developing countries and countries in transition. Policy-makers drafting new legislation have a need to obtain information on the law (national and international) existing in relevant thematic areas in other countries. NGOs, academics and advocacy groups are also important beneficiaries.
Business and industry also need information on environmental law in particular on legal mechanisms dealing with waste, pollution and EIA, etc [more]
Lead Partner: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) - Uppsala University
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional The Baltic Sea region (Europe) and the Great Lakes region (USA & Canada) Summary: The goal is to develop a new educational package on Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Agriculture and transfer knowledge on sustainable agriculture, land use, rural development, ecosystem health and management to teachers, students and professionals in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR in Europe) and in the Great Lakes Region (GLR in USA & Canada). The Baltic Sea is affected by many different environmental problems from different sources. Discharges of nutrients from agriculture and waste-water treatment plants, as well as discharge from industries, and waste facilities leads to eutrophication and other forms of pollution. It is important to increase the knowledge of and improve the management of land and land use to prevent pollution from agriculture from reaching the Baltic Sea or the Great Lakes. It is also of great importance to use the whole ecosystem health concept to understand and prevent problems for the future. As the need of knowledge regarding ecosystem health, sustainable land use in rural areas, rural development and sustainable agriculture will be a precondition for our future, it is of great importance that this knowledge can be offered to students, teachers, experts and people working in government offices, ministries, municipalities and as agricultural advisors and agricultural managers in the Baltic Sea region and in the Great Lakes region.
The goal of the project is to transfer knowledge through a series of seminars and training courses and at the same time to develop a new educational package on sustainable agriculture, land use, rural development, ecosystem health and management to teachers, students and people working in government offices, ministries, municipalities and as agricultural advisors and agricultural managers.
This partnership cooperation is unique, as it not only represents the Baltic Sea region (Europe) and the Great Lakes region (USA and Canada) but it also represents a cooperation between agronomists, veterinarians, nature geographers, biologists, chemists, animal scientists, wildlife biologists, public health professionals, economists, business and policy experts etc. It also elaborates a new concept on sustainable agriculture and its part in the rural ecosystem. In this course package not only will sustainable agriculture from the different aspects represented by the above mentioned professions be covered, there will also be substantial knowledge on such subjects as land use and rural development, climate change, ecosystem health and the interactions between the wild and domestic animal populations, as well as public health components and poverty alleviation.
The EHSA project contributes to the implementation of the Baltic 21 Agricultural sector action programme, where education, training and information for farmers, future experts and advisors, policy makers and consumers figure as one of the most important actions. It is also a Baltic 21 Lighthouse project since March 2007. [more]
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.
[more]
Lead Partner: The EOLSS Publishers Ltd. - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), EOLSS Joint Committee
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), the world biggest web-based archive as transdisciplinary knowledge base of sustainable development.
It is, in fact, a global partnership among thousands of scholars aimed at creating an integrated knowledge base in support of sustainable development efforts. Thus, the EOLSS Project is a project in support of all other projects related to sustainable development irrespective at the level they have been carried out: local, governmental, regional or global.
* It addresses the issue of knowledge and education for sustainability
* It is a unique archive created as a valuable source of knowledge to help other projects related to sustainable development.
* It provides a basis for inspiration. In the words of Leon M. Lederman, Nobel Laureate in Physics, the EOLSS is 'the theme of humanity, embedded in nature and constrained to find ways of maintaining a relationship with nature based on understanding and respect'
* The EOLSS has been regularly updated to be a living encyclopedia, not merely a replicated publication.
* It is innovative project- a global effort towards the creation of an integrated knowledge base in support of sustainable development
* It need not be replicated but it should be continued to enhance and update the knowledge base it develops
* It is first to inform decisions in the process of development and to inspire leadership. It is innovative in the sense that it is aimed at developing a base of integrated knowledge that addresses the contemporary issues of the world. [more]
Lead Partner: The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Environmental Law Programme
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Effective implementation will not occur without capacity building and 'good governance'. This initiative provides a framework for environmental law capacity building for sustainable development at all levels, one that serves to forge links between existing institutions and processes, and to facilitate 'good governance' for sustainable development.
The long term objective of this initiative is: 'In every country governments and stakeholders have the capacity to actively participate in the international policy debate, to implement what is agreed through co-ordinated policies, laws and institutions that respect the rule of law and to ensure effective compliance.'
To be effective, such a programme requires global coordination, regional and national delivery and effective collaboration through a partnership of leading international, regional and national organizations.
IUCN's Environmental Law Programme is the world's oldest and largest environmental law network. It has the ability to mobilise and co-ordinate the efforts of the best environmental lawyers and organisations from countries all over the world. This includes a rich network of partners drawn from UN agencies, IGOs, NGOs and academic instiutions, in addition to the 900 volunteers in 130 countries who comprise the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law.
The development of this co-ordinated programme provides a context within which to develop and promote specific projects, including ECOLEX, the web based access to FAO, IUCN, and UNEP environmental law and policy information, the IUCN International Academy on Environmental Law, and targeted publications and training projects.
This partnership programme for capacitiy building integrates the broad suite of partnerships that comprise the IUCN Environmental Law Programme, with a view to achieving maximum leverage and to get resources 'on the ground' as effectively and efficiently as possible. Identified partners (other than the IUCN CEL, ELC and Academy) are involved in specific projects rather than the entire initiative ie FAO, IUCN and UNEP re ECOLEX.
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Lead Partner: Government of Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: The initiative intends to set-up a global research and training programme, specifically directed to African scientists, in collaboration with the Institute for Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IDDMM) at the University of Cape Town (South Africa), with the aim of finalising a feasibility study fro the set-up an African Regional Centre for Infectious Diseases.
The initiative is also in line with the "Cape Town Declaration" and the "Cape Town Initiative", endorsed by the Governments of South Africa and Italy, in March 2002, during the State Visit to South Africa of the President of the Italian Republic, which identifies the essential role of science and technology for sustainable development.
[more]
Lead Partner: Government of Italy - (Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea); - United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The purpose of the Global Bioenergy Partnership is to provide a mechanism for Partners to organize, coordinate and implement targeted international research, development, demonstration and commercial activities related to production, delivery, conversion and use of biomass for energy, with a particular focus on developing countries. GBEP also provides a forum for implementing effective policy frameworks, identifying ways and means to support investments, and removing barriers to collaborative project development and implementation.
The Partnership's main objectives are to:
1. Create a global high-level policy dialogue on bioenergy, support national and regional bioenergy policy-making and market development, and facilitate international cooperation.
2. Favour more efficient and sustainable uses of biomass and develop project activities in the bioenergy field.
3. Foster the exchange of information, knowledge skills and technologies by identifying and promote potential areas of bilateral and multilateral collaboration.
4. Facilitate bioenergy integration into energy markets by tackling specific barriers in the supply chain.
5. Act as a cross-cutting initiative, working in synergy with other relevant activities, avoiding duplications.
[more]
Lead Partner: The City of Knowledge Foundation - The City of Knowledge Foundation
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Panama Center for Sustainable Development is proposed as a strategic solution to the need for an integrated knowledge management system that take into account ecosystems behavior, the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability, and the relationship between local, regional and global processes and actions. The initiative will develop around five major objectives:
1. Promote and conduct interdisciplinary and interinstitutional research programs and activities aimed at supporting plans, policies, and the overall decission-making processes of sustainable development
2. Promote the exchange of experiences and the development of information systems necessary to spur sustainable development
3. Develop scientific and technical capabilities through specific educational and training programs aimed at the formulation and implementation of sustainable development plans, policies and actions
4. To provide a platform that integrates scientific, technological, institutional, legal, and other aspects required to support the decision making processes of sustainable development
5. To contribute to the analysis of trends in the global network of production, dissemination and utilization of knowledge for sustainable development
[more]
Lead Partner: International Association of Scientific Technical and Medical Publishers - United Nations Environment Programme - Yale University
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Through Online Access to Research in the Environment (OARE), a new international public-private partnership, the world’s most prestigious scientific publishers, societies and associations are now offering one of the world’s largest collections of peer-reviewed natural and environmental science literature to more than 1500 national institutions in 106 least-developed nations of Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.
Launched October 30, 2006 in New York, OARE has a mission to improve the quality and effectiveness of natural and environmental science research, education and training in low-income countries. In doing so, OARE will help achieve four primary development objectives:
• Growth in the number of national scholars and experts who will, through their knowledge and reputation, integrate into and facilitate the development of more progressive science-driven policy development processes, regulatory frameworks, and governance structures.
• Strengthen the intellectual foundation of universities and research institutions so as to enable faculty to perform research on a par with peers in industrialized countries, develop their own publishing record, and enable students to conduct research and seek education in new and emerging subjects.
• Build the capacity of independent national organizations to gather, interpret, and disseminate and use global scientific research. Local rather than foreign organizations will engage/empower end-users of information.
The average annual US institutional subscription fee of each title provided through OARE is approximately $1,500. Each institution enrolled in OARE will receive access to more than 1200 serial titles and search engines with a US annual retail subscription value of more than $1 million. The total US annual retail subscription value of scholarly literature and scientific search engines to be provided through OARE to all enrolled institutions is more than $200 million per year.
Research is provided in a wide range of disciplines, including biotechnology, biology, botany, climate change, wildlife conservation, ecology, energy, environmental chemistry, environmental economics, environmental engineering and planning, environmental law and policy, environmental toxicology and pollution, forest and fisheries sciences, geography and population studies, geology, meteorology, natural disaster prevention, natural resource management, oceanography, urban planning, water and hydrology, zoology, and many others. In addition to obtaining direct access to vast quantities of scientific findings, developing countries will be provided access to the world’s most powerful scientific abstract and information databases and indexes, critical intellectual tools the scientific community uses to identify information located in tens of thousands of articles across thousands of international publications.
[more]
Lead Partner: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), South Pacific Program - Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) - South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Pacific Summary: The initiative aims to achieve its objective through the mainstreaming of biodiversity at all levels, including such issues as:
* Methods (both scientific and traditional) and field activities for the identification, protection, conservation and sustainable use of Pacific biodiversity access and equitable benefit sharing from the use of genetic resources protection and strengthening of traditional knowledge, practises innovation and management systems putting real economic value on biodiversity.
* A complementary and participatory approach to conservation will be promoted, including both ex situ and in situ strategies, developed on the basis of both scientific and traditional knowledge.
* A key strategy will be to protect and strengthen traditional knowledge on the use of biodiversity - including agricultural, forestry, wildlife and marine resources - for food, medicine, fibre, shelter and ceremonial purposes - and other relevant expressions of culture in the Pacific Islands. [more]
Lead Partner: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
Geographical Scope: National Summary: The Belgian partnership with the CGIAR includes an important part devoted to the education and training of young scientist of the South in highly specialised laboratories for agricultural research in Belgium and in other developed countries.
The main objectives of the agricultural research activities for development, in the frame of this partnership and of the CGIAR in general, are to contribute to food security and poverty eradication in developing countries through research partnerships, capacity building, and policy support, promoting sustainable agricultural development based on the environmentally sound management of natural resources.
Expected results:
* contribute to the promotion of sustainable agriculture and rural development through an increase of the food production and a better organisation of local and regional markets
* contribute to the well being of poor farmers in the South so that they take part, effectively and in a socially acceptable way, in the economic development of their countries while conserving biodiversity and the environment
* strengthening the involvement of all the partners in international agricultural research for development especially those of the Southern countries
* capacity building and participatory approaches to sustainable development [more]
Lead Partner: PhytoTrade Africa Executive Office
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: PhytoTrade Africa, the Southern African Natural Products Trade Association is a regional trade association, involving members from six countries in Southern Africa (Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe). Its primary objective is to supplement the income of poor rural communities, particularly those living in marginal dryland areas, through the commercialization of a range of natural products, derived from sustainably managed, indigenous floristic resources. PhytoTrade operates as a conventional trade association with a substantial set of additional functions as a development institution. It is a regional not-for-profit service provider, acting as a mechanism for community-based natural product producers and traders to generate business for themselves. It also provides an operational focus for development interventions on behalf of the sub-sector. PhytoTrade does not itself engage in trade or in financing the business of members, but facilitates the trade of members and other community-based operators in the natural products sector.PhytoTrade has been developed within the context of the WSSD, and will use the Summit as a platform to expand its membership, strengthen its financial resource base, and forge new and complementary partnerships with governments, inter-governmental agencies, the private sector and NGOs. [more]
Lead Partner: Public Interest Intellectual Property Advisors
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Public Interest Intellectual Property Advisors is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation whose primary goal is to improve the ability of developing countries to manage, protect, or challenge intellectual property in the public interest. To this end, PIIPA was formed to help governments, government agencies and non-government public service organizations acquire intellectual property expertise on a pro bono basis, in order to meet the health, agricultural, environmental and cultural needs of developing countries. PIIPA seeks to promote volunteerism among intellectual property professionals worldwide to serve developing country public interest needs. PIIPA serves as a mechanism for networking between intellectual property legal professionals in different countries, and as outreach to such professionals. PIIPA offers services to those who need assistance from a broad range of areas, including: intergovernmental organizations (e.g., WHO, UNAIDS, FAO, South Centre); non-industrialized country governments and government agencies; certain research institutions (e.g., universities and government funded public laboratories in developing countries); international research consortia (e.g., CGIAR centers, disease specific public-private partnerships); non-governmental organizations and non-profit entities (e.g., MIHR, PIPRA); and certain qualifying small-to-medium enterprises and individual innovators. For these applicants, PIIPA seeks to arrange professional representation for a wide range of intellectual property services. These include: patent prosecution, counseling, licensing and litigation; trademark prosecution, counseling, licensing and litigation; copyright counseling, licensing and litigation; trade secret protection, counseling, licensing and litigation; legislative counseling (e.g., drafting legislation and regulations in relation to intellectual property matters); and national, international and multinational dispute resolution. PIIPA has developed a worldwide corps of IP professionals ("IP Corps") able and willing to provide pro bono representation to developing country clients. At the present time our members number 200, and represent countries around the world. Members of the IP corps are solicited via professional associations, direct solicitations, and professional firm networking. [more]
Lead Partner: ASEAN Regional Center Biodiversity Conservation (ARCBC)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Southeast Asia Summary: To promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources in South-east Asia Region, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding.
Expected results include:
* Improve understanding of the issues on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing, including the related intellectual property rights associating with the use of traditional knowledge and transfer of related technology;
* Conservation of genetic resources in ASEAN countries
* People-based genetic resources management based on local/traditional knowledge, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits.
* Trust-building and transparency in order to facilitate the exchange of genetic resources, particularly with regard to the implementation of Article 15 of the CBD.
* Creation of Partnerships and Promotion of Co-Operation in regard to the regional, as well as national interests and also to better take advantage of the international processes in the field of ABS (the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and Bonn Guidelines on Access to Genetic Resources and Sharing of Benefits Arising out of the Utilization of Genetic Resources). [more]
Lead Partner: Southern Caucus Of NGOs For Sustainable Development
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: THE PARTNERSHIP SHALL:
1. Establish Five Multi Regional Centers to assist in recruitment, mobilization and development of human resources and strengthen Southern Major Group NGO Institutions on Local, National and Regional Levels and increase their Capacity to participate in and contribute to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation Locally, Nationally and Regionally.
2 Seek resources to implement National NGO Action Plans to Eradicate Poverty, complementary to Government Plans
3 Report on the impact of reduction of poverty programs using UN CSD measurements and report on NGO Sustainable Development achievements and obstacles to participation in Local, National and Regional Sustainable Development.
4 Increase participation of Southern Major Group NGO¿s as observers and experts at Government Regional Meetings with feedback to local communities.
5 Replicate to NGOs in the countries served by the Centers best practices and expert programs developed by National and Regional NGO Major Groups that contribute to Sections IV to VIII of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, including the following:5a Reduce digital divide problems through Digital Divide Centers linked to Distance Learning, Technology Exchange, Higher Education, Research, Technical Assistance and Communications Programs,
5b Provide .
5c Participate in Monitoring and Management of Watersheds, Forests and Carbon Exchange programs [more]
Lead Partner: Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbz)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Partnership for the creation of an international communication and information platform on sustainable consumption (SC) for youth.
The partnership will consist of a platform for capacity building on sustainable consumption for schools, local authorities and consumer organisations. Capacity building will be facilitated through the provision of pedagogical materials as well as a of a space ( meetings and a electronic forum) for the exchange of experiences among youth. The project attaches importance to the language used: the concepts and issues related to sustainable consumption as well as sustainable development will be transmitted using visuals, text, youth icons, concrete examples in order to bring closer to the day to day reality of young people. The partners believe that to stimulate critical thinking in young consumers one has to talk to them a language understandable to them and icons they recognise as their own and provide critical material and reliable information rather than "already packaged dos and don'ts"and will operate with the following objectives:
The partnership is based on a awareness raising and training web-site www.yomag.net and will operate with the following objectives:
* Provide reliable and integrating information about the concept of sustainable consumption at global level. In particular, provide a critical insight in the global environmental and social impacts and challenges of the current consumption patterns of affluent societies.
* Offer an online platform" for the exchange of ideas, visions and projects to youth from all over the world.
* Provide youth, communicators, teachers and consumer organisations with the tools to efficiently communicate about sustainable consumption.
* Through teachers ans students workshops, allow youth from all over the world to meet, exchange perspectives and experiences on their different consumption patterns and to envision concrete solutions to the imbalances to goods and resources.
* Establish and link networks of education authorities and other relevant institutions in the field of education and consumer organisations to enable capacity building, awareness raising and mutual understanding of the problems and imbalances linked to current consumption patterns and the solutions to overcome them. [more]
to collapse the Summary of Partnerships.