UN participation in EU Green Week High Level Virtual Conference (20-22 October)

EU Green Week 2020, taking place 19 – 22 October, will take place virtually on the theme of nature and biodiversity. EU Green Week will act as a milestone on the path to the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, now planned for 2021, where world leaders will adopt a global post-2020 framework on biodiversity to ensure that nature continues to underpin human existence long into the future.

 

This year, the UN will participate in several sessions throughout the Conference in Brussels from 20 - 22 October. We hereby invite you to join us at EU Green Week 2020 by registering through the link provided below (prior registration is required):

For the EU Green Week Conference in Brussels register here.

For the full Brussels Conference Programme click here.

We also recommend the many virtual partner events across Europe taking place ahead of, during or shortly after EU Green Week. Find out here. This includes on 21 October an event organised by the International Organisation for Migration (UN Migration) 'The Search for Greener Pastures: Exploring the Relationship between Nature, Biodiversity and Migration' more info and registration here.

UN speakers will participate in the following sessions (click on the session titles for more information):

Wednesday 21 October: 

10:45 - 11:45 Doreen Robinson, Chief for Wildlife, UNEP, will speak in Session 2.1 Zoonotic diseases, invasive alien species and wildlife trade - is the EU legislative framework fit for purpose?

12:00 - 13:00 Joy A. Kim, Senior Economic Affairs Officer, UNEP and Cristina Romanellia, Interagency Liaison, joint work programme on biodiversity and Health, WHO, will speak in Session 3.2 Nature restoration: a win-win for biodiversity and climate (In partnership with the WWF and UNEP).

14:00 - 15:00 Monika Gail MacDevette, Chief, Chemicals and Health Branch, Economy Division, UNEP, will speak in Session 4.2 The Ocean and COVID-19.

16:30 - 17:30 Janez Potočnik, member of the International Resource Panel, and Eduardo Mansur, Director for the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, FAO, will speak in Session 4.4 Protecting biodiversity and nature through a circular economy.

16:30 - 17:45 David Cooper, Deputy Executive Secretary, CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity), will speak in Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Biodiversity (But Were Afraid To Ask): Launching The ’Knowledge Centre For Biodiversity’ Part 1 (In partnership with the JRC).

17:45 - 18:45 Corli Pretorius, Deputy Director of the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), will speak in Everything you ever wanted to know about biodiversity (but were afraid to ask): Launching the ’Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity’ Part 2 (In partnership with the JRC).  

Thursday 22 October:

9:30 - 10:30 Birgit Van Hout, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, will speak in Session 5.1 Can Law Save Nature?

9:30 - 10:30 Garrette Clark, Sustainable Lifestyles Programme Officer, UNEP, will speak in Session 5.2 The power of people: How can we live better, lighter and closer to nature? (In cooperation with UNEP).

9:30 - 10:30 Monica Kobayashi, International Consultant on Soil Biodiversity, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will speak in Session 5.3 It’s alive! Why soil is probably the most important habitat you’ve never thought about.  

10:45 - 11:45 Tracey Cumming, Biodiversity Finance Initiative Technical Advisor, UNDP, and Member of the Expert Panel on Resource Mobilisation, CBD, will speak in Session 6.1 EU’s contribution to achieving global biodiversity goals (In partnership with DG DEVCO).   

10:45 - 11:45  Isaura Rabago, Chair of the Working Group of Effects of the UNECE Air Convention, and Basile van Havre, Co-Chair of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, will speak at Session 6.2 Towards Zero Air Pollution Pressure On The Ecosystems

12:00 - 13:00 Michael Harfoot, Senior Ecosystem Modelling Scientist, UNEP-WCMC, will speak in Session 7.2 Earth observation to protect the planet and the people (In partnership with the JRC).

14:00 - 15:30 Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP, will speak in the Closing session: On the road to Kunming.