[IYRPsupportgroup] UNEA 4 Resolution on sustainable rangelands and pastoralism

[Tony Palmer]

Dear Maryam
What wonderful news. Thank you. I am very pleased to see that the Africa Group submitted this resolution. I will distribute this widely to the southern African rangeland community.
Regards
Tony
Dr Anthony (Tony) Palmer
Principal Research Scientist
Agricultural Research Council – Animal Production
PO Box 101, Grahamstown, 6140 South Africa
Mobile: +27725301631
Office: +27466222638
Email:palmert at arc.agric.za
Skype:tonypalmer345



From: IYRPsupportgroup [mailto:iyrpsupportgroup-bounces at list.cals.arizona.edu] On Behalf Of Maryam Niamir-Fuller
Sent: Saturday, 16 March 2019 4:08 PM
To: iyrpsupportgroup at list.cals.arizona.edu
Subject: [IYRPsupportgroup] UNEA 4 Resolution on sustainable rangelands and pastoralism

Dear friends and colleagues

I am very pleased to share with you the final Resolution L17 passed yesterday by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) at its 4th Session. It was originally proposed by the Government of Kenya and supported by the Africa Group.

It is a very significant achievement to have a resolution specifically on rangelands and pastoralism (compared for example to having a sentence embedded into another wider resolution). In my opinion it shows that the world's governments and other stakeholders are becoming increasingly cognizant of the vital importance of addressing this issue in all of its aspects.

A careful reading of the resolution will show you that:

a) there continues to be support for raising global awareness, and it recognizes the process for an IYRP that the Government of Mongolia has initiated through FAO's COAG; our eyes therefore turn next to that process;

b) UNEP has been requested to assist countries who wish to conduct regional assessments of rangelands and pastoralism; my hope is that we will now have a way to work together to first harmonize methodologies and terminologies for these assessments, and to focus collectively on the gaps in information identified through the UNEP Gap Analysis (Case of Benign Neglect) and other efforts.

c) efforts should be redoubled to seek innovative solutions; the resolution acknowledges the value of traditional knowledge grazing and herding mechanisms and institutions, and calls for ecosystem restoration, resilience planning, financing of sustainable development, and more.

The final text of the Resolution in all 5 UN languages can be found on:

http://web.unep.org/environmentassembly/ministerial-declaration-resolutions-and-decisions-unea-4

The UNEP Gap Analysis report can be found on:

> The report and its executive summaries in 5 UN languages: http://www.grida.no/publications/428

> The story map presentation: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=e34ff8095ea34e96a298d13e861b8b9d

I wish to thank so many of our colleagues who worked both in Nairobi and elsewhere to make this Resolution happen, and the institutional support particularly of the Governments of Mongolia and Kenya, of IRC, SRM, GRID-Arendal, ILRI, IUCN, CELEP, and all those who attended the Ministerial Breakfast at UNEA. I apologize if I have inadvertently left anyone out!

In conclusion, I believe that this Resolution L17, and the UNEP Gap Analysis report can be effective tools for you to work within your countries and institutions to continue to enhance our collective support to sustainable rangelands and pastoralism.

Thank you and best regards

Dr. Maryam Niamir-Fuller
Advisor on Sustainability
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