[IYRPsupportgroup] Update on the IYRP

Thu May 20 19:22:47 MST 2021

Thanks Maryam,

*Very useful summary of progress* for wider use on the International
Biodiversity Day meetings and Webinar tomorrow.

Now - formal support from 18 countries, and more than 200 NGOs - is so
encouraging.
Thanks for making South Asia as one region. Our teams are delighted.
Best,
-Sadana

On Fri, May 21, 2021 at 7:35 AM Munkhnasan Nasaa <munkhnasan2025 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dear Maryam
> Thank you for this great update. It gives a lot of helpful information.
> Currently, the draft action plan for IYRPs is under review of both
> ministry agriculture and foreign affairs /at officer level/. We are  going
> to let all friends know about potential improvements.
> About the FAO conference, an honorable minister is invited and hopefully
> he is going to make a speech during the conference especially when our
> initiative is discussed. We were informed by Mongolian embassy in Rome that
> a written correspondence procedure has been started and will end on 24th of
> May. Means all member countries will give their opinions before the FAO
> conference and we need to be prepared to answer potential questions from
> the member countries. If any country questions it would be about
> implementation and financing the year.
>
> Thank you for cooperation
>
>
> *Best regards: *
>
> **********************************
> Dr. Munkhnasan Tsevegmed
> Pasture plant welfare and restoration specialist
> Livestock development policy and coordination department
> Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry
> Phone: +976 (51) 263247
> Mobile: +976 99893671
> ********************************
>
>
> On Fri, 21 May 2021 at 06:13, Maryam Niamir-Fuller <mniafull2 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Dear Friends of IYRP
>>
>> We would like to bring you up to date on progress in designating an
>> International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
>>
>> • To date, 18 national governments have sent formal letters of support to
>> the Mongolian Government for the designation of an International Year of
>> Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) in 2026. In addition, another 15
>> countries plus the EU showed support during the deliberations at the FAO
>> COAG in 2020.
>>
>> • We now have more than 200 non-governmental organizations and one State
>> (Provincial) Government, that are formally supporting the IYRP. UNDP is the
>> latest United Nations agency to have joined in support.
>>
>> • We are hopeful that the FAO Conference (14 -18 June 2021) will approve
>> the motion. Thereafter, the proposal will be forwarded to the 76th UN
>> General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2021 – the final step. The IYRP
>> International Support Group (ISG) stands ready to prepare any additional
>> documentation needed by the Government of Mongolia and FAO to complete the
>> submission of the proposal to the UNGA and help show the broad and
>> worldwide support for this proposal.
>>
>> • The Mongolian Government requested the IYRP ISG to prepare a draft
>> Action Plan for IYRP, as a way to engage other countries to support the
>> IYRP. This draft is a compilation of all the priorities and commitments
>> that the governments and organizations have included in their letters of
>> support. More work will be done in the near future to refine the IYRP
>> Action Plan on the basis of the regional action plans being developed.
>>
>> In addition, the IYRP International Support Group (ISG) has established a
>> Global Communications Team. Among other things, the Team has:
>> • Worked on enhancing the website (https://iyrp.info) , including
>> providing links that show relevance of other UN Conventions and Processes
>> to the IYRP, including the SDGs, the UN Decade on Family Farming
>> (2019-2028), the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) and more.
>> • Following a survey, we created two Word Cloud Graphics to help explain
>> what we mean by ‘rangelands’ and ‘pastoralists’ and how so many different
>> words are used around the world to mean more or less the same. These
>> graphics are attached for your use.  Word Clouds in languages other than
>> English are also being prepared.
>>
>> Seeing the need for greater decentralization of efforts, a total of 11
>> Regional IYRP Support Groups (RISG) were established with help from the
>> IYRP ISG since December 2020 for the following regions:  Australasia, East
>> Asia, Central Asia & Mongolia, South Asia, Middle East & North Africa,
>> Eastern & Southern Africa, West & Central Africa, Europe, Arctic, North
>> America and South America. Below are highlights of some of their
>> achievements to date:
>>
>> • *Australasia*: Australia is among the countries that has written
>> support for IYRP. The RISG developed an additional Stakeholder List of ~70
>> organizations and engaged in outreach to them.
>>
>> • *Central Asia and Mongolia*: organized stakeholders outreach meetings
>> on local, regional and national levels in some countries, resulting in a
>> signed Resolution; they have translated all key IYRP documents into
>> Russian; and are preparing draft regional action plans for IYRP.
>>
>> • *Eastern and Southern Africa*: In addition to reaching out to national
>> governments in the region to seek their support of IYRP, this RISG is
>> conducting a comprehensive mapping of policies in the region that affect
>> pastoralists and rangelands, and supporting the documentation of African
>> indigenous knowledge for the International Rangeland Congress (October
>> 2021). This RISG is considering dividing into two (Eastern, and Southern).
>>
>> • *Europe*: The RISG is ensuring the continuity of the support of the
>> EU's and EU Member States’ to IYRP at the UNGA, and advocating for
>> development of an EU Action Plan for promoting pastoralism. Yolda
>> Initiative and Euromontana are organizing a high level webinar on 14th June
>> hosted by the EU Committee of the Regions, to discuss the contribution of
>> pastoralism in tackling various issues in the EU, including biodiversity,
>> climate change, food security and resilient rural communities, and to
>> review how the international policies of the EU have impacted pastoralism
>> around the world. The RISG is also working to translate the IYRP Draft
>> Action Plan into French and Hungarian.
>>
>> • *North America*:  In Canada, a joint support letter co-signed by 23
>> national and regional NGOs that collectively represent hundreds of
>> thousands of Canadians to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Canada,
>> International Development Canada, and other departments. Similarly, a joint
>> statement is being prepared in Mexico (25 signatories so far) for the
>> Ministry of Agriculture (SADER). The Canadian Minister of Agriculture and
>> the Governor of the State of Durango, Mexico have sent letters of support
>> to Mongolia. In the USA, signatures are being sought for a group letter to
>> be sent to several Government Departmental Secretaries. An information note
>> has been drafted titled” Why the IYRP matters to the USA Government”. The
>> North American RISG is also finding ways to engage on issues related to
>> indigenous pastoralism (including through creating opportunities related to
>> capacity-building via indigenous universities and technical schools), and
>> building momentum among wildlife and Park agencies working on the ground
>> throughout the central grasslands of North America.
>>
>> • *South Asia*: In March 2021 India and Bhutan joined the other South
>> Asian governments that are supporting IYRP. In addition, the RISG is
>> organizing an Award For Recognizing Pastoralists who conserve local breeds,
>> and use best practices in pasture land management in South Asia.  The RISG
>> is compiling traditional food recipes and value added livestock products
>> from pastoral communities, and provided the COVID situation allows, it is
>> planning events for 22 May International Biodiversity Day, and 5 June World
>> Environment Day.
>>
>> Finally, several members of the ISG have engaged proactively with the UN
>> Food Systems Summit, after seeing that pastoralism and rangelands were
>> (once again) being left behind.  Among these actions: a Pastoralist
>> Champion (Mr. H. Ykhanbai of Mongolia) has been nominated and is engaging
>> with the different processes; Game Changer Solution Ideas have been
>> submitted for Action Tracks 1, 3 and 5; and at least three Independent
>> Dialogues are in preparation (one by ILRI and GASL; one by the Mountain
>> Partnership Secretariat; and one by CELEP partners in Eastern Africa).
>>
>> For more information on IYRP please visit : https://iyrp.info.
>>
>> Please continue to show your support for an IYRP! The next few months are
>> crucial in raising awareness worldwide.
>>
>> If you wish to get more involved, please contact me, or the Chairs of the
>> RISG for your region (see list attached).
>>
>>  Maryam Niamir-Fuller
>> Vice Chair of ISG
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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-- 
*Indigenous Livestock Society - India; 21 Sector 8, UE, Karnal-132 001*
डॉ. डी. के. सडाना.   ਦਾ. ਦੀ. ਕੇ. ਸਦਾਨਾ  سدانہ . دی کے   Dr. D. K. Sadana
+91 94160.30654   Twitter: @IndianBreeds; @Sadana
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