Brief Report on Side Event International Year of Planet Earth at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in New York City,
13 May 2010
With reference to its mandate as expressed in the UN Proclamation for the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE), a special IYPE Side Event was organised on the occasion of the high-level meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, on 13 May 2010 at UN Headquarters in New York City. That Event was accompanied by a special exhibition of World Press Photo and followed by a Conference of IYPE’s International Partners at the UNESCO Office in New York City.
Panel of the IYPE Side Event, from left to right: Mr Victor Hugo Barnica, the Vice President of the Republic of Honduras, Mrs Gerda Verburg, Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in the Netherlands and past President of the UN CSD, Mrs. Christine Alfsen, Director a.i. of the UNESCO Office in New York City (Chair), and Mrs. Leonor Sá Machado, Director Communications Banco Espirto Santo de Angola.
The IYPE Side Event was attended by some 100 participants, among which the Chair of the IYPE Board of Directors and Officers, Mr. Larry Woodfork, and the Chair of the IYPE Outreach Programme Committee, Mr. Phil Manning, and was entitled ‘The Legacy of the IYPE and looking ahead’. The Event was opened by by the Director a.i. of the New York Office of UNESCO, Mrs. Christine Alfsen who chaired the meeting. The Executive Director of the IYPE Secretariat, Mr. Eduardo de Mulder, presented a collection of legacy items of the International Year of Planet Earth, which is a joint initiative by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and UNESCO. He continued by describing one of the initiatives that have been developed from the IYPE, the ‘Planet Earth Institute’ (PEI). The PEI has basically the same ambitions as the IYPE but is not confined by a time limit. The next keynote speaker was the Vice President of Honduras, Mr. Victor Hugo Barnica, who spoke on the way how Honduras is implementing its national sustainable development programme while highlighting the role the IYPE played in his country by raising awareness mainly through its education system. Mrs. Gerda Verburg, President of the UN-CSD meeting last year, discussed the growing significance of Agriculture in sustainable development issues and highlighted progress made in the UN CSD. Moreover, she announced that the Netherlands currently investigates to host the Planet Earth Institute Secretariat. Finally, Mrs. Leonor Sá Machado, representing the Banco Espirito Santo (BESA: Bank of the Planet) and main sponsor of the Event, shared with the audience the mutual benefits of partnership by the Banco to both parties and UNESCO. She announced that the Bank has embarked on a long-term support programme to the Planet Earth Institute as the PEI is seen as an effective instrument to implement Earth-related sustainability isues in Africa and in the world. The meeting was closed by the Chair.On the occasion of the Side Event a Summary Report on the IYPE to the United Nations was produced. In broad outlines this 8-paged Report describes the background, organisation, implementation, communication, the finances and fundraising, the legacy, the future, the UN involvement, the relation with other international years, an evaluation ad some conclusions of the IYPE. A final report to the UN, to UNESCO and to IUGS will be produced in the course of 2010.
Sponsored by BESA a remarkable contribution was made to the UN-CSD and the IYPE Side Event through a major exhibition of World Press Photo displaying a wide spectrum of photographs made by young, award-winning African professionals on five out of ten IYPE themes. The photographs were exposed all around the main Conference Room and was accompanied by a dedicated book ‘Save and protect the Planet’.
The Side Event was followed by a Conference for International IYPE Partners and hosted by the UNESCO Office in New York City. There, an fruitful exchange of views between the IYPE leadership and the International Partners took place. A special focus of this Conference was put on the content of the Planet Earth Institute Programme and how the International Partners could contribute to this.
Finally, cocktails were served in the UN-CSD main Hall for participants of the IYPE Side Event and other invited guests. This cocktail was offered by BESA.
International Year of Planet Earth
2007-2009
Earth sciences for society
The International Year of Planet Earth aims to capture people’s imagination with the exciting knowledge we possess about our planet, and to see that knowledge used to make the Earth a safer, healthier and wealthier place for our children and grandchildren International Year of Planet Earth 2007-2009What is the International Year
of Planet Earth?
The International Year of Planet Earth aims to ensure greater and more effective use by society of the knowledge accumulated by the world’s 400,000 Earth scientists. The Year’s ultimate goal of helping to build safer, healthier and wealthier societies around the globe is expressed in the Year’s subtitle ‘Earth science for Society’.The International Year runs from January 2007 to December 2009, the central year of the triennium (2008) having been proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as the UN Year. The UN sees the Year as a contribution to their sustainable development targets as it promotes wise (sustainable) use of Earth materials and encourages better planning and management to reduce risks for the world’s inhabitants.
About this logo: In 2002 the German Ministry of Education and Research in 2002 instigated the very successful Jahr der Geowissenschaften. The logo used in the national event forms the basis of the International Year logo, by kind permission of the German Ministry. This consists of an inner circle (red) representing the solid Earth, then the biosphere in green and the hydrosphere in dark blue, above which is the pale blue atmosphere, all constituents of the Earth System.
Who is behind the International Year?
The International Year of Planet Earth is a joint initiative by UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). Eleven Founding Partners, 25 Associate Partners and a growing number of International Partner organisations (23 by December 2008) from all continents and representing all major geoscientific communities in the world, have embarked on this initiative. The Year also enjoys the full political support of 192 UN countries. By the end of 2008, National Committees have been established in 76 countries and regions in the world.How does it work?
The main activities of the International Year of Planet Earth operate within its Science and Outreach programmes. Funding for projects in both programmes is sought from industry, Foundations and governments worldwide. Both programmes essentially operate in a response, or ‘bottomup’ mode.The Science Programme consists of 10 broad, societally relevant and multidisciplinary themes: health, climate, groundwater, ocean, soils, deep Earth, megacities, hazards, resources, and life. Brochures on each of these themes are available in hard copy, and can be downloaded from the Year’s website. Scientists from all countries of the world are invited to submit Expressions of Interest (EoIs) dedicated to specific questions within each theme.
IYPE National Committees
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The Global Geoscience InitiativeThe third in a series on Townhall meetings was held at the European Geoscience Union Conference in Vienna, on the 4th May 2010. This followed on from a movement spawned from the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) in which the board felt that the final year of IYPE could provide an opportunity for Earth scientists to crystallise the concept of ‘Global Geosciences Initiatives’. Such initiatives would offer an opportunity across the planet for Earth scientists to address challenging pressing problems and would build a sense of community behind science initiatives that could then be funded through national international agencies.Three presentations were given in the Vienna meeting: Africa Alive Corridors by Maarten de Wit (University of Cape Town), the GEM Project Towards a Global Earthquake Model, and the UNESCO Earth science initiatives, by Robert Missotten (UNESCO). Attendants agreed that the concept is worth pursuing, in particular the Africa Alive Corridor Project, which might be extended to other continents. Pending questions include: How do we take this to the next step? How do we find funding? How do we continue to build momentum? |
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Summary Report to the United Nations (pdf) |
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The International Year of Planet Earth is partly supported by voluntary donations from companies, organisations, and governments. However, we believe it is vital that individual citizens should feel that their personal contribution can make a real difference to the well-being of our planet. For that reason we are opening up our donations programme to personal gifts and bequests. Every little helps - please help us continue our work in Earth science research and outreach by making a donation today. Thank you! If you wish to donate in support of the work of the International Year of Planet Earth Corporation, please fill in this form  |
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Please read the second edition of the PlanetEarth book! |
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IYPE Legacy (pdf) |
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Status Report (pdf) 20 June 2009 |
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Frequently Asked Questions (pdf) – 23 January 2009 |
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Flyer Planet Earth (pdf) |
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Download PowerPoint presentation, March 2009 (49 MB) |
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Prospectus and Business Plan November 2008 |
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Expressions of Interest If you are interested in proposing either a research or outreach project under the International year of Planet Earth, please download the Expression of Interest form and save to your computer. Please fill it in and then return by email to the address provided. We will then contact you at the proper time, when we are ready to consider fully worked-up bids for funding. Pdf version Important noticeNotice is hereby given that no further Expressions of Interest in the International Year’s Science Programme will be accepted after the last day of January 2008. Authors of the best proposals in each of the science themes will be contacted by way of the secretariat in due course following the Global Launch Event of the International Year of Planet Earth at UNESCO in Paris on 12th and 13th February 2008.
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UN Resolution adopted by the General Assembly |
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