POLICY CALENDAR
Autumn 2024
Oct 21 — Nov 1 | Turkey
Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Home | Convention on Biological Diversity (cbd.int)
TBD | TBD
IWC69 | IWC Biennial Commission Meeting
Spring 2024
Feb 26 — 29 | Abu Dhabi, UAE
WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13)
The topmost decision-making body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which usually meets every two years. It brings together all members of the WTO, all of which are countries or customs unions. The Ministerial Conference can take decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.
Feb 26 — 1 March | Nairobi, Kenya
Sixth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6)
UNEA-6 is the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. It will be held from 26 February to 1 March 2024 at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme, in Nairobi, Kenya (decision 5/4 of 2 March 2022). The overall theme for UNEA-6 is “Effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.”
Sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) | Environment Assembly (unep.org)
March 11 — 13 | Lisbon, Portugal
World Ocean Summit
The summit is designed to instigate action to develop a sustainable ocean economy; to encourage new partnerships across industries, with NGOs, scientists, technology developers and investors. By bringing together all stakeholders in the ocean ecosystem, the summit provides the perfect platform to inspire new synergies, solutions and strategies on the track to meet the 2030 targets in UN SDG 14.
December 2023
4 — 8 TBC | Portoroz, Slovenia
Barcelona Convention COP23
The Barcelona Convention and its Protocols constitute a multilateral legal framework for the protection of the marine and coastal environment and sustainable use of their resources in the Mediterranean.
November 2023
6 — 17 | Dubai, UAE
UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 28)
UN Climate Change Conference - United Arab Emirates Nov/Dec 2023 | UNFCCC
October 2023
15 — 19 | Nairobi, Kenya
Convention on Biological Diversity Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 25)
Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) (cbd.int)
19 — 20 Nairobi, Kenya
Resumed second part of the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
COP-15-Resumed - Documents (cbd.int)
16 — 27 | Hobart, Australia
Forty-second Meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
23 — 27 | Panama City, Panama
Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week
September 2023
Aug 28 — Sept 2 | Bonn, Germany
Tenth Session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES-10)
IPBES 10 Plenary | IPBES secretariat
3 — 8 | Cambridge, UK and Wellington, New Zealand
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources Workshop on Climate Change (WS-CC-2023)
WS-CC-2023 | Meetings (ccamlr.org)
4 — 8 | Nairobi, Kenya
Africa Climate Week and Africa Climate Summit
The Summit brings together African Countries to deliberate on issues affecting Climate.
4 — 8 | Gland, Switzerland
62nd Meeting of the Standing Committee
The 62nd meeting of the Standing Committee will take place at Secretariat headquarters in Gland, Switzerland, from Monday 4 to Friday 8 September 2023.
62nd meeting of the Standing Committee | The Convention on Wetlands, (ramsar.org)
9 — 10 | New Delhi, India
G20 Summit
The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the New Delhi Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings.
G20 Leaders' Summit, New Delhi
18 — 19 | New York, NY
SDG Summit 2023
UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will convene at the level of heads of state and government under the auspices of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Along with the Summit for the Future, the SDG Summit is one of the “twin summits,” high-level events with the common objective of creating conditions for a sustainable, equitable and inclusive future.
SDG Summit 2023 | United Nations
22 — 23 | New York, NY
Summit of the Future
The Summit of the Future will bring together UN Member States, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), academic institutions, the private sector, and youth under the theme, ‘Summit of the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow.’ Along with the SDG Summit, the Summit of the Future is one of the “twin summits,” high-level events with the common objective of creating conditions for a sustainable, equitable and inclusive future.
Summit of the Future | United Nations
17 — 24 | New York, NY
Climate Week NYC 2023
Hosted annually by the Climate Group, Climate Week 2023 brings together influential climate leaders from business, government, and the climate community, in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly and the City of New York.
July 2023
10 — 19 | New York, USA
UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
Held under the auspices of Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the theme of the HLPF will be "Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels.” The forum will conduct an in-depth review of 5 SDGs, 6 (clean water and sanitation), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and 17 (partnerships for the Goals).
High-Level Political Forum 2023 (un.org)
25 — 28 | Nairobi, Kenya
Fifty-ninth Session of the IPCC (IPCC-59)
March 2023
2 — 3 | Panama
Our Ocean Summit
Our Ocean 2023 will create a space for collaborative dialogue between heads of state, private sector, civil society, and academic institutions to discuss how we can save our marine resources, promote sustainable use, and educate the public about our ocean. Most importantly, we will bring attention to the critical importance of the implementation of well-connected systems of effective area-based management measures, including Marine Protected Areas, the development of the global blue economy and proposing innovative solutions to address marine pollution.
Home - Our Ocean 2023 (ouroceanpanama2023.gob.pa)
20 — 26 | Monaco
Monaco Oceans Week
Local and international experts, the scientific community, voluntary sector, and public authorities meet in the Principality of Monaco.
February 2023
3 — 9 | Vancouver, Canada
IMPAC5
A global forum that brings together ocean conservation professionals and high-level officials to inform, inspire and act on marine protected areas. IMPAC5 will provide a forum for sharing knowledge, successes and best practices in an open and respectful environment for the exchanging of ideas among a diversity of views, expertise, opinions, backgrounds and lived experiences reflective of Congress participants. To guide discussions and further dialogue, all aspects of the congress will be informed by five themes and three cross-cutting streams. Themes: Building a global marine protected area network; Advancing conservation in the blue economy; Actively managing marine protected areas and human activity; Conserving biodiversity and addressing the climate crisis; Connecting ocean, culture and human well-being. Streams: Indigenous Peoples Leadership; The Voice of Young Professionals; Innovation and Transformational Change.
7 — 10 | Merida
GCF Task Force Annual Meeting
The Government of Yucatán, México, under the leadership of Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal, hosted the 13th Annual Meeting of the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF Task Force) in Mérida, Yucatán, México between February 7-10, 2023. This meeting built on the Manaus Action Plan (MAP), which was launched in Amazonas, Brazil in March 2022, and the technical exchange of experiences that took place in San Martin, Peru in October 2022.
Annual Meeting - Yucatan, Mexico - February 2023 - GCF Task Force (gcftf.org)
28 February — 2 March | Uruguay
VIII Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas and the Caribbean (RP23)
RP23 will take place in the mid-term of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) and serve not only to review regional progress, but an opportunity to examine the challenges in building a resilient future. The platform will focus on technological issues and design policies to strengthen comprehensive risk management and promote the development of multi-hazard early warning systems in the region.
Home of the RP Americas 2023 | RP Americas & Caribbean (undrr.org)
January 2023
16 — 20 Davos-Klosters, Switzerland
World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2023
The 2023 WEF meeting will convene leaders from government, business, and civil society and provide a platform for collaborative dialogues to find solutions to ongoing global crises through public-private partnerships.
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
December 2022
7 — 19 | Montreal, Canada
Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (Part 2) (CBD COP 15)
CBD COP 15 will review the achievement and delivery of the CBD’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. It is also anticipated that the final decision on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework will be taken, together with decisions on related topics including capacity building and resource mobilization.
November 2022
7 – 18 | Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 27)
15 — 16 | Bali, Indonesia
G20 Summit
The theme of Indonesia’s Presidency of the G20 is “Recover Together, Recover Stronger” and will emphasize the importance of collective action and inclusive collaboration to address three priority issues: Global Health Architecture, Sustainable Energy Transition, and Digital Transformation.21 – 29 | Wuhan, China
Ramsar 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP14)
The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP14) took place from 5 to 13 November 2022 in Wuhan (China) at the East Lake International Conference Center (ELICC) and Geneva (Switzerland) at the International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG). The opening ceremony and the high-level segment were in a hybrid modality with participation of invited representatives both in Wuhan and Geneva linked via video. Negotiations and all other aspects of COP14 took place in-person in Geneva.
14th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties | The Convention on Wetlands, (ramsar.org)
October 2022
14 – 21 | Portoroz, Slovenia
68th Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC68)
The IWC was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry.
September 2022
1 – 8 | Vancouver, Canada
Impac5 - 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress
IMPAC5 is an opportunity to bring together Indigenous peoples and cultures from around the world to embrace a collaborative approach and learn from Indigenous leadership in ocean conservation.
Home - IMPAC5 - Vancouver BC Canada
19 – 25 | New York, United States
New York Climate Week 2022
Hosted annually by international non-profit the Climate Group in conjunction with the United Nations, and in partnership with the COP27 and the City of New York, Climate Week NYC is a global opportunity to come together to accelerate climate action and assess progress ahead of COP27.
August 2022
TBD | Kunming, China
UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 15) (Part 2)
CBD COP 15 will review the achievement and delivery of the CBD’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. It is also anticipated that the final decision on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework will be taken, together with decisions on related topics including capacity building and resource mobilization.
July 2022
3 – 9 | Bonn, Germany
IPBES-9 Plenary
The ninth session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES-9) will consider the thematic assessment of the sustainable use of wild species, and the methodological assessment regarding the diverse conceptualization of multiple values of nature and its benefits, including biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services. IPBES-9 will be preceded by regional consultations and a Stakeholder Day on 2 July 2022.
https://ipbes.net/events/ipbes-9
https://ipbes.net/events/ipbes-9-stakeholder-day
https://ipbes.net/notification/save-the-date/ipbes-9
5 – 15 | New York, United States
High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2022
The 2022 session of the HLPF will be the 10th session of the HLPF will hold in-depth reviews of five SDGs: 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality), 14 (life below water), 15 (life on land), and 17 (partnerships for the Goals).
May 2022
22 – 26 | Davos-Klosters, Switzerland
World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2022
The Annual Meeting 2022 seeks to embody the World Economic Forum’s philosophy of collaborative, multi-stakeholder impact, providing a unique collaborative environment in which to reconnect, share insights, gain fresh perspectives, and build problem-solving communities and initiatives.
https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2022
23 – 28 | Bali, Indonesia
Seventh Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction is the main global forum to assess and discuss progress on the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
https://www.undrr.org/event/seventh-session-global-platform-disaster-risk-reduction-gp2022
April 2022
13 – 14 | Palau
Our Ocean Conference
Our Ocean will focus on six Areas of Action, convening partners from across the globe to identify solutions to manage marine resources, increase the ocean’s resilience to climate change and safeguard its health for generations to come.
March 2022
1 – 4 | Virtual
Economist World Ocean Summit
This global event will take place over four days virtually, and will bring together the broadest cross-section of the ocean community, from businesses to scientists, government, investors, and civil society. It will feature six industry tracks: shipping, fishing, aquaculture, energy, tourism, and plastics.
https://events.economist.com/world-ocean-summit/
7 – 18 | New York, United States
4th session of the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (IGC-4)
16 – 18 | Amazonas, Brazil
GCF Task Force Annual Meeting
Co-hosted by the Government of Amazonas, the GCF Task Force’s 12th Annual Meeting will provide an invaluable opportunity to advance our common goals of protecting tropical forests, reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and promoting sustainable, low-emissions development. Meeting participants will include governors, civil society, indigenous peoples and local community representatives, the private sector, and others who will connect and collaborate on joint initiatives to protect our planet and its people.
https://www.2022annualmeeting.com/
12 – 28 | Geneva, Switzerland
Resumed meetings of the CBD SBSTTA24, SBI3 and OEWG-3
https://www.cbd.int/meetings/SBSTTA-24
21 – 26 | Monaco
Monaco Ocean Week
https://www.monacooceanweek.org/fr/
21 – April 1 | Location TBD
56th session of the IPCC (IPCC 56) and WGIII AR6 Approval Plenary (WGIII-14)
The 56th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 56) will take place in conjunction with the Working Group III (WGIII) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) Approval Plenary (WGIII-14). This session is expected to focus on the approval of the WG III contribution to the AR6, which assesses the mitigation of climate change.
February 2022
9 – 11 | Hybrid in Brest, France
One Ocean Summit
The goal of the One Ocean Summit is to raise the collective level of ambition of the international community on marine issues and to translate shared responsibility to the ocean into tangible commitments.
https://www.oneoceansummit.fr/en/
14 – 25 | Virtual
55th Session of the IPCC (IPCC 55) and WGII AR6 Approval Plenary (WGII-12)
The 55th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 55) will take place in conjunction with the Working Group II (WGII) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) Approval Plenary (WGII-12). This session is expected to focus on the approval of the WG II contribution to the AR6, which assesses climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability.
https://www.ipcc.ch/meeting-doc/ipcc-wgii-12-and-ipcc-55/
28 – 2 March | Nairobi, Kenya
Fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5)
This will be resumed in-person session of UNEA-5. The overall theme is: 'Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals'.
December 2021
7 – 10 | Antalya, Turkey
Barcelona Convention COP 22
COP 22 is expected to discuss agenda items including: assessing and controlling marine pollution; ensuring sustainable management of natural marine and coastal resources; protecting the marine environment and coastal zones through preventing and reducing, and as far as possible, eliminating pollution; protecting natural and cultural heritage; strengthening solidarity among Mediterranean coastal States; and contributing to improving quality of life.
November 2021
30 – 3 Dec | Geneva, Switzerland
12th WTO Ministerial Conference
The Ministerial agenda will include items on WTO reform; digital trade; trade and investment facilitation; trade and environment, including an agreement on fisheries subsidies among others.
https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/mc12_e/mc12_e.htm
October 2021
3 – 7 | Bridgetown, Barbados
Fifteenth Session of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD 15)
The theme of UNCTAD 15 will “From inequality and vulnerability to prosperity for all”. It will seek to provide a platform for countries to devise new ways to use trade as an enabler of sustainable development. The 15th UNCTAD quadrennial conference will present an opportunity to align the sustainable development agenda with global efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
11 – 15 | Kunming, China
15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15)/ CP COP-MOP 10/ NP COP-MOP 4 – Part I
The fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will review the achievement and delivery of the CBD's Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Furthermore, decision on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework will be made, together with decisions on related topics including capacity building and resource mobilisation.
18 – 29 | Hobart, Australia
Fortieth Meeting of the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR-40)
https://www.ccamlr.org/en/meetings-and-publications/meetings-publications
25 – 29 | Virtual
3rd Extraordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting
Parties to the Convention on Wetlands
https://www.ramsar.org/event/extraordinary-meeting-of-the-conference-of-the-contracting-parties-2021
30 – 31 | Rome, Italy
G20 Leaders’ Summit
Italy holds the Presidency of the G20, the international forum that brings together the world's major economies. The Presidency's agenda rests upon three main pillars: People, Planet, Prosperity. The Italian Presidency and the European Commission will also jointly host the G20 Global Health Summit, to be held in Rome on the 21st of May.
https://www.g20.org/en/index.html
31 – 12 Nov | Glasgow, Scotland
UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP26)
UNFCCC COP26 will address a broad range of issues related to the objectives of the convention. This will include a review of progress towards the Paris Climate Change Agreement, updates on guidelines for its implementation and transitions in key sectors that will be needed for the Paris Agreement to be met.
https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/conferences/glasgow-climate-change-conference