WFEO-UN Relations Committee (WURC) - Activities

UN High Level Political Forum - 10-19 July 2017

WFEO and the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) worked closely at both events with the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Council for Social Sciences (ISSC), its partners in the Science and Technology Major Group (STC)

WURC supported preparation of the STC inputs, prepared and presented an STC display, shared with ICSU and ISSC the duties of representing the STC at the thematic reviews and the voluntary national reviews. Reginald Vachon and Bill Kelly, members of WURC, participated in the meeting of the 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report Committee. Eng. Ruomei Li, member of WURC and national member of WFEO Executive Council, attended the 2017 HLPF.

For more informaton:

HLPF 2017 webpage

The High Level Political Forum 2017: SDG Interactions, gender and the science-policy interface

Scientific and Technological Community Major Group webpage

Reginald Vachon representing STC Major Group at one of the Voluntary National Review sessions, at the HLPF, UN HQ in New-York, July 2017

WFEO ICSU ISSC Banner with Bill Kelly of WFEO, Lucilla Spini of ICSU, Reggie Vachon of WFEO and Ione Anderson of Inter-America Institute for Global Change Research

UN Multi-Stakeholder STI Forum: Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies - 15 May 2017

WURC conducted with ICSU and ISSC a side event; “Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements” at the Second Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum on 15 May 2017.

This event was attended by many young professionals and all seats were occupied. It facilitated dialogue among policy-makers, stakeholders and leading engineers and scientists on co designing and building fit- for-purpose STI enabled smart city systems in support of SDGs implementation It address: best practices in co-designing systems with those most in need of help (the most vulnerable and marginalized); prioritizing system needs for these communities; and changing conceptions of smart and resilient city development, particularly in developing countries.

Important other issues to be discussed include how the engineering and science community can support decision-makers and help build capacity in developing countries for integrating information and communication technology (ICT) into resilient and sustainable urban systems. Topics: ICT Improves City Resilience, Working with the ICT Industry, Social Aspects of Smart Cities and Physics of Smart Cities.

For more informaton:

WFEO Side event in the UN Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation

UN Commission on the Status of Women 2017 - CSW61 - 13-24 March 2017

WURC assisted the WFEO Committee on Women in Engineering (WIE) to attend the UN 60th and 61st Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN HQ in 2016 and 2017.

The CSW meetings are the UN’s largest inter-governmental meeting to focus on its impact on women and girls. The meetings are crucial to progressing Goal 5 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieving the 2030 Agenda.

For more informaton:

WFEO at the UN CSW61

2016

UN Commission on the Status of Women 2016 - CSW60 - 14-24 March 2016

WURC assisted the WFEO Committee on Women in Engineering (WIE) to attend the UN 60th and 61st Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN HQ in 2016 and 2017.

The CSW meetings are the UN’s largest inter-governmental meeting to focus on its impact on women and girls. The meetings are crucial to progressing Goal 5 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieving the 2030 Agenda.

For more informaton:

WFEO at the UN CSW60

2015

International Congress on Advances on Nuclear Power Plants - 4 May 2015

WURC participates or monitors sustainable development activities globally. A sustainability declaration signed on May 4, 2015 by 39 nuclear societies (50,000 scientists/36 countries) at ICAPP (International Congress on Advances on Nuclear Power Plants) is presented as follows: “We proudly believe that nuclear energy is a key part of the solution in the fight against climate change”.

Development Goals (OWG on SDGs) relative to recommendations on energy are the topic of the brief. WURC participated in the UN General Assembly Open Working Group on Sustainable Development relative to energy. The recommendations on energy were compiled from three civil society consultations conducted by UN-NGLS from 2012- 2013. It was advocated that governments must promote development and energy generation that does not result in dangerous byproducts with the capacity to trigger global-level destruction. Recommendations are presented below, organized according to the following five objectives:

• Achieving universal energy access;
• Ensuring clean, safe, and locally appropriate energy generation;
• Advancing energy efficiency;
• Enabling effective financing for energy;
• Establishing the roles of stakeholders.

WFEO advocated nuclear energy as clean source of energy for inclusion in Policy Brief #2.-: “We proudly believe that nuclear energy is a key part of the solution in the fight against climate change”.
A sustainability declaration signed on May 4, 2015 by 39 nuclear societies (50,000 scientists/36 countries) at ICAPP is presented as follows: “We proudly believe that nuclear energy is a key part of the solution in the fight against climate change”.

For more information:

The Nuclear For Climate Declaration

2014

UNFCCC and Other Meetings on Climate Change - 2014 to 2017

WURC interacts with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UN-CSD). The focus is discussion and work around engineering, climate change and sustainable development.

• UNFCCC Conference of the Parties Meeting No. 20 (COP-20) – Lima, – Dec 1-12, 2014
  Ten participants from the Colegio of Peruvian Engineers organized through the CEE Chair and supported by the CEE Secretary attended on behalf of WFEO and the CEE.
• United Nations Climate Change Conference – Geneva, Switzerland – Feb 8-13, 2015
  This meeting of the UNFCCC Ad Hoc Working Group Durban Platform on Capacity-Building was attended by
  D. Favrat and Y. Ramos of Switzerland. A report is in preparation.
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Climate Observation Services (GCOS) Workshop on February 10-12, 2015, in Bonn, Germany was attended by Eng. Danyluk, WURC member by invitation. WMO and WFEO have a Memorandum of Understanding.
• COP-21 Paris, December 2015, WFEO had a delegation (8) during each of the 2 weeks, and held a successful off-site event co-wrote and issued a declaration supported by WFEO HQ staff. that was jointly signed by WFEO President Jorge Spitalnik and Chair Danyluk.
• Inter-sessional negotiations UNFCCC Conference Centre Bonn May/June 2016. (3 delegates) WFEO had a display booth, held a side event, and daily meetings with attending engineers. A verbal report was tabled at the WFEO CEE meeting.
• COP-22, Marrakesh Morocco, December 2016, Delegation included 2 from Canada and several from Morocco. Report posted on WFEO webpage.
• Inter-sessional negotiations UNFCCC Conference Centre Bonn, May 2017 (2 delegates), WFEO had a display booth, attended for 2 weeks, and held a mini side event.
• COP-23, Hosted by Fiji, held at UNFCCC conference Centre in Bonn, November 2017. 3 WFEO delegates including 1 FIDIC representative. A side event on the Future Climate – Engineering Solutions initiative (an update) was held as part of the British Pavilion program. FC-ES is another arm of CEE, led by the Institute of Civil Engineers UK, Paul Jowitt is the link.

For more informaton:

WFEO holds a side event at the UNFCCC Bonn Climate Change Conference in May 2017

COP 22 Report – Outcomes of the U.N. Climate Change Conference

Meeting Summary for UNFCCC SB44 Bonn Meeting, May 2016

WFEO Statement for UNFCCC SB44 Bonn Meeting, May 2016

UNESCO WFEO COP-21 Summit article in Engineers Australia

WFEO and the COP21 Agreement, by Jorge Spitalnik, WFEO Past President, December 2015

Paris Statement: WFEO COP-21 Engineers Climate Change Summit 2015 – Turning Words Into Action – A Sectoral Approach

Summary report by CIP Peru of attendance at the COP 20, December 2014

2013

Sustainable Development Goals for People and the Planet - March 2013

The Scientific & Technological Major Group’s vision & priorities for the Sustainable Development Goals and the post-2015 development agenda. A position paper for the programme: “Post 2 Post: Enhancing Stakeholder Engagement in the Post-Rio+20/Post-2015 Process”.

WURC participated in the position paper on the vision and priorities of ICSU, WFEO and ISSC – including themes, targets and indicators – for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), wider post-2015 development agenda and High Level Political Forum (HLPF).
This paper considers the following:

• WURC has stressed the role of nuclear energy to protect the environment through its statement for NGLS Policy Statement #2
• WURC has established a WFEO process and representation to participate in the UN Summit to Adopt Post -2015 Development Agenda
• WURC is active with UN agencies, World Bank, ICSU and ISSC as a member of the STC Major Group

For more informaton:

Sustainable Development Goals for People and the Planet, 13 March 2013

Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform

UN CSTD 2013 - 2014 Inter-sessional Panel - 2-4 December 2013

The Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The Commission provides the General Assembly and ECOSOC with high-level advice on relevant science and technology issues.

UNCTAD is responsible for the substantive servicing of the Commission.

WURC participated in the themes discussed at the CSTD 2013-2014 Panel which were:

• Science, Technology and Innovation for the MDGs and the Post-2015 Development Agenda. WURC Chair made a presentation on country cases.
• ICTs for inclusive social and economic development
• WSIS follow-up, including WSIS+10 and preparations for the 17th session of the CSTD
• WSIS+10 preparations and Internet Governance Forum (IGF) stocktaking for the 17th session of the CSTD
• WURC Chair Reginald Vachon participated and discussed the necessity to increase internet capability in the Americas

For more informaton:

CSTD 2013-2014 Inter-sessional Panel

High-Level Symposium on Sustainable Cities and Sustainable Urbanization - 16-18 December 2013

WURC participated in the High-Level Symposium on Sustainable Cities and Sustainable Urbanization convened by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs through its Division for Sustainable Development (DSD/DESA) in collaboration with the Municipal Government of Yangzhou, 16-18 December 2013 in Yangzhou, China.

For more informaton:

High-Level Symposium on Sustainable Cities and Sustainable Urbanisation

History of activities by WFEO Committee on Energy prior to WURC activities

WURC has made great progress with the UN based on Eng. Jorge Spitalnik laying the foundation as the first WFEO representative at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in the last decade and thereon at the Rio+20 Conference that led to the creation of the HLPF.

RIO+20 Summit Conference

WFEO had an active participation at the Rio+20 Conference allowing the contribution of the Engineering community to sustainable development deliberations in the position of an important stakeholder.

ECOSOC Events

The Committee on Energy was responsible for organizing the WFEO participation at the Innovation Fair held during the Ministerial ECOSOC Session, from 30 June to 3 July 2008, at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

This was done with the collaboration of the Committee on Engineering and Environment. The WFEO Exhibit displayed projects sponsored respectively by Engineers Canada and FEBRAE (Brazil). Also, on July 1st 2008, WFEO, Engineers Canada, FEBRAE and CONFEA, with the support of AIChE, ASCE and ASME, held, as a side event, a Panel on “The Role of Engineers in Advancing Sustainable Development: Working Towards Achieving the Millennium Goals”.

The Energy Committee was also engaged in implementing the WFEO participation at the 2009 ECOSOC Innovation Fair to global public health. The Fair was held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, from 6 to 9 July 2009.