Asia Monitor

UNU e-Newsletter

Issue 15. December 2005

In this issue

International News: National Implementation Plans for the Stockholm Convention
Four NIPs (National Implementation Plans) have been uploaded to the Stockholm Convention’s website, which describe the current status of efforts taken toward sound POPs management. The deadlines of other country’s NIPs also have been updated. These reports will serve as basis for the implementation of each country’s response to the mandate set in the Stockholm Convention.

See the complete list of the submitted NIPs on the Stockholm Conventions website.

UNU News and Events
Coming events

UNU International Course 2006

The UNU International Courses (UNU/IC) are organized annually for a select group of postgraduate students and professionals in various occupations. The four courses are offered for 2006, which are:

(1) UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM: STRUCTURAL, INSTITUTIONAL AND NORMATIVE CHALLENGES;

(2) ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: MANAGING RISKS;

(3) HUMAN RIGHTS: CONCEPTS AND ISSUES;

(4) INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT.

The application deadline is 15 January, 2006.

Please visit the UNU International Course website for more details.

Event reports
UNU International Conference--Environmental Monitoring and Governance in the East Asian Hydrosphere (Tokyo, Japan, on 21 September 2005)
Commemorating the completion of the third phase of the Coastal Hydrosphere project (2002-2005 “Environmental Monitoring and Governance in the East Asian Hydrosphere”), a conference was held in Tokyo on September 21, 2005. http://landbase.hq.unu.edu/Conference/2005_Conference/index_f.htm

Signing Ceremony between UNU and Shimadzu for the Fourth Phase

UNU and Shimadzu have agreed to continue the project into a fourth phase (2005–2008). The main focus of this phase is developing capacities of Asian countries to analyze Persistent Organic Compounds (POPs) in ecosystems and water resources. With technical and financial support from Shimadzu, the project region will be extended from East and Southeast Asia to South Asia. The participating institutions are

 China – China-Japan Friendship Center for Environmental Protection

 India – Bharathidasan University

 Indonesia – Environmental Management Center - SARPEDAL

 Japan – National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES)

 Korea – Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI)

 Malaysia – University of Malaya

 Pakistan – Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR)

 Philippines – National Science Research Institute, University of the Philippines

 Singapore – Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore

 Thailand – Environmental Research and Training Center (ERTC)

 Viet Nam – Viet Nam National University (VNU)

UNU Media release on the UNU website

Sixth UNU/ORI Joint International Workshop (Iwate, Japan in October 2005)
The United Nations University (UNU) and the Ocean Research Institute (ORI) of the University of Tokyo jointly held in Otsuchi, Japan (24 – 30 October, 2005) the sixth International Workshop on Marine Environment. The workshop invited more than 10 selected people (Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Japan) to exchange academic and research information on the three topics; (1) the Tsunami impact in Indian Ocean including importance of mangroves and ecosystems on coastal areas; (2) sustainable fishery; and (3) shellfish poison.

(Left) Participants visited Iwate Prefecture’s governor, Mr. Hiroya Masuda.

UNU Internship Report

Mr. Dilgin Tolgahan, a master student studying at the International University of Japan, joined the UNU’s Coastal Hydrosphere Project team as a UNU Intern between July and September 2005. His contribution to the UNU was greatly appreciated. Please visit UNU’s Internship Programme website for more detail information on how to apply for the UNU internship.

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For previsous issues, please see Newsletter Index
Edited by Michelle Bene and Fukuya Iino

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This newsletter is a quarterly bulletin made possible with the support of Shimadzu, Japan