February 2012: The Global Islands Partnership (GLISPA) has released the February issue of its newsletter, titled “GLISPA Progress Update,” which features articles on: the recent GLISPA Steering Committee meeting; the Caribbean Challenge Initiative; the Micronesia Challenge; the Western Indian Ocean Coastal Challenge; GLISPA Plans for Rio+20; and the upcoming 2012 World Conservation Congress.

The article on the Annual GLISPA Steering Committee Meeting reports that it reaffirmed GLISPA’s priority areas, identified priority outcomes and activities for 2012 and 2013, and finalized a minimum set of measures of success to track GLISPA progress. The Steering Committee also provided guidance on GLISPA’s proposed activities at the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).

Rio+20 events being developed by GLISPA include a Leaders Platform in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and the World Resources Institute (WRI). The Platform will bring together leaders from the public, corporate and civil society sectors to: profile success stories of natural solutions to economic and social development challenges; commit to undertake initiatives implementing “green” economic solutions in specific sectors over the next three years; and prepare for the review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015. A GLISPA Leaders’ Exchange is also planned, to gather leaders involved in GLISPA commitments, celebrate progress and identify opportunities for further collaboration.

On the Caribbean Challenge Initiative, the newsletter reports on two events hosted by the UN Environment Programme – Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP CEP) Caribbean Challenge project, which addressed marine protected area (MPA) management and effectivness. [Publication: GLISPA February 2012 Progress Update]