My Experience at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

I would like to use this opportunity to highlight some of the opportunities which I got in Rio+20.

* First and foremost- getting the highest status which is official youth delegation status/ D-badge at this historic summit, the National Delegation was headed by HE President Mahinda Rajapakse and I am very proud to be a part of such a high profile team. It was a great pleasure to represent 1/4th of Sri Lankan population which is Young Voice.

* As  Rio+20 was once in a generation opportunity, where UN declared as "Rio+20 is one of the biggest and one of the most important summit in UN history". It's indeed a rare opportunity to attend such a high level event.

* I could not attend Rio+20 just as a youth delegate, I attended as a Youth activist, a youth facilitator, a negotiator tracker, and a youth speaker. I was able to facilitate several youth events, taskforces, and share what Sri Lankan Youth contribution for Rio+20 and beyond. We as Sri Lankans were able to host number of High Level side events in Rio+20.

*  I used this opportunity to meet some of World Leaders such as Prime Minister of Nepal, Deputy Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Dozens of Ministers from Environment, Foreign Affairs to Economic Development, heads of UN agencies, world business leaders etc.

* Meanwhile I got an opportunity to represent the Half of the World’s Population [3.2 Billion], that's Young people (Major Group of Children and Youth) at the closing ceremony of the High Level Segment of the Rio+20.

I am very proud to say that we the Sri Lankan youth was able to Shine the name of "Lanka" and unleashed our hidden potential in this conference and lift our Nation at this International Arena.

Get the entire story of the Rio+20 through my Daily Blog Update

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British Council Delegation to Rio+20

   British Council Rio Delegation

Colombo+20 - Youth for Beyond Rio+20

As you may know the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development/Rio+20 concluded on June 22 with the ground breaking document called “The Future We Want”, Rio+20 was an opportunity to think globally, but we have to act locally. Keep in this mindNational Volunteer Force, Youth for a Greener Sri Lanka, National Youth Services Council and United Nation agencies including United Nations Volunteers organizing the Colombo+20 – Youth for beyond Rio+20 on the 1^st of July 2012 from 3pm to 7pm at the Independence Square.

The event is intended to disseminate outputs from the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (popularly known as Rio+20) through various activities that will be held at this event. The much anticipated conference is to be held from 20^th July to 22^nd July 2012 at Rio de Janeiro and discusses how building a sustainable green economy which helps to eradicate poverty and how governmental bodies should organize their work towards sustainable development of the country.

 

Event will comprise of school children, university students, and the general public.The event programme will be lined up around two buses being painted in collaboration with the Academy of Design and includes sub-events such as flash mobs, storytelling for kids, canvas painting for the public, a photo exposition, live music, and many others. The occasion shall be used to sensitize the public through the various activities and volunteers engaging them in conversations on actions that we as citizens could undertake to shape the future we want.

 

It would indeed be an honor if you could grace this educational and fun-filled occasion with your presence.

Please feel free to contact Shafraz Rahim – Out Reach Coordinator (077-3446224) or me for more information.

 

Shape the Future as you want- Join-Inspire & Act -Youth for Sustainable Planet.

 

Youth21- A blueprint agenda for YOUTH at Rio+20

Enabling Youth Participation In Bridging Rio+20 Outcome Beyond 2015’

14 th June 2012, Rio, Brazil, “We must consider the youths as assets in the development processes worldwide. Partnerships with youth will be key to successful implementation of beyond-2015 global agenda ,” Youth Affairs and Skills Development Deputy Minister Duminda Dissanayake concluded the ‘Enabling Youth participation in bridging Rio+20 outcome Beyond 2015’ at  Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development which was held at Rio Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.   Giving voices, opportunities and leadership to youth should be the guiding principles for developing the beyond-2015 agenda. The focus needs to be on the most marginalized young women and young men in urban and rural areas that are often left out of the development discussions. The event was organized by Sri Lankan National Youth Council in collaboration with the Environment Ministry and the Youth Affairs and Skills Development Ministry, Government of Sri Lanka.   The panel ‘Enabling Youth participation in bridging Rio+20 outcome Beyond 2015’ was also aimed at mobilization and empowerment on UNCSD/Rio+20 and beyond process as the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY). It was directed at to create a platform for youth participation and bridge the gap between the global north and the global south youth. Over 200 participants from esteemed youth-led civil society participants, NGOs, private, government and UN organizations representatives attended the event to create a meaningful session for strengthening youth participation in developing the beyond 2015 agenda. 

The 

Youth leadership is central to developing a youth centered preparatory process, and ensuring youth perspective to the development of beyond-2015 agenda. Participants concluded youth partnership as central force for the implementation of the beyond-2105 agenda.   The key areas they have decided to focus upon are to establish mechanisms to encourage youth participation in the post 2015 development agenda, sustain youth led organizations and partnership, meeting the goals set by youth and empowering youth in the society.    The government of Sri Lanka has encouraged youth participation in decision making process by establishing a Youth Parliament and Federation of Youth Clubs which has more than one million youth members from the grass-root level. The Emerging Young Leader Award (EYLA) and Top 20 award brought young leaders representing diverse sectors to national and international level. NYSC also introduced a national sport festival and reality show, ‘ Sihinaya ’ (Dream) for disable young people.  They have even given space for young persons from indigenous communities and marginalized sectors including young people living with HIV to mainstream their voices for global and solitary justice. 

Creating a Livable, Greener World - Daily News

Online Link - Daily News

Rio+20 - The Future We Want Adopted by 191 Member States

The third and final meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), Pre-Conference Informal Consultations Facilitated by the Host Country, and the UNCSD convened back-to-back in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 13-22 June 2012. 
During their ten days in Rio, government delegations concluded the negotiations on the Rio outcome document, titled “The Future We Want.” Representatives from 191 UN member states and observers, including 79 Heads of State or Government, addressed the general debate, and approximately 44,000 badges were issued for official meetings, a Rio+20 Partnerships Forum, Sustainable Development Dialogues, SD-Learning and an estimated 500 side events in RioCentro, the venue for the Conference itself. 
In closing the Conference, UNCSD President Dilma Rousseff (Brazil) stressed that Rio+20 was the most participatory conference in history and was a “global expression of democracy.” Taking place in parallel to the official events, approximately 3,000 unofficial events were organized throughout Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Governments and the Rio Conventions organized Pavilions showcasing their experiences 
and best practices, and the Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development, a Global Town Hall, a People’s Summit, the World Congress on Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability and spontaneous street actions were just a few of the many events around the historic city of Rio de Janeiro, discussing the Rio+20 themes and the broader requirements for sustainable development implementation. 
Participants at Rio+20 were encouraged to make voluntary commitments for actions to implement the conference’s goals, and almost 700 had been received by the close of the 
Conference, with financial commitments from governments, the private sector, civil society and other groups reaching US$513 billion. 

Closing Ceremony

Closing Ceremony

The agreement adopted in Rio calls for the UN General Assembly (UNGA), at its next session, to take decisions on, inter alia: designating a body to operationalize the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production; determining the modalities for the third international conference on small island developing states, which is to convene in 2014; identifying the format and organizational 
aspects of the high-level forum, which is to replace the Commission on Sustainable Development; strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); constituting a working group to develop global sustainable development goals (SDGs) to be agreed by UNGA; establishing an intergovernmental 
process under UNGA to prepare a report proposing options on an effective sustainable development financing strategy;  and considering a set of recommendations from the Secretary General for a facilitation mechanism that promotes the development, transfer and dissemination of clean and environmentally sound technologies. In addition, the UNGA is called on to take a decision in two years on the development of an international instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) regarding marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Furthermore, the UN Statistical Commission is 
called on to launch a programme of work on broader measures to complement gross domestic product, and the UN system is encouraged, as appropriate, to support industry, interested governments and relevant stakeholders in developing models for best practice and facilitate action for the integration of 
sustainability reporting. The text also includes text on tradedistorting subsidies, fisheries and fossil fuel subsidies. While many had held out hope that Rio+20 would launch new processes and significantly alter the international framework  —from establishing a new High Commissioner for Future Generations, to upgrading the UN Environment Programme to the status of a specialized agency, to identifying significant 
means of implementation, to establishing concrete targets and a “roadmap” for the green economy—the UNCSD outcome document was much more modest. But while some criticized the document for “kicking the can” down the road and missing an opportunity to boldly redirect sustainable development actions, 
others focused on the upcoming opportunities within the UNGA 
and other fora to shape the true Rio+20 legacy.


Analysis of the "Future We Want" Outcome Document of the UNCSD

Rio+20 Daily Update - Day 10

June 22, a major side event took place with the presence of UN Secretary General on sustainable futures: accelerating progress on the MDG's through youth innovations. The UN has recognized the need to harness the energy, imagination and initiative of the world, youth in overcoming the challenges facing humankind, from enhancing peace to boosting economic development and dealing with Climate Change. This event will focus on youth as agents of change and catalysts in achieving the MDGs and beyond, with a focus on innovations that are youth driven dealing with sustainable development.

It will:

a) Present some powerful examples of youth-led initiatives which impact local decision-making processes

b) Showcase tech and social business solutions which empower communities and

c) provide recommendations for ensuring stronger linkages between the youth and MDG agenda 2015+.

 "Young people can and must play a central role in bringing dynamic new ideas, fresh thinking and energy to the Rio+20 process."  Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General

Professor Yunus on Social business, YY tour, micro finance, and will demonstrate how he is bringing young people of the world together, with the massive power of technology and support of social business, to ensure that Millennium Development Goals (MDG) are achieved in all countries.Professor Jeffrey Sachs can focus on Sustainable and rural development in the context of youth.

Key Questions/Issues to be explored:

Why engage youth in Rio+20

1) The economy and green jobs. Unemployment and underemployment are major concerns for youth around the world. The global economic downturn has hit youth disproportionately hard compared to their presence in the labor market. However, growth in the Green Economy has the potential to benefit youth, simultaneously providing career opportunities and the environmental benefits of a more sustainable economy.

2) Young people have to opportunity to influence policy. Both the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street movements are fueled in part by lack of economic opportunities for youth. Young people can ride this wave of youth activism and assert their influence by demanding that world leaders commit to concrete actions for sustainable development at Rio + 20.

3) Youth are demanding accountability. Diplomats have been making pledges to act on environmental problems for many years. Yet today, we Are facing a potentially disastrous environmental future. One of the main themes of the Earth Summit will be improving international governance on environmental issues. One idea on the table, proposed by NRDC, is an international registry of environmental commitments and pledges. This would be a way of tracking progress, forging partnerships, and holding leaders accountable for their promises. Youth are key agents for promoting this change and holding leaders accountable.

4) Rio + Twenty-somethings. Just as the first Earth Summit was a pivotal moment in the lives and careers of an earlier generation of environmentalists, Rio + 20 is an opportunity to make their voices heard. And people are listening. The world is looking to this new generation for innovation and action.

5) Future We Want. Young people will be living with the decisions made at Rio, successes and failures of the environmental movement for the rest of their lives. Now is the time to assert their influence and it's the UN?s responsibility to give them agency to advocate on their behalf. The Earth Summit is an opportunity to prove that international environmental action is possible, and that commitments will bring action. #FutureWeWant is the official hash-tag for Rio + 20. Youth will be tweeting, posting, and talking to their communities about the results you want from Rio + 20.

High Level segment on "Youth and Development"

Indigenous  People Raise Their Voice

Presenting the "UN World Youth Conference" book let to Hon. Minister P.C. Ranawaka - Ministry of Power and Energy - Sri Lanka

Protest erupted in the Rio+20 conference organized by the some of the major groups as civil rights groups carried out a "ritual rip-up" of a negotiating text that they condemn as a betrayal of future generations. Youth Activists, indigenous groups and environmental NGOs in the raucous demonstration, which included speeches and songs in the walkway outside the plenary pavilion.

"We were promised leaps and bounds but this agreement barely moves us forward by inches”, “Zero Draft is a Blank paper” as protesters ripped up a giant mock text that they called "The Future We Bought".

The police presence was much higher outside the conference venue than in previous days. Ranks of riot police lined up outside the main entrance. Around 4.00 pm some of the Youth representatives removed their badges and joined the people’s summit.

June 21, the second day of the highlevel segment, where world leaders made their interventions at the high level plenary.

                                                  Mass demonstration near the main plenary

Rio+20 Daily Blog - Day 09

 

Red Line demonstration by Major Group of Children and Youth (MGCY)

June 20, 130 + Heads of states and World leaders poured into Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, 20 years after the landmark Earth Summit, to commit themselves to a new road map for sustainable development -- with that road map already under fire for failing to set firm goals. The three-day Rio+20 Summit opened with words of warning from the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "Let us match words with actions," he told reporters. "Our scarcest resource is time, and it is running out."

 Speech by HE President Mahinda Rajapakse

Attended a side event on “Going beyond GDP, UNDP proposes human development measure of sustainability”, In a high-level forum at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development today the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presented the conceptual groundwork for a  future “Sustainable Human Development Index,” which would recognize the cost of human development to future generations.  The UNDP forum  was prompted by the call made by many in  Rio for a UN-led examination of alternatives to purely economic measurements of national and global progress, said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, who moderated today’s panel discussion.

Among other featured speakers at today’s forum – titled “Beyond GDP: Measuring the Future We Want”  – were President Michael Chilufya Sata  of Zambia  and  Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt of Denmark, holder of the European Union’s rotating presidency.

“Equity, dignity, happiness, sustainability – these are all fundamental to our lives but absent in the GDP,” Helen Clark said today. “Progress needs to be defined and measured in a way which accounts for the broader picture of human development and its context.”

The sustainability measurement project by UNDP’s Human Development Report Office represents a continuation of its work over two decades, beginning with its Human Development Index (HDI), a composite measure of health, education and income that has become a widely accepted alternative to GDP for assessing countries’ progress.   

The UN Statistical Office’s System of Environmental-Economic Accounting, the World Bank’s partnership for Wealth Accounting for Valuation of Ecosystem Services, and the Inclusive Wealth Index,   newly-released by the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations University are among other recent multilateral initiatives incorporating environmental factors into economic assessments of national and global progress.

Negotiations prior to the Rio +20 conference echoed that view, with the final conference declaration submitted for adoption by UN members stating: “We recognize the need for broader measures of progress to complement GDP in order to better inform policy decisions, and in this regard, we request the UN Statistical Commission, in consultation with relevant UN System entities and other relevant organizations, to launch a programme of work in this area building on existing initiatives.”

In a presentation to the Rio forum today, Khalid Malik, the director of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office, reviewed the advantages as well as the challenges in measuring sustainability from a people-based, human development perspective. The conceptual framework for an HDI-based assessment of sustainability reflects the human development concept of intergenerational equity, based on principles of global justice and rooted in the premise that choices made today should not limit choices available to people in the future. The people-centred, HDI-based approach to assessing sustainability also incorporates the idea of planetary thresholds, showing how climate change in particular is already posing severe long-term human development risks, most acutely in poor nations and poor communities. “From a policy perspective, this implies that the right to current development is fundamental but it must be achieved without reducing the choices available to future generations,” Malik said. 

  

Submitting the "Youth Statement for Rio+20" to UNDP Head of Administrator/Former Prime Minister of New Zealand  - Ms. Helen Clark 

“UNDP believes that the Human Development Index could be a starting point for a more comprehensive measure of sustainable development,” Helen Clark said today, emphasizing the need for further research and consultations with governments, civil society and academic experts in the field, in collaboration with other UN agencies and multilateral institutions. At the end of the program I was able to hand over the “Youth Position for Rio+20” to Helan Clark, who is the former prime minister of the New Zealand.

 

Having a discussion with Mr. Steward Stevenson, Minister for Environment and Climate Change of Scotland

       Having a Conversation with Mr. Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister of United Kingdom

It was a great pleasure to meet Mr. Nick Clegg, the deputy Prime minister of the United Kingdom and I raised him a question on "What's his opinion on including a official Youth delegates into their National Delegation list"? He said with energy "Yes", it’s necessary that the youth also should go with the government  and get engage with the decision making process, he said "most of the government has included youth into their National delegation" meanwhile I was able to meet the Ministers of Environment of Scotland, India, Germany.

Rio+20 Daily Blog - Day 08

June 19, was the final day for the informal consultations, A plenary session of Rio+20 negotiators June 19 endorsed by consensus a document that they say will pave the way for new sustainable development goals and lead to a strengthening of the United Nations' capacity to deal with global environmental concerns. The document will be presented to political leaders, who begin three days of discussions June 20.

Still there are loads of concerns on the texts expressed by Major Groups and the civil society, some of them are
Absence of the "Green Jobs" by Children and Youth, absence of "Appointing a High Commissioner for the future generation" by Children and Youth and several other major groups, lack of political will for Sustainable Development, no clear picture on Finance and Technology Transfer by developing country, loopholes in the Civil Society and Major Group Participation are some of the concerns raised by Major Groups and several member states. Bolivian Delegate raised some the serious questions about the texts, and they could not agree with the text.

Closing Plenary of the In-formals 

Closing Plenary of the In-formals 

Presenting the "Youth Statement of Sri lankan Youth for Rio+20" to one of the Youth Delegate from Brazil

Attended a side event organized by tcktcktck on “Date With the History”, a 17-year-old Brittany Trilford from Wellington, New Zealand, has travelled a great distance to ‘speak truth to power’ at Rio+20, hoping to inspire bold and urgent action from Heads of State gathering for the anniversary Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday June 20^th. She will address the Summit just prior to its opening at 09h55 local time, in the wake of six months of negotiations that have resulted in unambitious text for leaders to consider at the conference.

Brittany, in her final year at school, has won the global “Date With History” youth video speech contest. The contest was open to young people from all walks of life around the world aged 13-30, to demand action on sustainability by leaders and decision-makers. Entries from every corner of the planet were voted on by the online public to elicit regional finalists through the contest website. More than 83,000 views and votes ended with 22 finalists.

In addition to addressing over 130 world leaders, Brittany has already silenced large gatherings of decision makers, including over 300 legislators here in Rio from around the world at the first Global Legislators Forum on June 16, and over 1,000 business leaders when she told the closing plenary of the Corporate Sustainability Forum, “Please ask yourselves why you are here. Are you here to save face, or to save us?”

Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, said “Hundreds recorded moving speeches, tens of thousands voted [in the Date With History contest]. I am deeply encouraged to see that leaders of my era will be replaced in future by these true global citizens. Brittany now has the responsibility to represent all who stand with her with a vision for a brighter future. She can inspire decision makers in Rio who can make a difference now to ensure a better world becomes reality.”

Kelly Rigg, Executive Director of Global Campaign for Climate Action, organizers of the contest says “With youth accounting for 3 billion of the world’s population, it is critical that young people from all walks of life are engaged in influencing global decision-making on sustainability now – they will live with the building blocks or the broken promises, depending on the choices leaders make.”

Brittany’s speech was selected from the finalist gallery by a diverse jury which included more than a dozen respected youth leaders from around the world,

The winner, Brittany, sees the enormity of the opportunity she has been afforded. She comments “I entered ‘Date With History’ to show solidarity with youth around the world, demanding that our leaders remember we are all their children and they owe us a fighting chance at a future we want to inherit. They need to act now so that we have a bright future, free from fear. I feel honoured to take up my obligation to stand up and be counted as one of my generation and the wisdom of youth at Rio+20.”

Severn Suzuki, who made a moving speech at the 1992 Earth Summit at the age of twelve and is still remembered as the ‘girl who silenced the world for five minutes’, was the inspiration for and a juror in the contest. Her advice to Brittany is: “Don't be afraid to speak the truth on the world stage. More than ever, we need the voice of youth to cut through our justification of why we continue to value profit more than peoples' health, our ecosystems' sustainability, and justice for the future. Remember you are there representing those who go unheard. And speak what we all know, deep down, to be true.”

http://www.youtube.com/tcktcktckorg

Date with the History

Rio+20 Daily Blog - Day 07

June 18, Youth 21, As we know youth participation in the UN process has become crucial, we have to keep in mind we are not the leaders of tommorrow, we are the leaders of today. So from now itself we have to get engage with the decision making process, we have to go along with our governments, not in front or not in behind. Youth 21, is a global youth blueprint agenda on youth participation at the Highest UN level, a full day side event took place in Ipenema organized by Government of Sri Lanka, Brazil, Mexico and Norway, in parallel to Rio+20 main side event. The entire side event was divided in to two blocks. youth panel in the morning hours and high level panel in the afternoon represented by Ministers and deputy ministers. After the morning panel the participants we divided in to six groups to design the Model of the permanent UN youth forum as we want, few of the groups worked on Structure of the Forum, how to promote this permanent forum and get as much as member states/campaigning, how to address global issues, accountability, diversity and inclusion, Global Participation etc. Severn Suzuki who silence the world in Earth Summit 1992 made the opening remarks of the high level panel in the afternoon, she reflected the impact of her speech which was delivered 20 years ago. She emphasized on the "Inter-generational crime and Inter-generational Love", where millions of people are effected by climatic changes,which was induced by our previous generation. A Brazilian representative mentioned that "Youth is not the future, youth is the present. Therefore youth engagement is necessary in decision making process" A Norwegian government representative said the Youth role is necessary on pushing the negotiators for a smart deal. If the states are not going to take youth issues a series, the Youth will take serious about the governments. He explained with best example with revolution on Egypt. Hon. Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development highlighted how youth can lobby with their governments and how Sri Lankan government can a role model and he focused more on best practices, youth centered policy making process. UNHABITAT executive deputy director share that UN SG has created an strategy to empower youth in his 5 years action plan."If we are going to develop the global Sustainable Development agenda then youth has to be in the driver seat, because number of youth will be more than the present and this young generation will be the member state representatives and the negotiators in the future" More Info http://www.globalyouthdesk.org/Youth21/Youth21_Home/Youth21_Article.aspx?mid=97The Youth 21 Declaration http://www.youth-21.org/

Rio+20 Daily Blog - Day 06

June 16, 2012; Today was a really hectic and tiring day on following negotiations and making the strategies for upcoming days, in the morning I attended a side event organized by UNEP, UNDP and UNDESA on “The UN system Perspectives on Green Economy”

The Environment Management Group presented the findings of its report, working towards a balanced and inclusive green economy: A UN system-wide perspective" which was prepared to contribute to the Rio+20 Conference. The report prepared by 40 UN entities provides a picture on the UN system wide perspectives on the green economy and how the UN system could coherently support countries in transitioning to a green economy. The report is expected to facilitate a common understanding of the green economy approach and the measures required for the transition.

The panelists discussed on Fossil fuel subsidies, this is a factor which counteract the transition from brown to green economy to build a cleaner, safer, and healthier planet to everyone. Forest eco system plays a crucial role in Green Economy and as a global carbon sink-age, deforestation contribute around 30% of the GHGs emission which cause global warming. One of the panelists highlighted on visible and invisible infrastructure on Green Economy, Visible infrastructures such as Sustainable Cities, Green Transports, Green Jobs etc, and invisible infrastructure such taxes, laws and legislation etc.

The session highlighted how UN agencies can promote Green Economy, UN agencies plays a crucial role in analyze the policies, offer them the technical support, coordinate the process and built the Capacity on Green economy policies. It is necessary to link the existing mechanisms with the new and emerging mechanisms. Industry plays an important role in green economy in-terms of consumption and production, technologies and innovations will lead to a low carbon future as well. In terms of youth perspective awareness among youth has become a necessary step, because we the youth will be the biggest consumers in the future,  Another panelist suggested Green Economy should based on science and it  should facilitate basic fundamental rights for water, food, air etc.

Side Event

Exhibition Side

                                                                   Exhibition Side


In terms of negotiations June 16, was not very active day, but Rio+20 Secretariat released the latest document of the Prepcomm III, A short plenary was organized around 03.00pm to give some glimpse about the upcoming negotiations. The chair proposed to divide the negotiations into 4 groups – coordinated by Brazilians leaderships, the tasks would be on IFSD, MOI, SDGs, Oceans.

MGCY Meetings

                                                              Plenary At 3.00pm

Attended the MGCY briefing meeting where we made some strategies on Action for upcoming days, some of the auctions were proposed such as Flash Mob, Marches and etc.

Around 8.30pm the secretariat called for plenary to talk with each other and have a first overview on the text. Text was an attempt to follow-up on prepcom and this week. Keeping paragraphs agreed ad ref, consolidate the rest. Implies choices, which are not easy. Assure you that we tried to keep a certain balance between blocks and countries.

                                                 Plenary at 8.30pm

Canada: very initial reaction.

-          Helpful to have a readable text.

-          Number of very serious things missing. (?)

EU:

-          IFSD, great importance for EU, want a strengthening of IFSD, both SD and environment. After initial reading: some key issues missing, not ambitious enough, not responding to the challenges.

-          Green economy: I didn’t see where I should be happy. Unhappy after first reading. We have not been heard, cross cutting issues: CBDR, SDGs, launch of process of heads of state is extremely concerning. Level of ambition is concerning.

Switzerland:

-          Many parts good work. On many areas found the middle ground.

-          Many issues where we hoped for a more ambitious agreement.

-          We could accept these if others do also so.

-          Have feeling that some paragraphs agreed ad ref are lacking.

-          Work on some topics. Should be more ambitious.

USA

-          Similar to Canada

-          Number of very serious concerns. Will name them during the sessions tomorrow.

-          Share the concerns on the MoI

Algeria/G77 and China

-          Text can reassure that there is an outcome which will be a reflection of the positions of the membership.

-          Preliminary:

o   To many issues to be addressed

o   Don’t want to discourage, but list of issues is growing every minute.

o   Lack of ambition for MOI

o   What are we going to take back with us.

o   Only processes and concepts to be developed in the future.

o   IFSD: some who believe that it needs clarification.

o   SDGs have raised many issues.

o   Green economy, renewing political commitment needs to be seriously be addressed, we still need to work hard. We are willing to reach a balance.

As a overall the the member states appreciated the Co-chair and the working groups for their effort to draft the text, which was not scene in last informals.