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.

Rio+20 Daily Blog - Day 05

Prepcom Day 1 Updates - 

The third meeting of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) began its work on Wednesday, 13 June 2012, in Rio de Janeiro. Seven “splinter” groups continued negotiations on the draft outcome document to be considered for adoption by the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, Rio+20), which is set to open on 20 June. PrepCom will ends on 15th Friday. Working Group I will continue handling Sections V and VI, and Working  Group II would handle Sections I, II, III and IV of the draft outcome document. Splinter groups would be used, with only five meeting at any one time. Working Group I would have splinter groups on: means of implementation (MOI) and sustainable development goals (SDGs) ; sustainable consumption and production (SCP), water and climate change, oceans, gender, education, health, cities, transport and mining, and chemicals and desertification, Working Group II would have splinter groups on green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD), Sha Zukang, UNCSD Secretary-General, said the intensive third round of informal informal consultations in New York had shown real progress, not just in terms of the numbers of paragraphs agreed, but also in the way in which negotiators discussed the issues and shared commitment to a successful outcome to Rio+20. He said the three days of PrepCom were “make or break” and underscored that “the whole world is watching what we do here.”  Delegates discussed on GDP, there were some up and downs on the negotiations and as well on Technology "Transfer/Diffusion/Sharing and etc, meanwhile WG 1 was quite active and WG 2 was not able achieve the days goal as they targeted. My Activities-  Today i spent more time on developing my capasity on Rio+20 and meeting British Council youth delagation. The training program took place in the British Council Rio De Jeneiro Office. The training program is headed by Francesca Martonffy, and Andrew Picken. The session explored on the History of the Rio+20, Zero Draft Negotiations, Glimpse on Final informals, journey to Rio+20 etc.  I was able to meet dynamic youth leaders who have initiated grassroot level projects in their comminities to address Sustainable Development. The BC delegate is composed of youth activists, Social entrprenours, researches, policy makers etc. This diversity helped me to explore beyond boundries. British Council Global Changemakers get to gather was organized  in the night, where i was able to meet Changemakers who were in Rio during the time.

Rio+20 Daily Blog - Day 04

June 14, 2012. Prepcom III, Day 02. Today was a very important day to me, where after loads of hard work I got the National delegation badge - “D- Badge”, the official Sri Lankan delegation is headed by His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapakse. Being a youth activist in civil society movement it is a very difficult task to get a delegation status, but I feel due to my dedication and commitment gave me such a high profile status to be part of this delegation. The badge provides me more access to negotiations and plenary, and as well restrictions on interventions. This badge will allow me understand the “hot and burning” negotiations happening in the closed rooms which will indeed develop my capacity on negotiations.

Today was another important day to Sri Lanka where we hosted the Member State side event at Rio+20 conference. This major side event was hosted by Ministry of Environment of Sri Lanka together with
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development of Sri Lanka and National Youth Services council of Sri Lanka. In this Side Event panelists discussed on how Rio+20 will emphasize on Youth Engagement, mobilization and empowerment on UNCSD/Rio+20 and beyond process- Post 2015 MDG, as the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) is the main entry-point for all children, youth and their organization into the process. This side event was one of the promotional events for 2014 UN World Youth Conference which is proposed to host in Sri Lanka, which will be a high level youth event on Youth Participation on beyond 2015 development agenda.

During the lunch time had a productive conservation with Hon. Deputy Minister Duminda Dissanayaka, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development and I shared my experience with him, we discussed about the issues youth are facing in Sri Lanka and possible solutions such as unemployment, opportunities for youth, creating a platform etc.

Attended another side event on transboundary waters, climate change and good governance organized by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Green Cross. In this context, international law has an integral role to play in ensuring that transboundary water resources are used in an equitable and sustainable manner. Proper management of these resources will contribute to economic growth that accounts for environmental and social considerations. The 1997 UN Watercourses Convention (UNWC), as a global legal framework adopted under the auspices of the UN, is an important tool for strengthening the legal architecture governing shared waters. Once in force, the convention will better enable cooperation between states that is essential to protect vital freshwater ecosystems, their functions and services. Since 2006, WWF and its partners have been working to build awareness of the convention and its principles, in an effort to strengthen international water law. Transboundary water issues have cross-cutting implications for the aims of Rio+20. This side event will focus on the UNWC as a tool to fill in gaps in the institutional framework for sustainable development, and also as a framework to address water-related impacts from climate change in the context of a green economy. 

Negotiations

June 12, Prepcom Day 01 Negotiations

http://www.iisd.ca/download/pdf/enb2742e.pdf