UNEP Discussion Papers on Environmental Sustainability and the Post-2015 Agenda

http://www.unep.org/pdf/embedding-environments-in-SDGs-v2.pdf

World leaders at the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable development which embraces economic progress, social development, and environmental protection for the benefit of all. One of the principal outcomes of Rio +20 was the call to produce a set of universally applicable sustainable development goals (SDGs) that balance the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development.  Furthermore, there has been an overwhelming call through the Global Thematic Consultations, for environmental sustainability to be at the heart of the post-2015 agenda, which not only fully integrates the three dimensions of sustainable development but also embraces equality, human rights and resilience to achieve multiple benefits for poverty eradication and human well-being, while respecting the earth’s resources and needs of future generations.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

UNEP is preparing a series of discussion papers in consultation with diverse stakeholders, to contribute to ongoing efforts to strengthen integrated implementation of the three dimensions of sustainable development. This work is also relevant to ongoing intergovernmental processes on the post-2015 agenda and sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The Discussion Paper 1: Embedding the Environment in Sustainable Development Goals provides the latest scientific advice and guidance on how environmental sustainability can be integrated in SDGs. The paper highlights an integrated approach to goal-setting. The objective is to stimulate dialogue on integrated SDGs, and to stress the interlinkages of sustainable development, rather than to propose specific goals.

In addition to preparing the Discussion Papers, UNEP is an active member of a UN Technical Support Team (UNTST) supporting the General Assembly’s Open Working Group on SDGs. UNEP is also contributing to the UNDG MDG Task Force and UN team on the post-2015 agenda, as well as providing input to the preparation of OWG issues briefs, and also UNDG national and global thematic consultations on the post-2015 agenda.

The Discussion Paper 1: Embedding the Environment in Sustainable Development Goals can be accessed at http://www.unep.org/pdf/embedding-environments-in-SDGs-v2.pdf

Comments on this paper and subsequent discussion papers should be sent to (unep.post2015@unep.org).

Facilitated a Leadership and Team building Workshop for ‘Viru Daru’ children

Dedicated to promote self confidence and courage of ‘Viru Daru’ children selected to participate in the Indian tour of the ‘Viru Daru’ Society of the Seva Vanitha Army Branch (SVAB), the board of experienced teachers of the British Council conducted a special training programme at ‘Viru Kekulu’ pre-school, Manning Town on Saturday (20).

The programme was organized by SVAB chaired by Mrs Manjulika Jayasuriya. The presentation was conducted by Ms Thushara Gunasekara, Ms Anoka Abeyratne, Ms Jonne Kotelawala and Mr Sikander Shabeer representing the British Council. At the end of the programme ‘Viru Daru’ members selected to participate in the Indian tour received air tickets while teachers from the British Council accepted gifts from Miss Deshani Jayasuriya, Chairperson, ‘Viru Daru’ Society.  

The workshop focused on Leadership, Team Spirit, Grooming, Pro-activeness, Communication, Self confident.

RALLY FOR UNITY

Public in Matara rally together to say 'Hate has no place in Sri Lanka' Colombo, Sri Lanka.


A “Rally for Unity” took place in the southern coastal city of Matara on Sunday the 7th of July 2013 under the theme “Celebrate Diversity - Hate Has No Place in Sri Lanka”. Following a similar successful Rally for Unity in Colombo in April, this was part of a series of events scheduled to be held outside the city of Colombo; which the organizers hope will be a catalyst for many more similar events and initiatives. Having gathered near the Matara Beach Park round-about, the “Rally for Unity” was concluded near the historic Matara Fort entrance, after a peaceful walk through the city. The event was graced by a large number of people including a significant number of Buddhist monks, religious leaders, elected officials representing government and opposition political parties, academics, civil society leaders and a cross section of Matara residents.

Speeches were made by Ven Baddegama Samitha Thero, Ven Batapola Nanda Thero, Moulavi Luthfi and volunteers from Rally For Unity team while all announcements were made in both Sinhala and Tamil languages. Among the participants were His Lordship Mayor of Matara Mr Sosindra Handunge,

Parliamentarian Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, Chairman of Southern Provincial Council Hon. Manoj Sirisena, representatives of Government and Opposition Parliamentarians from Matara District as well as a group of Buddhist monks including Ven. Kalupahane Piyarathana Thero.

Some of the placards displayed by the participants, most of which were in Sinhala language, read “Racism has no place in Sri Lanka”, “Unity in Diversity”, “Lets say no to racism”, “Diversity is our Strength”, “Patriotism and Racism don’t go together” and “United in marching together as Sri Lankans”.

The facebook page www.facebook.com/rallyforunity
managed by the collective has published endorsement videos for the initiative from a cross section of influential voices from around Sri Lanka, who have taken a bold step to publicly and openly to speak out against racism.

ABOUT “RALLY FOR UNITY”:

Rally for Unity is a movement to show that moderates are strong & united against hate and are committed to promote understanding about the strengths of diversity & unity. The organizers believe this will empower the silent majority of moderate Sri Lankans to stand up for an inclusive Sri Lanka.

Given the recent spate of hate speech and the marginalization of minority communities in general, a voluntary movement of concerned Sri Lankans from various institutions, professions and industries are organizing a series of nonpartisan, non-violent awareness campaigns and rallies against racist actions and hate-speech in Sri Lanka.

Civil Society Vision for the Post 2015 agenda

It was a great pleasure to attend a Youth Consultation Workshop on Post 2015 Development organized by SUNFO to get the inputs from young people.

Context

Since September 2012, Beyond 2015, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) and the International Forum of National NGO Platforms (IFP) have been convening national, regional, and community civil society deliberations in 40 countries in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Over 3000 people took part. This report synthesizes the outcomes of these deliberations.There is a collective understanding across national contexts that the world is in crisis.

The deliberations raised an urgent need to work collectively to find new ways of organizing society, our relationship to the planet, and the logic of our economy. We have received contributions from people around the world echoing the same demands. Civil society is concerned about rising inequality. People acknowledge that social protection is decreasing, leaving more people vulnerable to vagaries like climate change and fluctuating food prices. Those who already live in poverty are being further marginalized. Even in places where economic growth is robust, many people are not benefitting.
Summary of Outcomes

Many countries presented a vision of how they saw the realization of true development after 2015. While the specificities of each national context influenced the vision, there were several common themes.

Specifically, the deliberations envisaged:        
-      A post 2015 framework that looks at the wellbeing of people, not economies. Poverty has a financial element, but is not only about money. In recognition of this, seven deliberations called for holistic measures of wellbeing, such as Gross National Happiness, being pioneered in Bhutan
-      A developmental framework that sees human development and environmental development as inextricably interlinked. There is no doubt that our current patterns of production and consumption are putting the planet at risk. Every single deliberation called for considering the planetary consequences of how we define development.
-      Equality, and respect for human rights. A post 2015 development framework needs to treat all people as equal. Thus means addressing gender injustice, as well as specifically considering marginalized communities in a new developmental framework.
-      Active, engaged citizens who were empowered to hold governments to account for the post 2015 framework.
For the eradication of poverty and the survival of the planet, a framework must be based on four pillars:
-      human rights,
-      equality and justice,
-      environmental sustainability
-      good governance, participation, and accountability.

The outcomes of the national deliberations put forward a strong consensus on the right of each person on the planet to live a life free from poverty. A post 2015 framework must make explicit provisions for social protection and service provision, to provide an opportunity for all to live in dignity.

People coming together to participate in the deliberations, regardless of national origin, share the opinion that inequality is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today, and all nations have an equal obligation to creating a more just world. Acknowledging this, a post 2015 framework needs to focus on equality, through promoting gender justice, progressive redistribution, structural transformation, corporate regulation, and social protection.

National deliberations pointed to the need for a new development framework to express universal values. All countries, rich and poor, in all regions of the world, are tied up in the same crisis. It has different expressions in different contexts, ranging from unemployment to environmental degradation, domestic violence to hunger; but a fundamental, transformative shift will require all countries commit to upholding common values of equality, respect for human rights, peace, and environmental sustainability.

Finally, concern was raised in many national deliberations about the threat of poor governance to achieving current and future goals. Therefore, accountability, universality, and good governance must underpin a new framework. Without clear delineations of responsibilities as well as rights, and without a mechanism for holding actors to their account for commitments, progress will not be made. Additionally, people affected by the outcomes of the framework need to be included and participate actively. A post 2015 framework should be underpinned by a comprehensive and inclusive accountability mechanism.
Equality

Gender
Equality is essential to a new development agenda. This includes gender equality. Every single deliberation recognized that there can be no equality without gender justice. Violence against women is a major inhibitor to development, as well as a violation of human rights. While equality begins in the household, it must extend to the national level.

Social Exclusion
With inequality so high, even in places that have experienced economic growth or made substantial progress to meeting the MDGs, many communities of people have been left behind. For example, indigenous communities, people with disabilities, or ethnic minorities are often experiencing even deeper poverty.

Global Governance
To ensure equality between nations, fair terms of trade and a just system of global governance is required. For a post 2015 framework to tackle equality meaningfully, it must promote the progressive redistribution of resources, corporate regulation, social protection, and structural transformation of systems of global governance, production and consumption.
Environmental Sustainability

There was a consensus in the deliberations: climate change poses an eminent threat to society. In every region, consultations noted that the affects are already being felt by people living in poverty. A post 2015 framework must take into account the interconnectedness between social and environmental consequences of our growth path. Particularly in rural areas, where many marginalised communities live, climate change is affecting everything from access to services to maternal health.

In developing countries, the deliberations strongly condemned a lack of action on climate change, and acknowledged that people living in poverty are left increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters, droughts, and other affects of climate change. Already impoverished rural communities have been unable to cope with the added affects of climate change.It is a matter of justice, since countries least responsible for causing climate change are feeling its affects the most.

The national deliberations linked people’s experiences of the effects of climate change to generalized inequality, with industrialised countries polluting, and developing countries paying the price. Deliberations further linked climate change to accountability; with extractive industries and multinational corporations being on the forefront of environmental destruction, changes in national policies will only be as effective as their accountability mechanisms. Due to the inherent linkages between economic development, industrialization, trade, and fossil fuels emissions, climate justice must be linked to poverty eradication.
Human Rights

It emerged very strongly from the national consultations that human rights must underpin a new development framework. This means poverty must be eradicated, not reduced, and coverage must be universal for fundamental human rights. One strong criticism of the MDGs was that it set targets that left people behind (for example, halving the portion of people who are hungry). We must not make the same mistake again. Rights should not be narrowly limited to civil and political rights, but included to explicitly embrace economic, social, and cultural rights. We now understand that rights are indivisible, and there are a range of mechanisms to uphold and enforce human rights that need to be strengthened through increased legitimacy and recognition.

In the MDGs’ focus on halving poverty, an aggregate approach at the national level was taken, as opposed to a human rights approach. As a result, many countries found that social exclusion is making many people slip through the cracks. A goal can be achieved even if hunger is worsening among the poorest of the poor. This is something we heard of from 26 country deliberations. Even when children are now in school – what about children with disabilities? Even when child health has improved dramatically – what about indigenous children? With inequality growing across the world, a message that came out very strongly is that for a new framework to be effective, data needs to be disaggregated. Even where there is aggregate progress, inequality and social exclusion means that the aggregate picture may be incomplete. In a post 2015 framework, it is essential that nobody is left behind.

Eradication of Poverty and Hunger

The right to live a life of dignity, free from poverty and want, and the right to food, are the most fundamental human rights. Aiming to eradicate poverty and hunger is an essential foundation to a new development agenda, identified by every national deliberation.

Food insecurity and obesity are two sides of the same coin, and while every deliberation mentioned hunger, 18 also mentioned non communicable diseases, primarily lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. GMO food was linked to hunger by 9 deliberations, and agricultural subsidies were targeted as problematic by 11 deliberations.

Eradicating hunger requires extending specific support to farming communities and rural areas, which experience poverty differently than cities. Just land distribution was identified as fundamental to eradicating hunger in sixteen national contexts. Agricultural subsidies in rich countries are strong drivers of rural poverty in other countries, and it was recognized in eleven national deliberations that their harmful affects need to be ended as a matter of urgency. A right to secure tenure of land should be acknowledged; this should end forced evictions.
Democracy

Finally, concern was raised in many national deliberations about the threat of poor accountability to achieving current and future goals. Therefore, accountability, universality, and good governance must underpin a new framework. Without clear delineations of responsibilities as well as rights, and without a mechanism for holding actors to their account for commitments, progress will not be made. A post 2015 framework should be underpinned by a comprehensive and inclusive accountability mechanism, that should empower existing human rights structures. It must also provide for financing in a way that is fair.

A foundation for a just an accountable post 2015 framework has been put in place, through the extensive consultations taking place with civil society. However, to ensure a meaningful result, civil and political rights must be firmly entrenched, including freedom of expression and assembly. Access to information is a priority for accountability and to fight corruption and tax evasion; the private sector must be included in this. Sustainable development will only be achieved through a genuine partnership of all sectors across national contexts. People must participate in building their future for the vision of a development framework to be realized.
Vision, Purpose,Values, and Criteria

There was remarkable consensus about the vision, purpose, and values emerging from the national deliberations. While the vision was articulated differently depending on the national context, the underlying values were the same.

The purpose of a 2015 framework will be to provide a common agenda of agreement both for governments and also for civil society to define and work towards progress. As such, it is important the measurement of this should not be exclusively economic, but look at how the wellbeing of all people can be improved.

As stated previously, a post 2015 framework must be based on the following values, which have already been unpacked above:
-      human rights,
-      equality and justice,
-      environmental sustainability
-      good governance, participation, and accountability.

On the matter of criteria, this is where civil society began to have more diverse perspectives, and the specific national viewpoint determined the criteria put forward. Issues have different relevance and urgency depending on the situation. In recognition of this, the European regional report advised the use of common but differentiated responsibilities to bring all countries into a common framework, while still acknowledging diverse contexts.
Conclusion

We have a unique opportunity to transform the current global social, economic, and environmental system into one that is more just and inclusive. It is clear from the national, local and community deliberations that have taken place that the knowledge exists within civil society to eradicate poverty, uphold human rights, respect the planet, and build a more just future. As the MDGs come to an end, civil society in 40 countries has provided a roadmap for a framework that is holistic and inclusive in ensuring a more just world.

We hope to continue to engage with the process of developing a post 2015 framework that will address the root causes of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. By ensuring widespread, meaningful participation from a community level, we can collectively set an agenda that will be responsive to the needs of people living in poverty and affected by climate change.


Dear Sikinder,

This is our Final Draft -:


Civil Society Vision for the Post 2015 agenda

Context

Since September 2012, Beyond 2015, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) and the International Forum of National NGO Platforms (IFP) have been convening national, regional, and community civil society deliberations in 40 countries in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Over 3000 people took part. This report synthesizes the outcomes of these deliberations.There is a collective understanding across national contexts that the world is in crisis.

The deliberations raised an urgent need to work collectively to find new ways of organizing society, our relationship to the planet, and the logic of our economy. We have received contributions from people around the world echoing the same demands. Civil society is concerned about rising inequality. People acknowledge that social protection is decreasing, leaving more people vulnerable to vagaries like climate change and fluctuating food prices. Those who already live in poverty are being further marginalized. Even in places where economic growth is robust, many people are not benefitting.
Summary of Outcomes

Many countries presented a vision of how they saw the realization of true development after 2015. While the specificities of each national context influenced the vision, there were several common themes.

Specifically, the deliberations envisaged:        
-      A post 2015 framework that looks at the wellbeing of people, not economies. Poverty has a financial element, but is not only about money. In recognition of this, seven deliberations called for holistic measures of wellbeing, such as Gross National Happiness, being pioneered in Bhutan
-      A developmental framework that sees human development and environmental development as inextricably interlinked. There is no doubt that our current patterns of production and consumption are putting the planet at risk. Every single deliberation called for considering the planetary consequences of how we define development.
-      Equality, and respect for human rights. A post 2015 development framework needs to treat all people as equal. Thus means addressing gender injustice, as well as specifically considering marginalized communities in a new developmental framework.
-      Active, engaged citizens who were empowered to hold governments to account for the post 2015 framework.
For the eradication of poverty and the survival of the planet, a framework must be based on four pillars:
-      human rights,
-      equality and justice,
-      environmental sustainability
-      good governance, participation, and accountability.

The outcomes of the national deliberations put forward a strong consensus on the right of each person on the planet to live a life free from poverty. A post 2015 framework must make explicit provisions for social protection and service provision, to provide an opportunity for all to live in dignity.

People coming together to participate in the deliberations, regardless of national origin, share the opinion that inequality is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today, and all nations have an equal obligation to creating a more just world. Acknowledging this, a post 2015 framework needs to focus on equality, through promoting gender justice, progressive redistribution, structural transformation, corporate regulation, and social protection.

National deliberations pointed to the need for a new development framework to express universal values. All countries, rich and poor, in all regions of the world, are tied up in the same crisis. It has different expressions in different contexts, ranging from unemployment to environmental degradation, domestic violence to hunger; but a fundamental, transformative shift will require all countries commit to upholding common values of equality, respect for human rights, peace, and environmental sustainability.

Finally, concern was raised in many national deliberations about the threat of poor governance to achieving current and future goals. Therefore, accountability, universality, and good governance must underpin a new framework. Without clear delineations of responsibilities as well as rights, and without a mechanism for holding actors to their account for commitments, progress will not be made. Additionally, people affected by the outcomes of the framework need to be included and participate actively. A post 2015 framework should be underpinned by a comprehensive and inclusive accountability mechanism.
Equality

Gender
Equality is essential to a new development agenda. This includes gender equality. Every single deliberation recognized that there can be no equality without gender justice. Violence against women is a major inhibitor to development, as well as a violation of human rights. While equality begins in the household, it must extend to the national level.

Social Exclusion
With inequality so high, even in places that have experienced economic growth or made substantial progress to meeting the MDGs, many communities of people have been left behind. For example, indigenous communities, people with disabilities, or ethnic minorities are often experiencing even deeper poverty.

Global Governance
To ensure equality between nations, fair terms of trade and a just system of global governance is required. For a post 2015 framework to tackle equality meaningfully, it must promote the progressive redistribution of resources, corporate regulation, social protection, and structural transformation of systems of global governance, production and consumption.
Environmental Sustainability

There was a consensus in the deliberations: climate change poses an eminent threat to society. In every region, consultations noted that the affects are already being felt by people living in poverty. A post 2015 framework must take into account the interconnectedness between social and environmental consequences of our growth path. Particularly in rural areas, where many marginalised communities live, climate change is affecting everything from access to services to maternal health.

In developing countries, the deliberations strongly condemned a lack of action on climate change, and acknowledged that people living in poverty are left increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters, droughts, and other affects of climate change. Already impoverished rural communities have been unable to cope with the added affects of climate change.It is a matter of justice, since countries least responsible for causing climate change are feeling its affects the most.

The national deliberations linked people’s experiences of the effects of climate change to generalized inequality, with industrialised countries polluting, and developing countries paying the price. Deliberations further linked climate change to accountability; with extractive industries and multinational corporations being on the forefront of environmental destruction, changes in national policies will only be as effective as their accountability mechanisms. Due to the inherent linkages between economic development, industrialization, trade, and fossil fuels emissions, climate justice must be linked to poverty eradication.
Human Rights

It emerged very strongly from the national consultations that human rights must underpin a new development framework. This means poverty must be eradicated, not reduced, and coverage must be universal for fundamental human rights. One strong criticism of the MDGs was that it set targets that left people behind (for example, halving the portion of people who are hungry). We must not make the same mistake again. Rights should not be narrowly limited to civil and political rights, but included to explicitly embrace economic, social, and cultural rights. We now understand that rights are indivisible, and there are a range of mechanisms to uphold and enforce human rights that need to be strengthened through increased legitimacy and recognition.

In the MDGs’ focus on halving poverty, an aggregate approach at the national level was taken, as opposed to a human rights approach. As a result, many countries found that social exclusion is making many people slip through the cracks. A goal can be achieved even if hunger is worsening among the poorest of the poor. This is something we heard of from 26 country deliberations. Even when children are now in school – what about children with disabilities? Even when child health has improved dramatically – what about indigenous children? With inequality growing across the world, a message that came out very strongly is that for a new framework to be effective, data needs to be disaggregated. Even where there is aggregate progress, inequality and social exclusion means that the aggregate picture may be incomplete. In a post 2015 framework, it is essential that nobody is left behind.

Eradication of Poverty and Hunger

The right to live a life of dignity, free from poverty and want, and the right to food, are the most fundamental human rights. Aiming to eradicate poverty and hunger is an essential foundation to a new development agenda, identified by every national deliberation.

Food insecurity and obesity are two sides of the same coin, and while every deliberation mentioned hunger, 18 also mentioned non communicable diseases, primarily lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. GMO food was linked to hunger by 9 deliberations, and agricultural subsidies were targeted as problematic by 11 deliberations.

Eradicating hunger requires extending specific support to farming communities and rural areas, which experience poverty differently than cities. Just land distribution was identified as fundamental to eradicating hunger in sixteen national contexts. Agricultural subsidies in rich countries are strong drivers of rural poverty in other countries, and it was recognized in eleven national deliberations that their harmful affects need to be ended as a matter of urgency. A right to secure tenure of land should be acknowledged; this should end forced evictions.
Democracy

Finally, concern was raised in many national deliberations about the threat of poor accountability to achieving current and future goals. Therefore, accountability, universality, and good governance must underpin a new framework. Without clear delineations of responsibilities as well as rights, and without a mechanism for holding actors to their account for commitments, progress will not be made. A post 2015 framework should be underpinned by a comprehensive and inclusive accountability mechanism, that should empower existing human rights structures. It must also provide for financing in a way that is fair.

A foundation for a just an accountable post 2015 framework has been put in place, through the extensive consultations taking place with civil society. However, to ensure a meaningful result, civil and political rights must be firmly entrenched, including freedom of expression and assembly. Access to information is a priority for accountability and to fight corruption and tax evasion; the private sector must be included in this. Sustainable development will only be achieved through a genuine partnership of all sectors across national contexts. People must participate in building their future for the vision of a development framework to be realized.
Vision, Purpose,Values, and Criteria

There was remarkable consensus about the vision, purpose, and values emerging from the national deliberations. While the vision was articulated differently depending on the national context, the underlying values were the same.

The purpose of a 2015 framework will be to provide a common agenda of agreement both for governments and also for civil society to define and work towards progress. As such, it is important the measurement of this should not be exclusively economic, but look at how the wellbeing of all people can be improved.

As stated previously, a post 2015 framework must be based on the following values, which have already been unpacked above:
-      human rights,
-      equality and justice,
-      environmental sustainability
-      good governance, participation, and accountability.

On the matter of criteria, this is where civil society began to have more diverse perspectives, and the specific national viewpoint determined the criteria put forward. Issues have different relevance and urgency depending on the situation. In recognition of this, the European regional report advised the use of common but differentiated responsibilities to bring all countries into a common framework, while still acknowledging diverse contexts.
Conclusion

We have a unique opportunity to transform the current global social, economic, and environmental system into one that is more just and inclusive. It is clear from the national, local and community deliberations that have taken place that the knowledge exists within civil society to eradicate poverty, uphold human rights, respect the planet, and build a more just future. As the MDGs come to an end, civil society in 40 countries has provided a roadmap for a framework that is holistic and inclusive in ensuring a more just world.

We hope to continue to engage with the process of developing a post 2015 framework that will address the root causes of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. By ensuring widespread, meaningful participation from a community level, we can collectively set an agenda that will be responsive to the needs of people living in poverty and affected by climate change.

Facilitating World Environment Day workshop at British Council Colombo

The British Council Colombo marked World Environment Day 2013 in style this year, with a series of events and hands-on activities for customers, students and staff.

On June 5th 2013, the world joined hands in marking the 41st World Environmental Day under the Theme Think Eat Save. The message being put across was that we should think before we eat in order to save the environment through reduced food wastage, which FAO estimates at 1.3 billion tonnes of food globally per year. UNEP[1] estimates that global food production occupies 25% of all habitable land and is responsible for 70% of fresh water consumption, 80% of deforestation, and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. But, in Kenya and the larger Sub Saharan Africa, the food is not enough to eat leave alone to save, with an estimated 20,000 children dying annually from food related complications. So what ails this region in matters food security?

Despite a heavy storm the night before and branches littering the roads, the library was buzzing from early morning, hosting a food-themed book display and two inspirational and well attended talks by Dr Ajantha Perera, the well-known food scientist and environmental activist. There were also art competitions run by British Council Climate Champions, and two mesmerising, interactive storytelling sessions for children.

Dodging occasional rain, more than 150 Young Learners actively participated in workshops that demonstrated how compost is made, using biodegradable kitchen scraps collected on site at Alfred House Gardens. After loading the compost bin for future gardeners to use, each child planted their own hopeful seed in a cup of ready-made compost, to take away. With luck, Colombo will see a burgeoning crop of yard-long beans, radishes and snake gourd in the next couple of months!

Young learners also took part in a variety of high quality lessons and discussions on the day’s theme of Think – Eat – Save, including composting, climate change and farming. All visitors to the British Council were able to see a demonstration of how recycled paper is made, and peruse a variety of stalls including books and some amazing repurposed newspapers – now in the shape of beautiful lacquered baskets, vases and sculpture. 

British Council staff wrapped the proceedings up with a nice cup of tea - Sri Lankan grown of course - and the raffle of an ambarella tree and bicycle. All in all, a jolly environmental day to remember!

Colombo to United Nations- Geneva, in my words - 66th World Health Assembly

It was a wonderful experience in Geneva during Pre- World Health Assembly for youth and 66th High-level World Health Assembly. This is my first-ever Health related UN conference.

I used this opportunity to collaborate with young people from all over the world who were present during pre-WHA and WHA, their different backgrounds, diverse yet energetic and unified goal “A healthier planet for a better future” inspired me. I believe this friendship may achieve a workable, practical, concrete solution for most health problems which is related to youth.

This International arena gave me an opportunity to share my views on Health on post-2015 development agenda with other youth delegates and other representatives from member states and major groups. Almost all the youth representatives were medical student, if I am not mistaken only I was from Business College. I did not had a sharp knowledge on technical terms used in health negotiations, but I was confident on my soft skills, negotiations skills, depth knowledge on post 2015 process, and youth participation in UN process. I was happy to see that although we were from different educational backgrounds, we had only one uniform objective.

Decisions made by global leaders will have global consequences. We need universal norms. No states can exist alone. As a team we arouse together for a real change. This had a huge impact on decision makers. Youth were here in Geneva at United Nations...at the 66th WHA and we made a difference, we got engage with the process, we raised our voice, we demanded for a better deal. We are dynamic, diverse yet we are working together as a unified voice for change, A Real Change!

I shared my experience and projects what we do in Sri Lanka and how it is related to the global context, meanwhile I used this opportunity to gain more knowledge on health issues and health-negotiations by attending plenaries, committees, side events, youth strategic meetings, sessions, listening to inspirations speeches during Pre-WHA and WHA.

I was involved in drafting youth position paper on “Health on Post 2015 Development Agenda” for 66th WHA, and involved in drafting interventions, which was delivered by us at the respective committees.

It was very interesting to follow the negotiations, and understand the context, although I was familiar with UN Climate Change and Sustainable Development negotiations, it took me sometime to understand the UN health talks, new terms, new approaches motivated to follow the negotiations, but I would say it was not tiring and hectic as Climate negotiations.

I was able to meet some of the big shots during WHA, specially my Minister of Health (Sri Lanka), Minister of Health from Lativia, key eminent of players/negotiators of Portugal, EU, Africa, Philippines, etc. I was able to meet some of the senior staffs of WHO and UN agencies, especially DG Ms. Margaret Chan.

As youth we have a huge responsibility to work closely with government in decision making process. This conference gave me the key aspects of policy making and international negotiations.

I was existed to be a part of  International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA) delegation to 66th World Health Assembly, It was a great pleasure to be in the high level opening ceremony of the 66th World Health Assembly commenced in Geneva on 20th of May 2012 at 10am
 
Day 4, of the 66th World Health Assembly, May 23rd, 2013 is a historical day for IFMSA presence at WHO meetings.. The IFMSA delegation has hosted in the afternoon the first youth organized and youth-led side event at the World Health Assembly. Health of the World’s girls – The missing link in the global development agenda?

I

miss my IFMSA friends and Geneva now!

World Environment Day 2013