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Canadian Perspectives from the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
Canadian Perspectives from the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)


Hurry up please.
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Here is an article I wrote for the CSD Outreaches Issue.


Based on the recent number of Outreach articles on Rio+20, it may now be evident that the prospect of a 2012 Earth Summit has garnered the support of many civil society participants here at the CSD. The recent article by Anabella Rosembert explains how a 2012 Summit can alter the existing paradigm in which the CSD operates. A 2012 Summit, according to Rosembert, can increase public pressure, revive the spirit of social and environmental integration, and generate new and well funded government commitments. As a young person that has been involved in the CSD process, I would like to offer two additional arguments that support the movement to create a 2012 Earth Summit. First, a 2012 Summit can integrate a much-needed security dimension to the sustainable development discourse and second, a 2012 Summit can bring hope back in the multilateral process.

Security & the CSD - A relationship under-examined?

It might seem strange to consider how the CSD relates to violent social conflict or military-related issues, but perhaps we ought to explore this relationship more. The nature of environmental issues have changed rapidly since the 2002 Johannesburg Summit. The food crisis, as just one example, has implicated social stability in countries around the world through food riots. In response, Ban Ki-Moon warned that the food crisis could undo the work done toward building democracies, but it could also present a historic opportunity to revisit past policies and revitalize agricultural practice. A proactive take on environmental security issues would emphasize the prevention of conflicts before they occur in the first place. Here at the CSD, we have the chance to protect the very conditions necessary for peace. The provision of healthy food, the prospect of a fulfilling farming career, the steady supply of drinking water - these are all necessary conditions for social stability.

There is a great demand for concrete and low-cost policies that can help us prevent future resource-related conflict. The CSD process is unique for its emphasis on a holistic and integrative framework for sustainable development. Daniel Deudney, a Professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University, states how most multilateral efforts compartmentalize violent conflict as something that is seperate from sustainable development. As a result, Deundney states, "a permanent dialogue should emerge between specialists in environmental security and sustainable development." It is time we address how the work of sustainable development is also the work of world peace. It is therefore appropriate that one of the suggested titles for a 2012 Summit is "Sustainable Development - The Peace of the Future."

Bringing Back Hope

More than any policy consideration, though, what inspires me most about the prospect of a 2012 Summit is the simple, desperate, need for change. It is possible that a 2012 Summit can help catalyze this change. The youth caucus, as just one example, has changed considerably following the Rio and Johannesburg Summits. It was during these Summits that our vision formed and our membership grew. While I cannot attest to this first-hand, as I busy with the affairs of being six, I have heard from my basement corridor colleagues that the Rio Summit breathed life into civil society in 1992. While it is important to explore fully the policy implications of a 2012 Summit, it is also important to consider how the Summit might serve to inspire us. As the CSD-17 is ready to close, we see many dispirited and discouraged participants walking through these halls. The hope that has deflated among many of us here comes at a time we can least afford it.

It is perhaps through the perspective of a younger participant that a 2012 Earth Summit makes the most sense. Younger participants at the CSD need to be assured that the multilateral process works. We need to feel confident in the common future that was envisioned for us in 1987. In his poem The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot makes his gentle appeal that resonates with me now. In one small verse of his poem, he says it better than I. Hurry up please, it's time.

- Joanna Dafoe represents the Sierra Youth Coalition at the CSD

May 14, 2009 | 11:46 AM Comments  0 comments

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Agriculture 4th Read Through
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More updates from WGI as some of the remaining agriculture para's are being negotiated. In the vein of commenting on negotiation structure, I am struck by the disparate roles of developed and developing countries. Although it may seem obvious, it strikes me just how much these two groups clash over all the substantive issues of the negotiations. The G77 representative is alone in his chair and represents over 130 countries. Conversely, countries like Canada, the US and Australia have delegations of ~8 people and represent their own country. Even on the JUSCANZ countries the negotiators seem exhausted, I cannot imagine how hard it must be for the one representative of 130 developing countries. The multilateral process gets complicated when you think of who has access to these negotiations, and who can afford to be in New York City.

More updates on twitter minute by minute: twitter.org/csdwg1

May 14, 2009 | 11:40 AM Comments  0 comments

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WGI late into the night
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I am sitting here in WGI at midnight on May 13th. Ryan next to me is giving constant updates from twitter: www.twitter.org/csdwg1 .

The G77 just asked how long negotiations will go until tonight. She then went on to say that she asks countries to be sympathetic in light of the global financial crisis.

There seems to be a spirit of attrition here late into the night. People are very tired and it is as-if this allows for more honest interaction. Now that the numbers in the room are smaller, there is a sense that delegates in the room just want to get to the bottom of the issue.

Ryan informs me that this paragraph is going to be the source of major contention:

Pp18 - Decides to call upon Governments and the
United Nations system, working in partnership with
major groups and other stakeholders, to implement the
following [policy – Canada delete; G77 will revert]
measures and actions.

Measures and actions? Policies? Policy measures and actions?

May 13, 2009 | 11:54 PM Comments  0 comments

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LIVE FROM CSD17
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Follow the twitters on CSD Working Groups 1 and 2:

CSD WGI
http://twitter.com/CSDWG1

CSD WGII
http://twitter.com/CSDWG2

High level segment of negotiations start on Wednesday. More updates to come.

May 11, 2009 | 11:31 AM Comments  0 comments

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Negotiating Issue Frames
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The interesting dilemma of the CSD is that there are seldom explicit policy asks that are under negotiation.

So countries negotiate not particular aspects, such as a funding package or policy to implement, but more the "framing" of an issue. According to Snow and Benford in their book "Frontiers in Social Movement Theory," issue framing refers to “an interpretive schemata that simplifies and condenses the ‘world out there’ by selectively punctuating and encoding objects, situations, events, experiences, and sequences of action within one’s present or past environment” (Snow and Benford 1992, 137).

In their book NGO Diplomacy, Michelle Betsill and Elisabeth Corell state that "by framing (or re-framing) environmental problems, NGO diplomats can highlight particular aspects of a problem such as the driving causes and/or who has the responsibility to act, thereby establishing the boundaries within which states must formulate their responses."

When I listen to the interventions in this room, the negotiations seem to unfold much more around the framing of these various issues. Eventually, if a diplomat is successful in its ideal framing of an issue this might eventually impact the behaviour of states.

This is just my interpretation of this discussion, but I would be curious to hear how people think this process impacts actual policy.

February 27, 2009 | 5:48 PM Comments  0 comments

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What's In a Name?
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... Apparently, a whole lot.

The chair just released a "Draft Negotiating Text" which summarizes the points raised during this preparatory meeting. However, many countries were expecting a "Summary Text" and not a text to preempt negotiation. This difference in word provoked different reactions from states.

The chair reminds the plenary that the IPM is not a forum for negotiation, yet the contributions from states reflect particular omissions from the text, or aspects they do not support. Call it a summary, a draft, or a review text -- in any case this document marks the start of a negotiation.

- AOSIS was concerned that their interventions on SIDS was not included in the final text.
- Major Groups were called upon and expressed dissatisfaction with the text. The role of women was not adequately reflected in the text and felt that the strong recommendations of major groups was not adequately raised.
- NGOs expressed dismayed over the technology emphasis, and not the social dimensions. They also want to see the role of a rights-based approach included in the final statement. The wording around biofuels does not adequately reflect the threat of such a fuel source.

February 27, 2009 | 5:37 PM Comments  0 comments

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Reflections on the CSD, Global Governance, and Environmental Institutions
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Yesterday I had an inspiring conversation with someone who works for the United Nations and CSD process. We had a chance to speak about the many problems that exist within institutions such as the CSD. Some aspects that constrain the CSD include:

- The Lack of a Binding Outcome.

Although some countries, including Canada, see great benefit from emphasizing "non-negotiated outcomes," it means that the CSD is limited to focusing on areas that do not necessarily change the behaviour of states. For instance, if the CSD is focused exclusively on partnerships, learning, and show casing best practices, it is very hard to determine how the CSD leads to any chagne in state behaviour. The CSD needs to be bolstered with more mechanisms that make the outcomes more binding. The other NGO representative on the Canadian Delegation who works for Eco Justice observed how the nature of environmental law has changed since the CSD was established in 1992, during which time the legal climate was based on aspects such as learning and partnerships. Today the legal climate is charachterized by more compliance based processes. If there is a Summit in 2012 (or 2015 for that matter) I would like to see how the CSD can be strengthened in a more binding way.

- The Challenge of Bringing Specific Policies.

The nature of the CSD is to change thematic issues every 2 years (review and policy year). Because of the rapid turnover of thematic issues, both NGO and State Delegates are less likely to be seasoned veterans of the CSD process. Although there are extraordinary individuals at the CSD that know a lot about policy and the CSD process, there are also a lot of people who attend because of their interest in the thematic issue during a particular cycle (and rightly so). However, if one attends solely for a 2 year cycle it means the Delegates spend at least the first year growing accustomed to the ways of the CSD. Therefore a Delegate (either NGO or State) cannot jump into the process with a nuanced understanding of the procedures. Furthermore, for groups like Children & Youth, there is a continual challenge to balance our contributions to reflect our moral imperative to sustainable development with our insights on reasonable and coherent policy proposals.

There are other constraints that were raised during this discussion, but we also acknowledged the many positive aspects of the CSD. It was these positive traits, we decided, that keep us committed to the process. We both see so much potential in this forum and so much opportunity that can really galvanize international coordination on crucial environmental and social issues.

The most striking example to me is how the CSD creates a forum for civil society to work so closely with State Delegates unlike any other forum. For instance, the fact that countries such as Canada and the Netherlands bring youth delegates to the IPM is extraordinarily commendable. It signals to other countries that youth are taken seriously as stakehodlers of environmental issues.

Attending the CSD, I cannot help but think of the many challenges the world faces. These challenges are heightened when one considers the many failed attempts to overcome these challenges. The UN environmental organs seem more fragmented than coordinated. France made a proposal to the General Assembly that the UNEP be elevated to the task of a full time organization (http://ieg.stakeholderforum.org/ieg_unep0.html). I hope to see a group like UNEP granted with greater power to organize international leadership. However, many states resist the idea of this kind of multilateral coordination. States raise concern that sovereignty is infringed upon, or that it is not in their self-interest to assign greater powers to a multilateral body. I'm not sure if this argument is strong. Especially in the context of the environmental, social, and moral crises we face today.

I was speaking with a delegate from the Agriculture Major Group who shared with me his concern for the next few months. In his view, he sees the next few years as CRITICAL for determining the fate of the planet we live on. Truth be told: there is a lot of cynicism here at the CSD. There are a lot of state delegations that seem to be very cautious about how they move forward, and what they say in plenary. It is this type of caution and cynicism that makes me concerned. This process needs to be invigorated with hope. A lot of people will be quick to tell me how naive this sounds - environmental problems are incredibly complex and rhetoric alone will not save the future.

Sure. I appreciate how complicated these issues are. But I also appreciate the magnitude of the problem we face. I realize that ultimately this comes down to ones aspirations. If we appraoch the CSD with the goal of reaching equity for developing countries and solutions to the environmental problems we face, then we are much better positioned to make this forum work. If we approach the CSD from the strict financial interests of states (or industry), then there is little anyone can do bring changes. Currently, it seems as-if the latter embodies many state motivations here.

The work of civil society at the CSD has only just begun.

February 26, 2009 | 12:29 PM Comments  0 comments

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Report From Day 3
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On the third day of the intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting (IPM) for the 17th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-17) discussed “land” during the morning, and addressed the issue of drought during the afternoon.

The land discussion was framed by presentations by three panelists:

- Panelist Harold Liversage, International Fund for Agricultural Development, underscored the importance of land tenure security for economic growth and poverty reduction;

- Panelist John Bruce, Land and Development Solutions International, discussed shared-use resources and proposed demarcating and registering common-use areas, instituting model by-laws, and providing community-level technical assistance.

- Panelist Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), presented a framework to address land degradation, and underlined the role of land in carbon sequestration.

During the interactive discussion, Canada prioritized measures to increase compatibility of land use practices with landscape capacity and to expedite appropriate information development, management and application. The NGO Major Group suggested using a human rights framework to address the unequal power relationships behind unjust land tenure structures.

A copy of Canadian presentations may be downloaded from: http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/resources/res_statprescsd_17ipm.shtml.

The afternoon discussion concerning drought also opened with presentations:

- Panelist Constance Neely, Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Collaborative Research Support Program (SANREM CRSP), highlighted the role of grazing and agro-ecological practice to manage ecosystems.

- Panelist Jeffrey Herrick, US Department of Agriculture, noted the importance of integrating scientific and local knowledge in responding to drought.

Canada noted benefits from developing and maintaining agreements on drought and climate variability. The NGO Major Group noted that investing in sustainable practices is crucial to improving drought mitigation.

In the afternoon, there was a side-event hosted by Stakeholder Forum regarding water as a cross-cutting theme. SF prepared a paper in advance of the IPM (see: http://gppn.stakeholderforum.org/index.php?id=624) and the presentations from the February 25 presentation are expected to be posted shortly.

February 26, 2009 | 12:28 PM Comments  0 comments

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Report From Day 2
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A new Earth Summit could help to restore momentum to our faltering moment.
- Maurice Strong

Topics:
1. Morning Summary
2. Agriculture Plenary
3. Rural Development
4. 2012 Earth Summit / Rio+20 Plans

1. Morning Summary

The second day of the IPM was focused on the thematic issues of agriculture and rural development. To start the day the youth and NGO delegates met at the Canadian Mission. The Canadian Delegate meeting was followed by a Youth and Children and NGO Major Group meeting. My perspective on the participation of Children and Youth at the IPM is that
there is significant under representation. While many young
people attend the CSD in May, the IPM is a critical opportunity to influence policy and the development of state positions. There are roughly 5 representatives here from youth and children, so the days are busy writing
intervention statements and, with what time remains, developing policy perspectives.

The opening segment of the day was committed to sharing lessons learned and best practices. The following individuals spoke:

- Norman Uphoff from Cornell University about the need to climate-proof
agriculture
- Sarah Scherr from Ecoagriculture Partners, mentioning the production-biodiversity-livelihood mosaic of agriculture
- Rosalud de la Rosa from the organization Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture (WOCAN)

2. Agriculture Plenary

During the agriculture plenary there was disagreement amongst states and major groups regarding the role of organic agriculture. One person noted in
plenary how "billions of dollars have been invested in agriculture for decades, with very little reaching actual farmers."

Lastly, I delivered a statement in plenary on behalf of the Youth and Children Major Groups. The text from the intervention is included in an entry below.

3. Rural Development

The following points were mentioned during the afternoon plenary on rural development. NGOs expressed the need for knowledge transfer. To prevent damaging trends of rural to urban migration, there must be greater support for the employment of women and marginalized workers. Locally owned
enterprises should be encouraged and NGOs believe this must be expressed in the final text of the IPM. The Chair of the negotiations mentioned that there has been substantial progress on social issues for women and girls.
The indigenous major group raised concerns about how mono-crops are unsustainable and they mentioned the critical need to have an International Day for Mother Earth.

4. Rio + 20:

Building off the summary provided in yesterday’s report, there has been important progress in the development of a 2012 Earth Summit. The Canadian champion of sustainable development, Maurice Strong, has come forward with
his support for a 2012 Earth Summit. Maurice Strong mentions how a "A new Earth Summit could help to restore momentum to our faltering moment."

February 25, 2009 | 12:50 PM Comments  0 comments

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Report Summary from Day 1
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IPM (CSD) Day #1 report:

The Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting (IPM) for the 17th Session of the Commission for Sustainable (CSD) of United Nations has commenced in New York and will continue until Feb 27, 2009. Joanna Dafoe (Sierra Youth Coalition) and Randy Christensen (Ecojustice Canada) are the Youth and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) delegates for the CSD 16 and 17 and are attending the IPM. Joanna and Randy intend to provide daily reports from the CSD.

This is the report for Day 1 and covered the following topics:
- Overview of the CSD and the purpose of the IPM
- Themes of CSD 17
- Canadian position and NGO responses
- Day 1 activities and themes
Joanna and Randy welcome feedback or questions at anytime either through the CSD Canada listserve (csdcanada-subscribe@groups.takingitglobal.org) to join send a blank e-mail to or at Joanna.dafoe@gmail.com or rchristensen@ecojustice.ca.

OVERVIEW OF THE CSD AND PURPOSE OF THE IPM
The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit.

The Commission is responsible for reviewing progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; as well as providing policy guidance to follow up the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation (JPOI) at the local, national, regional and international levels. The JPOI reaffirmed that the CSD is he high-level forum for sustainable development within the United Nations system.

The IPM is bridge between issues identified in the review year of CSD 16 (see Chairmans summary Part I and Part II for details) and the negotiations that will occur at CSD 17th. The outcome of the IPM will be a draft negotiating document for CSD 17.

THEMES OF CSD 17
Each two year cycle of CSD focuses on thematic issues. CSD 16 and 17 concerns: Africa, Agriculture, Drought and Desertification, Land, and Rural Development.

As well, each session addresses cross cutting issues and interlink ages.
These include:
- poverty eradication;
- changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production;
- protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and
social development;
- sustainable development in a globalizing world;
- health and sustainable development;
- sustainable development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS);
- sustainable development for Africa;
- other regional initiatives;
- means of implementation;
- institutional framework for sustainable development;
- gender equality; and
- education.

CANADIAN POSITIONS AND NGO RESPONSES
The Canadian Government prepared a draft “stakeholder consultation paper.
A copy of this may be obtained from Monique Lefebvre (monique@cen-rce.org). A response to the Canadian paper by a group of NGOs was previously circulated to the CSD Canada listserv. If you would like a copy of this paper, please
contact Joanna or Randy.

DAY 1 ACTIVITIES
The Youth and NGO delegates started the day with a meeting at the Canadian Mission. This was followed by an NGO group meeting. Official Day 1 activities included a morning Plenary session featuring a statement by the CSD Chair, Gerda Verburg of the Netherlands. Minister Verburg emphasized five tracks toward a green revolution:
1) improving agricultural productivity by substantially investing in
more sustainable agriculture;
2) creating an enabling environment (land tenure rights, rural
infrastructure, health and education and participation of women);
3) developing sustainable production chains;
4) improving market access; and
5) food aid and social safety nets.
The morning Plenary also covered reports from other UN meetings, reports and
country statements. The Chair's statement as well as Canada's and other
countries may be found at:
http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/resources/res_statprescsd_17ipm.shtml.

The afternoon Plenary included a discussion with Major Groups and a discussion of Small Island Developing States.
One of the discussions that emerged in side meetings and in the hallways was the discussion of having a Rio+ 20 summit. If you want to follow the
preparations for Earth Summit 2012 there are two ways to do it with
Stakeholder forum. The first is to visit the Stakeholder Forum web site on 2012 www.earthsummit2012.org and the second is to go to the Stakeholder Forum blog on the Summit at http://earthsummit2012.blogspot.com/


February 25, 2009 | 9:51 AM Comments  1 comments

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Agriculture Update at the IPM
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An update from the intergovernmental preparatory meeting. Here is a copy of
the intervention I delivered this morning.

Thank you Madame Chair.

The need for sustainable agriculture is charachterized by a sense of urgency. As we meet today, there are nearly 1 billion people in the world that are not benefitting from the
existing agricultural system.

This morning Sarah Shiller from Ecoagricultures mentioned the
production-biodiversity-livelihood mosaic during her presentation. We fully support looking at all of these aspects of agricultural production and we
would like to emphasize two points in paritcular: first, the need for local knowledge and food systems and second, the need for innovation through
education.

[Local Knowledge & Food Systems]
Solutions that incorporate local or traditional knowledge can help foster innovation and reduce dependence on external inputs such as petroleum based
fertilizers. Small crop and livestock farmers actively push against an import-based agricultural economy, and we fully support this position. In order to protect the survival of small farms, it is important to halt the
ongoing subsidization of crops in developed countries that perversely effect agriculture in developing countries.

The livelihoods and cultures of many people are on small, local farms or mobile family-based pastoral systems. An emphasis on local farming knowledge and practices allow young people, small scale farmers, and women to pursue
farming as an intellectually and physically rewarding career.

[Innovation through education]
In addition to local knowledge and food systems, we also need innovation through education. Innovation on a system-wide level is needed to achieve sustainable agriculture. Activities that promote education on conservation, native food crops, and the exchange of knowledge should be encouraged in the design and
implementation of sustainable development strategies.

As part of this innovation through education, the role of youth and children must considered, and we thank the distinguished delegate from Mexico for recognizing
this today. We ask delegates to remember the crucial role and potential that young people have. We hold vital and fresh perspectives that we encourage delegates to
consider as they move forward at the IPM and CSD.

Brave and bold thinking is what we need during this time of crisis. As such,all of us here today need to consider brave and bold measures for a more equitable and environmentally
sustainable agriculture.

Thank you.


February 24, 2009 | 3:34 PM Comments  0 comments

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Looking Forward to the IPM & CSD17
Related to country: Canada

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It has been a while since making any updates here about the CSD, but that doesn't mean there has been no activity around the CSD. The latest advancement from the ENGO community is a statement on behalf of environmental stakeholders that was submitted to the Canadian Delegation.

I will include a copy of the statement below.

Stakeholder Comments on Canadian Priorities for the UN Commission on Sustainable Development – 17th Session (CSD-17)
Submitted to:
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Endorsed by:
The One Earth Initiative, Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, Ecojustice, the Sierra Youth Coalition, New Brunswick Partners in Agriculture, Eastern Co-operative Health Organization, Stop the Hogs Coalition, Bathurst Sustainable Development, Trinity Environment Club, My Sustainable Canada, Edmonton Friends of the North Environmental Society,
Feb. 9, 2009

Introduction
This paper provides additional comments on the Government of Canada’s stakeholders consultations on Canada’s priorities for CSD-17, as presented in the Draft Stakeholder Consultation Paper.
The undersigned wish to thank the Government of Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAIT), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian International Development Agency for the inclusive consultation process being undertaken.
This response is divided into four sections:
I. Call for high level representation at the CSD 17
II. Continued support and outreach to civil society;
III. Comments and critiques of positions taken in the paper; and
IV. Suggestions for additions to the paper.

I. Call for high level representation at the CSD 17
Canadian NGOs encourage high-level officials in the Canadian Government to resume participation at CSD-17. We believe high-level participation is essential for effective negotiation. The presence or absence of high-level officials is seen as a gauge of a country's commitment to the CSD process. High level participation is especially pertinent at this CSD as the link between sustainable development and security becomes more apparent. Within the past year the price of basic foods has spiked, creating global threats to food security. The food crisis commands the CSD to address the security dimension of sustainable development, as the hunger riots and social tensions suggest. The ability to meaningfully address these issues at the CSD depends on the participation of highest-level departmental officials from each country.
Very recently in a Globe and Mail editorial, it was noted that Canada's failure to send high-level representation was a cause of Canada's diminished influence on the international stage. The article states, "when Canada participates in high-level international discussions, as often as not it's a deputy minister or lower who shows up. This gets noticed ."


II. Continued support and outreach to civil society

The Canadian Delegation shows a strong and concerted effort to outreach to civil society. This effort is reflected in both the draft priorities and in practice through, inter alia, this public consultation. We support the continued outreach to civil society as a positive way to enhance the function of partnerships at the CSD. The CIELAP workshop in November of 2008 created a productive dialogue, and we encourage the Government to endorse and participate in further initiatives of this nature. Secondly, the Government had demonstrated its continued interest in the views of civil society by inviting a youth and environmental NGO representative to join the Delegation. Thirdly, the Delegation hosts outreach meetings with civil society organizations at the CSD, and positively engages with stakeholders in this process.

To be truly effective over the long term, this type of consultation and stakeholder involvement needs to be scaled up at home to span all government departments and engage a much broader set of stakeholders, as the real challenge is developing an ongoing dialogue to negotiate Canada's policies with the concerned governmental departments directly, between CSD sessions. Such a dialogue could be initiated a year in advance, for example, giving ample time for organizations across Canada to get involved, as well as for them to provide ideas and feedback to the Government on Canada's current policies and practices in those fields.


III. Comments on positions taken in paper
In this section, we look at Canada's specific priorities on the themes of CSD-17; we do not cover all the sections and/or CSD themes.
Overarching comments
Below, we wish to make some comments regarding Canada's Approach and Priorities at the CSD.
"Canada's participation at recent CSD sessions has focused on the advancement of non-negotiated outputs as a means to complement consensus texts."
CSD negotiations are supposed to build on previous international agreements and accelerate implementation, rather than renegotiate what has already been agreed in the past. Although we encourage the Canadian Government to "provide leadership in non-negotiated outputs", our uppermost concern is for the Government to implement the various commitments Canada has agreed to by signing on to Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration (1992), as well as the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (2002), among many others. To this day, there are far too many outstanding commitments that are key to sustainability, and significant progress needs to be made in implementing these before moving ahead with non-negotiated outputs (such as achieving the 0.7% target of GDP in foreign aid, or meeting the greenhouse gas emissions targets as set out in the Kyoto Protocol).

"The recognition of the importance of market-based approaches as efficient means to: deliver and provide equal access to basic services; alleviate poverty and hunger; play a role in improving infrastructures; and to improve, manage and protect land and natural resources..."
Economists have recognized the constraints of the market for providing equal access to basic services. The free market effectively generates wealth and employment, but tends to under provide basic critical services such as health care, clean water, education, and garbage collection. Governments should regulate natural monopolies which, left to their own devices, maximize profit by charging more and supplying less than is economically and socially efficient. This is especially true for water and electricity providers which, if privatized, should be subject to price regulation. Markets should be allowed to operate freely when there are no risks of monopolization or when the trading of goods and services do not generate large externalized costs and benefits.
"Overall, the Canadian priorities advanced reconcile the three pillars of sustainable development. Canada's integrated approach to CSD-17 underscores the fundamental issue that all policy discussions ought to reinforce the three pillars of sustainable development in an integrated, coordinated and balanced manner."
This is surely one of the biggest sticking points, since although there are calls to reconcile the three "pillars" of sustainable development, and have them mutually reinforce each other, we feel that there is very little evidence to support that this is in fact happening, or even possible. In fact, the economic pillar seems to systematically trump the other two, particularly during times when the economy is seen as faltering: social benefits get put on hold or reversed; environmental programmes get rolled back; etc. Although the ecological, economic and social dimensions are key components of sustainability, they are often mistakenly considered to be of the same nature (i.e. one can be traded off to the benefit of another), and are thus called "pillars". We have a different view of how these three dimensions relate to each, one that is cognizant of their complex relationship. A starting point is that they should in fact be seen as a continuum, with the economy as a means for all to have access to basic necessities and enjoy a high quality of life in vibrant and resilient communities (the social end), all of it supported by healthy ecosystems, which include the provision of renewable resources and sink functions. In that respect, putting the "economy" ahead of the "environment" is nonsensical, since it actually serves to undermine the sustainability of the economy and its ability to function in the longer term .
A. Agriculture
Overarching comments
The following terms need to be defined: market-based approaches; resilient agriculture; agricultural biotechnology; and agricultural sustainability.
Currently there is little capacity for public research and development within Africa, yet the potential for the continent to increase its agricultural productivity is tremendous. The priorities on Agriculture should reference the need to have public research investment into improving crop varieties in sub-Saharan Africa, sponsored by wealthier nations such as Canada. Canada must also work to ensure that grain dumping practices which destroy local economies abroad are halted, and that the inefficient subsidies and price floors provided to grain farmers that create wasteful surpluses leading to dumping are eliminated.
Youth should be recognized as critical stakeholders for sustainable agriculture. Programs such as the FarmStart and Ontario Farm Land Trust encourage Canadian youth to enter careers in agriculture. Such programs should be further promoted at the CSD-17.

Biofuels
Civil society acknowledges the potentially useful role for biofuels in certain settings, given improved international evaluation and regulation, and when grown organically; however, biofuels are not the answer to achieving energy independence and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Developed at a large scale, biofuels may not bring about the responses we desire in terms of resilient agriculture and sustainability by the fact that they compete with food and, as acknowledged in the paper, raise prices. Furthermore, the grains are often grown in huge monocultures, and they depend on phytosanitary inputs like fertilizers to grow. The latest lifecycle studies around biofuels indicate that they are, to varying degrees, net energy sinks. We are also particularly concerned about the statement that “the Government of Canada supports voluntary, industry led, standards and certification schemes that are based on sound science and that avoid technical trade barriers,” and suggest that this be changed to promote schemes designed to meet public and environmental priorities. Finally, Canada should support the development of sustainable biofuel standards at the international level, and should respect the sovereignty of countries to set binding biofuel sustainability standards.
Biotechnology
The fourth goal of the Government Delegation under the thematic issue of Agriculture is "engaging stakeholder confidence in agricultural biotechnology." To effectively achieve this confidence, it is useful to reference the key concerns of environmental groups, and how these concerns will be attended to in the CSD17 outcome document.
Canadian environmental groups align with the concerns voiced by the European Union, which has applied a precautionary principle towards biotechnology foods. Historically, Canadian environmental groups have shared concerns about general security of biotechnology foods. Environmental groups have advocated in favour of labelling programs for over a decade. To better engage Canadian stakeholders on the issue of biotechnology, the Government Delegation should add the following goals to the existing priorities:
• Biotechnology objectives should not be developed without including the goals of the existing organic agricultural industry.
• A principle of informed consent should guide Canadian efforts regarding agriculture as part of the need for full disclosure and labeling requirements of GMO foods.
B. Rural development
Overarching comments
Regional self-reliance should be encouraged, with an emphasis on a bioregional or ecosystem approach to land use and regional development. An integrated approach to rural development is needed that address farmer demographics, a diminishing youth population in the agricultural sector, and education and training with an emphasis on sustainable practices rather than conventional.
The Canadian goals towards rural development should make reference to the need for policies that protect agricultural lands near urban areas from development. For instance, organizations located in Southern Ontario or in the Greater Vancouver region have watched as some of Canada's prime farmland that is proximal to large populations be converted to suburban sprawl. Such a development pattern is not consistent with sustainable development, and also serves to undermine food security.
C. Drought

Overarching comments
Although the title states "Mitigating drought risk related to climate change and enhancing adaptation capacity", the draft priorities actually focus on adaptation. Even though there may dual outcomes where adaptation also leads to mitigation, we feel more emphasis on mitigation is needed, and that some examples of adaptation leading to mitigation would strengthen the argument.
A comprehensive approach to adaptation management should be referenced. The Canadian Government should help develop drought mitigation and adaptation action plans on a community level to ensure that coping plans are accessible and lasting. Diverse stakeholders, including those of young people, should be included in the development of action plans to combat drought.
D. Africa
Overarching comments
"Enhancing [the] management of natural resources in a manner that is sustainable."
This statement in the draft priorities requires, first and foremost, a shift in consumption and production patterns in the rich countries which currently depend on resources from Africa as key inputs into their own economy (coltan; oil; uranium; wood; etc.). Indeed, Principle 7 of the Rio Declaration states that:
[...] The developed countries acknowledged the responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable development in view of the pressures their societies place on the global environment and of the technologies and financial resources they command.
Part of managing resources sustainably in Africa engages Canadian responsibility; in particular, it requires the per capita ecological footprint of Canadians to shrink.

The delegation priorities should support "life quotas" in the provision of basic utilities like water and electricity, as this has been shown to work in South African slums and in numerous other places where the poorest of the poor have no purchasing power, and thus cannot use the market to have their most basic needs met.

There is a great need in the priorities to recognize and provide for increased access to family planning information and services.

E. Interlinkages and Cross-Cutting Issues

Overarching comments

Even though sustainable consumption and production patterns will be the explicit focus of the next CSD cycle, we still feel that it should be added in the Interlinkages and Cross-cutting Issues section of the paper. The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation identified "Changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production" as one of the three overarching objectives of sustainable development, along with "Poverty eradication" and "Protection and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development"; it is also a cross-cutting issue that is to be addressed in every CSD session. Because of its holistic nature, the sustainable-consumption-and-production lens should be applied to all CSD themes, and be the basis to Canada's approach to sustainability, as it is in the European Union.

Good Governance

This section should include a mention of the precautionary principle, and a reminder that all UN-member States should follow through with their international commitments to move towards sustainability.

Science and Technology

The draft priorities should reference the role of developing zero emission technologies specifically in reference to climate change. Although the draft priorities document makes reference to "environmental needs," the threats posed by climate change are sufficiently significant to warrant specific reference.


IV. Suggestions for additions to the paper

It would be constructive to make reference to Brazil, China, and the G77's proposal to have an Earth Summit in 2012. As this will be an important item of discussion, it is useful for the Canadian Delegation to start engaging with this conversation openly with other countries. In particular, by raising the security dimension of the CSD (ie the relationship between resource scarcity and social security) we can ensure the work of the CSD remains relevant to contemporary political issues such as the world food crisis, increasing water shortages. Currently, the 2012 Summit provides the only opportunity to introduce this security framework, and may serve the joint purpose of attracting the interest of high level delegates and expanding the scope of the CSD.

We the undersigned thank you for considering these points as input to the Canadian Delegation's contributions to the CSD-17 policy session.



February 17, 2009 | 12:58 AM Comments  0 comments

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Youth Caucus Policy Paper
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Here are the policy priorities for the youth caucus that have been submitted to the CSD Secretariat. Throughout the next coming months, the youth caucus will work to ensure that these priorities are implemented by their various Government delegations.

1. The ethical dimensions of sustainable development Sustainable development programs must be based in ethical standards and on respect for human rights. Governments should follow through on agreements with their own people and with international organizations.

Agriculture and rural development: Agriculture constitutes the fundamental basis for economic and community life, yet agricultural workers are often underpaid and undervalued. Development strategies and plans must value and promote sustainable agricultural practices that benefit farmers and livestock holders, the poor and society in general.

Water and sanitation: Water and sanitation are central to communities' and individuals' health and welfare. Climate change must not be seen as an excuse for poor progress in reaching water and sanitation targets. Public-private partnerships must be approached with caution, and only be undertaken if they can ensure equitable supply and quality to all users, regardless of gender, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, nationality or any other distinction.

Drought and desertification: All countries, whether developed or developing, have a responsibility to address global drought and desertification by changing production and consumption patterns and by finding ways to plan for and mitigate drought.

Africa: More efforts must be made to portray Africa's potential as a positive and constructive voice in sustainable development.

2. Integrating diverse sectors and stakeholders The voices of small farmers, workers, women, young people, the poor and other undervalued groups are too often silenced in dialogues about their own development. Every effort must be made so that these groups can genuinely participate in decision-making processes about their own development, and take power over their own lives.

Agriculture and rural development: Both institutional and community-based education programs will help rural families take charge of their own lives and livelihoods. In turn, this will decrease rural-urban migration; allow families to arrive at economic security; work to block the spread of HIV/AIDS into rural areas; and simultaneously encourage children to retain family agricultural and pastoral traditions while discouraging agricultural child labor.

Interlinkages and cross-cutting issues: NSDS must be adopted and actively implemented by all countries in a way that involves stakeholders from many different sectors and backgrounds.

Drought and desertification: Integrating diverse voices in combating drought and desertification will ensure that mitigation and coping plans are comprehensive.

3. Education and capacity building Education should be people-centered, and work to promote best practices, human rights, and environmental sustainability. The process of dialogue and learning is one of the best ways to encourage genuine participation in sustainable development.

Agriculture and rural development: Proximity to educational centers, contextual and relevant education, and communication--both between farmers or livestock holders and with outside institutions--will promote rural development by allowing people to share ideas and learn what is most applicable to their own communities and livelihoods.

Water and sanitation: As water and sanitation services are developed, communities must be consulted about their needs and priorities. If infrastructure is to remain sustainable, any water or sanitation program must involve community members in an educational process of organizing, planning, implementing, and evaluating the project.

Drought and desertification: Communities must be party to decisions affecting their ecosystems and livelihoods. In order to do this, information about climate change and other environmental issues must be communicated open and transparently.





November 12, 2008 | 12:08 PM Comments  0 comments

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CSD Workshop in Ottawa
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

CIELAP is organizing its Fourth Partnering for Sustainability workshop to be held over two days in Ottawa in the late fall of 2008. This workshop will bring together multiple stakeholders to share case studies, lessons learned, best practices, constraints, challenges and opportunities, on the theme of land-use planning and management for sustainable development with respect to agriculture. The event will foreshadow and feed directly into the UN’s Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) process. The thematic areas of the CSD’s 2008/2009 review and policy cycle are agriculture, rural development, land use, drought, desertification and Africa.

CIELAP’s workshop will help stakeholders better understand the benefits of this international forum and will give them the opportunity to input into Canada’s participation at CSD. CSD is the only global plenary session that applies a sustainable development lens to pressing international issues. The international forum provides Canadian sustainable development thinkers and decision-makers with the opportunity to interact; share successes and best practices; learn from other cast studies; bring divergent opinions together to help bridge differences; and advance policies and standards that set the stage for Canadian policy-making at national, regional, and local levels.
To get involved with the workshop or to ask any questions you may e-mail Carolyn Webb at carolyn@cielap.org

August 20, 2008 | 6:02 PM Comments  0 comments

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The Youth Major Group Goes to the World Youth Congress
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

This Friday I will be co-facilitating a workshop at the World Youth Congress on the role of youth at the Commission on Sustainable Development. The workshop is being organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the presenters include Tonya Vaturi (from the Major Groups Programme at UN DESA), Ivana Savic (fellow Youth Caucus Member), and myself. The goal of the workshop is to inform others about youth involvement in the CSD, and to mobilize and enhance youth participation in upcoming CSD meetings. I will follow-up from the presentation including any interesting points raised by workshop participants, as well as follow-up materials distributed in the workshop.

The following is a summary of the workshop:

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development Needs Youth

Involvement of today's youth in decision-making processes is essential to the successful implementation of sustainable development policies and programmes. The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) seeks to advance the role of youth and actively involve them in the protection of the environment and the promotion of economic and social development. Agenda 21 states that “it is imperative that youth from all parts of the world participate actively in all relevant levels of decision-making processes because it affects their lives today and has implications for their futures. In addition to their intellectual contribution and their ability to mobilize support, they bring unique perspectives that need to be taken into account.”

CSD meetings consistently provide innovative spaces for the participation of youth and other major groups, with the overall purpose of informing the Commission’s decision-making processes. Youth infuse the CSD with new ideas and information, and present challenges that enrich the inter-governmental debate. They participate in interactive dialogues, develop coordinated statements through the CSD Youth Caucus, and lobby for particular initiatives that they feel should be supported. They also contribute significantly to sustainable development initiatives surrounding the CSD process.

This workshop will be comprised of a presentation on how youth can engage in CSD, followed by questions and discussion among participants. It is designed to highlight the role of youth in CSD and to mobilize action for increased youth participation in upcoming CSD meetings.




August 13, 2008 | 4:44 PM Comments  1 comments

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CSD Listserve in Canada
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The following listserv has been put together because of an identified need to better collaborate organizing amongst Canadian major groups at the CSD. The listserv is managed through Taking It Global and was first discussed during a CSD major groups debrief call that was facilitated by the Canadian Environmental Network. Please consider joining our discussion if the information interests you.

Description:
The purpose of this group is to provide a forum for discussion among all individuals interested in Canada's role at the Commission on Sustainable Development. In particular, this listserve will enable Canadians active in the CSD process to connect, share resources, and identify opportunities for the Canadian Government to move forward at the CSD.

During the CSD, members can use the listserve to connect in person at the UN and to seek input from Canadians back home on pressing issues as they emerge.

Send a message: csdcanada@groups.takingitglobal.org
Subscribe: csdcanada-subscribe@groups.takingitglobal.org
Unsubscribe: csdcanada-unsubscribe@groups.takingitglobal.org

August 13, 2008 | 4:40 PM Comments  0 comments

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Bringing the dialogue home
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

It seems the best time for shaping a country position is not at the high-level conferences but before. And so the best way for civil society to try to collaborate with or influence the government delegation position is well before the CSD or the intergovernmental preperatory meetings (http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/csd15/csd15_ipm.htm). CIELAP (the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy) will be hosting a stakeholder meeting in November for civil society to share their thoughts for the policy year of CSD-16 (http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/policy.htm).

There are a lot of issues to follow and be engaged with. News about the collapse of the salmon fish stocks is a clear reminder of how urgently we must sustain the earth - its systems, resources. If the CSD isn't the policy forum of choice for Canadian youth I think that is okay just as long as we are all engaged, and active, and concerned, and asking questions.






May 14, 2008 | 5:36 PM Comments  0 comments

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Chairperson Summary
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The chair just released a summary of the negotiations so far. The single negotiating text is compiled by the chair after listening to the views of the delegates and major groups from the past week. The delegates and major groups then come together to review their concerns and suggested changes for a final version. Howard Raiffa writes about the theory behind this negotiation structure in the Art and Science of Negotiation.

In particular, a shout out to youth are made:

Para 240. "An energetic youth force is emerging that intends to hold Governments responsible for their commitments. Youth are increasingly integrated into Government delegations in some regions, and their presence as current and future producers and leaders has inspired progress in the creation of new outreach education programs in sustainable agriculture and rural development. Integrating sustainability themes into all levels of education is an important measure that would ensure that future generations are conscious of sustainable development."

May 13, 2008 | 6:07 PM Comments  0 comments

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Count the Youth Delegates!
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

An article from the CSD Outreaches Issue:

How many youngsters live in your country? How do you include them in decision making processes? What do you know about their ambitions, visions and opinions?

According to the UN, youth are people between the age of 15 and 24 years old. And these days, you see a lot of them walking through the halls of the UN basement. Most of them work for NGO´s, but this is not the case for all of them.

The World Programme of Action for Youth has invited Governments to strengthen the involvement of young people through the inclusion of youth representatives in their national delegations to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.

Nowadays, four countries include an official Youth Delegate into their delegations and involve them in the decision making process about sustainability. These are Belgian with 3 delegates, Canada has got 1 delegate, Germany 2, the Netherlands 1 and Sweden 1.

These delegates do not have a symbolic value, they are actually participating in the work of the delegations. They participate in meetings, in informal negotiations with the major groups and with other delegations. They can provide substantive support. Overall they fulfill a dual role. On the one hand they interact with youth in their home countries, gather their opinions and present it as input to their National Delegation, the Youth Caucus and the CSD. On the other hand, they take the decisions being made at the UN back to the youngsters in their home country.

Youth participation is vital to the success of sustainable development. Youth are the largest group of stakeholders. Youth up to the age of 24 comprise 65% of the Earth's population. There are 1,2 billion people between the age of 15 and 24 worldwide. This makes youngsters the largest group of stakeholders on short-term sustainable development policies.

But they are also the ones that in the future decades have to implement decisions that are being made today. That makes them the group of stakeholders on long-term sustainable development policy outcomes as well.

The realisation of sustainable development depends also on coherence, communication and compliance. People need to understand why we should work together for a sustainable future. Young people in particular have a responsibility to make changes as it literally affects and determines their own future. And as the next generation, they have the ability to change paradigms, and be the action owner for the future. What happens today, what is decided today and what is being educated today, has an effect on the opinion, opportunities and choices of future generations.

Einstein said: the world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same kind of thinking that created the situation. With the borders of the earth carrying capacity in sight, we need innovative, fresh solutions. Youngsters can make an excellent contribution.

Maayke Damen and Don Gerritsen

May 13, 2008 | 3:33 PM Comments  0 comments

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The New School
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Last night four of us went to the New School to attend Thomas Forster's class on the local urban food revolution. My experience in his class was the highlight of the CSD so far. Everyone in the class was sitting in a circle (after a week of huge, one-directional, plenary rooms the idea of sitting in a circle was remarkably nice).

We were invited to reflect about the intervention we delivered on partnerships, and we discussed as a class some of the unique things about the youth caucus that I hadn't even considered. Some of the questions that Thomas raised include: how do we learn how to speak for a sector? Who are we speaking for when we say we represent children and youth? The fact is we aren't elected to represent the voice of these people so we have to deliver our statements with caution. Attending these UN negotiations require an investment of time and money that not everyone can afford to make and so it is important to be aware of the privilege there is in participating in these forums. Until there is better funding to ensure that more marginalized voices are heard at the UN, Thomas Forster suggested youth make better use of technology to further democratize the major groups at the CSD. Each major group has the potential to actively outreach to their communities back home and seek input from those that aren't at the UN, it's up to us how much we reach out.

Some other things that Thomas mentioned is that each group has its own internal organizing culture. The business major group tends to make more executive decisions with a stronger hierarchy. The youth group can have a lot less structure, which can sometimes to be frustrating, but we also have a lot more collaboration and engagement across the board.

Finally, I have been hearing a lot about the inadequacies of the review year and the need for action. I empathize with these frustrations since the magnitude of the problems being addressed are so enormous, and so pressing. But Thomas (who is my new hero also) raised a good point about how a review year is the only opportunity for countries and groups to get together and truly reflect on best practices and identify policy opportunities for next year, instead of just going into the negotiations with locked positions and minimal opportunity for a negotiated agreement.

A few more thoughts, in no particular order:

This week there will be thematic points of entry culminating in a final stakeholder delivery. It is important for youth to ensure that the major issues that are important to us to get onto the final text.

Partnerships are not insignificant. The reason why we focus so much on partnerships is because encourages more accountable governance. Partnershps interconnect governmental levels, sectors, and groups to work for a common purpose. This is unique. Up until my experience at the New School I didn't understand the hype around "partnerships". I thought it was just another buzz word like sustainability.

I have many more notes from the class but I am really grateful to have been able to join Thomas' class. I was up at Yale this weekend for a conference on environmental governance and democracy, and one of the closing speakers mentioned how the world needs more humility in academic circles in order to solve the environmental challenges we face. The self-centered approach of the ivory towers needs to be turned outward so that efforts are collaborative, and humble. The New School was everything this Yale professor seemed to mention. The students were engaged and curious.
It was an odd contrast going from Yale to the New School in one day's time. I was really inspired by the students I saw in the school, and I hope that we can foster more vibrant pedagogy in Canada during this critical political opportunity.

May 13, 2008 | 7:13 AM Comments  0 comments

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Outreach Issues
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The Sustainable Development Issues Network and Stakeholder Forum release a daily news bulletin that aims to "report with attitude from the global scene of sustainability." It is a great source to learn about the negotiations at the CSD.

http://www.sdin-ngo.net/

May 12, 2008 | 9:59 AM Comments  0 comments

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Friday Update
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Life at the CSD is incredibly busy and makes journaling a disciplinary feat. The past few days have focused on discussing the thematic and regional issues to allow for countries and major groups to identify barriers and constraints, lessons learned and best practices. A lot of the dialogue is discordant. Some country leaders will give speeches that are highly technical and sometimes irrelevant to the purpose of the discussion, and others put a lot of effort into making relevant statements. What has been on my mind are thoughts on the CSD process, and the extent to which there is relevancy and effectiveness in this forum. One of the discussants from a side-event on biofuels asked how we can have a discussion on biofuels without even mentioning the underlying consumer demand. Outside of the plenary the paradox from what we discuss and what we practice is staggering. The main lounge is filled with cigarette smoke while delegates throw away countless amounts of disposal coffee cups, sandwich boxes, creamers, juice containers. Each time a plenary wraps up, a new stream of delegates line up to buy more disposable food. If the lessons of sustainability can't even be practiced in the halls of the UN, then I am not assured by the conviction I hear in plenary speeches.

"The earth has enough for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed."
- Gandhi

May 10, 2008 | 10:17 PM Comments  0 comments

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Inheriting the future
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

At this year's CSD, there are only five countries that brought a youth delegate as part of their official delegation - Germany, the Netherlands, Brussels, Sweden, and Canada. Having youth representation on government delegations is a positive and necessary step to ensure that multilateral environmental negotiations are inclusive to major stakeholders. The reason why we need to be at the negotiation table was nicely summarized by Thomas Foster who said "youth are the only constituency that will be inheriting the future."

Kudos to those countries that have taken the effort to include youth and other major groups as part of their delegation. This current outreach hopefully signals the start of more participatory environmental governance, whereby governments will start to bring a youth representative to other critical negotiations such as with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change - why stop at the CSD?

May 10, 2008 | 10:01 PM Comments  0 comments

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Not useless, just used less.
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The following is a copy of the youth speech delivered on Friday for the major groups dialogue. The paper was written collaboratively by a most impressive team, illustrating the wonders of google documents and the ability to perform under 30 minute deadlines:

Friday 10 May 2008 at 4:30-6 pm Session

Youth Statement

Thank you Mr. Chair. The Children and Youth Caucus understands partnerships as the mutual cooperation and responsibility of multiple entities working towards a common goal. That goal, as we all know, is sustainable development in the thematic areas. As the distinguished delegate from Indigenous Peoples noted, these thematic areas are interconnected. We as people are also all inerconnected. Children and youth have a tremendous amount of knowledge and experiences to contribute to organizations, governments, and the international process. We also hold vital and fresh perspectives to incorporate into the decisions and application of policies.

But the children and youth are concerned that the valuable contributions we can make to organizations, governments, and the international process, is underutilized. As the partnerships statistics on the CSD website reveal, there is an extremely small amount of partnerships with Youth and Children relative to partnerships from other major groups. When we are excluded from policy development and project implementation because of an assumed lack of expertise in management details, we are also excluded from the opportunity to provide a holistic perspective on issues.

In particular, we would like to highlight the advantages that youth have to offer in partnerships. As we are not yet restricted to a particular sectoral interest, young people have greater opportunity to understand problems and come up with solutions from a holistic lens. We are able to move across many institutional platforms at the local, provincial and international level simultaneously. Youth can enhance parternships because of our ability to comprehend and understand multiple perspectives and contribute to partnerships. Unlike some other contributors, youth come into the decision making and implementation process with no agenda other than a safe, just, and sustainable future.

The SARD Initiative provides us with a good example of a missed opportunity to establish a partnership between civil society and government. In its creation, the youth were represented by the CSD youth delegate, Calvin James, from Trinidad and Tobago. Following development of the SARD Initiative, he called for a global youth summit for sustainable food and agriculture. This summit has not yet been realized and illustrates how youth lacked the necessary support and resources in developing such initiatives. This lesson can teach us how youth can be brought to the table throughout all aspects of partnerships. In addition, partnerships can foster leadership development through investment in young people.

As part of a review year, delegates and observers are asked to listen to the stories and the lessons learned by others with an open mind and an open heart. As such, the youth caucus would like to acknowledge an internal weakness of our own that we have identified during this review session. Through the partnership case studies and stories of best practice, we have come to realize that the youth and children can better improve in the partnerships we develop with other governments and organizations. We must also be more active in soliciting and lobbying for the partnerships we desire. Sustainable Development requires joint collaboration of all countries and major groups. Although we are enthusiastic to further develop more partnerships, we also call upon you for help establishing more opportunities for us to be engaged. We invite governments and organizations to consider the critical role of youth partners and engage us in both the development of policy and the implementation of projects. Young people have fresh ideas and innovative solutions to the challenges we are discussing now. And as the constituency of the future, we are an integral element to any truly sustainable initiative. And, to remind you again, young people are not useless, we are simply used ... less.

May 10, 2008 | 9:49 PM Comments  0 comments

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What Do You Think??
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