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Reflections on CSD-16
Reflections on CSD-16


Friday Update
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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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