Transcript “All Roads Lead to Rio”  Session 1:  The UN and the Role of Major Groups  Session 2:  Stakeholder Processes and Participation  Session.

“All Roads Lead to Rio”
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Session 1:
 The UN and the Role of Major Groups
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Session 2:
 Stakeholder Processes and Participation
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Session 3:
 The Rio+20 Agenda-What It Means
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On 24th December 2009 the UN General
Assembly adopted a Resolution
(A/C.2/64/L.59) agreeing to hold the United
Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development (UNCSD) in 2012 - also referred
to as 'Rio+20' or 'Rio 20'.
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1.
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Secure renewed political commitment for
sustainable development,
Assess the progress to date and the
remaining gaps in the implementation of
the outcomes of the major SD
Address new and emerging challenges
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a green economy in the context of
sustainable development and poverty
eradication;
 the institutional framework for
sustainable development;
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Themes are defined, not content
The conference at the highest political
level, not yet a summit, but perhaps…?
 Operationalize the three elements in
sustainable development, central to the
UN-track
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The Commission on Sustainable
Development (CSD)
 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
 Sustainable Consumption and
Production (SCP)
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That civil society, via the Major
Groups shall participate in all
meetings and at all levels of the
preparatory process including the
conference itself, and at all
geographical levels, nationally,
regionally and globally
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One of the major functions of the UN is
global standard setting and developing
norms, rules, procedures and
conventions that govern the global
community
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One of the major challenges of the UN is
the need to implement the standards
and to create the global political will to
support and abide by these standards
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However, the impression is often that
many tend to consider UN agreements
as obstacles, tools that hinder the free
will and spirit of creative forces,
jeopardize national sovereignty
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Yet most people consider these
treaties as tools that help protect
and safeguard something that
needs to be protected.
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The major groups and civil society have
been given a role in the process by being
referred to in 8 of the 29 paragraphs of
the GA resolution calling for the UN CSD
in Rio in 2012
 At all levels of the process, nationally
regionally and globally including at the
conference
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The concept was coined in 1992 and Chapter
23 in Agenda 21 identifies them;
The 9 major groups is a mechanisms through
which civil society and business interact with
the UN system, and it is the mechanism that
will be used during and at the Rio plus 20
process.
Only UN accredited organisations may qualify
as major groups at UN meetings
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Women
Children and
youth
 Indigenous
Peoples
 Farmers
 NGOs, non
governmental
organisations
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Trade unions
Local authorities
Science and
technology
 Business and
industry
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The major groups have two overarching
functions – a service function and a
representative function;
The service function is carried out by an
Organising Partner (OP) of the major group
Each of the 9 Major Groups have their OP,
appointed by the Bureau of CSD after being
screened by the CSD secretariat.
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The OP function is not a political one. It
serves the constituency of the major group,
helps set up meetings, liaises with the UN
secretariat, etc;
OPs chair the morning information meeting,
where the entire major group community, all
civil society present at a UN meeting, can
come to be informed of what takes place
during the, the state of negotiations, report
back from plenaries, etc;
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The representative function, where policy is
presented to the intergovernmental system, is
carried out and decided by each of the present
major group’s constituency at any given UN
meeting;
Each of the 9 major groups has its own policy
meetings daily, separate from the morning
information meeting. The policy meeting is
where statements are agreed upon, speakers are
nominated. These meetings are run by the
present constituencies, and not by the OPs
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Challenges and Opportunities
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Process is picking up “dynamics”, e.g.
 Developed countries have used brakes
instead of accelerators; are not entirely
prioritising sustainable development
 Developed countries upgrading other
processes, other than the UN, (Davos, G8 etc)
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 The process working in the shadow
of a number of UN “failed”
conferences and processes
 Thus far, the process lack visions of
how the a sustainable world might
look in 2030
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Countries have been slow in developing basic
positions, EU this summer
Compared to Rio in 1992, there is little time
for the preparatory work
Unclear roles between various units of the
UN,
Lack of resources from donors and from
financial institutions
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 There is no definition of or direction
for the discussion concerning the
Green Economy concept
 Does not indicate in any way how to
strengthen the institutional
architecture
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 Does not deal with or reflect the
changing political realities in the
world today
 Does not recognize unique role
of UNEP
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 G-77
is to a large extent driving
the process
 Civil society/ major groups have
been given an active role
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The US has a government from the that
is more engaged in the UN system and
international governance
 The themes are looking for content, and
proposals are actively sought and are
positively welcome
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The condition of developing nations are
not the same today as they were in the
1970s
 Political blocks are changing, old ones
are fragmenting
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Is the UN no longer a priority?
Is Davos is more important than Geneva,
New York and Nairobi?
 Is the global financial crisis a legitimate
excuse for not giving priority to
sustainable development ?
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Is our understanding of the world today,
its problems and solutions in reality
based on how we saw the world as it
was back in the 1970s and we thought all
what we did then, actually worked? Are
we still using the same mechanisms?
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The intergovernmental system in
general and the UN in particular offers
unprecedented opportunities for people
to participate actively in these processes
and influence their own fate at home.
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End of session one
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