The UN Commission on Sustainable Development and Preparations for Earth Summit 2002 Background Information Prepared by UNED Forum for the International Workshop "Gender Perspective for Earth Summit 2002. Energy; Transport; Information for Decision-Making" (www.earthsummit2002.org/workshop) Berlin, 10-12 January 2001 Sponsored by the German Federal Environment Ministry and the Heinrich Boell Foundation UNED Forum, 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL, UK info@earthsummit2002.org; www.unedforum.org and www.earthsummit2002.org Contents NGO Guide to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development 3 * What is the CSD? * Looking Ahead * CSD Intersessional meetings * NGO Pre-Meetings * Side Events * Documentation * Booking Meeting Rooms * Publications at CSD * The CSD NGO Steering Committee * NGO Meetings at CSD * Issue Caucuses & Major Groups Caucuses * How to Participate * How to be Effective! * Why Participate? * NGO Papers and Statements * Other U.N. Information * Beyond the U.N. * NGO Relations * A quick guide to jargon, acronyms, etc. * Contacts and Addresses * Web Resources * Member States of the CSD in 2000 The UN Commission on Sustainable Development 9th Session 14 * CSD Bureau * Multi-stakeholder Dialogue Segment * NGO Meetings CSD NGO Women's Caucus Info 17 History of the Stakeholder Dialogues at the UN CSD 19 Earth Summit 2002 Resources 21 * Section on CSD-10 (from UN web-site) * General Assembly Decision on 2002 * "South Africa to hold 2002 Earth Summit" * "Earth Summit jobs boost for Jo'burg" * Press Release by South African NGOs NGO Guide to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development Information to help you understand the CSD - and how you can make a difference Information inside this guide tells you how you can get involved in the CSD process. It provides basic information for NGOs prior to their arrival at the U.N. to allow them to maximize their time at the CSD. What is the CSD? The Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) is the principal focus for international political follow up to the United Nations Commission on Environment and Development (UNCED) and the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Its mandate is: * to coordinate the activities of other UN bodies as they relate to issues of sustainable development; * to analyse progress at national, regional and international levels; and * to promote the implementation of Agenda 21. 53 countries are elected to sit on the CSD which has met annually since 1993 (see below for the list of current members). The present Chair is Bedrich Moldan, Czech Republic. In 1997 a Special Session of the General Assembly reviewed progress in the implementation of Agenda 21, and adopted a further five-year program of work, which will culminate in another review in 2002. NGOs termed the UNGASS process Earth Summit II and are already preparing for Earth Summit III in 2002. Looking Ahead The overarching themes that the CSD will consider in the five years between Earth Summit II (Rio+5, 1997) and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 (also called the Earth Summit 2002) are poverty and consumption patterns. These themes will be applied to the different issues being discussed each year. CSD-10 in 2002 will be looking at a 10-year comprehensive review of the implementation of recommendations and commitments contained in Agenda 21; the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; and the Non-legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests (also known as the Forest Principles) E-mail list servers have been established for the issues being considered in 2001 and 2002. For more information visit the CSD NGO Steering Committee web-site at www.csdngo.org/csdngo. CSD Intersessional meetings The CSD Intersessional meetings often offer the best opportunities for ideas to be taken up by governments as discussions are more open, setting the scene, outlining priorities. Intersessional meetings are usually being held in February / March. The meetings' Co-Chairs will produce two documents: one summarising the discussions; and another with 'Elements of a Draft Decision', which will form the basis of the negotiations at the CSD session itself in April. NGO Pre-Meetings The best place to find out about the Intersessional and CSD-9 will be at the NGO pre-meetings, scheduled for the two Sundays before the respective weeks of the CSD Intersessional meeting, usually 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Church Center (see addresses below). Side Events So-called side events are an increasingly popular part of the CSD, allowing NGOs, governments, agencies and others to showcase their projects, hold discussion panels, and hear what others have to say. There are two time-slots for side events: lunch times (1:15 - 2:45pm) and at the end of the day (6:15- 8pm) If your NGO wishes to hold a side event, it is important to book space early. The deadline for side event bookings usually is some 2-3 weeks before the meeting (CSD Intersessional or CSD itself). Obtain a request form from the Secretariat or on the web at www.un.org/esa/sustdev.htm. Note that side events that are linked to CSD issues (either CSD-9 issues or upcoming issues) are more favourably considered. The Bureau has also requested that where possible events be combined, e.g. several NGO events on the same issue presented as one event. Documentation There may be problems initially with accessing all the documentation as it comes out. Try not to take more than one copy. If you aren't interested in a paper leave it for someone who is. The Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) or the Non Government Liaison Service (NGLS) will provide some papers. If there really are none around, then a good place to look for spare ones is on the press floor. There are 2 levels in the Secretariat where the press have rooms and where papers are put out for them. Booking Meeting Rooms To organise a meeting in the U.N. you need to request a room from NGLS at least the day before and receive confirmation that the room has been booked. Note that there is very high demand for rooms, especially during lunch hours and in the evenings. The Church Center may also have space available for meetings. The second floor of the Church Center often is being booked by the CSD NGO Steering Committee for the whole of the CSD, and will be used for the training sessions, caucus meetings and other NGO events. Publications at CSD OUTREACH: This is produced regularly throughout CSD meetings - often daily. It offers commentary from an NGO perspective. The Newsletter is produced in cooperation with the CSD NGO Steering Committee. Earth Negotiations Bulletin: This NGO production comes out daily and summarises the debate from the formal session. It also includes information on informal and 'informal-informal' meetings. Earth Times: This was originally set up in the Rio process but has been coming out regularly at all UN events. It is funded by various companies and foundations. It will have articles and reasonably up to date information. NGLS Daily Diary: This will list all the meetings that are occurring. The CSD NGO Steering Committee The Steering Committee is elected on an annual basis and has acted for NGOs since CSD-2 in 1994. The Steering Committee operates within clear Guidelines, and aims to achieve regional and gender balance in its activities. The Steering Committee is composed of regional representatives, major groups representatives and issues-based caucuses. For the 2000-2001 year, the Co-Chairs are Esmeralda Brown, Service for Peace and Justice in Latin America (Southern Co-Chair) and Felix Dodds, UNED Forum (Northern Co-Chair). Administrative support is provided by the Northern and Southern Clearinghouses. The role of the Committee at the CSD Intersessional and the CSD is: * to organize and manage the CSD Dialogue process for NGOs; * to organize training for new NGOs attending; * to organise the morning NGO briefings (daily at 9.15 a.m.); * to provide and distribute information (incl. web site, list servers and a documents library at CSD); * to organize meetings with key people, incl. Govt/NGO dialogues; * to facilitate the NGO Caucuses; * to act as the link to the CSD Bureau for dealing with problems concerning speaking rights and accreditation problems; The Steering Committee will meet formally at least twice during the CSD Intersessional and the CSD. Anyone can attend as an observer. Elections for a new Committee will take place in the second week of the CSD. More information will be available at the CSD on the procedures for these elections. You can find more information about the Steering Committee, the issue based, Major Groups and regional caucuses, etc. at the Steering Committee web-site at www.csdngo.org/csdngo. NGO Meetings at CSD An NGO Pre-Meeting will be organised by the Steering Committee for the Sunday prior to the CSD-9, probably 10 a.m. -4 p.m, at the Church Center (see addresses below). This meeting will offer important information to all NGOs, and is especially important to attend if you are new to the CSD. Daily NGO Strategy Meetings will be held at 9.15 a.m. in one of the U.N. conference rooms (location will be announced in the Daily Diary). These meetings are important as they offer a chance for NGOs to share information, make announcements and plan for the day ahead. There will also be regional caucus, issue-based caucus and Major Groups caucus meetings. The Women's Caucus usually meets daily at 8.30 am, prior to the NGO Strategy session, in one of the UN conference rooms. If your country is operating in a bloc then it is useful to organise meetings of the NGOs in that bloc, e.g. the EU. Hopefully regular meetings of NGOs on Government Delegations will also be arranged. Issue Caucuses and Major Groups Caucuses The Issue Caucuses of the NGO Steering Committee are focused on the different issues involved in sustainable development. To see a list of Issue Caucus Co-ordinators, go to the Steering Committee's 1999-2000 membership list. Some of these issues are being considered directly by the CSD. Others issues are not directly addressed, but are fundamental to the achievement of a sustainable future. Issue caucus members work together to prepare coalition NGO position papers, and to lobby government delegates. Caucuses are also a place for members to network and share information and ideas about approaches to sustainable development. Caucuses meet regularly during meetings of the CSD. Many communicate throughout the year via a list server - you can subscribe to their lists from the Steering Committee web site at www.csdngo.org/csdngo. The following Issue Caucuses and Major Groups are recognised by the Steering Committee. Not all of these caucuses will be attending CSD-9, as the meeting's reduced agenda that will not cover all of the caucuses' issues. Guidelines agreed by the Steering Committee require a caucus to have two co-coordinators, regionally- and gender-balanced, at least ten accredited organisations as members, and a brief statement of purpose. Issue Caucuses: Corporate Responsibility & Accountability Desertification Education Energy& Climate Change Finance, Investment and Trade Forests Freshwater Health and Environment Human Rights Human Settlements Information Ecology Legal and Institutional Matters Oceans Older Persons Peace Science and Technology Social Development Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Sustainable Communities Sustainable Production and Consumption Tourism Transport Major Groups Major Groups are the sectors of society recognised in Agenda 21 as having a substantive contribution to make to the achievement of a sustainable future. At the CSD, the major groups are represented by various organisations, such as the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, and AIESEC. Some of the major groups are very active in the NGO Steering Committee's activities (such as Women, Indigenous Peoples and Youth), and work together with other NGO and major group representatives. Others maintain good links with the Steering Committee. To view the list of major group representatives to the Steering Committee, go to the membership list. * Business and Industry (mostly represented by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)) * Farmers * Indigenous Peoples (Caucus) * Local Authorities (mostly represented by the International Council on Local Environment Initiatives (ICLEI) and the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA)) * NGOs (CSD NGO Steering Committee) * Science & Technology * Trade Unions (mostly represented by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)) * Women (Caucus) * Youth (Caucus, incl. regional representatives) How to Participate All non governmental organisations (NGOs) already in Category I or Category II or Roster Status with the UN ECOSOC can participate at the CSD and its Intersessional meeting. In addition, those groups that were accredited to the Earth Summit in 1992 and who then submitted an application for accreditation to the CSD and had it accepted, can go. Your accreditation details (who will be attending, for how long, date of arrival) should be faxed to the NGO Section of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs on your headed note paper, no later than two weeks before the meeting you are going to attend. The fax number is + 1 (212) 963 4114 or + 1 (212) 963 9248 (see below for full details). YOU MUST ACCREDIT UNDER AN ECOSOC ACCREDITED NGO. To collect your U.N. pass you need to notify the NGO Section three days before you want to collect it. Depending on the number of NGOs accrediting for the CSD, it is possible that a special desk will be set up at the Visitor's Entrance for the first day. If this is not the case, you can collect your pass from the Pass Office at the northwest corner of 45th St and 1st Ave (behind the blue door). You will need to take the following with you: * your passport * a copy of the accreditation letter you sent * a copy of any reply you received (if you have received any) If you are arriving early, it's worth accrediting then, to avoid the queues of the first day. If you don't plan to attend the CSD, you can still make very important contributions to the debate by submitting relevant material to your government on your concerns and wishes, or by working with NGOs which are able to participate. You would need to do this preferably several months before the CSD meetings to ensure that your input can be taken into account. Governments begin early to develop their opinions and goals; and may be part of coalitions or 'blocs' whose preparations begin even earlier. Copies of any submissions made to the government should also be sent to the Steering Committee's issue caucus, Major Groups or regional representatives. How to be Effective ! Before you arrive: * Discuss the agenda of the meeting within your NGO and among others in your field. A well organised back-up by other NGOs in your country can mean pressure being put on the government at home as well as in New York. * Decide the issues your NGO wants to focus on, and think about the outcomes that you would like to see. * Contribute to the preparation of the Issue Caucus papers - this is usually done by list servers (join them on the web-site at www.csdngo.org/csdngo). * Get as much sleep as you can - you'll probably need it! At the CSD: * Work with the NGOs present - it's impossible for an individual to cover everything. * Attend the NGO morning meetings (9.15 am in one of the conference rooms) -here you can quickly find out what's happening and how you can contribute and benefit. * Volunteer to 'floor manage' for a half day -it's a quick way to get up to speed. You'll take notes on the negotiations and report back to the next NGO morning meeting. If NGOs are asking to make a statement, you may also need to coordinate with them. * Contribute to the agreed NGO position papers - these tend to carry more weight than individual NGO papers. * Talk regularly to your government's delegation - tell them your NGO's priorities, and suggest text amendments. * Work with the NGOs on your government's delegation. * Target other governments - especially if your country works in a bloc you will need to convince more than your own government to adopt your amendments. It is well worth targeting the JUSSCANNZ bloc (see below: acronyms). Also, the six Eastern European countries - Poland, Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary and the Ukraine don't operate as a group. This makes it much easier to persuade them to take up your views. If your country isn't a current member of the CSD then target countries in your region - and across the world. * Make informal contacts with the delegations. Much of the lobbying work happens informally. Key places are the Vienna Café; the Delegates Lounge (this is meant to be only for delegates but...); the Delegates Dining Room; the corridors; at the back of meeting rooms; Government Missions. Don't make the mistake of thinking that civil servants are always representing the views of the governing party. Some may want exactly what NGOs want. Therefore it's important to have a good relationship with them. If you're on a Government Delegation, especially for the first time, there's a lot going on and it can be easy to miss important information. Try to divide up tasks with other NGOs on your delegation. Attend meetings of other NGOs on delegations, to maximise the effectiveness of lobbying. It's important that you work with other NGOs present, to ensure a two-way flow of information between NGOs and governments. Why Participate ? Firstly: Participation in the CSD is not a substitute for working at local, national or regional levels on the issues. Rather it is a very useful complement to the work done at other levels - providing information, and an important global forum for communicating concerns of constituencies at home. Here are some of the things participating can help achieve: Placing governments' policies in front of their peer group, i.e. other countries. The need to explain the implications of their policies can be a good chance for putting pressure on a government. There will be opportunity to influence the government to sign up to policies that they mightn't have wanted to while at home. Maintaining pressure on governments and international organisations and strengthening the goals of your organisation. One of the great things about the UN meetings is the access you have both to Ministers and top civil servants. It is equivalent to being allowed on to the floor of your parliament. You can walk up to any country desk and talk to the relevant civil servant. Finding out what's happening on various issues relating to Sustainable Development around the world. NGO Papers and Statements These are the primary means of NGO participation in the CSD negotiations, and are important in moving the agenda forward. Individual NGO Position Papers - If your organisation has a position paper, or other relevant documents, you may distribute them at the CSD. These papers are not issued as official CSD documents, and the NGO bears any costs (e.g. printing). There should be a table outside the official conference room where you can put your papers. It is vital that you personally hand copies of your material to the key delegations you want to influence. Agreed NGO Position Papers - These are developed in the lead-up period and during the Intersessional and CSD meetings. Because they represent a wide range of NGOs and their constituencies, they tend to carry greater weight with governments. The usual format is to reproduce the Government text with NGO amendments in bold. It helps the delegates understand what you want added and where. Oral Statements - ECOSOC-accredited NGOs may ask to make a brief oral statement to the meeting. These are at the discretion of the Chair and with consent of the members. To ensure that a wide range of views are represented, the Issue Caucuses and Working Groups of the Steering Committee usually coordinate joint statements, so that they represent more than the NGO of the individual speaker. The statements are most effective if they are brief and substantive in nature. Other U.N. Information Food and drink. There are several restaurants in the U.N. The Cafeteria in the Secretariat is on the first floor, south annex, south side of the building. There are cafeterias in the DC1 building, 3rd floor and in the UNICEF building, ground floor. Banking facilities. ATM machines are by the escalators in the Secretariat Lobby. Chase Manhattan Bank is on the 4th floor of the Secretariat building (S-0462). Hours are 9.30am - 3.30pm. Post Office. Located in the Secretariat building basement, through the glass doors at the base of the escalator. You can purchase UN stamps in the visitor's area of the General Assembly building. Telephones. Internal calls can be made from any phone. For '963' numbers, dial '3' and the last four numbers. For '906' numbers, dial '4'. Local calls (beginning with '212' or '718') can be made from the phone booths outside the larger Conference Rooms. For other calls, there are phones in the visitor area of the GA building. Medical Service. Secretariat building, room S-0557, ext 3.7090. DPI NGO Resource Center. Lots of information, plus some computers. In the basement by the library. It is located on the basement level of the Dag Hammarskjold Library. The Dag Hammarskjold Library. This occupies a three-storey building on the south side of the UN. Mon - Fri 9a.m. - 6p.m. (Photocopiers.) Photocopying and Computers. NGLS, DSD and the Steering Committee provide a photocopier and computers for NGOs in one of the small conference rooms. You will need to supply your own paper. To photocopy outside the UN you need to go to Kinko's on 48th Street (btw. 1st and 2nd Ave). They also have computers for hire. Other Buildings and Facilities. UNDC1 and UNDC2 are two adjoining buildings located on the northwest corner of 44th St. and First Ave (United Nations Plaza No. 1 and 2). Many UN program departments and some specialized agencies have offices in the buildings. For example you will find UNDP, INSTRAW, FAO and the IMF in UNDC1. UNESCO, DSD and WHO are in UNDC2. UNICEF is also on 44th Street. You need your UN grounds pass to access these buildings. If you don't have a grounds pass, you will need to ring the person you want to see from the lobby and have her/him come and pick you up. Beyond the U.N. Moving Around New York From JFK/LaGuardia Airport Shuttle buses from all the New York Airports will take you into Manhattan. From JFK it costs $13. The bus takes about 55 minutes and arrives at 42nd Street. From LaGuardia it costs $10. The bus takes about 35 minutes and stops at 42nd Street as well. Taxis are also available from the airports, although they are more expensive. The flat rate from JFK to anywhere in Manhattan is $30 (+ tolls and tip). It is possible to take the subway from JFK; to do this you take a courtesy bus to the subway station. The subway ride takes about 11/2 hours, but only costs $1.50. Transportation in Manhattan Taxis are easily hailed on the street. Official license cabs are painted yellow and a light on the roof of the vehicle indicates that the taxi is available for hire. Subways are a fast means of travel. Most go North to South in Manhattan. Cross-town trains run between Grand Central Station and Times Square on 42nd St. Within Manhattan, you need one token ($ 1.50) or a 'Metrocard' to use the subway. Buses are not so fast, although more scenic. There are also more cross-town services than on the subway. The fare for one ride on a bus is also $1.50. You can use tokens or a 'Metrocard'. On the buses you can also use exact change, coins only. Metrocards are the most economic means of buying tickets, and allow you to transfer between subways and buses. There are three purchasing options: a weekly pass ($17); a single-ride Metrocard allowing you to load on as much or as little money as you like (a 10-ride card gives you one extra ride free); or a one-day pass ($4, ideal for sightseers). Day-Metrocards are available at vending machines, and at street-level vendors, but not at the subway ticket booths. Staying in New York A small selection of lower priced accommodation close to the U.N. All rates are daily, + 13.25% tax (year 2000 prices): Big Apple Hostel 119 West 45th Street tel. 212 302 2603 Shared: $28 Private: $75 Hotel Wolcott 4 West 31st Street tel. 212 268 2900 Single/Double $125 Iriquois Hotel 49 West 44th Street tel. 212 840 3080 Single/Double: Feb. $199; Apr. $249 Murray Hill Inn 143 E. 30th St, btw Lex/3rd tel. 212 683 6900 Single/Double $125 Pickwick Arms 230 East 51st Street tel. 212 355 0300 Double: $130; Triple: $155 Vanderbilt YMCA 224 East 47th Street tel. 212 756-9600 Single: $72 Double: $86 (no tax charged) UK NGO Flats (Mr. Edelman): 212 E. 51st St (btw. 2nd and 3rd Ave) tel. 212 688 6769 or fax 355 0938. Approx. $150 for large studios NGO Relations NGOs sometimes fail to understand the differences between cultures. Southern NGOs rightly feel limited by the lack of translation facilities (NGO meetings are usually in English), can feel that their views are not adequately represented -there are more Northern NGOs than Southern ones. This can be seen particularly when trying to agree a joint NGO position paper. It does take longer when NGOs come together to try to negotiate an agreed position. It is much easier just to put your own paper out, but it also carries much more weight if there can be an agreed position. It's worth the extra time. A quick guide to jargon, acronyms, etc. for a more comprehensive list, visit the Steering Committee web-site at www.csdngo.org/csdngo. Disclaimer: These definitions are sourced from a variety of places, and are not necessarily the official version! AOSIS - The Alliance of Small Island States, with 42 members and observers. Bureau - The Bureau of the CSD is composed of the Chair and representatives of the five regional groupings of member states. Chair - The Chair is responsible for facilitating progress in the work of the CSD, and serves from the end of the previous CSD until the end of the CSD s/he is responsible for (i.e. from April to April). Different Chairs may be elected for other informal groups. CSD - The Commission on Sustainable Development. 53 Member States governments make up the Commission (elections by regions; 3-year term). Observer states and non-members (such as the EU) are permitted to attend. The Commission meets annually. DPI - U.N. Department of Public Information DSD - The Division for Sustainable Development. A division of the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, concerned with sustainable development issues. The DSD acts as the Secretariat for the CSD. ECOSOC - U.N. Economic and Social Council. EIT - Countries with Economies in Transition, i.e. those in Central and Eastern Europe. EU - The European Union, which works as a group at the CSD in addition to the actions of the European CSD member states. It has permanent observer status at the CSD. The issues for CSD-7 are being co-ordinated by the following countries within the EU: Oceans and Seas and SIDs - UK; Consumption and Production - Sweden; Tourism - Austria. G-77 and China - The Group of 77 and China was the original group of the so-called non-aligned states. It is in effect the negotiating bloc of the negotiating countries and seeks to harmonize the negotiating positions of its over 140 developing-country members. GEF - The Global Environment Facility. The multi-billion-dollar GEF was established by the World Bank, the UN Development Programme, and the UN Environment Programme in 1990 to fund environmental programmes, especially in the South and the EIT High Level Segment - The Ministerial-level part of the CSD where most significant issues are decided. CSD Intersessional - The official between-sessions meetings of the CSD, this year Feb 22 - Mar 5. JUSSCANNZ - The non-EU industrialized countries meet as a group to discuss various issues; they are Japan, the US, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Norway, and New Zealand. Iceland, Mexico, and the Republic of Korea may also attend meetings. Major Groups - The term used in Agenda 21 to describe nine sectors of society fundamental to achieving sustainable development. The Major Groups are: Women, Children and Youth, Indigenous People, Non-governmental Organizations, Local Authorities, Workers and Trade Unions, Business and Industry, Scientific and Technological Communities, and Farmers. Member State - A nation that is a member of the U.N. North - The current widely-used term to describe developed, industrialised countries. NGLS - U.N. Non-Governmental Liaison Service. OECD - The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Plenary - A meeting of the whole of the CSD, where formal decisions are taken. Regional Groups - The five regional groups meet privately to discuss issues and nominate Bureau members and other officials. The regional groups are Africa; Asia; Central and Eastern Europe (CEE); Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC); and the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG). Side Event - An open, lunch-time or evening event, (e.g. panel presentation) usually related to the issues being negotiated. SIDS - Small Island Developing States, especially important in relation to the Barbados Plan of Action for SIDS. South - The current widely-used term to describe developing countries. Square brackets - Used during negotiations to indicate that a section of text is being discussed but hasn't been agreed. UNDP - United Nations Development Programme. UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme. Working Group - A sub-group of the CSD, tasked with drafting language for the final documents. Contacts and Addresses Steering Committee: Southern Co-Chair: Esmeralda Brown tel: + 1(212) 682 3633 e-mail: ebrown@gbgm-umc.org Northern Co-Chair: Felix Dodds tel: + 44 171 839 1784 e-mail: fdodds@earthsummit2002.org Southern Clearinghouse: Marva Moore tel + 1 718 773 8437 fax + 1 718 774 6946 Northern Clearinghouse: Mita Sen Two UN Plaza, DC2- 1782 tel: + 1 (212) 963 4544 e-mail: northclear@csdngo.org Church Center: 777 UN Plaza (44th St btw. 1st and 2nd Aves). NGO Unit in DPCSD: (For accreditation) One U.N. Plaza, DC1-14th floor 1st Ave btw. 44th and 45th St tel + 1 (212) 963 8652 fax + 1 (212) 963 9248 or 963 4114 e-mail: Hanifa Mezoui mezoui@un.org Pass Office: (To collect your U.N. pass) NW corner of 1st Ave and 45th St (blue door) UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service: One U.N. Plaza, DC1-1106 tel +1 (212) 963 3125 fax + 1 (212) 963 8712 email: ngls@un.org Web Resources CSD NGO Steering Committee www.csdngo.org/csdngo UN Sustainable Development Site www.un.org/esa/sustdev IISD Linkages (incl. Earth Negotiations Bulletin) www.mbnet.mb.ca/linkages/csd/ UN Daily Journal www.un.org/docs/journal NGO Link (lists UNHQ events) www.ngos.net/events/upcoming SIDSNET www.sidsnet.org Information based on a guide prepared by the NGO Steering Committee for the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development, Northern Clearinghouse. For more information on the Steering Committee and CSD-8, visit the web-site at: http://www.csdngo.org/csdngo Member States of the CSD in 2000 (3-year term, expires at end of CSD session in year listed) CSD Member Term expires Role in CSD-9 CSD Member Term expires Role in CSD-9 Algeria 2001 Angola 2002 Australia 2003 Vice-Chair Belarus 2003 Belgium 2002 Bolivia 2003 Brazil 2001 Cameroon 2002 China 2002 Colombia 2002 Cote d'Ivoire 2001 Cuba 2002 Czech Republic 2001 Chair Democratic People's Republic of Korea 2001 Democratic Republic of the Congo 2002 Denmark 2002 France 2001 Germany 2002 Greece 2003 Guatemala 2003 Guyana 2002 Vice-Chair Hungary 2001 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 2001 Italy 2002 Japan 2001 Kazakhstan 2002 Vice Chair Lebanon 2002 Madagascar 2003 Mali 2003 Mauritania 2001 Mauritius 2001 Mexico 2001 Mozambique 2002 Netherlands 2002 New Zealand 2001 Nicaragua 2001 Pakistan 2003 Paraguay 2002 Peru 2001 Philippines 2001 Poland 2003 Portugal 2001 Republic of Korea 2002 Russian Federation 2002 Spain 2001 Sri Lanka 2001 Sudan 2001 Thailand 2003 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 2002 Tunisia 2002 Uganda 2003 Vice-Chair United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 2001 United States of America 2001 The UN Commission on Sustainable Development 9th Session (CSD-9 ), April 2001 The ninth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-9) in April 2001 (16-27th April) will be dealing with the following issues: * Energy * Transport; * Atmosphere; * Information for decision-making and participation; * International cooperation for an enabling environment. The Ad Hoc Intersessional Working Groups (ISWG = CSD Intersessional) of CSD-9 are scheduled from 5 to 16 March 2001 in New York. One working group will focus on the sectoral cluster (transport and atmosphere) and the other on the cross-sectoral cluster including information for decision-making and participation, and international cooperation for an enabling environment. The discussions will be based on the Secretary General reports on these topics. A more detailed program of the ISWGs, including the list of side events and special events that may be organized during the Working Groups, will be announced on the CSD NGO Steering Committee web-site at www.csdngo.org/csdngo as soon as it is available. Updates are also available on the UN CSD Secretariat web-site at www.un.org/esa/sustdev. CSD Bureau The Chair of CSD-9 is Bedrich Moldan from the Czech Republic, former Minister of Environment of the Czech Republic. The other members of the CSD Bureau are: Ms Alison Drayton (Guyana), Ambassador Prof Martia Mulumba Semakula Kiwanuka (Uganda), David Stewart (Australia) and Madina B. Jarbussynova (Kazakhstan). Multi-stakeholder Dialogue Segment CSD-9 will be holding multi-stakeholder dialogues on the issue of energy and transport. The purpose of the multi-stakeholder segment is to generate action-oriented dialogue between governments and major groups and to identify future policies and actions that increase the positive impact of this economic sector on sustainable development objectives. The partners for the dialogues and their co-ordinating bodies are: NGOs NGO Caucus on Climate Change and Energy NGO Caucus on Sustainable Transport Workers & Trade Unions International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) Business & Industry World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) World Energy Council (WEC) Local Authorities International Council for Local Environment Initiatives (ICLEI) Scientific Community International Council for Scientific Unions (ICSU) World Conservation Union (IUCN) Partners are producing background papers on the four dialogue topics by January 2001. These papers will be available at http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/entrsegment_csd9.htm, probably in February 2001. Structure of the Dialogue Segment As was the case in previous dialogue segments, the Energy and Transport Segment will have four sessions scheduled in the early part of the two-week CSD session. The segment is tentatively scheduled from the afternoon of 16 April through the morning of 18 April 2001. Each session of the Segment will start with a seven-minute presentation each from the NGO, trade union, local authority, business and scientist delegations, followed by two ten-minute reactions from the governments (one southern and one northern). Participants will engage in a dialogue in the remaining two hours of the session. The Chairman of the CSD will moderate the Segment and may request specific inputs from others present, such as representatives of UN organizations. Topics of the Dialogue Segment * Achieving equitable access to clean energy: incentives, subsidies, regulations or voluntary measures? (afternoon session of 16 April 2001) * Eco-efficiency, eco-effectiveness or business-as-usual: choices for producing, distributing and consuming energy (morning session of 17 April 2001) * Public-private partnerships for de-carbonizing the transportation system (afternoon session of 17 April 2001) * Sustainable transport planning: choices and models for human settlements, designs and vehicle alternatives (morning session of 18 April 2001) Nuclear energy Nuclear energy was mentioned in the CSD-8 report as one of the key issues to be examined in preparation for CSD-9 (many of the NGOs certainly worked to try to stop that, but could only achieve language that mentioned some problems that nuclear would have to address before it could be considered sustainable). At this point, the CSD NGO Steering committee is trying to get many more anti-nuclear NGOs involved in this issue, since many suspect that certain countries would only be too happy to see NGOs spend all their time against nuclear and forget all about fossil fuels, etc. There is a new NGO Caucus on Information for decision-making being set up with the co-coordinators being Jan Gustav Strandenaes from the Norwegian Forum for Environment and Development (email: jgstr@online.no) and Barbara Gemmill from the Environment Liaison Centre International (ELCI), Nairobi, Kenya (email: herren@africaonline.co.ke). If you are interested in getting involved, contact them. NGO Meetings NGOs will be meeting on the 15th of April at the Church Centre to prepare for CSD-9. NGO morning strategy sessions are being held daily at 9.15 am in one of the UN conference rooms. Women's caucus meetings will be held daily at 8.30 am in one of the UN conference rooms. These and other caucuses meetings will be announced in a NGO Diary being produced by the CSD NGO Steering Committee / Northern Clearinghouse. If you are interested in being involved with the NGO preparations, go to the CSD NGO Steering Committee web site at www.csdngo.org/csdngo, then go to the transport, energy or women's caucus pages and join the caucus you are most interested in. All these caucus maintain web-pages providing their material, and are operating list servers which you can join. Information based on documents at UN CSD Secretariat's website http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd.htm CSD NGO Steering Committee website at http://www.igc.org/csdngo/ UNED Forum newsletter Connections at http://www.unedforum.org/publi/connections/connections.htm INFO SHEET Women's Caucus to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development After the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created to monitor progress of implementation of Agenda 21. The first 5-year review was held in June 1997. At its 55th Session in the autumn of 2000, the UN General will agree the place and agenda for the Summit - a 10-year review of Agenda 21 and a forward looking Summit conference. This will be the first major UN Conference since the Food Summit in 1996. The UN CSD has pioneered the concept of multi-stakeholder dialogues, based on the acknowledgement of the role stakeholders have in implementing the global agreements. Women were the key group setting the agenda in 1992 - because they started their work before others. We need to do the same for 2002. The CSD NGO Women's Caucus is calling upon women's NGOs, grassroots women's groups, women in academia, business etc. to join us now. The CSD NGO Women's Caucus The CSD NGO Women's Caucus will pick up the challenge of the process towards 2002, aiming to ensure gender mainstreaming of all decisions to be taken. The caucus is a working group of women and men who are interested in and working towards the mainstreaming of gender into sustainable development policies and practical implementation strategies. The caucus works towards the recognition and adequate action on gender-related aspects of sustainable development issues by providing information and research as well as lobbying on recommendations based on up-to-date analyses and consultation within the caucus. The CSD NGO Women's Caucus grew out of the 1991 Miami Conference, organized by WEDO, and its outcome document Women's Action Agenda for a Healthy Planet. The women's caucus meets at the CSD Sessions, organizes side events and takes part in other caucus to ensure gender mainstreaming of NGO work. We lobby on the basis of position papers developed beforehand, make statements in negotiations and work on line-by-line amendments to text being negotiated. In between CSD Sessions, caucus members communicate via email, phone, fax, and post. We operate an open list server to prepare our positions and lobbying strategies, networking globally with interested organisations and individuals. At every year's CSD Session, the caucus members elect two co-facilitators, one from the South, one from the North. The caucus is part of the CSD NGO Steering Committee, which is facilitating input and participation of NGOs to the CSD. The Women's Caucus List Server A list server (electronic working group) has been set up for the women's caucus. To subscribe, send a message to women-csd-subscribe@egroups.com or go to http://www.egroups.com/list/women-csd. More than 400 organisations and individuals are currently subscribed to the list server - women's groups, NGOs, academics, UN representatives, etc. Subscribers are involved in various UN processes - Rio; Beijing; Copenhagen; Cairo; Istanbul. The Women's Caucus Web-Site is located at http://www.csdngo.org/csdngo. Click on "Women" under "Major Groups": * Introduction: background about the caucus an the CSD NGO Steering Committee; contact details * Schedule of meetings: dates of upcoming meetings of the UN CSD and other bodies * Upcoming issues: list of issues to be discussed at the next UN CSD meetings; gender-sensitive areas under these issues as identified by the caucus * Caucus position papers: background and position papers which the CSD NGO Women's Caucus is / has been working on in preparation for the next CSD meetings * Meetings reports: reports, statements, newsletter articles, etc. from / for CSD meetings * Resources: a collection of resources, references, directories, useful web-sites, networking opportunities regarding each of the upcoming CSD issues * Links: a collection of links to other useful web-sites * Site map & search tool: Listing every section of this web-site Become a member of the CSD NGO Women's Caucus ! Please register, stay informed about the preparations for 2002 and the work of the women's caucus, and support us in this great effort. Your organization: Name: Street, No.: City: Post Code: Country: Tel (incl. country & area code): Fax: Email: Web-site: Your name: Personal Email: Issues you are interested in: You can email, fax or post the information to us: Co-facilitators of the CSD NGO Women's Caucus 1999-2000 Chief (Mrs.) Bisi Ogunleye Country Women's Association of Nigeria (COWAN) & WEDO No. 7 Awosika Crescent Ijapo Est. Akure Ondo State, NIGERIA Tel: +234 34 231 945, Fax: +234 34 241 001 Email: cowanhoney@infoweb.abs.net OR via Pamela Ransom, WEDO 355 Lexington Avenue, NY 10017, NY, USA Tel +1 212 973 0325, Fax +1 212 973 0335 Email: pamela@wedo.org Minu Hemmati UNED Forum 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL, UNITED KINGDOM Tel: +44 20 7839 1784, Fax: +44 20 7930 5893 Email: minush@aol.com web: www.unedforum.org and www.earthsummit2002.org History of the Stakeholder Dialogues at the UN Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) In 1996 the NGOs asked governments and DESA to support the introduction of Dialogue Sessions at the CSD in 1997. The General Assembly in 1996 agreed that in 1997 there would be half a day of Dialogues. The suggestion was that each Major Group have half a day to examine: * what they had done; * what they wanted to see Earth Summit II deliver; * what they would contribute to the future. Unfortunately there was little 'dialogue' in the 1997 CSD. The sessions were held, as in Istanbul, at the same time as the negotiations. Although some government delegates did attend, they tended to be those from developed countries, with large delegations, and were often not key members of their delegations. Although the Dialogues were not labeled a total success, the Commission addressed the weaknesses in this approach, and improvements were written into the work programme for the CSD for the next five years. In 1998, the first real 'Dialogue' session was to be on "Industry". The then - director of the UN Division on Sustainable Development, Joke Waller Hunter, brought together in Geneva in September 1997 the key Major Group representatives. Attending were the CSD NGO Steering Committee, the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). These groups helped frame the approach taken to the Dialogue Sessions. Each group was asked to consult with its members and produce position papers to be given into the UN by mid January 1998. These were on: * Responsible Entrepreneurship; * Corporate Management Tools; * Technology Cooperation; * Industry and Freshwater. The significant development that year was that each group was asked to produce a paper that had been peer group reviewed by its stakeholder group. This was important as it moved away from papers that merely expressed 'opinions', towards more referenced and researched positions. This would have even more significance than had been thought at the time. Many breakthroughs in international negotiations come because groups are able to build a level of trust among those participating. In the preparations, and at the Dialogue on "Industry", two elements helped improve the chance of success. First was that the ICC sat as a member of the CSD NGO Steering Committee and so was fully aware of NGO preparations. Second, was the extraordinarily close relationships that had been built between several individual NGOs and industry representatives. This enabled a level of trust to exist that countered any disturbances by the more extreme members of each sector. At the CSD meeting in 1998 there were two additional developments. The first was the opportunity to have "peer group" (review by experts from the different stakeholder groups) review between different stakeholders. Second, governments were given the opportunity to challenge ideas put forward. The normal UN procedure is for Major Groups to make isolated presentations and for these to be noted, rather than discussed, or more importantly challenged. To ensure that governments took the Dialogues seriously, they were moderated by that year's Chair of the CSD, the Minister for the Environment from the Philippines, Cielito Habito. This persuaded governments to provide high-level representations for the Dialogue sessions. Positions put forward were at times questioned by the Chair or governments and this resulted in one of the key outcomes - where the Norwegian delegation played a major role in bringing this about - a multi-stakeholder working group set up to review voluntary initiatives by industry. NGOs had been campaigning for years through groups such as the NGO Task Force on Business and Industry (TOBI) to try and have a review of voluntary initiatives put on the table, without any success. The 1998 CSD Dialogues succeeded in creating a process, which would involve everybody. The Dialogue process for 1999 focused on tourism. The new CSD Bureau under Simon Upton (Environment Minister for New Zealand), decided that there would be four major groups involved that year: NGOs (co-ordinated by the CSD NGO Steering Committee), business and industry (World Travel and Tourism Council and the International Hotel and Restaurant Association), trade unions (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions) and local authorities (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives). The subject of tourism presented problems for NGOs, as it is not a chapter of Agenda 21.The CSD NGO Steering Committee, which did not have a caucus to work on that topic, did a massive outreach to tourism orientated NGOs. It carried out a mailing to over 300 organizations with: 1. information on the UN Commission on Sustainable Development; 2. information on the Steering Committee itself; 3. a questionnaire requesting information on their work on tourism. The result of this was the setting up of a new NGO caucus on tourism under the co-Chairs of the Steering Committee. Recognising that there were some lessons learnt from the 1998 Dialogue Sessions, the Steering Committee made a recommendation that the papers produced by the Major Groups should be no longer than four pages and should be structured to describe the following aspects of each of the four sub-themes of the Dialogues: 1. Problem 2. Solutions offered 3. Institutional responsibility (intergovernmental, government and Major Groups) 4. Identifying possible partnerships This approach was agreed by the CSD Bureau and the Major Group representatives. As well as bringing in a whole new set of NGOs who had never participated at the CSD before, two of the Major Group co-ordinating bodies were new to the Dialogue process. The local government organization ICLEI had been very active at the CSD over the previous six years and had participated in the 1997 model of the Dialogues, but had not participated in the new model of the Dialogues. The industry organizations had attended a CSD, but only as observers. The NGO Steering Committee offered advise and training for the industry groups which was subsequently accepted. Again this helped in the building up of a level of trust between the industry groups and the NGOs. As in the first Dialogue Session there were significant breakthroughs. The outcome from the 1999 Dialogues were placed in front of the government negotiators by the Chair of the CSD as they started negotiating on tourism. The second important outcome was the setting up of another multi-stakeholder working group under the World Tourism Organization. It was to look at issues such as information provision and participation of indigenous and local communities, financial leakages in the tourism industry, etc. This working group is perhaps the only global committee where industry and NGOs sit together to problem solve on tourism. At the CSD in 2000 the Dialogue session was on Agriculture and has also initiated an ongoing process with stakeholders. Another success of the Dialogues was the first ever joint statement by industry, NGOs, farmers, trade unions and indigenous peoples. Based on: Access to water and energy. Report from the Multi-stakeholder Dialogue at the 8th Informal Environment Ministers Meeting in Bergen, Norway, September 2000. Edited by Danielle Morley. London: UNED Forum The report is available at http://www.earthsummit2002.org/es/2002/bergen/bergen.pdf Earth Summit 2002 Resources Relevant websites: UN: www.un.org/rio+10 UNED Forum: www.earthsummit2002.org Rio+8: www.rio8.dk Section on CSD-10 In 2002, the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development that took place in Rio de Janeiro, a Summit of world leaders will assess progress achieved since 1992 and give guidance for the next phase of activities to achieve sustainable development. This Summit - the World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa - will be preceded by a series of national, regional and international gatherings and consultations to identify the successes and failures of the last ten years, as well as build consensus on future priorities and commitments by governments and stakeholders. The 2002 progress review exercise, known as Rio+10, will be participatory and inclusive, building on the CSD tradition of openness, transparency and multi-stakeholder participation. Making this a truly useful and productive exercise will require full engagement of all major groups. This section of the guidelines provides your organization with a road map as far as it is known at present. Local and National activities The success of an honest and useful progress review will greatly depend on local and national reviews of progress so that the final review outcome can firmly stand on local and national realities, achievements, recognition of obstacles and aspirations of what needs to be done in the next phase. A lively national engagement among all governmental and non-governmental institutions and actors will not only make the review exercise meaningful but also mobilize individuals and institutions behind the global goal of sustainability. The CSD Secretariat has called upon the Governments to launch a number of activities, through their national preparatory committees or other similar coordination mechanisms, to help mobilize and engage the public in the national Rio+10 preparations. These activities include: 101 Ways to Sustainable Development: a national search for and selection of the best sustainable development success story to be submitted to the CSD Secretariat to publish as a collection showcasing the 101 ways to achieve sustainability. The cases would be uploaded on the Rio+10 web site as they are submitted with links to the originator and the submitting country. Sustainable Development Visions: a national call for submission of visions of a sustainable world by all ages. One vision is to be selected by the national committee (or equivalent) to be submitted for the collection of visions to be published. The Visions would be made available to the world leaders at the Summit Meeting and widely disseminated throughout the Rio+10 process. Children's Agenda 21 Posters: a national poster competition to engage and inspire the imaginations of children aged 6-12. Each national committee is to select one poster to submit to the CSD Secretariat. An exhibition at the Summit meeting would showcase the world leaders and other summit participants the aspirations, hopes and expectations of the younger generation. National Progressions: a national process to identify 3-5 achievable progress targets that the country can commit to achieving in the next 5-10 years. The aim is to generate independent or joint actions that will further the slow but sure transition towards a sustainable global society. The National Progressions of a country are its own targets based on its own priorities and capabilities rather than those that may be agreed globally through inter-governmental negotiations. A high level multi-stakeholder dialogue segment at the Summit could be the forum at which countries share their progression targets with the commitments from major group representatives. Regional activities The UN's Regional Economic Commissions, the regional offices of UN Environment Programme, the UN Development Programme Regional Bureaux and the CSD Secretariat are collaborating to organize regional preparatory committee meetings (PrepComm) in all regions of the world. The Regional PrepComms are expected to take place in the summer and fall of 2001 to generate useful inputs for the global review exercise to start in January 2002. National assessments are expected to be the basis of the discussions. The schedule of the Regional PrepComms as well as focal points you can contact will be made public on our Web site as soon as this information is finalized. A regional roundtable will precede each Regional PrepComm. The regional roundtables will bring together regional experts from a diversity of backgrounds to conduct a non-political and unfettered discussion of regional progress and future directions. Reports from the regional roundtables will be available to the Regional PrepComms. Global review process and activities CSD10 will act as the Rio+10 PrepComm. A series of CSD10-PrepComm meetings are planned. CSD10-PrepComm I is scheduled immediately after the conclusion of CSD9 (most likely from 30 April to 4 May 2001). This meeting is expected to primarily focus on organizational matters related to the global Rio+10 process. A multi-stakeholder panel will be organized at the beginning of this meeting to allow major group representatives to bring to the organizational discussion the views of their constituencies. CSD10-PrepComm II is scheduled for January 2002. This meeting will start the substantive review of progress at the global level. The discussions will be based on the Secretary-General's report on overall review of progress, as well as from the outputs of the Regional PrepComms. Early in the course of PrepComm II, a two-day multi-stakeholder dialogue with all nine major group sectors is planned. The topics of the stakeholder dialogue will be based on the outline of the Secretary-general's overall review report. CSD10-PrepComm III, in March 2002, may continue and finalize the overall inter-governmental review exercise unless the review is finalized at the January meeting. CSD10-PrepComm IV is planned for May 2002, to be held in Indonesia at Ministerial level. The focus at this stage is expected to be on identifying and building consensus on future priorities and strategies for the next 5 to 10 years. A one or half-day multi-stakeholder dialogue (depending on the length of this session) is planned to give opportunities to major group representatives to share their proposals and ideas regarding what needs to be done in the next phase of sustainable development work. The World Summit on Sustainable Development will then be the culmination of the process. It will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. At the summit meeting, a half-day multi-stakeholder high-level dialogue segment is planned. This dialogue segment is planned as an opportunity for major groups and governments to share their specific sustainable development commitments for the next phase. The national commitments are expected to emerge from the National Progression Targets process described above. A number of Global Roundtables are also planned. Their composition and purpose will be similar to the regional roundtables described above. The recommendations from the global roundtables will be available to the CSD10-PrepComm meetings. The CSD Secretariat is also launching a number of global studies related to major groups. One such study is the Second International Survey of Local Agenda 21 Initiatives, and will be conducted a jointly by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the CSD Secretariat. A second study that is being considered is a systematic analysis of the Multi-stakeholder dialogue format that the CSD pioneered since 1998. A third study will aim to generate an independent review of major group participation in sustainable development decision-making process. The CSD Secretariat will disseminate further detail on the Rio+10 preparations by way of a dedicated web site (www.un.org/rio+10), the CSD Update, a special list-server for electronic dissemination, and other available means. Information in print will be made available to ensure that major groups with limited access to the Internet are well informed in a timely fashion. The CSD Secretariat encourages all major group organizations to support and take an active part in this milestone event with which the global community is to renew its commitment to making a sustainable world in which life in all its diversity is respected, enhanced and dignified. An update on matters related to NGO and major group participation in and contributions to Rio+10 process will be released in early 2001 and further updates will be released as details become available. The CSD Secretariat will arrange for electronic NGO/major group registration for Rio+10. Please check our web site regularly or contact the Major Groups Programme Coordinator Zehra Aydin-Sipos at aydin@un.org. Based on information on the UN web-site at http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/mgroups/csd9guid6.htm General Assembly Decision on 2002 From: Zehra Aydin aydin@un.org To: Various list servers Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 6:08 PM Subject: Information on Rio+10 Dear Friends, This is to share with you informally a number of decisions emerging from the on-going discussions of the 2nd Committee of the UN General Assembly on Rio+10. Among other things the 2nd Committee has reached agreement on the following points: 1. The Rio+10 event will carry the title WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2. The Summit Event will take place in South Africa 3. CSD10 will function as the preparatory committee (Prepcom) for Rio+10, and will hold four PrepComs. The first prepcom is scheduled from 30 April to 2 May 2001 (in New York), followed by prepcoms in late January 2002 (in New York), mid-March 2002 (in New York) and mid-May 2002 (in Indonesia, at Ministerial level). 4. The event and its preparatory process will include active participation of NGOs and other major groups, including multi-stakeholder dialogues.The event will open accreditation to new NGOs interested in making a contribution to Rio+10. As soon as the relevant resolution is formally adopted by the 2nd Committee, we will circulate a copy by email. Best regards, Zehra Aydin-Sipos Division for Sustainable Development South Africa to hold 2002 Earth Summit Press Coverage On the Announcement by the South African Government The Star: December 10 2000 at 04:13PM The department of environmental affairs and tourism announced on Sunday that the United Nations General Assembly on Environment and Sustainable Development (Unced) had chosen South Africa to host the Earth Summit in 2002. In a statement, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, the deputy minister of environmental affairs and tourism, said that South Africa welcomed the decision to bring the conference to the African continent. The summit would be held in Johannesburg. "Bringing the Earth Summit to South Africa is a major boost for Africa as the major conference on sustainable development on our soil will firmly place these issues and debates on the agenda of our continent" said Mabudafhasi. In February, President Thabo Mbeki made a formal offer to the United Nations to host the 10-year Review Summit, popularly referred to as the Earth Summit 2002. 'It is significant that it should take place in the developing world". Heads of State and Government will attend the summit that is expected to draw about 40 000 participants. More than 130 heads of state participated in the summit in 1992 and it is expected that the majority of the 188 members of the UN will send delegations to the 2002 conference. More than 15 000 NGOs were represented at the 1992 meeting. Mabudafhasi said that the significance of the conference went beyond the actual event because it set the agenda for sustainable development and the environment for the next decade. "It is therefore significant that it should take place in the developing world where the issues of development and the environment are fundamental to the daily struggle against poverty." Earth Summit 2002 should deepen the global commitment to sustainable development and bring environmental issues to the fore. There is wide consensus that the primary focus of the summit should be poverty, development and the environment. Poverty and underdevelopment are seen as the fundamental threats to environmental security and sustainable development. Earth Summit jobs boost for Jo'burg The Star December 10, 2000 at 09:25PM By Anna Cox The Earth Summit to be held in Johannesburg in 2002 is expected to attract about 60 000 delegates, generate R1,6-billion for the economy and create more than 16 000 jobs. The event, the world's premier forum for environmental and development-related issues, is expected to cost between R100-million and R150-million to host. Announcing Johannesburg as the host city yesterday, the Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, said the summit would be the largest conference ever to be held in to South Africa. Delegates will examine sustainable development globally, focusing on issues such as sustainable cities, waste management, housing development, management of urbanisation, cutting down gas and other emissions, proper management of water resources, pollution, poverty, and gender issues. "It is significant that it should take place in the developing world, where the issues of development and the environment are fundamental to the daily struggle against poverty," Mabudafhasi said. The UN General Assembly decision on Friday to bring the summit to SA comes in the wake of several major summits and conventions held in the country recently. Johannesburg will have to pull out all the stops to ensure it can handle the huge influx of delegates, including about 130 heads of state. Project manager Ashley Alley said: "It involves several conferences at different venues at different times. We need to co-ordinate transport, security for heads of state, traffic, and accommodation. It is a huge event, the likes of which we have never seen before in South Africa." The Sandton Convention Centre will become the hub of the conference. It will be set up as the nerve centre as early as next month in preparation for the event. Other venues include Gallagher Estate, the Expo Centre at Nasrec and the MTN Sundome. Several smaller conference and convention venues within a 50km radius of the Joburg CBD will be used for breakaway sessions and work groups. In a report on the impact of the summit on the economy, accounting firm Grant Thornton Kessel Feinstein said the event would result in a direct and indirect contribution of R1,6-billion and create 16 400 jobs. "A total of R1-billion of this expenditure will be at the event, flowing directly to the Greater Johannesburg area, and a further R320-million will be spent on operating costs." In addition, R150-million will be injected into the economy and 1 600 jobs will be created when the expected 25 000 additional international tourists visit destinations throughout South Africa. Dr Crispian Olver, director-general of the Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism, said Johannesburg had been selected above Cape Town and Durban for four main reasons: * The infrastructure, with the capacity within the Johannesburg/Midrand/Vaal region to host up to 55 000 beds (Cape Town and Durban have 23 000 and 27 000 respectively). * Its commitment to sustainable development and sound environmental management. * The city's innovative proposal on the hosting of the Earth Summit incorporating other hubs and a dedicated transport system. * Its financial commitment in traffic and transport management. Press Release by South African NGOs Subject: NGOs Response to Earth Summit III to be held in South Africa ** 11 December 2000 The NGOs welcome the announcement that South Africa will host the third Earth Summit in 2002. The NGOs see this as an important process through which SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT in South Africa is realised. In 1992 the world's largest environmental gathering was hosted in Rio de Janeiro. This United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), attracted a 103 heads of state and undoubtedly set the scene for sustainable development. On the 7th and 8th December about 23 South African NGOs from different sectors met to discuss our response to the Earth Summit. We see our government hosting this high level international event as an opportunity to pursue our goals of equity, equality, environmental justice, poverty eradication, participatory governance and efficient utilisation of natural resources so that the lives and well -being of all South Africans are improved. We call on President Mbeki to take leadership on the Earth Summit on Sustainable Development and make this a high profile event. We also call on government to immediately ratify the Biosaftey and Kyoto protocol (expand on the significance of these protocols). The conference Earth Summit provides the opportunity to review success and failures of the last 10 years. It provides the opportunity for the South to set the agenda and prioritise issues affecting the South. The South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO) supports the great the opportunity for the priorities of the South to formally be put on the International Development Agenda. SANGOCO urges government to take the issue of implementing sustainable development very seriously and ensure that more than a 103 heads of state are present at the Earth Summit. For more information and comment contact: Bryan Ashe at Interim SA NGO Earth Summit III Caucus 027 11-4036056 Stephen Law, Director of Environmental Monitoring Group at 027 21-761 0549 Richard Sherman, Earthlife Africa Johannesburg 027 11- 4404133 David Madurai - Networks co-ordinator, SANGOCO, 027 11-403 7746 Signet Mashego, director of Rural Service Development Network, 027 11-4037324 ** The Official name for the Earth Summit is the World Summit on Sustainable Development as per United Nations release Friday 8 December 2000. Bryan Ashe Interim Co-ordinator SA Interim NGO Earth Summit 2002 Caucus Tel: +27-11-4036056 Fax: +27-11-3394584 e-mail: admin@earthsummit2002.org.za Interim SA NGO Earth Summit 2002 Caucus P.O. 11383 Johannesburg 2000 South Africa 4