EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF NGOs IN OFFICIAL PARTNERSHIP WITH UNESCO UNESCO Headquarters (Room XII), Paris, 7-8 December 2017

Organized with the support of Kenn Organisation International

Report

Executive Summary

The Eight International Forum of NGOs in Official Partnership with UNESCO, themed “Changing Minds, not the Climate” was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 7 - 8 December 2017. It was organised by the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee, in close cooperation with the UNESCO Secretariat and benefited from the support of the Kenn Organisation International.

Following the NGO Action day on Climate Change in 2015 where a Declaration on this topic was prepared towards the COP21 and co-signed by numerous NGOs, the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee 8th Forum aimed at reflecting on the UNESCO Strategy for Action on Climate Change, identifying avenues of action for NGOs to support UNESCO’s work and making recommendations to the Organization.

Around 200 representatives of NGO and Member States, as well as other organisations and institutions, participated in the Prior to the Forum, participating NGOs shared their work on climate change and their contribution to UNESCO’s priorities through an online questionnaire. The results of this consultation were displayed and accompanied by a Poster Exhibition (infographic, photos, etc.) showcasing concrete examples of concrete projects carried out by NGOs.

Programme

“Changing Minds, not the Climate”: The Contribution of NGOs

The Programme was structured over two working days and included panels, interventions, film screening, keynote speeches as well as interactive sessions.

Day 1

The Forum was opened by Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Philippe Beaussant, Chairperson of the International Conference of NGOs, NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee and Mr Kenneth Kam, President of Kenn Organisation International. Following this Official Opening, participants familiarised themselves with the concept and the Programme of the Forum thanks to the focal points’ presentations of their thematic sessions and introduction by Ms Flavia Schlegel, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, to the Updated UNESCO Strategy for Action on Climate Change. Ms Schlegel stressed, among others, the importance of member states taking ownership over the Agenda, the multi-dimensional character of the challenges our society is facing today (in terms of urgency, scale, partnerships, funding) as well as the role of NGOs in implementing the Agenda.

Mr Nick Nuttall, Director of Communications and Outreach/Spokesperson, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), brought participants further insights into the recent and current political and practical developments in the work on climate change. He also pointed out the need for a shift in the way the world financial system works and the importance of NGOs engaging more and more in working with progressive businesses, thus bridging the gap between the business and civil society sectors. The safety of journalists, especially those reporting on climate change was also brought up and discussed.

Following this intervention, the Thematic Sessions of the Forum started and the first session on “The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Facing Climate Change” was dedicated to “Ethics, Solidarity and Rights for Climate Justice”. After participants were introduced to the UNESCO Declaration on Ethical Principles in relation to Climate Change by Ms Dafna Feinholz, Chief of the Bioethics and Ethics of Science and Technology Section, Sector for Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO, further light was shed on the role of local actors in mitigation and adaptation to climate change and the work of NGOs such as International Movement ATD Fourth World or Transparency International on “Ethics, Solidarity and Rights for Climate Justice”. The following are some of the important issues highlighted during the session:

• solutions against climate change turning against poor local populations, hence the need to include them in consultation processes regarding climate change

• local populations are not regarded as actors in the fight against climate change and there are no resources or means allocated and provided to these populations

• responsible citizenship should be encouraged, so pressure on political bodies results in a stronger shouldering of environment responsibility

• today’s consumer society has a strong impact on environment, consuming resources at an alarming pace

• tracking climate finance flows is very complex and complicated • transparency and accountability in working on climate change are capital • corruption is an important threat to all efforts to work on climate change• there is a need to go beyond the Declaration on Ethics and install a right of the

planet

The afternoon was dedicated to the thematic of “Ocean and Climate Change” and consisted of a short intervention from Dr Joe Bunni, photographer diver and founder of SOS Oceans, followed by the screening of “Pister l’ours polaire” an episode of the TV series “A + ou - 5m de la surface des oceans”, as well as an interactive round table themed “The engagement of NGOs” during which participants could familiarise themselves with concrete civil society initiatives aimed at biodiversity-based research, advocacy and lobbying for the oceans and at safeguarding coastlines and raising awareness regarding the effect of climate change on the ocean. Among the challenges shared by NGO representatives we count:

• the general public is not able to understand the depth, danger and seriousness of climate change and its effect on the oceans;

• the lack of specific public policies that meet the needs resulting from climate change;

• the lack of ocean literacy both for individuals and for states, and• the provisions for coastal and territorial waters are very difficult to control.

The first day concluded with a “Conversation with Ms Valerie Masson-Delmotte”, Paleoclimatologist and Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) who shared with participants the work of IPCC as well as some of the concerns and challenges resulting from it, such as: the voluntary nature of the IPCC funding and the research review mandate or the lack of experts and researchers' communities in several countries.

Day 2

A panel on “Education, Inclusion and Awareness Raising to Sustainable Development” , under the thematic of “The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Facing Climate Change” kickstarted the second day of the Forum. It enabled participants to learn more about the NGO - UNESCO partnerships on Education for Climate Change and on the work carried by NGOs across the world. The elements highlighted during this session regarded:

• the importance of including children of young age and families in education about climate change, developing pre-school education where possible;

• the need for further learning and teaching material for students and teachers;• considering children at an early age and the youth, particularly in Africa, as agents

of change and actors in the work on climate change;• education, gender equality and water (water as a common good /climate is water)

as related and key elements to face climate change• the need to involve more girls in the educational system, thus investing in girls and

women’s education, expertise and leadership in green and non-traditional jobs (agriculture, water etc.)

• the possibility to go back to and apply traditional techniques for current challenges;• the need for tracking and follow-up mechanisms that enable a measurement of

progress in terms of the agreements signed by different states.

The last two working sessions were dedicated to the thematic of “World Heritage, Biosphere Reserves and Indigenous Peoples Knowledge and Actions”. The points that were emphasised during these exchanges concerned:

• the need to reconsider regulations on hunting and human intervention in nature;• the involvement of local people, especially the young generation, in the debate,

decision making and implementation of actions against climate change;

• the need to work on raising awareness about the importance and benefits of using local, traditional knowledge in managing World Heritage site and tackling climate change;

• in the protection of WH sites, it is important to initiate and/or continue the observation, research and follow-up on the threats that local biodiversity and ecosystems are facing;

• a reminder that local people are not against change in general but the type of development that is being imposed upon them and done without their consent and agreement.

Conclusions of the Forum

In his closing remarks, Mr Peter Dogse, Co-Chair, Executive Secretariat, UNESCO Task Team on Climate Change, pointed out the need to change our mindset and keep up with the challenges created by climate change and the need for cooperation between UNESCO and NGOs, and between NGOs themselves, to continue in order to find solutions and ensure that our societies move forward in a sustainable manner.

As a result of these two intense days of sharing and exchanges, over twenty (20) proposals of action emerged - the full list can be found in Annex 1. The participants of the Forum were presented with 16 of these proposals and had the opportunity to prioritise them according to their own understanding and expertise. The top three priorities that emerged are:

1. Promote water as a common good and right, as well as a vital resource, and stop considering it as a merchandise - this objective received 26 voices

2. Ensure full visibility of the irreversible consequences of climate change on human and animal populations and habitat - this objective received 21 voices

3. Provide women access to vocational training and non-traditional education (TVET) - this objective received 20 voices

Closing session

The Forum concluded with the intervention of Mr Eric Falt, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Public Information, who saluted the presence, the commitment and involvement of UNESCO, UN agencies and NGOs in the Forum as well as the results achieved. He also pointed out to the opportunity that this Forum represents for everyone, and especially for NGOs, who should take advantage and use the Forum’s recommendations in their work on climate change.

ANNEX 1 - List of Proposals from the Forum

ENGLISH VERSION

Thematic - The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Facing Climate Change

1. Promote journalistic freedom and security

2. Fight against corruption and ensure the private sector and international organisations’ transparency, good governance and accountability for their actions

3. Raise awareness about the non ethical aspect of carbon credit purchase

4. Ensure the inclusion of civil society in the decision-making process in Climate Change Negociations Conferences

5. Ensure formal and non-formal education of children from an early age: take them at full value

6. Encourage multi sectorial partnership (science, academia, civil society and the private sector): each partnership multiplies the impact

7. Adapt curricula agriculture, water related jobs to be more gender sensitive

8. Provide women access to vocational training and non-traditional education (TVET)

9. Train teachers, trainers and old school staff

10. Involve families, including women, in educational decisions so that girls and boys may have earlier access to school

11. Ensure green competencies are shared with and built within Africa and developing countries to promote sustainable societies

12. Involvement of the most vulnerable peoples including the poorest, indigenous, women in the discussions and decision-making processes about climate change

13. Promote equity and justice in the context of climate change

14. Promote water as a common good and right, as well as a vital resource, and stop considering it as a merchandise

Thematic - World Heritage, Biosphere Reserves and Indigenous peoples’ Knowledge and Actions

15. Promote water as a common good and right, as well as a vital resource, and stop considering it as a merchandise

16. Certify and recognise traditional knowledge and skills as well as previously acquired non-traditional experience and knowledge (lifelong learning)

17. Promote research on Africa for and by Africans, with international partnership (as well as for any other continent)

18. Increase visibility of indigenous knowledge, expertise and skills database

19. Promote the reinforcement of Indigenous capacity-building, and involve them in negotiations and decision-making processes

20. Promoting a specific type of development that includes the consultation and involvement of indigenous populations in decision-making

21. Encourage Member states to consider the populations of South America and the Caribbean as vey vulnerable to climate change

22. Develop soft skills, including communication, solidarity, and empathy to reinforce collaboration/living together within the community and with other communities

23. Creating a Bill of Rights of the Planet

Thematic - Ocean and Climate change

24. Support to the scientific community and provide information on the possibilities to collect data, with the involvement of the local population

25. Increase visibility and reinforce binding mechanisms in international conventions, including the Human Rights European Convention

26. Ensure full visibility of the irreversible consequences of climate change on human and animal populations and habitat

27. Prioritise the question of marine pollution and in particular that of the floating plastic

28. Insisting on the emergency of the oceans

29. Ensure the sharing of knowledge and expertise about the ocean between scientists, local population and the private sector at global level.

VERSION FRANÇAISE

Thématique - Le role des organisations de la société civile face au changement climatique

1. Promouvoir la liberté et la sécurité de la presse

2. Lutter contre la corruption, et promouvoir la transparence, la bonne gouvernance et la responsabilisation du secteur privé pour leurs actions

3. Sensibiliser à l’aspect non éthique des achats crédit carbone

4. Assurer l’inclusion de la société civile dans les processus de décision des négociations sur le changement climatique

5. Garantir l’éducation formelle et non formelle des enfants: leur accorder leur pleine valeur

6. Encourager le partenariat multi-sectoriel: chaque partenariat multiplie les impacts

7. Adapter le curriculum de l’agriculture et les postes en rapport avec l’eau pour que ce soit sensibilisé à la thématique du genre

8. Assurer l’accès des femmes à la formation professionnelle et à l’éducation non-traditionelle

9. Former les professeurs, formateurs, et salarié.e.s hors corps enseignant

10. Impliquer familles, notamment les femmes, pour que les filles et les garçons aient accès plus tôt à l’école

11. Assurer que le compétences vertes soient partagées avec et créées en Afrique et dans les pays en development pour promouvoir des sociétés durables

12. Impliquer les populations les plus vulnérables - peuples autochtones, femmes, etc - dans les discussions et la prise de decision dans le domain du changement climatique

13. Promouvoir l’équité and la justice dans le contexte du changement climatique

14. Promouvoir une vision de l’eau comme bien et droit commun, ainsi que comme ressource vitale, et cesser de considérer l’eau comme marchandise

Thématique - Patrimoine mondial, réserves des biosphères et connaissances et actions des peuples autochtones

15. Promouvoir une vision de l’eau comme bien et droit commun, ainsi que comme ressource vitale, et cesser de considérer l’eau comme marchandise

16. Certifier les savoir/savoir-faire traditionnels ainsi que les connaissances et expériences non-traditionnelles déjà acquises (apprentissage tout au long de la vie)

17. Faire de la recherche par et pour les Africains avec partenariat international

18. Accroître la visibilité de la base de données du savoir et savoir-faire autochtones - établissement d’un répertoire

19. Promouvoir la visibilité des connaissances et expertises autochtones, le renforcement des capacités autochtones ainsi que leur participations dans les négociations et la prise de décision

20. Promouvoir un type de développement incluant consultation des peuples autochtones

21. Inciter les Etats Membres Considérer l’Amérique du Sud et Caraïbes comme populations très vulnérables face au changement climatique

22. Développer des compétences non techniques, y compris la communication, la solidarité et l'empathie pour renforcer la collaboration / le vivre ensemble avec d'autres communautés

23. Créer le Droit de la Planète

Thematic - Océan et changement climatique

24. Soutenir la communauté scientifique et fournir des informations sur les possibilités de collecte de données, avec la participation de la population locale

25. Ajouter des mesures contraignantes à la jurisprudence du manuel de l’environnement de la Convention Européenne des Droits Humains

26. Assurer la visibilité de consequences irreversible du changement climatique sur les êtres humains, les populations animales et l’habitat

27. Prioriser question pollution maritime, et en particulier des plastiques

28. Insister sur l’urgence des océans

29. Assurer le partage des connaissances et expertises sur l’océan entre scientifiques, populations locales, et secteur privé à niveau global