Major groups engagement and participationBy Chantal Line Carpentier, Ph.D.Rio+20 Secretariat

Building the Future we want

The Road Map to Rio+20 … Objective and themes of the

conference Outcome document State of the negotiations Major groups and other stakeholder

activities Participation into the preparatory

process Participation into the conference

Objective and themes of the conference

Secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development

• assessing progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on SD

• addressing new and emerging challenges

UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution (A/RES/64/236)

Thematic focus

Include:

• a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication;

• institutional framework for sustainable development

Outcome Document

• focused political document• ensuring implementation of

commitments• addresses integration of economic, social

and environmental goals, • coherence of action at all levels (within

UN and countries)

Outcome Document

+ 686 submissions received (by November 1 deadline)+ 493 from Major groups and other stakeholders + Results of the regional Preparatory meetings and national meetings= zero-draft discussed 25-27 January

Further negotiation during Informal-Informals meeting in March, April

Finalized at the 3rd PrepCom in June Agreement to outcome document at Rio+20 conference

2011

FallRegional Preparatory meetings (RPMs), November 1

Input to compilation document

Mid-November Compilation document

15-16 December Second Intersessional,

UNHQ, NY• Nation-led meetings throughout

2012

Jan 25-27, NY Nation-led meetings throughout Negotiations 30 April - 4 May 13-15 June Third prep-com, Rio, Brazil 16-19 June Thematic days 20-22 June, Rio+20 conference, Rio

Road-map to Rio

The Co-chair zero

draft

Structure

• 6,500 pages synthesised into 128 para on 20 pages

• Vision• Renewing political commitment• Green economy in the context of …• Institutional framework for SD• Framework for Action

What’s there? What’s new?• Global policy framework for corporate reporting• Major groups upfront; Principle 10• Green economy: national and sectoral strategies,

knowledge platform, toolkit, indicators, capacity development mechanism, roadmap

• IFSD: Sustainable Development Council with voluntary review process; upgrading of UNEP

• Sustainable Development Goals, measures of progress beyond GDP

• Registry of commitments/accountability framework

What’s there? What’s not so new?• Rights based approach to basic needs: food, water

• Access to information technology• Reform of harmful subsidies with adequate

protection of vulnerable groups• Sustainable energy for all• Social protection floor• Ombudsman for future generations

What’s there to launch?

• Negotiations on agreement governing marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction

• Global observing network on ocean acidification• 10-year framework of programmes on SCP• Periodic report on the state of the planet’s carrying

capacity

green jobs and social inclusion energy access, efficiency and sustainability Food security & sustainable agriculture sound water management sustainable cities sustainable management of the oceans improved resilience and disaster preparedness

7 Priority Areas

State of the negotiation

s

Reactions

• Not ambitious enough• Not action oriented enough• Too much emphasis on the environment vs social• Lacks good governance and rule of law,

transparency, accountability, gender, role of youth and education as means to achieve sustainable development

• Or too much!

Lack focus on resource efficiency

Ecological footprint in 2050- need more than 2 planets

Not based Planetary Boundaries

Rising resource scarcity

Not enough on equity

What’s next for Major

Groups?

Major Groups• Major groups and civil

society are referred to in 8

of the 29 paragraphs of the

GA resolution calling for

the UN CSD in Rio in 2012

• Participate at all levels of

the process, nationally

regionally and globally

including at the conference

Women

Farmers

Scientific and Technological Community

Business and

Industry

Workers and Trade Unions

Local Authorities

Non-Governmental Organizations

Indigenous People

Children and Youth

Major Groups

From Agenda 21 (Rio 1992)

Capacity building workshops

• Latin America and Caribbean Region, ECLAC• Africa Region, ECA and partners• The Arab Region, ESCWA and partners• Asia Pacific Region, ESCAP• North America, W,C,&E Europe Region, ECE• DPI/NGO Bonn Conference• Informal informals• Initial discussion• Brasil• UNEP Governing Council

Showing and sharing support for Rio+20

Use the WEB Tools• all major groups and other relevant stakeholders can

post documents, initiatives, petitions, meetings etc. on official web site.

• By contacting your Major Groups Organizing Partners or,

• If initiative does not fit neatly into one major groups sector email UNCSD2012@un.org to get a username/password

http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/majorgroups

Organizing Partners

• 1 to 3 per major groups• Important to be added to their distribution list to stay

informed of latest opportunities and contribute to position • Contact info available at:http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?menu=35

How can you influence?

• Identify our area of concern

• Develop or compose an enabling paragraph or sentence: We call for the UN to establish an expert group/a high level panel/ an committee of eminent persons/ to develop/ to work to establish etc ;

• Not long, not too prescriptive and precise

• Where in the document does our issue find its natural place?

Strategic questions to ask yourselves• What is missing?

• What needs to be strengthened?

• Can we find agreed language and use that?

• If something is missing, where can I place that?

• Can I change the structure of the document?

• If a paragraph is there already, what will it take to get rid of that paragraph?

Examples of propositions so far

• Convention on principle 10: access to information, participation, justice• Universal access to clean energy• Non-regression on environl law convention• Corporate accountability (based on ISO2600)• Precautionary Principle into a framework convention (bio-eng, nano,

biotech)• Eco-city framework & standards• Convention on right to food• Prior and informed consent

Participation into the conferenc

e

Registration and Accreditation to Rio+20

• Pre-registration is open to all organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC, on CSD roster on WSSD list until May 20, 2012

• NGOs and other Major groups’ organisations NOT accredited to the UN (on CSD roster or on WSSD list, can apply until February 20, 2012

• Decisions from GA expected March 20, 2012

http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/majorgroups

Thematic days, side & Sustainable Development learning centers• 4 thematic days for non-governmental actors in Rio,

16-19 Juneo Expected to lead to partnerships & launching of initiatives

• Side events, learning centers & partnership fairs • Parallel events throughout the city

http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/majorgroups

The Bureau for the conference

• runs the process leading up to the conference,• has been selected by the UN General Assembly • The African Group: Egypt and Botswana; • The Asian Group: Pakistan and South Korea;• GRULAC (Latin American and Caribbean Group): Argentina and Barbuda; • CEIT (Countries with Economies in Transition): Croatia and the Czech Republic; • WEOG (Western European and Others Group): the US (first half of the period) Canada (second half of the period) and Italy; • ex officio: Brazil.

www.uncsd2012.org/major groups