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WSSD News for US NGOSJune 24, 2002 issue [This issue is also available in a PDF print edition (322k). ] Bali Wraps Up With Loose Ends
Two weeks ago, the final global PrepCom wrapped up in Bali, Indonesia. As many feared, the second week of negotiations failed to produce a Plan of Implementation or Political Declaration. The current Plan is riddled with brackets and watered-down text, and the Declaration has been left to the secretariat to draft, based on a brief discussion of possible elements. Many governments increasingly took the easy way out, shifting focus to "Type II" partnerships as a solution, perhaps in an attempt to have something to trumpet as a success in South Africa. Many hoped that with ministers present, the disagreements from PrepCom 3 and 4 might be solved, obstacles more frankly discussed, and strong, inspiring language could prevail. It was not to be so. Much to the chagrin of US NGOs present, the United States delegation played a key role in convincing Canada, Japan, and Australia to follow its lead as strong text was exchanged for weak text, paragraphs deemed undesirable to big businesses back home were bracketed, and Agenda 21 concepts and principles were opened to dissenting discussion with little sense of the historical progress and future outlook that was supposed to be the ideal hallmark of the Summit process. At one point, the chairman was overheard on an open mike muttering to a colleague, "What are we going to do about the US?", a quote which quickly landed on T-shirts worn by NGO members. Of course, the US continued to push for it's own interpretation of sustainability in it's insistence that "good governance" must come first, specifically focusing on issues like corruption and transparency in developing countries to encourage private sector FDI investment and public/private partnerships. Conspicuously absent, however, was reflection on the US's domestic performance, or initiatives on how it planned to clean its own house. Concepts which could improve domestic sustainability and reduce the US impact on the planet, such as reduced corporate influence on government, development of a national sustainability strategy, or an accelerated transition to sustainable (and domestic) energy sources, are simply not on the table. The US, however, is not the only source of problems. The EU, while espousing many principles with which US NGOs agree, appeared timid and consiliatory in many cases, silently accepting text that disagreed with their goals or agreeing with detrimental text changes. The G-77, with the exception of their promotion of a framework on corporate accountability, often sheltered themselves from binding agreements. In their aquiesence to OPEC countries, the G-77 was often reluctant to stand up for those among them (such as the Small Island Developing States) likely to be adversely impacted in the future. In a surprising display of arrogance, Australia announced on Earth Day its refusal to ratify Kyoto, spoiling efforts to find something to celebrate. In the long run, the bracketed Plan now being passed on to Johannesburg puts the responsibility for success on the Heads of State expected to attend. Those with the decision-making power will have the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership—or their irresponsibility.
For NGOs, much remains to be done between now and Johannesburg, just nine short weeks away. Both governments, business, NGOs, and other groups will be scurrying, trying to influence each other, cut deals (err, partnerships), and figure out the best way to call Joburg a success come September 5th. It's clear that there is little political will and even less foresight at the moment to accomplish great things for our shared future. Some sarcasticly have referred to this process as "Rio minus ten". It remains to be seen whether heads of state will feel any more sense of urgency, responsiblity, and will to break with the status quo than their subordinates did in Bali. All is not lost, however. While some NGOs are now considering not going to Johannesburg, that could be a mistake. Civil society, especially in the United States, must not abandon their place at the UN, especially at a time when corporate lobbyists are working hard to entrench themselves and their view of the world. We need to especially highlight the dire need for a forward-looking plan of action, particularly if this is not produced. We must find ways to break through the media blockade to reach the public in a national dialogue about our future and the leadership meeded to provide a better quality of life for all. Instead of ignoring the Summit, NGOs need to use the opportunity to strengthen their role and place at the table of negotiations. It is clear we no longer live in an era where poverty and squallor can be ignored. We, as a country, must begin to act on it. Joburg is our chance to demonstrate that to the world.
The World Summit Process: News and UpdatesAugust 5th is deadline to register for WSSDFor those planning to go to Johannesburg, you must be registered by August 5th with the WSSD Secretariat. If your organization is not accredited, you will have to find a related organization to sponsor you, or just attend the non-official events. To register for WSSD: Text of Draft Plan for Joburg releasedThe latest official text of the Draft Plan for Implementation from the PrepCom 4 (June 12) [PDF] is on the WSSD website. Pay attention to the text in bold brackets - those sections are what governments couldn't agree on in Bali. These will be quite contentious in Johannesburg; it's also where NGOs should focus their lobbying efforts. US NGO statement in Bali On June 6th at WSSD PrepCom 4, US NGOs released a statement, "What Should We Do About the United States?", which criticizes the poor US leadership in the Summit process, and questioned whether the US itself measures up to the "good governance" philosophy it advocates for other countries. Quoting from the statement, "Most [Americans representing civil society] here in Bali to promote sustainable development are frustrated and embarrassed with the actions and attitudes of our government. Instead of representing our interests and concerns, we find our current government defending the interests and agenda of big business." Side event deadline has passed!If you were planning on holding a side event at the official WSSD venue, you may be too late. The deadline was abruptly changed to last Thursday. If you haven't already scheduled your side events, you should check into this to see if you still can... Another great source of global summit newsIf you're interested in WSSD policy on an international level, you should consider subscribing to IISD's listserve, Summit2002-L. IISD also runs an extensive portal which is a wealth of technical information about WSSD and the processes that link into the Summit process. Subscribe at http://iisd.ca/scripts/lyris.pl?join=2002summit-l
Related News
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| Protesters voice their opinions in Bali. [Full size photo] |
June 25-26: G8 Summit
The world leaders of the countries known as the G8 will be meeting this week
in Calgary. As expected, there will also be a large NGO presence and a concurrent
People's Summit. See http://g8.activist.ca/
for info.
June 27: US NGO Strategy Meeting
CitNet, with NWF, is hosting a brown bag discussion from 11 AM - 2 PM in
Washington, DC for US NGOs to formulate our collective strategies in the next
nine weeks before Johannesburg. Read the preliminary
announcement for details, and please call/email us to RSVP for the location
(info@citnet.org or 301-770-6375).
June 28: Southern California Town Meeting For UN Earth Summit II
Friends of the UN, Southern California Council on Environment &
Development, and a number of other organizations are hosting the Southern California
Town Meeting For UN Earth Summit II this Saturday, June 29th from 8 AM-5 PM.
See announcement
for details.
July 2: Briefing with US Delegation
The State Department has asked Citnet to organize a briefing with the US
delegation to WSSD. The briefing will be held at National Wildlife Federation
from 10-11:30AM.
July 25: WSSD Symposium and Press Conference
Worldwatch Instutute, in conjunction with the Brazilian Embassy, South African
Embassy, and other NGOs, is convening a symposium, press conference, and reception
(approximately one month before the Summit).
August 19 - September 4: Civil Society Global Forum
The civil society forum, also in Johannesburg, South Africa, will be held
before the official WSSD session. Expecting as many as 60,000 people, the planners
have identified "seven
secrets to success" they hope the Forum will accomplish. More info
on the Forum is available at their website: http://www.worldsummit.org.za/.
August 26 - September 6: World Summit for Sustainable Development
The big event in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is on your calendar,
right?
Don Brown, a long time CitNet member, has written a new book, "American Heat: Ethical Problems With the United States Response to Global Warming". It's an honest expose of a timely topic, coming at a particularly crucial point in America's industrial history.
Gail Karlsson provides a report from Bali for the CitNet Energy & Climate Change Working Group on the relevant discussions at WSSD PrepCom 4, posted in the Energy & Climate Change working group area. Read the report a http://citnet.org/wg/energyclimate/docs/ReportFromBali.aspx.
For those who couldn't attend Bali, you may wish to flip through the NGO publications that were published daily there. You might start by browsing the Taking Issue, Eco-Equity and Outreach editions. Of course, IISD again did an excellent job of coverage with day-by-day text summaries and audio and video clips of the events. Links to all of these can be found on the PrepCom 4 Daily Publications page on the SDIN site at http://sdissues.net/SDIN/PC4DailyPubs.aspx.
A draft edition of "Waiting for Delivery" [PDF], an ICSPAC report on sustainable production and consumption since Rio, was released for coment in Bali. The report, which examines progress, obstacles, and next steps for implementation in areas such as subsidies, military consumption, and lead elimination, will be released as a final, expanded version in Joburg.
June 20-22: Coal Summit
A coalition of NGOs interested in the impact of coal mining in the Appalachian
region held a conference this weekend in Charleston, WV. See the Coal
Summit website for more details.
June 21: Powers of Ten celebration
Last Friday in New York City, Green Map held their "Powers
of Ten" event celebrating the ten year anniversary of the Green Apple
Map.
June 21-23: Global Justice Summit
The Global Justice Action Summit
happened in Missoula, Montana, organized by Partners for Global Justice and
Sustainable Communities. Continuing through the weekend as a lead-in to the
G8 meetings next week, highlights include Friday's Festival
of Sustainability, Self-Sufficiency, and Simplicity and a two day Sustainable
Transportation Caravan for Peace and Fellowship using bicycles, electric
and hybrid vehicles, biodiesel buses, and carpooling.
Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) and FoE Germany (BUND) have developed an excellent resource for those who need to get a perspective on the issues emerging for WSSD. Besides news and FoE positions, the site includes action-oriented areas where you can send postcards and emails, download an Action Kit, and view a clickable map of Europe to get details on planned Action Days.
Browse their site at: http://www.rio-plus-10.org/
Although not related to WSSD, we have been receiving a lot of (preventable!)
virus-laden emails from people (often without their knowledge), simply because
they have not kept up with Microsoft's security fixes. We highly recommend visiting
the Windows Update and Office Update websites to get the latest patches to security
holes. The newest tools on these sites will (with your permission) set themselves
up to automatically check for and download any critical security updates that
are released in the future. And if you're not running anti-virus software, you
really should be! You owe it to yourself and your colleagues to spend a few
minutes and visit these sites! (If appropriate, check with your computer administrator
first, they might need to do these updates for you or not allow unapproved installs.)
Windows Update: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
MS Office Update: http://office.microsoft.com/ProductUpdates/
How to protect your PC from viruses: http://www.cnet.com/software/0-7760531-8-6764489-1.html
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER:
"WSSD News for US NGOs" is a semi-weekly publication produced by CitNet for the US Citizens Preparatory Committee. WSSD News shares what other US NGOs are doing related to the Summit and disseminates relevant information about the Summit process itself. It's the best way for US NGOs to get involved, stay informed, or get up to speed on the issues surrounding the World Summit.
Archives available at: http://citnet.org/uscpc/newsletters/
If you would like to contribute, have news to publicize, or would like to share your comments and suggestions, email us at uscpc-info@citnet.org.
Thanks to Citizens Network for Sustainable Development for hosting and maintaining the listserve, and to all organizations and individuals who contributed content and news to this issue. For an orientation to the Summit, see CitNet's Citizens Guide to the World Summit at http://citnet.org/worldsummit/. For in-depth information about the major issues emerging for Johannesburg, visit the Sustainable Development Issues Network's website at http://sdissues.net/sdin/.
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