Mountains
in the
‘Zero Draft of the
outcome document of Rio+20’
- Tek Jung Mahat
I have been closely observing preparations
of one of the most awaited conference of this decade, the United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) also known as Rio 2012 or Rio+20
or Earth Summit 2012, hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, as a 20-year
follow-up to the historic 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) that was held in the same city. Organised by the United
Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), this conference is
talk of the town ever since decision to hold the conference was made by UN
General Assembly Resolution A/RES/64/236 on 24 December 2009. There are many
high hopes associated with Rio 2012 as it is expected to redefine sustainable
development options and strategies based on review of what has been achieved
over last two decades, critical analysis of the new challenges evolved since
then (including climate change, biodiversity crisis, social exclusion and
disparity etc.) and consider also alternatives for Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), that expire in 2015. In short, Rio 2012 is seen as a big thinking and a
re-shaping of current processes.
Looking back and connecting the
dots
(Rio 1992 to Rio 2012):
There are some obvious expectations
from Rio 2012 as Rio 1992 was a huge success with participation of 172 states,
with 108 sending their heads of state or government; some 2,400 representatives
of NGOs and other 17,000 people at the
parallel NGO Global Forum, that opened for signature three important legally
binding agreements (UNFCCC and CBD in 1992 and UNCCD in 1994); issued Rio
Declaration on Environment and Development and Forest Principles; and
adopted Agenda 21 - a global plan of
action, to ensure sustainable development through integration of environment and
development issues and reflects a global consensus and political commitment at
the highest level on development and environment cooperation. This important
conference recognised for the first time significant place of mountains in
environmental discourses (at the highest level) and that was formally included
in the outcome document as a separate chapter ‘Managing fragile ecosystems:
sustainable mountain development - SMD’ (Chapter 13, Agenda 21). This had
cascading effects in mountain development communities over next decade that led
to birth of Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (InfoAndina) in
1992, Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN) in 1995, Euromontana in 1995,
Mountain Forum in 1996, European Mountain Forum in 1998, Mountain Research
Initiative (MRI) in 2001 among others, through several regional and global
consultations. This also enhanced, increased values and made visible works of
other existing organisations like International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD), African Mountain Association (AMA), Andean Mountain
Association (AMA), International Commission for the Protection of the Alps
(CIPRA) and The Mountain Institute (TMI). Similarly UNCED follow-up discussions
provided fertile ground to celebrate International Year of Mountains (2002) and
Bishkek Global Mountain Summit (2002), and preparation of Bali Document (2002)
that opened way to establish International Partnership For Sustainable
Development In Mountain Regions, a.k.a. Mountain Partnership (MP) in 2002 as
the Type 2, non-negotiated outcome of the WSSD. These arrangements and
processes as well as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Synthesis Report
‘Ecosystems and Human Well-being’ and IPCC AR4 have taken mountains at next
level of global debate, which will have to form concrete frame at Rio 2012 to
maintain its legacy and tap new opportunities the year 2012 will start offering
soon.
Preparing Mountains for Rio 2012 (April-October
2011):
There are several institutions
around the globe who are found to be advocating Mountain Agenda in the context
of Rio 2012 ranging from ‘States’ to ‘Intergovernmental Organisations’,
‘NGO/CBOs’ to ‘Major Groups’ like ‘Youth’, ‘Women’, ‘Farmers’, ‘Indigenous
Peoples’ and ‘Scientific and Technical Community’. On the top of this list are
the members and supporters of the Mountain Partnership Consortium (MPC), that
include countries in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas, Andes and Alps, Carpathian,
Caucasus, Balkan etc. and development agencies like Austrian Development
Cooperation (ADA), Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), Consorcio para
el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina (CONDESAN), Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO), ICIMOD, International Mountain Society (IMS),
Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS), MRI, Sultan Qaboos University (SQU),
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), University of Central Asia (UCA) and Zoï Environment Network (ZOI). Following
are few important events/arrangements implemented prior to 1 November 2011 –
official deadline to provide input to Zero Draft of Rio 2012.
Dates
|
Events
|
Organised by
|
Key outputs
|
April’11
|
E-conference on SMD in HKH
|
ICIMOD
|
Synthesis report and draft HKH Assessment
Report
|
May’11
|
Virtual Consultation on SMD in
South and Central Asia (Youth
Perspective)
|
ICIMOD/APMN
|
Synthesis report
|
June ‘11
|
E-conference on SMD in South East
Asia and Pacific (SEA-P)
|
ICIMOD
|
Synthesis report and draft SEA-P Assessment
Report
|
Aug ‘11
|
Asia Pacific Youth Meeting on
Rio+20 (AP Youth Forum) 2011
|
ICIMOD/APMN
|
- Asia Pacific Youth Declaration
on Climate Change and Sustainable Development
- Asia Pacific Youth Position
paper on Rio+20
|
Aug ‘11
|
Regional Sharing Workshop on
Assessment of Challenges and Opportunities in the Asia Pacific region for Rio
+20
|
ICIMOD
|
Finalization of structure and
contents of Regional Assessment Reports on Rio+20 in HKH and SEA-P.
|
Sept’11
|
International Conference on Green
Economy and SMD
|
ICIMOD & UNEP
|
Green Economy and Sustainable
Mountain Development: Kathmandu Declaration
|
Oct’11
|
Lucerne World Mountain Conference
|
MPC & SDC
|
- Mountains for the World: Call
for Action
- Presentation and discussion on
SMD Assessment Reports in Andes, Central Asia, Africa, Eastern and
South-Eastern Europe, HKH, Middle East and North Africa, Mesoamerica, SEAP
and Alps
- Presentation and discussion on
global SMD reports on Green Economy and Institutional Framework
|
As a result of above activities and
number of others, mountains received enormous response when it comes to
submissions made to the UNCSD Secretariat. Of total 677 submissions uploaded on
UNCSD website 49 submissions were made in favour of Mountain Agenda. Submitters
included countries like Bhutan, Nepal, Serbia, Spain-Terual and Switzerland;
intergovernmental organisations like ICIMOD and FAO/MPS, youth groups, green
coalitions, academia, and research institutions.
Establishing linkages between
climate change (UNFCCC process) and Rio 2012 (November-December 2011):
Last two months of 2011 were
particularly important in linking global climate change debate with Rio+20
process in every sector, and mountains were not an exception.
Bhutan Climate Summit for a Living
Himalaya was successfully convened in Thimphu in November 2011 with the aim of
promoting technical cooperation among four participating countries –
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indian and Nepal. Apart from developing and agreeing a road
map for adapting climate change in the Himalayas, the event was also useful in
furthering debate on Green Economy in the region.
Organised by ICIMOD, World Bank,
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and other MPC members,
first ever Mountain Day at UNFCCC COP17 on 4 December 2011 didn’t only broke
scientific understanding about climate change in the Himalayas but it also
convened higher level policy debate on SMD in the context of climate change and
Rio 2012 in presence of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Chair,
Environment Ministers from Bhutan, Costa Rica and Nepal, and several other
senior bureaucrats/policy makers, development agency representatives,
scientists interested on mountain climate change. The event formally concluded
adopting a ‘Call for Action to Protect Mountain Ecosystems and People’, that
establishes strong connections between Climate change and Rio 2012 and urges
global community to work together to ensure mountain sustainability and make
best use of Rio 2012 process to benefit mountains and people.
Organised by FAO/MPS, UNEP and the
Missions of Italy and Switzerland to the UN, the Mountain Focus Group convened
in New York on 14 December 2011 sought to forge a common understanding on
including mountain development in Rio 2012. The meeting focused on the outcomes
from the Lucerne World Mountain Conference and its potential input to the
UNCSD, the latest developments in the UNCSD preparatory process and ensuring
the proper inclusion of mountain issues, and the role of the MPS leading up to
the UNCSD in June 2012. Topics addressed included the need to communicate both
the challenges and benefits of mountains, approaches for outreach on mountain
issues, potential partnerships, and the sustainable development of mountains as
a cross-cutting issue.
Rio+20 Zero Draft Agenda presented
- MOUNTAINS find a separate paragraph in the main text (January
2012):
The much anticipated Rio+20 Zero
Draft Agenda was made available to the public on 10 January 2012. Entitled as
‘The Future We Want’, the 19-pages long draft is broadly organised under five
sections - Preamble/Stage setting; Renewing Political Commitment; Green Economy
in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; Institutional
Framework for Sustainable Development; and Framework for action and follow-up.
The report is further organised with respect to different themes, issues,
groups and approaches which are presented in total 128 paragraphs.
Interestingly, MOUNTAINS find a separate paragraphs (94), which appears as
below:
“We recognize that
mountains are highly vulnerable to global changes such as climate change, and
are often home to communities including of indigenous peoples, who have
developed sustainable uses of their resources yet are often marginalized,
sometimes with high poverty rates, exposure to natural risks and food
insecurity. We recognize the benefits derived from mountains and their
associated ecosystems. We also recognize the need to explore global, regional,
national, and local mechanisms to compensate and reward mountain communities
for the services they provide through ecosystem protection.”
However the most important thing to
ponder at this point is - Is the statement above realistically presents beauty,
richness, challenges and opportunities mountains truly deserve? Is it enough to
renew political interest and commitment of mountainous (and non-mountainous)
countries and other development communities? If not, what are the next steps?
Next steps...
It is quite clear that mountains
will need much more attention going far beyond climate change and ecosystem
services and that is possible only through making significant contributions in
the upcoming meetings in the Rio 2012 process (Initial discussions on the zero
draft of outcome document – finalisation of the ‘Zero draft of the outcome
document’, 25-27 January; 3rd Intersessional Meeting of UNCSD, 26-27 Mar; First
round of 'informal-informal' negotiations on the zero draft of outcome
document, 19-23 March; 3rd Preparatory Committee Meeting UNCSD, 13-15 June and
the main UNCSD Conference, 20-22 June 2012), which again needs to be sought
through partnerships among mountainous countries, think-tank institutions,
relevant major groups and other stakeholders. For the success of securing
better position of mountains it would be critical to influence countries and
other stakeholders through various means, including development and
dissemination of ‘Policy Briefs’, ‘Call for Actions’, ‘Appeals for Mountains’;
meetings of knowledge providers and mountain advocacy groups with the
countries; and sensitizing the Rio 2012 delegates and give agreed talking
points to country, IGO and Major Group representatives through organisation
Side events on ‘Highlighting the Critical Role of Mountain Ecosystems’ in the
context of Rio 2012 at 3rd Intersessional Meeting in March in NY, 3rd PreCom
meeting in June in Rio and at the main Rio 2012 Conference. In between these
processes it might equally be useful to have a dedicated session to development
on Rio+20 priorities at the Ministerial Meeting of Mountainous Countries
planned by the Government of Nepal in April 2012.
-----------------------
Disclaimer
-----------------------
Information provided in this article are taken from various websites and
publications and wherever possible the source is quoted. These are
personal views of the author and do not represent views of institutions he is
affiliated to.
About
the Author:
Tek Jung Mahat is an Environmental Science graduate from the Tribhuvan
University, Nepal. He is working on issues related to environment,
sustainability and climate change in Asia for many years. He was one of
facilitators of Nepal’s Mountain Initiative, Bhutan Summit preparation, Mountain
Day at COP17 and Rio+20 preparations in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas and South East
Asia Region. In the capacity of APMN Manager, he managed MF activities and
facilitated MP initiatives in the Asia Pacific region from 2007-2011. Currently
he leads Asia Pacific Youth on Rio +20 (Earth Summit 2012); Youth for
Sustainable Mountain Development (Y4SMD) and Media engagement in SMD (M4SMD)
initiatives. He pioneered e-dialogues and e-networking among environment
professionals in Nepal by establishing the Environment
Professionals Group in 2005 and established Climate Himalaya Initiative - an
independent, informal, and informative network of climate change professionals
in the Himalayas in 2007. Furthermore he runs a blog Realising CHANGE aiming to
inform and empower early and midcareer professionals working on sustainability
issues.)
Citation:
Mahat, T. J. (2012) Mountains in ‘Zero Draft of the outcome document of Rio+20’.
Blog entry on Realising CHANGE.
Available at http://realisingchange.blogspot.com/2012/01/mountains-in-zero-draft-of-outcome.html
