6/22/2012 8:24:00 AM

Dr. Le Bac Huynh sent from Rio de Janeiro on morning 22/6/2012.

Strategy will be discussed at tomorrow's (22/06) global gathering

Hi all,

Thanks to everyone who took part in today's meeting. The conclusions and next steps we decided upon are set out below.

We are going to adopt a loosely coordinated approach which allows for advocacy for both regional P10 conventions (and in particular a Latin American Convention) and a global convention. Different groups will focus on different aspects of these asks depending upon what is most appropriate given their strategic direction etc. However, all organisations and individuals involved will make their best efforts to do this in a way that doesn't undermine either the regional or the global convention ask.

Current strategy for a global convention: UNEP governing council will meet in February. UNEP will most likely prepare an options paper for this. We should ensure that we are consulted on this and do some of the groundwork for what this paper could cover, eg through a proposal of our own building upon the paper by Jeremy and Lalanath, but addressing in more detail how a global convention would fit with regional conventions. A framework convention is not a good option as it would involve a lot of work without covering much of the substance and would be predicated on all regions having their own convention. We will focus on establishing why 88 (h) mandates consideration by UNEP of a global Principle 10 Convention and why this would be a good thing.  In the context of the UNEP process, the global convention ask will take priority but will not made in a way that undermines the possibility of regional conventions. There might also be some possibility of using the IUCN meeting in September. 

Current strategy for a Convention  in re Latin American region: 8 Latin countries have commited to carrying out a consultation process with other Govts, mandating ECLAC to tell them what they need to do to go ahead. The strategic plan is to benefit from the Rio regional process and organise a summit in January 2013 in Santiago. The intention is also to go to Europe to gain experiences from the Aarhus Convention process, including seeing if the UNECE is willing to second someone to ECLAC to help with this process. The OAS is less likely to be a source of support. There is also a keeness to involve NGOs in the process, both from inside and outside of the region. In the context of this process, the regional convention ask will take priority, but will not be done in a way that undermines the possibility of global conventions.

Engagement with other bodies:

Aarhus: There will be engagement with the Aarhus Secretariat and NGOs around the Latin American regional convention. The secretariat and NGOs will need to consider how to approach the global convention ask (this ísn't something we discussed at the meeting today but will likely be covered both in the formal and NGO discussions on Rio in the Aarhus working group meeting in September).

Independent Expert at the Human Rights Council:

The name of the expert will be announced at the lat day of the Human Rights Council, the aim of the expert will be to follow up on what has happened at Rio + 20 by pushing for a right to a healthy environment. The appointment will last for the next 3 years and might be renewed after that. Given that a large number of human rights special rapporteurs prepared a five point proposal related to rights and Rio and 3 of the five proposals related to procedural rights, we could build from that work to ensure that the call includes a call for a global principle 10 convention. In order to do this we would need to lobby states within the HRC to mandate the SR to do this. UNHRC released a joint report with UNEP yesterday.

OGP: This is a voluntary, commitment based effort by Governments to make commitments on various transparency issues. The UK will be the senior chair next year, Brazil is current chair. Article 19 Brazil will draft a letter to the brazilian government asking it to send the Rio outcome document to all members of the OGP and asking them to take into account when making their commitments. TAI will take the Rio commitmetns of an environmental nature and put them up on the OGP website. When the UK is the senior chair we will consider how to make use of this and develop links between the OGP and environmental NGOs.  (view of UK NGOs that there isn't much value in trying to get the UK to lobby for a global principle 10 convention and easier to lobby the EU on this but we can revisit this if need be).

High level political forum language in 85 (h). Worth lobbying Mexico/de Alba on taking forward the language about improving public participation in international SD processes and coming up with a proposal in re how this might relate to UNEPs mandate in 88 (h).

Next Steps

Joe and I will update the environmental democracy list so that everyone's name is on it. I will organise a phone meeting for late July to touch base on where we are with things. In the meantime it would be helpful to work on a mapping document setting out what the Rio outcome means for public participation and the local, national regional and international levels, as Lalanath suggested in a previous meeting. I think many NGOs would find this really helpful.

That's it from me from Rio Centro, tomorrow I'm heading to the people's summit. I hope you all get a chance to relax after all our hard work and wish you safe journeys home.

Gita

 

 

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