WHAT IS RIO +20, THE CSD

PROCESS, AND HOW YOUTH

CAN PARTICIPATE

UN CSD Major Group of Children and Youth

in collaboration with Earth Charter International and EOTO World

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Welcome to the second instalment of the

MGCY’s Capacity Building toolkit!

In this webinar, we will look at:

A brief history of the Earth Summit & important events

along the road to Rio+20

7 Critical Issues - what are the major priorities for the

conference?

How do children and youth participate in the official

Rio+20 process? Do we have a say?

What exactly is the Zero Draft?

Something big is happening in Rio

de Janeiro this June…

The story of Rio+20

Ever heard of the Earth Summit?

1992

The original Earth Summit, also known as the UN

Conference on Environment and Development

(UNCED) - was held in 1992, in Rio de Janeiro,

Brazil. It was the first meeting of its kind. 170

governments and 2400 representatives from civil

society – more than 17,000 people - came together

to discuss the creation of a sustainable future.

Delegates created a vision of a sustainable world, and outlined what steps needed to

be taken to attain it. The outcomes of the first Earth summit were presented in these 6

important documents:

Rio Declaration on Environment and

Development

27 principles for achieving sustainable development,

emphasises linking environmental and

economic issues.

Agenda 21

a list of global measures to protect the environment and

guarantee sustainable economic growth.

Forest Principles

a set of principles for the preservation of forests

and monitoring impact on Timberlands

Convention on Drought and Desertification

proposals to combat desertification in specific ecosystems; by increasing

participation of local communities.

The Framework Convention on Climate

Change

This convention aims to provide a framework for actions to curb human-caused climate change;

The Convention on Biological Diversity

an international agreement on conserving biological

diversity, using components in a sustainable way; and

sharing fairly and equitably between all people.

The Rio Declaration: http://www.un.org/documents/ga/conf151/aconf15126-1annex1.htm

Agenda 21 : http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm

Earth Summit 1992 also established the Commission

on Sustainable Development (CSD).

The CSD monitors international treaties on the environment, provides policy direction, and coordinates action within the United Nations system to achieve the goals of Agenda 21.

The CSD meets each year for negotiations and the Major Group of Children and Youth have participated in several of these meetings. To find out more about Children and Youth contributions to CSD meetings check out Our History: http://uncsdchildrenyouth.org/what-weve-done/

2000: the millennium development goals

In the year 2000, world leaders agreed to 8 goals on

sustainable development, that would be met universally by

2015. These “Millennium Development Goals” were set

out in the Millennium Declaration.

Read the Millennium Declaration here:

http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm

Although progress has been made on most of the goals

since then, we do not expect all of them to be met by

2015.

The Millenium Development Goals:

http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/goals/index.htm

2002…

10 Years after Earth Summit 1992 came the Rio+10 Conference in Johannesburg (South Africa), which produced a follow-up document: the Johannesburg Programme on Implementation (JPOI). This plan focuses on operational steps to ensure:

Poverty eradication

Changing unsustainable patters of consumption and production

Protecting the natural resource base

Read the full declaration and plan of implementation online:

The Johannesburg Declaration: http://bit.ly/6rv2Mi

Johannesburg Plan of Action: http://bit.ly/b2Hrz6

Fast forward 20 years:

1992-2002

Some good things have happened

•Overall life expectancy and Human Development

levels have increased. The UNDP reports: “Most

people today are healthier, live longer, are more

educated and have more access to goods and

services. Even in countries facing adverse economic

conditions, people’s health and education have

greatly improved”.

Gender equality

We have made steps towards gender equality.

There has been a 60% increase in the number of

women in national parliaments since 1992.

However…

Most of the news is not happy news. A lot of work

remains to be done.

Despite global efforts to reduce CO2 emissions the

use of fossil fuels has been on the increase.

CO2 emissions have actually risen from 357ppmv

(parts per million by volume) to 389ppmv and it

seems unlikely that the target of curbing

temperature increasing to 2 degrees Celsius by

2100 will be met.

Polar caps are still melting

The polar bears

are not happy

Sea levels are

rising, thereby

threatening low-

lying countries

We’ve lost 300 million ha of forest area

Although the rate of deforestation has been slowing down,

large areas of primary forest are declining especially in

Africa and South America.

As a lot of the world’s

forest has been replanted,

this means that the forests

we have now, have lost

substantial amounts of

diversity in terms of plant

and animal species.

The list goes on… but we need to fight back!

More people live in hazard-prone areas due to

increased exposure to natural disasters

About 1 billion people are hungry, and about 1

billion children and youth live in extreme poverty

conditions.

But enough with the negative figures – let’s focus

on changing this.

2012:

Rio+20 Earth Summit

Welcome to Rio+20…

Today, almost 20 years have passed since the original Earth Summit. Now it is time to reflect on the progress we’ve made and the work that still needs to be done. It’s time forRio+20!

At the end of June 2012, Rio+20 (the UN CSD Conference on Sustainable Development) will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This year’s conference will be focussed upon 3 themes:

(1) OBJECTIVES

(2) The GREEN ECONOMY in the context of POVERTY ERADICATION

(3) INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (Governance).

To learn more - check out the “Themes of Rio+20” sections of this toolkit

A summary can also be found on our website: http://uncsdchildrenyouth.org/rio20/

The process

What will happen before Rio+20?

Several important steps have led the way to this important conference.

Check out this timeline:

CSD-19

the 19th meeting of the parties

which signed the original Rio Declaration

5 Regional Preparatory

Meetings

September 2011 Latin America

October 2011

Arab Region

October 2011

Asia Pacific Region

October 2011

Africa

December 2011

Europe & North America

3 Intersessionals

13-15th June 2012

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

15th -16th December 2011

New York, USA

26-27th March 2012

New York, USA

3 weeks of Informal

negotiations

25th - 27th

January 2012

New York, USA

19th- 23rd March 2012

New York, USA

23April - 4th May 2012

New York, USA

3 PrepComms (preporatory committee meetings)

16t- 18th May 2010

New York,

USA

7th-8th March 2011

New York,

USA

13-15th

June 2012

Brazil

Draft Zero submissions

1st November 2011

Draft Zero document released :

11th January 2012

The Documents

Agenda 21, JPOI, and now, Zero Draft

– what are these about?

Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation are two major documents which came out of Rio Earth Summit, and Rio+10 respectively. These are strategy documents, created after weeks and months of research and discussions and input from governments and stakeholders. They map out how member states should proceed in order to implement policies which are relevant to sustainable development.

Agenda 21, which was delivered by the historic Earth Summit in 1992 still remains a major blueprint for sustainable development. A lot of its recommendations have yielded positive benefits. However, not all member states, whether willingly or unwillingly, followed its recommendations and therefore its legacy was not one of unmitigated success.

The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation aimed to consolidate the measures written in Agenda 21.

In Rio+20, we also expect an outcome document which will map out strategies for the world to turn towards true sustainable development. So far, we have the Zero Draft, which is a document compiled by governments and stakeholders, including the MGCY, to guide the negotiations and outcomes in Rio.

The most important actors to influence the Zero Draft should be you. It’s about your future – so you should have a say what you expect

the document to produce!

Zero Draft, youth input and SDG’s

The Zero Draft of the Outcome Document, also called “The Future we want”, is the result of input from governments and stakeholders.

It contains a list of objectives, recommendations, and aspirations, which will guide the negotiations in Rio.

Young people also have an official position, which was drafted by youth online before 1 November, and which was submitted for the Compilation document out of which the Zero Draft is issues.

The Zero Draft has been criticised by stakeholders for not being ambitious enough. This is why it is crucial for young people to go through the document (it’s very easy to read!) and continue lobbying for points which are relevant to them!

We are expecting member states to agree upon “Sustainable Development Goals” which relate to the critical issues and themes of Rio. This is very important – the goals which are set in Rio will be the goals that guide the strategies member states will take towards sustainable development!

How can youth participate at Rio+20?

Stakeholder and major group participation

The Rio Earth Summit in 1992 led to the development of Agenda 21, often

referred to as the ‘blueprint for sustainable development’.

Who will take part

in Rio+20?

53 member states (governments)

CIVIL SOCIETY groups

( such as NGOs)

9 major groups

UN members and

organisations

Regional Commissions (such

as European Commission)

Agenda 21 recognized that

sustainable development could not be

achieved by governments alone. It

would require the active participation

of all sectors of society and all types

of people – consumers, workers,

business persons, farmers, students,

teachers, researchers, activists,

indigenous communities, and other

communities of interest.

The major groups play an important role because they are the voice of civil

society. The Major Group of Children and Youth (MGCY) is one of 9 groups that can

officially take part in the UN meetings on sustainable development. The other major

groups include: Women, Indigenous Peoples and NGOs.

Children and youth are widely recognized as an important

part of civil society, with strong interest in protecting and

preserving the planet’s resources.

The past decade has seen a growing acceptance of the

importance of youth participation in decision-making. The

international community has started recognizing that,

children and youth should be provided a secure and healthy

future, including an environment of quality and respect for

diversity, improved standards of living and access to education

and employment.

The Major Group for Children and Youth have successfully

engaged in the political process which has led to improved

policy making, adoption, implementation and evaluation.

How will children and youth participate in Rio+20?

You don’t have to be in Brazil to participate! No matter where you are, the key factors for successfully participating are the same:

Be prepared; Get friends and others around you with whom you can work and take actions; and above all, Be brave!

Participation comes in many forms, and you can take on different roles when engaging into the process. Everyone’s participation is valuable because we all contribute in different ways based on our interests and capacity....(Rio+Twenties)

A lot of young people would have obtained accreditation to the conference itself, whether it is as an NGO, part of the press or an official youth delegate or as member of a National Delegation. Once inside, there are lots of ways children and youth can influence the process

From lobbying directly to delegations, enhancing the policy base , or making the process more accountable, here is how they do it:

Oral interventions

Tracking the negotiations

Corridor lobbying

Participating in workshops

Holding side events

Most children and youth will not be physically present DURING the Rio+20 conference... How can they still take part in the process?

Participation in Rio

From OUTSIDE the Conference Centre and at home:

Be There!

Come to the YOUTH BLAST!!... Over two thousand young people are expected to attend the Youth Blast, the official young people’s event for Rio+20. The Youth Blast aims to:

Empower children and youth present at Rio+20.

Provide information and training for leaders around the CSD and provide a space for young people to share best practices for implementing solutions and participating in decision-making at the international level.

To strategise prior to Rio+20.

Raise awareness!

Reach out, and translate the outcomes of the

discussions for the public to understand.

Organise an Event where people can learn about

the issues, watch or make videos, get together and

create Rio+20 themed art.

The conference slogan is: The Future We Want...

What kind of future do you want?

Support the activists attending the conference.

Help put pressure towards various decision makers!

If a particular country is blocking progress, why not organize spontaneous and peaceful demonstration in as many cities as possible all around the planet? These local actions are really important to build pressure on the right actors and make them “feel the heat”, wherever they are.

Use the internet

Help youth inside and outside of the conference with

planning and coordination.

They will need your help and ideas to ensure

children and youth have a greater impact in the

decision making!

Before Rio+20

What can you do right now?

Children and youth all over the world will be taking action in their own countries and communities, to raise awareness of Rio+20 and the address the critical issues, even BEFORE it starts! You can be part of the global movement for change RIGHT NOW.

In the other sections of this toolkit you can find out how to:

Talk about Sustainable Development and Rio+20 in your Community...

Start your own Campaign through Social Media...

Use your creativity to Inspire Others...

Influence Decision Makers to Take Action....

For more information on how children and youth are already participating and influencing the global decision-makers, check out the Rio+twenties participation guide! Read or Download the guide here: http://rioplustwenties.org/?page_id=970

It was written by youth who have taken part in some of the world’s most important negotiations and have shared many best practices, tips, tricks and examples of How Youth Activism has helped to bring change for better

What are the objectives of Rio+20?

SECURE RENEWED POLITICAL

COMMITMENT

ASSESS PROGRESS

AND REMAINING

GAPS

ADDRESS NEW

CHALLENGES

Concrete global action cannot be achieved without commitment from political leaders. This means that policy makers must not only come up with decisions that are beneficial to all on social, economic and ecological levels, but also, they must stick to those decisions and take concrete steps to make them happen.

Many goals are outlined during important summits, but absence of follow-up means that these goals often fall short of their target. Rio+20 aims to ensure that actions are taken and carried out efficiently and therefore have the right means to examine if the decisions are on the right track.

The world is now facing difficult challenges. Since we are the generation that will have to live with the immediate consequences of those challenges, we need to prepare for them. Rio+20 will therefore address the issues of: 1. JOBS 2.ENERGY 3.CITIES 4.FOOD 5.WATER 6.OCEANS 7.DISASTERS

The Activity Bit:

Giving presentations

Raising awareness: giving presentations

Sustainable development can sound like a boring term to most

young people. One of the ways more young people can be

encouraged to participate, talk and act about their sustainable

future is by making the terms and issues more accessible to

them.

You can do that by staging events and giving presentations!

The events can be anything from fun activities with local

communities or kids, or more serious events with personalities or

media presence. Games, art (painting murals, or an “activism

tree”, music shows) or simple discussion groups are a way to

bring people together under a theme – see other sections of

the toolkit.

Things to consider when staging an event:

Title and purpose of the

event

Know your objective: what do you want to achieve? What are the messages you want to get

across? What are the actions that you want the audience to take

after the event?

Think of Why this event is

needed? and Who is the

Target?

What are the key messages? and

How will you get them across?

What are the resources? Who is needed to help

out? What equipment, what

venue?

Budget: How much money will you need? Who can fund you?

What is the evaluation criteria? How will you define the event as a success? one idea is to ask yourself "If all goes according to plan, such

and such should happen"

Write an agenda for the event

Note down all the actions and due

by dates eg "book venue by

..."

Some recommendations for giving a great presentation

and keeping your audience hooked!

Give presentations which INSPIRE rather than simply inform – you don’t just want to present a group of

people with facts about sustainable development. You want them to feel concerned and connect, and to

encourage them to voice what they really want ahead of Rio+20.

Identify a THEME and make it consistent throughout the presentation! You have to know what you want to

achieve with the activity. It’s better if you convey to your audience the reason of you’re conducting this

presentation and what you expect from them. Let them also know if they can raise questions or wait for a

discussion afterwards.

Provide the OUTLINE of your presentation so it becomes easy for the audience to follow.

Demonstrate your enthusiasm! Be passionate ,and amaze the audience. It is important that you believe in

what you are saying. Your passion is what convinces the audience. Have confidence and show that you

have no doubts about your statements, especially if you want to reach an agreement. Make your

presentation like a show with conviction!

Use of facts and figures! “Shocking statistics” often make people reflect. But make sure to place numbers,

statistics and figures in context to give them meaning (For example, instead of saying “Deforestation is

occurring at the rate of 20,000 hectares a day”, you can put it in context by comparing the amount of

forest lost to the size of Paris. “Every day we are losing 20,000 hectares of forest, which is about the same

size as Paris”. Or place the amount of food wasted in rich countries(220million metric tonnes) by comparing

to the amount produced in sub-Saharan Africa (200million metric tonnes) per year.

Try to make it visual: use slides or props wherever possible, but don’t overdo it.

Key points to remember

Know your audience: what their needs are? What their wants are? What do you want to get from them and how can you achieve that? Do they respond to more logical presentations or do they need something more emotional? Gather the targeted information. The information might differ depending for who it is. For example, if it is for children, you have to make the information simple, playful and interactive.

You have to secure a good understanding of what are you presenting. That might sound silly but you shouldn’t just read the lines, but be ready to explain the meaning if someone was not able to grasp your idea. Rehearse!

language, you don’t want to wind them up. Stick to 2/3 main points to avoid bewildering the audience.

Your speech must be clear, make pauses in between the sentences, and try to pronounce properly, so others can understand your statement or question. Try to speak louly enough for people to hear you, but don’t shout! Avoid language such as "isn't it", "you know", "um mm“.

Try to smile, Of course not too much! That keeps a good mood!

Eye contact! That’s probably one of the most important things. It maintains connection between you and people you are presenting to . Otherwise it might seem like you are presenting for yourself and others will not find it interesting.

useful links:

How to give presentations like Steve Jobs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-ntLGOyHw4

How to overcome speech anxiety: http://www.howcast.com/videos/174024-How-To-Overcome-Speech-Anxiety://

How to tell a story: NPR's Scott Simon shares his experience and wisdom to help you with your own storytelling skills: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiX_WNdJu6w

How to stage an event: http://www.ehow.com/how_2246624_organize-community-events-raise-awareness.html

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

EARTH CHARTER INTERNATIONAL

Website: http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EarthCharter

Twitter: @earthcharter

EOTO WORLD Website: http://www.eotoworld.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EOTOWorld Twitter: @EOTOWorld

The MGCY capacity building team: mgcy-capacity-building-team@googlegroups.com

UN CSD Major Group of Children and Youth: http://uncsdchildrenyouth.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNCSDYouthCaucus