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Friday, 4 March
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Policy Options and Possible Actions
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Vice-Chair Dagmara Berbalk of Germany led a short morning plenary session
in which several delegations presented views on policy options and possible
actions for water, sanitation and human settlement which had been
deferred from Thursday due to time constraints.
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Maria Teresa Rosas Jasso of Mexico stressed the importance of legislation's
recognition of the equal rights of women, in moving towards gender
mainstreaming.
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Marc Trouyet of France suggested defining the roles and responsibilities
of various stakeholders in implementing services.
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Speaking on behalf of women's groups, Emmy Galama-Rommerts of the
International Council of Women emphasized the importance of working at
the local level.
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Closing Plenary
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On Friday afternoon, Chair Ashe introduced the draft Chair's text.
He said the text focused on policy options and policy actions that were
identified by delegations and other participations throughout the
meeting. He said that while the options seek to apply to as wide a range
of countries as possible, special consideration was given to addressing
the need of Africa, LDCs and SIDS, noting their challenges in achieving
sustainable development and in meeting the JPOI targets and MDGs. He
noted that the text comprised three sections corresponding to each of
the themes, and a section highlighting the interlinkages among them.
Chair Ashe then invited delegations to provide comments on the text.
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Final Statements
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Speaking for the G-77/China, Byron Blake of Jamaica said the meeting
had moved the implementation process forward.
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Speaking for the EU, Marguy Kohnen of Luxembourg said CSD-13 should
proceed from identifying obstacles to defining measures to overcome
them, including through the identification of actors to meet the
challenges. She called for innovative action-orientated outcomes,
combined with political commitment and action.
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Jonathan Margolis of the US requested the Chair and Secretariat to
provide a clear sense of how voluntary commitments can be brought
forward at CSD-13. He said there was a need to discuss the
Secretariat's role in support of the CSD's new ways of doing
business, and requested that CSD-13 include an opportunity to discuss
possible guidance the Commission might give on the Secretariat's
future role.
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Japan said CSD-13 must serve as a forum for taking further concrete steps
for the implementation of sustainable development. He proposed that the
post CSD-13 phase continue to focus on the implementation of the thematic
cycle, including by exploiting venues in the UN system, such as
UN-water.
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Norway urged CSD-13 to address the formalization of economic
assets into secure legal rights. She said that together with Sweden and
the WHO they would release a study during CSD-13 on the macro-economic
case for investments in water and sanitation, with the key message that
improved investments will boost economic growth and contribute to
poverty eradication.
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UNICEF stressed the need to address decentralization, financial
resources, expertise, gender inequalities and adequate central
government support.
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Input from Major Groups
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Speaking for trade unions, David Boys of Public Service International
expressed frustration that their proposals where not reflected in the
chair's paper. He also called for countries to include utility
managers in their CSD-13 delegations.
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On behalf of women's groups, Emmy Galama-Rommerts of the International
Council of Women stressed the Beijing +10 conclusion that no tool is as
effective for sustainable development as investing in women.
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Speaking for the scientific and technological community, Gisbert Glaser
of the International Council for Science said there should be a
recognition in CSD-13 outcome on the need for provision for science on
water and sanitation integration, and stressed, inter alia, the
need for building enhanced regional scientific and technological
capacities, specially in developing countries.
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On behalf of NGOs, Rosemary Rop of the African Civil Society Network on
Water pointed out that the actions to which States commit must add up
to coherent packages in the context of each country, and called for
CSD-13 to result in country specific tables of commitments by each player
active in the country.
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Speaking for local authorities, Rosalie Callway of the Local Government
International Bureau underscored that the environmental sphere has been
neglected in the chair's text, and called for commitment for action
and financial resources for decentralization and local authorities as an
outcome to CSD-13.
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On behalf of indigenous people, Lucy Mulenkei of the Indigenous
Information Network regarded the lack of reference to them in the text,
even though they play a key environmental role. She noted water
development infrastructure can threaten Indigenous People, and therefore
consultations with them are essential. She said governance must be
transparent and responsive to their concerns.
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Speaking for farmers, Lovemore Simwanda of the Zambia National Farmers
Union highlighted how they face the challenge of increasing food
production while protecting environment at the same time.
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On behalf of youth, Luis Davila Ortega of Global Youth Action Network
stressed that the chair's text was a missed opportunity to focus on
human settlements, which is the most relevant theme to youth.
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Speaking for business and industry, Thierry Chambolle of ICC and WBCSD
pointed out that in the area of partnerships, business can provide not only
financial resources but technical and managerial expertise.
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Highlighting the goal of producing a concise, concrete, action-oriented
outcome of CSD-13, Chair Ashe urged delegates to: reflect on which
options and actions would advance implementation and require
intergovernmental agreement; and forward specific examples of case
studies and measures to the Secretariat, with the aim of sharing these
practices on the CSD website. In closing, he noted that CSD-13 has
undertaken significant reforms, and that the success of the first IPM
hinged on whether the Commission can take decisions on options that will
have a real impact. He closed the session at 5:49 pm.
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Around the IPM
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Baba Cisse (Senegal), Eirah Gorre-Dale (WSSCC), Adama Mbaye (Senegal),
Amadou Niane (Senegal) and Alexis Campal (Senegal)
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Chair Ashe talks with Raphael Azeredo of Brazil.
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Mohammad Naeemi of Afghanistan and Byron Blake of Jamaica.
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Vice Chair Dagmara Berbalk of Germany looks at paperwork with a participant.
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Delegates from Norway confer with Jonathan Margolis of the US.
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A warm welcome!
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Delegates from Canada confer with Hugh Wilkins of WWF International.
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Kuwait intervenes.
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Benin intervenes.
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Saudi Arabia intervenes.
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A musical group from Friday night's tsunami benefit concert stopped
by during the lunch break.
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"Rol" Reiland of Luxembourg in a contemplative moment.
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Secretariat interns like Sonia Karim of Sierra Leone helped keep things running
smoothly.
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"The Gates" art installation in Central Park
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The Empire State Building at dusk
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Washington Arch in Greenwich Village
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Earth Negotiations Bulletin Team
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Team leader/writer Prisna Nuengsigkapian (Singapore), writer Richard
Sherman (South Africa)
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Writers Amber Moreen (US), Miquel Muñoz (Spain), and Twig Johnson (US)
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Logistics Coordinator "Pui" Kahusantisuk (Thailand)
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Digital Editor Dan Birchall (US)
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IISD Reporting Services Director "Kimo" Goree (left) and Pincas Jawetz
of the World Sustainable Energy Coalition.
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