Rachel Schön reports on the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg Rachel Schön had an experience of a life time earlier this year when she joined other members of her youth organisation, the Woodcraft Folk, in a delegation to the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. The delegation were accredited as a Major Group, which gave them the opportunity to represent their views to the Summit. They joined other young people from around the world in the Youth Caucus, which lobbied, campaigned and finally delivered a statement to the main session of the Summit. Here are extracts from Rachel's diary:
Monday 26th August I can't believe that I am sitting in the Media Centre at the UN World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD), writing this. Even down in black and white it doesn't seem real. I should explain; my name is Rachel Schön and I am a 14-year-old from London. I'm attending the summit as a member of the youth caucus.
The Summit is being held in Sandton, a very rich suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Walking around near the Summit buildings the surroundings look just like the richer areas of any western city. This is in stark contrast to the poverty of townships such as Alexandra and Ivory Park only twenty minutes drive away. For the summit to be a success, we are hoping for commitments that will improve the lives of people throughout the world who live in such conditions. Sustainability is not just about the environment, it's about everything. Conflict, food, water, aid, globalisation, health. All these things fall under the title of sustainable development. I am hoping that this conference will be the beginning of a new chapter in the way governments of the world deal with the problems facing us. It simply has to be.
I have only been at the main summit two days now but already I have gained a substantial insight into the workings of international politics. At this summit, there are nine major groups who feed into the decision-making process. These groups include women, indigenous peoples, farmers, scientists, local authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), trade unions, business and industry and youth. Our delegation is working within the Youth Caucus at the summit. So far this has principally involved drafting statements to be presented to heads of state and at the final 'multi-stakeholder event'. There are plenary sessions on all the major issues being discussed at the where a panel of representatives from the major groups and important intergovernmental bodies (such as the WTO and UNHCR) debate and discuss the issues, before governmental representatives deliver speeches on the action their country is taking. However, these aren't where the important decisions are being made. The actual negotiations take place behind closed doors by groups such as the G-77 (which is the group of developing countries established in 1964 to promote their economic interests within the UN), or the European Union. This is where the countries decide what position they will be taking. I need to rush off to a meeting between UK Non Government Organisations (NGOs) and the UK government delegation. I've no idea what it will be like but I'm hoping it will be productive. I'll write more soon!

Tuesday 27th August

Well it's my third day at the summit and things are really starting to happen. The UK government meetings will be daily from now on, and I think they're going to be really useful opportunities to lobby the government. The meeting yesterday was very different from how I imagined it. Around twenty people attended and everyone sat around a table and was able to make comments and discuss the issues that had arisen that day. Both Margaret Beckett MP (Secretary of State for the Environment) and Michael Meacher MP attended and also many civil servants. At the start of the meeting I was a bit starstruck- I couldn't believe I was sitting three seats away from the Secretary of State! But as the meeting continued I forgot their fame and was aware that everyone seated at the table had the same aim- a more sustainable future.

I write these entries in the Media Centre of the summit- it's an amazing place, where journalists from all over the world are working whilst the summit is taking place. There are lots of small box-like rooms within the one big room, each with the name of the company on the door. Walking around you see "Al Jazeera" along with "BBC" and "CNN".

I've spent the morning at the Civil Society Global Forum in Nasrec. This isn't part of the main Summit but is a parallel event; you don't have to be accredited for WSSD to attend. The delegates there are Non Government Organisatons (NGO's) and civil society, including lots of young people who would like to have their views heard at the main summit. The youth caucuses at both the main Summit and at Nasrec are trying to work together so that the statements made to the WSSD are as representative as they possibly can be. The Youth Caucus at the main WSSD is dominated by delegates from the North and this situation is reflected throughout the summit. At Nasrec, however, many of the delegates are from African countries, especially South Africa.

It's important that the NGOs at Nasrec can participate as fully as possible in the main summit. The organisation of the events has not been sensible: it can take over an hour to travel between Sandton where the main event is, and Nasrec. There is a feeling here that the UN and the South African government have designed the Civil Society Global Forum to keep 'troublemakers' away from the political process in Sandton and, to make sure that the NGO groups have trouble working together and, thus, less time to follow and react to the political process.

I must go and have something to eat! In fact food at the summit is another controversial issue. Many people, including the Youth Caucus, feel that the food sold here is overpriced. The Youth Caucus are considering holding a fast for a day in protest and demonstrations such as this can be very effective. At the preparatory conference in Bali in the summer, the Youth Caucus held a demonstration where they walked backwards, to signify the lack of progress being made. This was not only was a good way of showing the governments how disgusted we are but also generated lots of media interest. News from the summit is not focussed on global issues, rather the articles are about the lack of progress being made. Whilst this is very important, it has to be recognised that the 'Johannesburg Commitment' is not the only thing being formed here at WSSD. While the governments argue behind closed doors, representatives of civil society are meeting, forming friendships and exchanging understanding of what must be done. Waiting for the governments to take action does not seem to be an option.

Thursday 29th August

Yesterday there was an awful moment when someone came into the Youth Caucus room and told us that the U.S.A and Saudi Arabia had struck a deal- The Saudi government would agree to persuade the G-77 to drop all references to the Kyoto Protocol which calls for government action on climate change in return the US would drop all references to Human Rights. I could not believe that governments act in this manner; it was a real low of my time here so far.

The governments are spending their time debating over the punctuation in the Plan of Implementation and all decisions seem to be a step backwards from the current situation. There are times when I feel completely helpless and despairing.

However, the Energy plenary yesterday was really successful for the Youth Caucus. The youth representative on the panel delivered a really powerful statement spelling out the need for 100% renewable energy as the ultimate goal. It is with these statements that the Youth Caucus can deliver the main, official input into events at the summit.

Although I have not felt since the first meeting that the government is on the same wavelength, they do take notice of what we say. I've also met lots of really committed and inspiring people at the meetings, for instance the Friends of the Earth representatives are great at putting the ministers on the spot and getting answers. I'm learning more every day here.

One of our delegation, Elle, was interviewed live on BBC News 24 - quite scary but it went really well! We've also decided to hold our own press conference tomorrow: "UK Youth Challenge Tony Blair". We're concerned that the Prime Minister is only spending a day at the summit and do not think this demonstrates the commitment to sustainability his government professes to have. At the summit press conferences are continually happening and we had to book and pay for ours.

I attended a plenary session on water and sanitation yesterday. Most of the speakers seemed agreed that privatising water is the only way forward. One said "It is not a matter of choice whether we go public or private. The public sector can not deliver.". Many at the summit including those in the Youth Caucus disagree as the private sector will always be interested in profit-making- there is no "charity" in business. I left the water plenary again feeling disheartened. It seems that money is the most important factor to many people here in Johannesburg and the problems facing the world are not being dealt with.

Friday 30th September

Today was a full one! I began the day by attending a meeting of Youth Caucus members and representatives from the World Bank. The World Bank is heavily criticised for being a non-elected western institution that is extremely powerful and some say partly responsible for the huge amount of poverty globally. We asked them about the decision making process involved when they undertake large-scale dam projects. These projects often displace indigenous peoples and cause damage in local communities and environments. They said the final decision on whether to undertake a project is down to a panel of experts who would usually reach a consensus decision. When we asked about the effects of such a project on the local environment they spoke about an inspection panel to which complaints could be made and compensation. They said they would always consult. We were sceptical as even if they do consult this does not mean they necessarily will take into account views expressed. However the meeting was an interesting one. They also presented each person with a huge package containing glossy World Bank propaganda and calendar. We did not think this was very sustainable. The food they offered us was extravagant. For the first time I experienced the expensive lifestyle and food enjoyed by delegates to WSSD, that I have read so much about in the British press.

 

Meanwhile the Youth Caucus had been staging a demonstration involving endlessly travelling up and down the escalators in the convention centre. This was to show that the political process is not progressing from commitments agreed at the first 'Earth Summit' held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The demonstration generated media interest and made a very visible point to all the officials travelling within the centre. The next demonstration will be a fast in protest at the extravagant lifestyles enjoyed by some delegates (as witnessed at the World Bank meeting).

 

Sunday 1st September

This morning I and the other Londoners visited an 'EcoVillage' with the deputy mayor of London, Nicky Gavron. The EcoVillage is situated in the heart of Ivory Park township. The taxi-driver who took us there simply didn't believe that we, as white Europeans, would be travelling into the township.

 

EcoVillage is a groups of houses and public buildings run in the most sustainable manner possible. The co-ordinators say that the primary focus is on poverty alleviation, based on the belief that sustainable development can be best implemented if it improves the quality of life and standard of living of local residents. The EcoVillage is currently just for show but hopefully living models will be set up based on the EcoVillage. The village uses sustainable methods of living, for example solar cookers. Women are taught building skills and the village provides jobs. What the EvoVillage is demonstrating to community members and to politicians is that it is possible to create economic benefits while making a contribution to a more sustainable society.

 

In the afternoon at Sandton I noticed lots of promotional material about BMW and "clean energy". BMW are introducing a new car that can run on hydrogen and not petrol, which is of course a step forward. However, they have taken over one part of Zone 1 (the area immediately around where the Summit is held) with large displays proclaiming how wonderful they are. When companies spend lots of money promoting a "green image" it is known as "greenwashing". In actual fact, they are often not very green at all and spend more money on advertising their supposed "greenness" than actually implementing sustainable business plans.

 

 

At the UK Government meeting this afternoon we gave a letter to Michael Meacher MP detailing our frustration at the process made so far and urging the UK government to "take the agenda back from the corporations, leave party politics behind, and reclaim this conference as the urgent call for world-wide action that it has to be". Mr. Meacher was sympathetic to many of the concerns we expressed in the letter but did not respond to our request for a meeting. We hope to lobby the UK government more tomorrow, especially about a paragraph stating that the WTO has precedence over multi-lateral environmental agreements, such as those made here. This one paragraph could undermine all commitments made here. The WTO is not sympathetic to the environment or to developing countries and it is very important that this sentence is omitted.

 

Monday 2nd September

Today was the day of the youth caucus fast, which went well. We published a press release detailing our reasons for fasting and I hope that it will be picked up on. The newspapers back home are spending a lot of column inches in complaining about the lifestyle enjoyed here in Sandton, so a demonstration against this by youth here should be newsworthy, I hope! Many heads of state have arrived and some will be delivering their speeches in the implementation plenary sessions today. Security is much tighter.

We wanted to use the UK Government meeting today to stress our concerns about the 'WTO precedence' paragraph. However the government delegates had very good news for us, that part of the text had been omitted, largely due to an effort by Ethiopia. We were told that when the breakthrough occurred, all the ministers spontaneously hugged each other. The government also had a surprise for us; two invites to a reception held by the UK delegation that evening. Myself and another delegate accepted and we spent a very useful evening with many influential UK delegates, governmental and non-governmental alike. The reception was held in the luxurious 'Michelangelo Hotel', where the UK delegation is staying for the duration of the summit. The food was extravagant and again I understood what the newspapers were complaining about. Many of the people were surprised when we told them our age after having detailed conversations with them. Young people are constantly underestimated.
The youth statement is going to be different from ones delivered previously; we are simply going to tell the governments all that we have complained of over the past week. Frankly, we are sick and tired of the empty promises and political-posturing that we've witnessed time and time again over the past ten years. We will also mention the hypocrisy of holding such a summit in Sandton and the way that the youth caucus has been forced to split itself. It will be the final event and to late to change negotiations but I hope delegates will leave WSSD with youth's statement very much in their minds.

The 'Johannesburg Commitment' is almost agreed and in our opinion there are far too few legally binding 'Type I' partnerships. Instead, governments are relying heavily on 'Type II partnerships. These are promises made by governments, regions, businesses, and other organisations, often in partnership with others, to take action to achieve sustainable development. However, these are not enforceable.

Wednesday 3rd September

Yesterday was largely spent perfecting the youth statement, which was delivered today. It went really well and in the final paragraphs it asked for everyone in the centre to stand together, if they believed that sustainable development was imperative to the future of all peoples and the planet. I didn't see a single person seated and the feeling was amazing- all that we had been working for seemed to have come together. The chair of the summit thanking youth for their 'moving statement' and referred back to it throughout the session. It was a real high. Whilst the governments of the world had, yet again, failed us, the youth had worked together and produced a statement that embodied all our disappointments about the summit and all our hopes for the future.

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