Program Overview
Whereas the negative effects of climate change have become increasingly visible in the past few years, the world’s most vulnerable populations and ecosystems have already been struggling against them for decades. UNANIMA understands eco-justice as an environmental ethic that affects all life forms. We work with the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development and the NGO Working Group on Poverty and Climate Change to inform policy discussed in the Commission on Sustainable Development. Additionally, we observe the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Negotiations year-round.
Eco-Justice and Sustainable Development
So, how shall UNANIMA contribute to this important discussion? At its 2012 fall meeting, the UNANIMA board considered a remarkable piece of work submitted by the Social Justice Office of the Sisters of Saint Anne in Montreal. Renaude Gregoire of that office studied the evolution of the purpose / content of the MDGs, as well as many other UN documents and UNANIMA’s own objectives, and came up with a set of proposed “Sustainable Development Goals.” The communities in Canada have been using this set of goals for their discussion, and the dialogue is now spreading to Ireland! See what you think of these as our “own” SDGs, which we could use to form the basis of our lobbying efforts at the United Nations, as the work goes forward there:
- Ensure a Social Protection Floor
- Ensure Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
- Ensure Access to Sustainable Energy
- Ensure Access to Safe Water
- Preserve Biodiversity
- Promote Sustainable Consumption and Production
- Promote Healthy Land and Oceans
- Promote Air Quality
Program Resources
Climate Change Negotiations Postcard – Bunnies (PDF)
Climate Change Negotiations Postcard – Slots (PDF)
UNANIMA International: Reflections on CSD-18 (PDF)
Don Barber on Hydraulic Fracturing (DOC)
Commission on Sustainable Development
For those who are waiting to register for the 20th session of CSD (this summer was supposed to be the last one) …remember that Rio promised to “establish a universal intergovernmental high-level political forum, building on the strengths, experiences, resources & inclusive modalities of the Commission on Sustainable Development, and subsequently replacing the Commission…” The Future We Want, paragraph 84.
Board Planning Process
With the help of facilitators Rosalie McDermott and Mary Anne O’Hara (pictured on the next page), the UNANIMA board discussed these and other points at its spring meeting in March:
UNANIMA Talks at UN Commission
Intern Celia Martin NDS presented an oral intervention on February 12 at the UN Commission for Social Development. The theme of the commission was “Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration, full employment and decent work for all.” You can see a video of her presentation here.
(To activate this link, press “Control” at the same time that you do a left click on the blue print). The video starts at the beginning of the UN session, but Celia’s talk starts at 1.57.07 of the video. “Hover” your pointer at the bottom of the webcast picture that appears, and you will see a grey bar under the picture; move it to the right until you get to the 1.57.07 position. We look forward to having an improved website soon, on which we can post the full transcript of her talk.…
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