Rio+20
NGO Meeting 23 May 2012
 1
Rio+20
New Zealand has taken a leadership role on:
• Oceans
• ‘Blue economy’ now top of the agenda
• Working side by side with the Pacific throughout
2011-2012
• UN Secretary General’s ‘UN Oceans Compact’, World
Bank’s Global Partnership for Oceans
• Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reform (FFSR)
• Established in 2010 the Friends of Fossil Fuel
Subsidies Reform http://www.mfat.govt.nz/fffsr/
• FFSR issue has now been picked up by others
including the IMF and the Secretary General’s HighLevel Panel on Sustainable Development
 2
Rio+20
Other issues…
• Green Economy
• Sustainable agriculture
• Biodiversity
• Forests
• Education & Health
• Alternatives to GDP
• Goals and targets
• Institutional Framework for Sustainable
Development (UNEP, ECOSOC, High Com)
• And many more…..
• Charter of Responsibilities
• Non-regression
• Aarhus Convention
 3
Rio+20 Informal Informal,
23 April- 4 May 2012
• 2 parallel working groups (WGs), 2 weeks, 3 x 3 hour
sessions per day
• WG 1:
• WG 2:
• Section I & II – Renewing political commitment
• Section IV – Institutional Framework for
Sustainable Development
• Section III – Green Economy in the context of
sustainable development and poverty eradication
• Section V – Framework for action and follow up
 4
Rio+20 Informal Informal,
23 April- 4 May 2012
By 4 May:
• Appx 170 pages of text
• 21 agreed paras
SHA ZUKANG, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF RIO+20
“The negotiating text, as it stands now:
• is a far cry from the focused political document mandated by the
General Assembly;
• contains too much duplication and repetition; and
• is losing its readability, with action lost in words;”
 5
• Aim:
concise,
focused,
and
action
orientated. We need to make every word
count.
Section I & II: Renewing Political Commitment
• Needs to be concise and encapsulate the key issues
• If one does not read the rest of the outcome
document, what will we remember?
• Sets the overall vision for sustainable development
 6
Section IV: Institutional Framework for Sustainable
Development
• Does form follow function? Will the framework ensure
greater coherence, coordination and integration of the three
dimensions of sustainable development? Are institutions
responsive to the needs of states and ensure better incountry delivery of objectives?
Section III & V: Green Economy & Framework for action
and follow up
• Should be future focussed action, rather than noting past
events or agreements
 7
Issues
•
Balanced integration of the three dimensions of sustainable
development
•
Green Economy
•
Human rights
•
Gender equality/gender issues including in relation to sexual and
reproductive health
•
Participation
•
Sustainable consumption and production
•
Ecosystem services
•
Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development
 8
Oceans:
• Growing realisation that oceans ‘time has come’
• Big challenges: over-fishing, climate change
effects, marine pollution
• Ambitious targets were set at Johannesburg but
we need concerted action to meet them
• Key concern of Pacific countries and other Small
Island Developing States
• New Zealand acknowledged as playing a part in
helping our regional priority to become a global
priority (e.g. in Review of European Community
and International Environment Law)
 9
Oceans: New Zealand wants…
• Commitment to complete the UN’s global assessment of the
marine environment by 2014 and integrate science into
policy making
• Forward movement to prohibit harmful subsidies in the
fishing sector that contribute to over fishing and over
capacity
• Better implementation of existing agreements to combat
illegal fishing activities
• Further reinforcement of the principle that small island
developing states need to get a greater return from their
fisheries resources
• Progress to meet the agreed targets for marine protected
areas.
 10
Oceans:
• Slow progress through the text. Opposition to or weaker
counterproposals made in areas relating to illegal,
unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, fisheries
subsidies and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The latter in
particular has had strong opposition.
• We are championing the proposal for a Small Islands
Developing States (SIDS) conference in 2014 in the Pacific
• Overall we remain fairly optimistic of achieving a good
outcome on oceans at Rio, although likely to be weaker
than what NZ has proposed
 11
Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform (FFSR)
• Commitment to phase
out over the medium
term inefficient fossil
fuel
subsidies
that
encourage
wasteful
consumption
and
undermine
sustainable
development,
while
mitigating
adverse
impacts on vulnerable
groups, supported by
mechanisms
such
as
technical
assistance
underpinned by research
and development and
the sharing of tools for
achievement of reforms.
 12
Energy/Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reform (FFSR)
• NZ has been a leading advocate for FFSR, working with
Friends (Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reform)
• Makes sense – from an environmental, social and economic
point of view
• It is estimated only 8% of subsidies reach the poorest 20%.
These subsidies could be used to eradicate poverty and
promote development more efficiently and effectively.
• Text remains under the energy section for a commitment to
phase out fossil fuel subsidies while mitigating adverse
impacts on vulnerable groups
 13
Issues raised previously
 14
Rio principles
• All of the principles are important.
• They are reaffirmed in section I, and are taken to apply to
the whole of the document.
• It would be contrary to the aims of sustainable development
and the balanced integration of the three dimensions to
selective promote one or the other out of context.
• E.g. 7. Common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR)
• Contribution to pollution
• Ability to take action
• But it has now been interpreted as only “developed”
countries have a responsibility to take action
• There is no doubt that “developed” countries do need to
take the lead. But the challenges are such that all countries
need to pitch in
 15
Rio principles
• E.g. Principle 10 (Participation)
• The text is a crude reflection of negotiations, and one
can often be recorded with the same position for
different or even opposite reasons
• NZ, like others, have proposed deletion to the reference
to principle 10
• We are not opposed to principle 10. We have already
reaffirmed its importance in section I.
• We are supporting stronger text on the substance of
principle 10, rather than have, as other have sought, the
deletion of this language
 16
Water
• Provision of clean drinking water and sanitation is key.
• Text proposed by the co-chairs recognises the right to water
as being progressively realisable.
• NZ recognises a right to water based on the International
Covenant on Economic and Social Rights. These rights are
progressively realisable.
• We and many others, are supportive of the co-chair’s
approach, which reflects common ground
 17
Sustainability reporting
• Various text options range from compulsory sustainability
reporting to voluntary adoption
• Proposals to develop global standards for sustainability
reporting
• New Zealand generally wary of mandatory requirements
where there is no little opportunity for New Zealand to
participate in their development
• Support businesses increasing their use of sustainability
reporting within their business cycles
• Not all requirements are set by government – e.g. NZSE
listing requirements
 18
Food security and sustainable agriculture
• Federated Farmers, WSPA
• Sustainable agriculture, including livestock
• Trade and market distorting subsidies
• Ecosystem services
 19
Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development
• UNEP
• Views at both ends – support for/against a specialised
agency. G77/China split on this issue
• NZ: current institutions should be as effective as
possible. New institutions must address current issues
• ECOSOC
• Proposals to include sustainable development fully into
ECOSOC’s work
• Possible annual Ministerial/High-level meetings
• No consensus on whether there should be a Sustainable
Development Council
• High Commissioner/ For Youth/Future Generations
• Again, support for/against
• Unclear what exactly the role would do and how it would
fit into current institutions
 20
 21
 22
 23