Courtesy: Remi Parmentier, 2012
Every morning since I’ve arrived in Rio four days ago I see from my appartment windows the mountains around the city covered by a thick layer of clouds, as if Mother Nature was watching and expecting a storm during the negotiations in Rio Centro on the text of “The Future we Want”, the declaration Heads of State and government are supposed to adopt next week here at the Earth Summit. There are only a few days left before the summit begins, and negotiations continue to go extremely slowly. It doesn’t look like this is going to change in the next few hours unless a big storm shakes things up.
A UN high level official was telling me last night that she remained optimistic“because the politicians cannot let the summit fail”. Yep, but what’s their definition of success and failure? Will they come to save face, or to save the planet?  Talking of politicians, we have hardly seen any of them yet in this two year-long process. In other instances the final preparatory meeting(s) were held at ministerial level to prepare properly before the Heads of State and Government arrive. This time, with maybe one exception a month and a half ago in New York, I don’t think I’ve seen any minister taking part directly, and by definition the mandate of the civil servants in the negotiations is too narrow.
Key issues where negotiations are stuck include:
- Means of Implementation: that’s the synonym for moneyhere; financial mechanisms to support developing countries in the transition to sustainable development is always the key. But times have changed since Rio 92; Europe’s coffers are empty — so are the US’ to the extent that that country would have political will in an election year — so the G77 countries need to look for money elsewhere and that’s quite distabilizing;
- Green economy: no money, no trade off. That’s what developing countries are saying, Â so the discussions on the transition towards “the green economy” won’t really progress before there’s money on the table;
- Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development:Â this is the governance chapter which is said to be progressing, but it looks like those who’ve been hoping that this time the 40 year old UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) could be transformed into a more powerful UN Agency (the World Environment Organization) will have to wait.
Read more: Chez Remi >>
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