Last week, SI UN Representatives Alice Odingo and Rose Mwangi attended a series of meetings at the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi.
Global
Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF): 18-19th February
SI attended the second day of the
meeting. A great deal of discussion centred on Rio+20 and how success at the conference would be measures. It was agreed that the outcomes of Rio+20 should be
measurable and that accountability should be central. Social
and gender equity are central to meaningful accountability.
Green economy was once again heralded as a new approach to economic development.
Participants, however, still required information on what "green economy"
really means – a query raised in several of the previous Rio+20 meetings SI has been a part of.
SI attended the African
region working group and the Women Major Group for the majority of the meeting. The aim was to identify shared messages
and areas of diversity or disagreement. The presentation
from Africa emphasised that the concept of "green
economy", as referenced in the Rio zero draft document must protect the integrity of
ecosystems and biodiversity, technology
development and appropriate technology transfer.
Committee
of the Whole: 20-22nd February
SI attended the Opening
Session of the Committee of the Whole. The meeting was opened
by President Mwai Kibaki of the Republic of Kenya. During the session, food insecurity (stemming from ecosystem degradation and poverty) were emphasised as important challenges to the green economy agenda.
Network
of Women Ministers and Leaders for Environment (Breakfast meeting): 21st February
2012
The meeting was chaired by the Kenyan
Executive Secretary of Environment, Dr. Alice Kaudia. She emphasised the need to legislate for gender
issues at national level, whilst also making gender equality and equity in environmental resources
mandatory in the Rio+20 outcome document.
Additional comments included the need to:
share information and tap indigenous knowledge, establish institutional
structures and mechanisms to avoid duplication of initiatives, food security
and food sovereignty, assessment of new technologies, the establishment of an ombudsman for future
generations, and networking with the help of an Environment Champion. The Ministries
of Environment were urged to appoint focal points in the newly proposed Global
Framework for Action (GFA) and have a database on projects implemented by
women.
SI requested that the UNEP work urgently towards:
1.
Improving access to information on environmental issues among
women, particularly those at the grassroots level.
2.
Creating a green fund to support women’s work on
environment in different parts of the world.
3.
Supporting technologies and innovations that create green jobs
and make work easier and more acceptable for women, creating extra time for other income generating
activities.
4. Creating a database on the gender dimension of sustainable development and green econopmy to build knowledge and understanding of challenges and solutions.
Ministerial
Roundtable on Green Economy: 21st February, 2012
About 20 countries
were represented in this dialogue along with the 9 Major NGO Groups, including women and youth. New issues arising from the session included
the need to include incentives in Green Economy Agenda; view Green Economy as a
transitional tool; promote action based programmes that include civil society,
government, private sector; and embrace green procurement. SI presented on behalf of the
Women Major Group.
SI requested various governments
present to consider the following:
1. Eradicating poverty in Green Economy. This means that we should audit the
Attainment of Sustainable Development Goals and MDGs to identify gaps and point
out what can be done differently. The UNEP has an important role to play in carrying out this audit.
2. Developing a basic social protection fund for women, or protecting their
entitlement to a fixed number of hours of employment per week (as in India) or per month, to improve
the livelihoods of women.
3.
Restructuring our institutions so that, for example, at least
50 percent of the Global Environment Fund funds goes to creating green jobs
for women.
4.
Improving access to education for all women. It has been
proven that this is the surest way to improve the livelihoods of women.
5. Promoting and support gender sensitive technological innovations that will make work easier
for women and save time for other income generating activitie.
6. Recognise the value to indigenous knowledge and, taking this into account, audit the value of
natural resources and ecosystems, which is an integral part of the
environment. Many women draw their livelihoods directly from the
natural environment.
Alice Odingo
SI UNEP Representative