Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future
Un training rev1
1. Growing the Commons
Top-Down and Bottom-Up
Training Part I: The United Nations,
Creator of Global Commoners
by
Dr. Lisinka Ulatowska
NGO UN Representative for IPS, AWC
Coordinator Commons Action for the United Nations
Commons Cluster at the UN
February 11, 2013
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2. The United Nations…
is the organization
where Governments
meet to develop policy
on all matters that are
beyond their national
jurisdiction.
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3. It is the most universal policy-making
body in history.
The purpose of
this training is to
learn how we can
actually impact
global policy and
bring about a
paradigm shift at
the global level.
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4. Paradigm Shift
Present Paradigm Commons Paradigm
I. People steward, manage
I. Enclosure of the and produce natural and
commons by a few social resources they
need to survive and thrive.
II. Hierarchical Governance II. Governance by all people
by a few according to the principle
of subsidiary and in
harmony with nature.
III. Decision-making win/lose III. All-win; inclusive,
transparent and for the
benefit of all.
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5. The United Nations is a Governmental Organization
That means:
Governments make the decisions. Not people and not the
Secretary General (SG).
The SG is their Executive Director and
The Secretariat has divisions that perform back-up services for
all the areas of work the Governments decide. They do this at
UN conferences.
We, the people do not participate in decision-making. We must
find ways to influence the process from the bottom-up
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6. The General Assembly at the UN
The United Nations’ Membership has expanded from
51 to 193 members. Some 100 were former colonies
which gained their independence under the auspices
of the United Nations.
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7. The UN is helping to shift the paradigm
The Six Organs of the United Nations
Security International Trusteeship
Council Court of Justice Council
(UNSC) (World Court - ICJ)
General
Assembly
(GA)
Economic and
Social Council Secretariat
(ECOSOC)
It deals with making and (SG)
keeping the peace, and
with every aspect of everyday
life that connects us across
national boundaries.
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8. Role of the General Assembly at UN
• The General Assembly is the organ where all
Governments Members of the UN gather every year
for some 2.5 months to discuss and decide all
aspects of the work of the UN and its Specialized
Agencies
• Here, members may decide to hold a conference to
develop a way of looking at the issue “A Declaration”
and an “Action Plan”.
• Decide on where, the timing and whether Civil
Society will be involved and if so what type of
organizations.
We are seeing a trend to openness:
contributions we might have made to this trend…
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10. Steps in the decision-making process
1. The General Assembly (GA) makes the decision to assemble a
Panel of experts (Commission of Eminent Personalities, High Level
Forum) to make a study of an issue.
2. The Experts generate a study: Our Commons Future, Our Global
Neighborhood, etc.
3. The GA decides to hold a conference and address points such as
where, when, with whom, at what level, with how many preparatory
committee meetings (prepcoms)
4. The conference is held
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11. Our way of influencing Member States of the UN
In our work within the UN, we primarily:
1. Write letters to Heads of State, Governments and to
the Ambassadors of all UN member nations (these
have permanent missions in New York City), and
point out how the commons can help to solve the
issues they and the United Nations are dealing with,
and;
2. Request them to assemble a Panel of Experts to
explore ways of making a shift to a commons-based
economy at all levels, centered on the well-being of
all people and nature; and
3. to do this with input from all stakeholders
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12. Pics of Two Official UN Docs (front & Back) of submissions by the IPS
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14. General Assembly Meetings
• Registration for the
Conference
• What you see when you
come into the room
• Interpretation
• Seating
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15. Official Languages within the United Nations are:
• Arabic UNESE:
• Chinese • GA,
• English • ICJ,
• French • SG,
• Russian • ECOSOC,
• Spanish • Prepcom
• and others
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16. The Conference goes through the following steps:
General Debate (Brainstorming session)
Creation of a provisional draft document (a non-
document, Chair’s Draft, etc.) as a starting point for
negotiations
The negotiations take place
A Final Draft Agreement is negotiated
This is signed by all countries
Usually this will then also be ratified
Finally, it is up to us as citizens to see that our
Governments carry out the agreements they have agreed
to and signed.
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17. Commoning at Rio Summit
We have four types of actions that we must take throughout
the conference:
1. Giving input from afar
2. Listening to what Governments are saying and note
a. Which ones are likely to be against our perspectives; and
b. Those who might be our allies
3. Commoning with Major Groups (MGs); and
4. Commoning with the members of our own team
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18. Nine Major Groups (MGs)
Children and Farmers NGOs
Youth
Indigenous Science
Peoples Women Technology
Business and Trade Unions Local Authorities
Industry
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19. Thank you, Chair,
The women’s major group sees the necessity for a global shift from a debt-based economy that
depends on over-consumerism and results in destruction of nature, people and through climate
change Small Island States. We must shift to an economy which is based on the value of our
commons and pays for eco-services which will enhance the sustainability and the economic status of
women-- an economy that prospers as people and the planet thrive.
The Small Island States are confronted by destruction which is compounded by the actions of each
person. People should be protect their natural and social wealth. Women are agents of change—
through being the first educators of a child, through their principle role in agriculture, through
leadership at all levels of society, and through the many different roles women play. Governance by
and for the benefit of all people and the planet as a whole must be inclusive and gender balanced at
all levels of governance.
A shift is urgent. It should be based on the following principles: the phasing out of all toxic chemicals,
zero waste and mining where the lands must be restored to their natural health and the polluter pays.
Women consider water as a high priority and water is a cross-cutting issue for all themes of the CSD.
We urge Governments to discuss the water related implications.
Given the themes of the UNCSD, we can discuss a system where the polluter pays and this results in
a Trust out of which payments are made for a basic income for all. This would empower women,
children, indigenous peoples, and other protagonists as valuable collaborators in this process.
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20. The Outcome of the General Debate: The Non-Paper
This is privileged information provided to us on the
condition that it is not shared outside of the
conference.
What we do with it
Our subsequent actions
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23. Working with delegates
• Approaching delegates
(putting ourselves in their
shoes)
• Our deportment, appearance
and how we make contact.
• Meetings with our own
delegations
• Side Events
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24. In the end, we end up with a Draft Final Agreement to which
all agree by consensus.
It will consist of:
• A Declaration (Chapeau)
• Actions
It is followed by:
Signing. If the conference has a Summit status it will be signed by
Heads of States, Government and/or Ministers;
Only then, does it become the Final Agreement.
Ratification
Monitoring by us, citizens, to ensure our governments
abide by the agreement.
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25. Summary: Steps in the decision-making process summarized
Steps in Decision-making
1. The GA makes the decision to convene a Panel of Experts
(Commission of Eminent Personalities, High Level Forum) to make a
study of an issue
2. The Experts generate a study: Our Commons Future, Our Global
Neighborhood, etc.
3. The GA decides to hold a conference and address points such as
where, when, with whom, at what level, with how many preparatory
committee meetings (prepcoms)
4. The conference held.
We have three types of actions that we must take throughout the
Conference
5. Listen to what Governments are saying and note
a. Which ones are likely to be against our perspective, and
b. Those who might be our allies
6. Common with the members of our own team; and
7. Common with Major Groups (MGs)
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26. Summary: Q&A
There are two ways to participate in the Q&A:
1. If you phone via telephone or Skype, Key into dialing
pad, *2, to raise your hand. A mike will be handed to
you in the order your question is received, and/or
2. If you are participating via webcast and are viewing
the slideshow presentation live, Go to the Ask a
Question button and click it, then, use the chat box
to ask your question.
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27. Part I. Workshop I: Participants to Delegates
• Refer to http://Titanpad/growingthecommons for
explanation of our exercise…
• Link to Training materials at website under the UN
Training Tab/Part 1: UN Training or jot down the link
below:
http://www.commonsactionfortheunitednations.org/un-rep-tra
You can listen to the replay at the link above as well
or return Instant Teleseminar…
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Editor's Notes
Examples: postal services, the Internet, the weather forecasting, travel by boat, plane, etc. Education Culture Science, Research, Health epidemics, etc. This workshop is about how we can actually impact global policy via the United Nations. We are here to begin to explore ways in which we can actually impact world policy by changing the power structures in the world. This sounds like an overwhelming challenge, and yet is is possible. I have made my contributions and so have hundreds like me. And you are entering the process at a time that is more open than any other time in human history.
Myra add arrows….
Add UN Emblem and this slide will become slide 5 ===
Add color block to Ecosoc and Secretariat Add examples to Ecosoc The UN is helping to shift the Paradigm…or similar…at top of The Six organs…
Example of UNCED opening of the UN to the people and development of the UN as a creator of global commoners. History in the making and so many unexpected opportunities can arrive. Some seem far above your capacity but be open anyway.
We have written letters to Heads of State and Government and to the Ambassadors of all UN member nations (these all have permanent missions in New York City). About Point how the commons can help to solve the issues they and the United Nations are dealing with; and Requesting them to assemble a Panel of Experts to explore ways of making a shift to a commons-based economy at all levels, centered on the well-being of all people and nature; and to do this with input from all stakeholders.