The invasion of the flying monkeys

Wednessday 28 August

Woodcraft members will be delighted to hear that Tamsin Pearce has just been asked to represent the North America/Western Europe region of the Youth Caucus in the process of drafting the youth statement for the final plenary of the conference. Below Tamsin reports on what she was up to yesterday, and today's Youth Caucus meeting.

Tilly and I took part in an official side event today. The session was entitled ‘Children: Vital Partners in Globalisation and the preservation of the Earth.’ It was run by Peaceways, International Save the Children Alliance and Children of the Earth.

The session was both inspiring and productive. It began with some young people talking about their experiences and concerns. They talked frankly about HIV/AIDS, rape, water and sanitation and education.

Following this John Hilary from Save the Children UK gave a fantastic speech focussing on the concerns of the poorest children on earth. He talked about globalisation and economic growth quoting Kofi Annan “The pattern of economic growth in the 1990s meant that those children who needed a share of the prosperity most were those least likely to receive it”. He expressed serious concerns at the summit process and warned that type one outcomes are being watered down along with governmental commitment.

He stressed the importance of public control of essential public services and strongly criticised the privatisation of health and water supplies. He focussed on the extension of GATS to cover water supply, condemning the possible EU support of this. His basic message was people before profit, calling on the World Bank and World Trade Organisation to rethink privatisation as it doesn’t work, urging instead investment in people.

Farming was another key point in John’s address. He attacked subsidies for Western farmers advocating instead investment in the developing world. The statistics were stark: $50bn is needed to support the world’s poorest people and $350bn is spent by the US and EU each year on farming subsidies further disadvantaging producers in the developing world.

Inputs were then heard from several former street children (now aged around 17). They talked bluntly about their experiences and the need for the world to address the problem of street children. The statements were powerful and real and made a refreshing change from constantly discussing the abstract.

EU youth representatives meetings
Representatives of EU youth are meeting daily now to discuss lobby points specific to the EU and to talk directly to the Danish ministers (currently holding the EU presidency). One representative from each of the 15 member states were supposed to meet with the Danish Environment minister today but he cancelled at the last minute as President Mbeki had called a meeting to attempt to resolve some problems with the negotiations.

This was disappointing but we have very close contacts with the minister and he has promised to reschedule, probably tomorrow. In the meantime, we presented our statements to him in writing to ensure he is aware of our concerns.

These came under the following headings: Education (I was supposed to be presenting this section), Corporate Accountability, Participation, Exports and Farming Subsidies, the Precautionary Principle and the EU and US (ie what are we going to do about the US?!).

As the meeting was cancelled we utilised the time effectively by sharing information on governmental positions and new information about the US and Saudi Arabia (as yet unconfirmed but we have been told that the closed meeting over night between the US and Saudi Arabia produced the following agreement – The Saudi government would agree to persuade the G77 to drop all references to Kyoto and return the US would drop all references to Human Rights). Once the info is confirmed we’ll pounce – never fear!

Official Side Event: Youth Action for Sustainable Development: Initiatives and Recommendations for the Future
Despite the encouraging title, this side event was much less interactive than the advertising suggested. Several examples of initiatives were presented but at the risk of sounding harsh, they were fairly tokenistic which was frustrating. There was time to present projects but very little actual discussion (just a lot of people wanting to promote their projects).

Youth Caucus meeting Thursday
Erin from SustainUS summed this meeting up very nicely when she whispered to me “I feel like we’ve been invaded by flying monkeys!” I’m not quite sure why but the Youth Caucus went a bit mad today…

It was clearly the culmination of much frustration at the status of the two youth caucuses (NASREC and Sandton). Several people from NASREC came and presented their view about the Youth Summit declaration (going over the same old ground again…)

They had clearly overthrown the former spokesperson (very diplomatic with a full understanding of what had gone on) and replaced him with someone much more radical pushing for the adoption of the Youth Declaration including the Solidarity paragraphs. Another drafting committee has been set up with one representative from each region to try to find a compromise… Watch this space…

There was also an attempted brainwashing session by some American from the Bio-diversity and business council or something… Very bizarre.

Next came some comments asking us to focus on neo-liberal principles, asserting that the NASREC caucus had focussed on this…

As you can understand, it began to feel like a twilight zone.

Hmmm... nice one Tamsin! Meanwhile Matt sat in on the main conference session on Energy yesterday. Here are his notes of the discussion:

Well, I got here a bit late, so I'm playing catch-up. My first time in the plenary here in Jo'burg... ah, the Infra-red headsets again... the wonders of multi-lingual conferences!

Kristen is amazing... she's sitting up at the front spelling out in black and white the need for 100% renewable energy as our ultimate goal, and the fact that the "10% by 2010" target must not include nuclear and fossil fuel energy.

Women - want to ensure that decision-making in energy matters includes women, as it is they that in most communities are the primary energy users, and it is they that suffer from local air-pollution from wood-burning and other biomass fuels.

The guy that's chairing this discussion is doing a great job... he's really picked up on the issues, relaying them back to the business and government representatives, and following them up, recapping well, and unambiguously what we want. This is good stuff. Yesterday I was really disheartened when I found out the youth statement might not get read out... it didn't in its entirety... apparently the bit about human rights did (great!) and like I said, Kristen is doing a stunning job.

Local authorities: "it may take a change in policy at a national level"... hooray, he gets it! I really hope the govenments are taking notes.

I'm told by one of my friends that the local authorities are pretty on form at the moment - they're talking about empowerment of Local Authorities - subsidies must be phased out, and that introducing renewables might initiallly give higher prices, but we have to do it - eventually it will be cheaper.

Indigenous Peoples: If IPs can use enough "clean, renewable energy" they can fulfill the Kyoto Protocol targets for Canada. Where there is an energy inequity, no access to electricity grid, they are introducing their own clean renewable energy sources.

Chair: want to talk about conservation - what are the posibilities?

NGO's: we need to focus on conservation also - we can reduce current energy use by 80-90%.... (so true - if we can improve efficiency enough, transfering to 100% clean renewables would be relatively easy.)

Trade Unions: TUs are working on energy conservation around the world. Workers can identify where savings can be made, also poverty - not just rural issue - in urban settings. Can use combined heat and power / efficiency to reduce poverty.

UNEP: energy efficiency is primary measure to bring about changes.

Science: yes - linked to feasibility...

Kristen: youth are involved in science, here... Implementation: starts in schools - example of SA school from our statement :-)

Chair: more possibilities to improve efficiency?

NGOs: sustainable design of buildings - commercial + residencial... use passive solar + sustainable design, recycled + systainable building materials, can improve efficiency 60-80%... conservation = really reduce energy use up front. e.g. in building design, efficiency = having heating / lighting system etc of building more efficient.

UNDP: UNDP can help on the country level. Can't work on energy issues only in energy sector - need multi-sectoral dialogue, including civil society.

Chair: deregulation + liberalisation of energy market - will it help conservation / efficiency?

LAs: elimination of waste - market can be changed to improve conservation if there is political will

UNIDO: can't have liberalisation without regulation... must restructure to provide framework that gives sustainable technologies a chance. have to create market structures to do this.

facilitator: chair - please ask governments to respond to issues. more renewable energy.

Nigeria: far too many people have no jobs and no hope, because they live where there is a lack of development. for the 2-3 bn people in developing countries, the need for development is an everyday necessity. 10 years ago we knew we would have to change energy policy. We have failed to make progress to eliminate poverty. Energy can and must play a role in elevating poverty. Too many people live without readily available, clean, affordable energy. Lets not create the wrong impression that we're hostile to energy use. Precautionary principle proposals fail to... cannot accept proposals that intrude on doha - trade is essential for developing countries. We can't seek to intrude on Doha. (booooooooo!)

New Zealand: supports renewable energy 15% by 2010 - it will be difficult, but we believe the entire planet should be working for renewables... also interested in new renewables - to promote, invest, and do research to make them available for small scale use + farming... large scale investment makes this hard. We believe it's necessary to involve all elements of community in decisions about energy. Have to understand needs - only in that way can we design energy that is efficient and conserved for our communities. We will not get renewable energy focussed on until we remove subsidies.

Brazil: proposal - about need to reduce timescale, and secure long term energy supplies, and create new employment possibilites in rural communities. proposal is that world-wide all countries impliment 10% new renewable by 2010... this has a scientific basis and can work. proposal allows for trading, and green certificates between countries. biomass in developing countries is NOT sustainable in developing countries - we need to work together with industrialised countries to convert to modern biomass. Brazil is one example, but not only one. This proposal should be further discussed in negotiations - some problems must be solved, e.g. large-scale hydro. Today, new renewable energy - wind, solar, modern-biomass... increasing by 7% per year, if we double that to 15% it will alow most countries to reach the target. The idea that international conferences do not set targets is silly.

Tuvalu: Timeframes for renewables very important for us. We support New Zealand setting target of 10%. We want to see this in the outcomes of this summit. Since prepcom 2, my delegation have proposed a legally-binding target for use of renewables - this was rejected. The countries that blocked it are the same ones rejecting Kyoto. This makes clear the link between energy + climate change. Our country's survival is related to energy + climate change. This is being threatened by the leading industrialised countries continuously refusing to ratify Kyoto.

Zambia (tourism minister): energy is directly related to poverty reduction. low income housholds tend to rely on dirty energy - bio-fuels and charcoal. rich households use electricity. low-income households suffer from indoor air pollution. Zambia has large supplies of energy - wood supplies a large portion of our energy, as does hydro-power. Although Zambia has access to hydro-electric, less than 20% of the population has access to electricity. I call upon this summit to support decisions that will enable poor people to improve their living standards and access to modern energy.... call for investment in mini- and micro-scale hydroelectric power. Demand for insurance guarentees by investers from developed countries isn't helping matters.

Costa Rico: Energy wasn't specifically discussed in Rio in 92, but climate change was. Everyone knows climate change results from energy issues. We have seen little will to improve matters. Objectives set out require response from developed and developing nations. Costa Rico - next five years... we have planned that 100% of our citizens will have electricity... we will do this entirely with solar energy. In 92 costa rica passed a law requiring oil exploration. In 2002 costa rica has emposed moratorium on petrolium exploration. (woohoo! - if only the rest of the world would follow suit!) "the real gold of the future will be water and oxygen"

Lisutu: Energy is widely recognised as major drive of economic and social development. Reliable and cost-effective energy supply is essential for poverty reduction. Unless energy is available to population, esp. rural women, we can't reduce poverty. Lisutu has large potential for hydro-electric. Major obstacle to providing electricity to all is cost. We call on this summit to commit themselves to assist developing countries in providing energy.

Danish Minister (EU): EU attaches great importance to promotion of sustainable energy. Achieving affordable, reliable energy access for 2 bn who live withought energy is a challenge for the whole world. Too often prosperity is limited by lack of access to energy. Summit must send a message to international community. (Didn't really say anything - grrrr.)

Japan: We are resource-poor country. Import 80-90% of energy from overseas... we're trying to use energy as efficiency as possible. But in past we made mistakes. Now Japan has best energy efficiency in world (consumption vs. GDP) Japan has proposed energy education both for children + adults. We propose energy education.....

[sorry, got interupted by Richard]

Senegal: Largely acknowledged that without sufficient energy there canot be sustainable development. Biomass is 2/3 of our energy supply, rest is imported oil products. Sustainable energy policy for us means making more use of local resources, and modern energy.

USA: Women and farmers pointed out that women bear burden of air pollution + gathering fuel. Farmers wish to escape poverty. Complex task - other goals want to achieve... summarising panel - need energy supply, using clean, renewable energy where possible. USA are launching clean energy initiative. [I seem to remember this includes "clean coal"... hmm...]

[I just noticed - Youth is the only block of 10 seats I can see around that's full]

ah, this is getting a bit boring... when I came in the panel, including Major Group representatives, were talking, and being facilitated - now it's just countries delivering set-pieces... everyone's talking about energy being the basis for delvelopment and poverty-eradication... anyway....

Namibia: wind, solar, biogas - development and use of renewable energy needs finance + resources as well as tech transfer.

OK, we're a bit fed up... we've submitted a request to the chair to get the floor for youth. One of my friends will speak, and she will try to cover shortly and sharply, the points Kristen didn't get to address.

Germany: every natural disaster reveals the true cost of fossil fuels. We can either continue using energy wastefully, and face the consequences, or reverse course. We have set ambitious targets - within 3 years the share of wind energy has increased 20% (?)... We are nearly at our goal of meeting our goal of reduing GHG emission by 21% from 1990 levels. Germany and EU have ratified Kyoto - we think the world summit should finalise this coming in to force.

...end of the thing and they didn't let us speak - well, the first part of the plenary was really good - the facilitator did a really great job. Shame too many of the governments came out with the usual set-pieces.

Matt

Final arrangements are now being made for the 'UK youth's challenge to Blair' press briefing tomorrow. Publicity for the event has gone out to all the media in Jo'burg saying:

PRESS CONFERENCE

UK YOUTH CHALLENGE TONY BLAIR:

ONE DAY IS NOT ENOUGH

“If there is one summit [my children] would want me to be at, it is this one. They know our decisions here will have a profound effect on the world they inherit.”

- Tony Blair, speaking at Rio + 5, New York, 1997

FRIDAY 30TH AUGUST - 1PM
AUDITORIUM, GROUND FLOOR, SANDTON LIBRARY

Last year, Tony Blair was one of the first world leaders to commit to attending the World Summit. But it seems like, rather like the Earth Summit process as a whole, he is now moving backwards. How can he possibly provide the leadership that the world so desperately needs in this situation when he will be at the summit for just one day?

Speakers: Children and young people from the UK Youth Parliament, and the Woodcraft Folk, a co-operative voluntary children’s and young people’s organisation, which strives to develop self confidence and activity in society, with the aim of building a world based on co-operative values, care for the environment, peace and social justice.

In the summer of 2001, 4000 young people from 35 countries came together at the Woodcraft Folk’s international camp. A declaration produced at the camp is the message they send to the WSSD, and the mandate for a delegation of 11 young people attending the summit.

Meanwhile, at NASREC:

Rhino's report

Attended youth meeting in Nasrec at 9am where we discussed about going to different commissions here. Also that some who could would go to Sandton to represent us in the Youth Caucus. I went to Sandton then but was not one of the ones doing the report. The minutes from that:

Related to the NGO Forum

• There was discussion on the youth declaration, and a proposal to open a discussion on the issue
• Also raised was the idea of trying to converge into one youth caucus, as there are people operating in Sandton, and others in Nasrec. Not all young people have access to Sandton, and not all have access to Nasrec. Is there a venue that would facilitate everyone meeting together? Ubuntu has been proposed as a potential meeting spot alternative.
• Liz Carlisle spoke on liaising the ¡¥2¡¦ youth caucuses. She reported that the media team is planning a ¡¥holistic¡¦ youth press conference for Saturday with participation from both groups.
• It was also decided that integrating different youth statements, such as those from Rio and Rio + 5. This would facilitate hearing broader youth voices.
  

Chair's summary of outstanding issues from the discussion:

1. The youth declaration. A suggested process: That the people from Nasrec coordinate through their focal point people, meet today, and give a report tomorrow.
2. Point around the need for 1 youth caucus. The youth at Nasrec are meeting twice daily. Leif reported that there has been no success on getting a venue at Ubuntu, but this will be worked on. Everyone has access to Ubuntu which is why it would be a good meeting point. It will be announced tomorrow where and when a youth caucus will meet at Ubuntu.
3. Media ¡V need for Nasrec-Sandton coordination and this is being worked on by the media committees.

Then I went back to Nasrec via a Ubuntu village which looks really cool and somewhere we should go – lots of stalls and exhibitions. Then the journey back went on a long detour through New Town but it was very interesting to actually see some of Johannesburg. The city is such a strange mix of wealth and developed shopping malls and the absolute poverty of a developing nation.

The divide is also classified to a huge extent through race. There seems to be no poor white communities, and when driving through the poor areas I did not see one white person at all. There are a few areas like this in the UK, but the scale of segregation is much smaller than here in Johannesburg.

Anyway, when I got back to Nasrec, I didn’t manage to go to any more meetings (everything was late or cancelled). Got the bus back to the hotel with the Wales delegation at 7.30, had dinner and then watched their video of their trip to a shanty town in Lesotho. Now this is real poverty. The houses for 6 people are the size of a garden shed and probably less luxurious!

The Wales delegation were staying with a group of Girl Guides who are running loads of projects to rehabilitate the marginalized young people in this community. It would have been an experience for us to do something like this and to recognise the contradictions that are taking place while the summit is on. See below: (sorry I know its from The Sun!)

Lobsters, caviar and brandy for MPs at summit on starvation

By NEIL SYSON
The Sun

THE sickening champagne and caviar lifestyle being enjoyed by Earth Summit delegates was exposed yesterday.

They are gorging on mountains of lobster, oysters and fillet steak at the Johannesburg conference — aimed at ending FAMINE. As the summit began yesterday, desperate kids in nearby shanty towns queued for water at standpipes.

Bigwig politicians among the 60,000 delegates, including Deputy PM John Prescott, also get vintage bubbly and brandy. Taxpayers are footing the £500,000 bill for the 70-strong British party. Friends of the Earth called the extravagance “deplorable”.

The head chef of the swanky hotel hosting Earth Summit bigwigs described the mountains of posh food he is laying on for their pleasure.And Desmond Morgan declared: “Money is no object.”

The chef is in charge of meals at Johannesburg’s five-star Michelangelo Hotel, where world leaders and other VIP delegates are staying during the “save the planet” conference, which opened yesterday.

While people are going hungry at shanty towns just a couple of miles away, Mr Morgan told how he had stocked up with an extraordinary array of delicacies and fine wines. It includes 5,000 oysters, more than 1,000lbs of lobster and other shellfish, buckets of caviar and piles of pâté de foie gras. He has also got in more than 4,400lbs of fillet steak and chicken breasts, 450lbs of salmon, 220lbs of a tasty South African fish called kingclip — and more than 1,000lbs of bacon and sausages.

The huge bill is paid for by taxpayers of participating nations including Britain. Mr Morgan said: “Whether they want Beluga caviar, foie gras or bacon sandwiches — we have it all. “In my experience, heads of state don’t decide what they want to eat or drink until the last minute. “So I have to make sure I have everything they can possibly want.”

Vintage champagne, fine wines, spirits and liqueurs have been flown in from around the globe so the VIPs can wash down their meals in style.

A new kitchen has been especially created for world leaders, including the Sultan of Brunei, who have their own cooks and tasters.

The £35million summit — aimed at combating hunger, poverty and pollution — is centred around Sandton, the most exclusive suburb in
Africa. Its streets are lined with expensive restaurants, gated villas and gleaming shopping malls. Yet close by, families scratch a desperate existence in the sprawling shanty town of Alexandra. They live in corrugated shacks. Hungry children play among piles of rubbish and queue for water at standpipes. The average weekly wage for the few who work in the township is less than the cost of a vintage brandy at the Michelangelo.

Aid agencies say southern Africa is facing its worst food crisis for more than a decade. More than 14million people — most of them children — are threatened with starvation. The 60,000 summit delegates from 182 countries are expected to drink 80,000 bottles of mineral water during the conference.

Yet each day 6,000 African children die from diseases caused by contaminated water. Since the last Earth Summit in Brazil in 1992, the number of Africans living in poverty has soared from 220million to 300million. Several other environmental issues will be discussed at the ten-day summit, organised by the United Nations.

But in another ironic twist, hundreds of trees have been felled around the conference centre so fleets of limousines will have unhindered access. The 70-strong British delegation, led by Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett, is costing taxpayers £500,000. Most other countries fund their delegations too — but the poorest nations get financial help from the richest countries.

Tony Blair is scheduled to address the summit for half an hour. He will spend less than 12 hours in his £550-a-night suite, complete with butler service, at the Michelangelo. Globe-trotting Deputy PM John Prescott arrives at the hotel, which boasts an “executive lifestyle” fitness centre, tomorrow. He and the British team, which also includes Environment Minister Michael Meacher, have five Mercedes cars at their disposal, plus two people carriers for aides. Tories have branded Mr Prescott’s trip to South Africa — the 16th country he has visited since April last year — a waste of money. He has no official speaking role at the summit.

The conference’s lavish nature was blasted by environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth last night. Spokesman Mike Childs said: "It is to be deplored, especially as politicians are scrabbling to do nothing about the problems of environment degradation and poverty. "They are living it up while not taking action for the millions around the world who will die because of inaction.

"The people of Alexandra would be gobsmacked if they could see how people live in such opulence on their doorstep. "How can delegates sleep soundly in their beds knowing such suffering is just down the road?" He added: “We have been working closely with communities in places like Alexandra to help them get a voice. “But delegates from rich countries just don’t want to listen to the poor in society.” Friends of the Earth have sent a ten-strong delegation to Johannesburg to have their say. They flew out economy class and are sleeping on the floor of a school. Tory MP Sir Teddy Taylor dismissed the summit as “absurd”. He said: “The whole thing makes me feel sick. When you think about the starving people in the world and then see this sort of lavish display it just isn’t right. “I’m sure nothing will be achieved at the meeting except for photo opportunities allowing politicians to say how great they are.”

The criticism was brushed off by Downing Street last night. A spokesman said: “I don’t think we will be going into these aspects of the summit.” A spokesman for the Department of Environment said: "This is not a jolly, it is a very serious conference. ”Delegates will not be living it up. And it is their duty to be conscious of costs.”

US President George Bush is NOT attending Johannesburg, even though he is the leader of the world’s biggest polluter.

The American delegation is being headed instead by Secretary of State Colin Powell. The summit will discuss how an increasing population can boost and spread wealth without destroying the environment. But climate change is not directly on the agenda. Former top UN climate scientist Robert Watson yesterday claimed it was left off because of pressure from the US.

JOHN “Two Jags” Prescott has already spent more than £150,000 in taxpayers’ cash on trips over the past year. He has earned a new nickname — Jet Lags. Since April last year he has clocked up more than 75,000 miles.

• Tues 27 August
• Mon 26 August
• Sun 25 August
• Sat 24 August
• Fri 23 August
• Thur 22 August
• Wed 21 August

The delegation would love to help feed your views into the Summit. The links below take you to a number of the douments which are currently being drawn up by the Youth Caucus. Please e-mail the delegation with your views on these.

• Youth Statement
  part A
• Youth Statement
  part B
• Energy position statement

CLICK HERE
to visit the official United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development website

US youth delegates Lisa and Andrea sent this report of their visit to Soweto to the Youth Caucus e-list:

Hello everyone,
We thought we would send you a brief report on some of the side events here Joburg. Yesterday, we had a wonderful opportunity to visit Soweto, and inner city suburb of Joburg.

We visited a 'sustainable house' in the low budget single housing units, integrating rainwater systems, solar heating, efficietn energy use, and house placement relative to the sun.

We then went to Somoho (Soweto mountain of hope) which was a converted garbage dump with a long history of muugings, rapings, murders, suicides and other horrfying events. The reclamation is to a positive space for spiritual gathering, environmental education, community gardening, bike cooperatives, arts and crafts making from waste, music, dance and drama, and collective kitchen.

The people were truly inspiring and incredibly friendly, warm and welcoming. We recieved a traditional meal of maize, curried stews, greens, etc. and participated in a fantastic drumming circle.

After only a week in South Africa, we can definitely feel that music is fundamental and a stronghold of the passion behind African people.

Our tour ended with a trip through the wealthy neigbourhoods where mansions owned by American executives and others from South Africa lived, only hundred of meters away from shanties, and shacks set up by thousand of poverty stricken people. It provided a good contrast, but the positive actions in Somoho gave us hope for the future.

The actual WSSD is still going on of course, but there is much to learn from outside of the plenary hall.

Andrea and Lisa
Sierra Youth Coalition

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Those of us who can't be in Jo'burg can watch live coverage of events there through the UN News Service web cast.

Glossary of Summit-speak

Confused by all the strange terminology and acronyms... We hope the glossary below will help:

• WSSD - World Summit on Sustainable Development
• Rio +10 - WSSD but it refers to the fact that this summit is ten years on from the original summit in Rio.
• Agenda 21 - the environmental agenda for the Twenty First century. This was created at the Rio summit and the idea was that all aspects of society should be looked at from the perspective of Agenda 21.
• Stakeholder - anybody who has an interest in the issue that is being discussed. In the case of WSSD it is probably everyone on the planet.
• Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue (MSHD)- this is no more no less than a meeting of all people who have an interest/stake in the issue. With reference to WSSD, this has been split into nine Major Groups such as women, youth etc. and bodies have been created to represent the needs and opinions of these particular groups.
• Major Groups - the nine stakeholder groups who can make an input into the summit: Women, Youth, Farmers, Indigenous Peoples, Local Authorities, Scientists, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Trade Unions, and Business and Industry.
• Type I outcomes - agreements made at the Summit in Johannesburg which are legally binding on an international level
• Type II outcomes - promises made by governments, regions, businesses, and other organisations, maybe in partnership with others, to do things to achieve sustainable development - not enforcable though.
• CSD - Conference on Sustainable Development. This is the United Nations body which has met every year since Rio. The WSSD is its 10th annual conference but has been made into an extra specially important meeting and called a Summit.
• PrepCom - a meeting of CSD to make the arrangements and preparations for the Summit.
• International Youth Summit on Sustainable Development - a conference organised by the youth caucus which was held just before the main Summit
• Caucus - a group of people with a common interest (eg women, youth) who meet together to organise themselves and work to further that interest.
• Youth Caucus - the 'youth' Major Group - a group of youth organisations and youth representatives who we are working with in Bali and will be part of in Johannesburg.
• Global People's Forum of the WSSD - The part of the Summit which is open to participation from civil society delegates
• Civil Society - all organisations, groups and individuals who are not part of governments - not politicians or civil servants.
• NASREC is where the Global Civil Society Forum is. This is the non-governmental side of the Summit. Sandton is where the Governmental Conference is.