SEAL THE STEAL!

in October when i was in New York representing Botswana at the UN General Assembly all talks were about Climat Change and COP15, i think it should come out in the open that at the time i had very littl knowledge and expectations for COP15 and i somewhat wish it had stayed so. Unfortuately once you have been exposed you cant go back.

I remember October 5 2009 giving a vote of thanks statement on behalf of the youth delegation to Ban Ki Moon and uttering the words 'SEAL THE DEAL IN COP15!'. i stood next to Ban Ki Moon and reiterated the youth's interest in COP15 and how we shall strive to see change in the world. I believe at that moment i gave a lot of youth (myself included) hope that things will turn out for the best in COP15.

Today, is the ast day in COP15 and the mood has been very gloom and people have lost that hope that they had 2 weeks ago better yet 2 days ago. the heads of State are here and the deal we were all hoping for hasnt been reached. everyone has been excluded from this decision making process, youth, NGOs were kicked out a long tim ago. we are holding on to a thread. Assumptions and rumors are all we are getting from those that have silver badges and can access the further restricted places. Uncertainty is the ruler of this place, Copenhagen to Hopenhagen to Lostenhagen!

Earlier today we were certain that what we wanted (Developing countries) was included in the COP15 accord and we were getting excited but then again that wasnt binding but it was atleast a step in the right direction. as i write now, i hear egotiations are still on and no one knows aything. No one wants to commit themselves to even a press statement! Technicalities have been a big deal in this conference and rightly but i personally feel that we could have agreed on the gist and dealt with it accordingly and left the text to lawyers. im new to these things and maybe i am being unrealistic but after spending an afternoon (3hours) in a negotiation and hearing the same thing all over again im more than convinced that 'Negotiation Change' we cant be going on and on on technicalities and forgeting about those people that sent us to the conferences, those people counting on us and the main reason why we are there. the UN system ahs proved to me that it really needs change and is highly ineffective. im a follower of the UN and part of it because i believe in its potential. I get a lot of dust from people for my belief but i feel there is no other way.

Anyway, instead of trying to outline the whole document, attached and read it yourself;

For us this draft was good, not perfect but included some of our calls. As a developing country with a small population we were fighting for quota emmision cuts than per capita, adaptation fund that could help us tap into green\clean energy. other piorities are not yet public information and im not sure if i can disclose. Anyway for a Motswana, an agreement on the above could mean economic diversity, jobs and saving the earth! from first hand knowledge i can tell you that you have elected the right people into power, the Botswana Delegation, Minister have been pushing for your interest and are very careful, bold and the way they have handled this issue has been remarkable. Praises aside, there isnt much that they could have done.

Statements of interest have been that by Brazil, USA and Venezuela.

Much anticipation has been on the US, people waited patiently outside the Bella Center with posters hoping to catch a glipmse of Obama and hopefully him noticing their dedication to this matter. President Obama came in through the back door ( no one saw him entering the building, let alone the gates), he spoke and then left through the back door! As you can imagine just for that people were furious! In his statement to plenary, he echoed Hilary Clinton's statement,; $10Billion till 2012 and then $100B till 2020, it might sound like much but its for all the developing countries and we had asked for $400B! in addition to that he said the US would cut back by 17% and then progress to 40% ( the second largest emmiter that contributes 50% with China). the rest of the statement was just.....

Soe say our expectations were unrealistic and we have to bear in mind that he makes decisions with congress we shouldnt expect much. there is a lot of pressure on this one man and his government both in the US and internationally about health care, climate change etc....should we be feeling sorry for him and empathizing? are our expectations fair or does it sound good to say than to do, would we do things differently if we ran the most powerful country in the world? these are just some of the questions we have to think about when talking about this conference. all i can say is that irregardless of whether or not people empathize with Obama, they were definitely unimpressed with him, NO ONE clapped or anything after his delivery and he quickly went into the small place he came from earlier.

It was hard for the man to deliver a statement after a powerful and reassuring statement by Brazil. This is the country that delivered its targets and why they are willing to meet them. An impromto decision making to go an extra mile and assist other developing countries in mitigation and adaptation finance and capacity building. He stated that, we shouldnt be acting like we are begging the developed world to assist us but instead, this is a debt they owe and should pay us for all the damage and challenge we are therefore facing. 'This is the breakfast,lunch and supper of our people we are talking about, one that the developed world has provided over a century ago.......!' he further pointed out that if we dont act now, there is no angel or messiah that will come and save us. This is dely one definitely one of a kind leaders with dedication to saving the earth!

On the other hand, Hugo Chavez was unimpressed with Obama; his lack of commitment, backdoor draft agreement to EU sates and the way he acted superior to all (coming in and leaving through back doors)! its said that he later walked out of the conference stating that the negotiations were going nowhere and clearly UNFCCC was not transparent and that their powers as leaders were undermined. I feel hes frustration! Maybe then this was a time to make an agreement to show the US that we can still make it without them....is this possible?

Anyway, all in all it was a good try! 119 world leaders (Even Uncle Bob from Zimbabwe) attended. its not over yet! apparently, the presidents wont sleep till theres a deal, Obama cancelled his flight and stayed in for the negotiations.....In our dreams and tosses and turns, we shall keep our fingers crossed with the hope that when i wake up, all will be well; we will be well on our way to saving the world!

When all is said and done, I rest my case tonight with uncertainty and if our leaders fail then its completely up to us to take on this challenge and fight for our survival as individuals united, the United Nations would have failed us but even still we should keep that spark of hope and hopefully as we progress, they shall redeem themselves!

RIOT, RESIGNATIONS and FORGES

Its getting crazy in COP15, its been crazy! Thers been daily protests, people dressed like polar bears, dogs, indeginous people, trees...anything you can imagine! they have mostly been very calm and acceptable and some rather sacarstic...

Yesterday, there was adelicious chocolate cake being handed out to delegates, as you can imagine; when i saw it i salivated...i wanted that piece so bad but was badly denied one because it was a CARBON CAKE only for delegates from countries who have had a great share (more than enuf) in emmissions! imagine..how sacarstic is that?! the cake is supposed to remind them of their shameful delightful emmissions, does that make sense?

Since high level delegates are coming in, there has been limited access to NGOs and IGOs basically if you are not from the government or part of, your chances of being in COP15 since yesterday are very thin. you would need a secondary badge to pass through security; yesterday, 7000 badges were given out, today only 1000 and tomorrow will be only 90. obviously the NGOs and IGOs havent taken this lying down, they are very angry and have taken matters into their hands. Apart from protesting outside and almost being killed after police shot tear gasses (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8415307.stm ), they have made fake secondary badges. today instead of the expected 1000 delegates, there are about 10000 delegates! the famous slogan is 'dont make decisions about us without us!'. you can tell from their actions that these people are either very passionate about this issue or very diluded and uninformed (you chose). Not only do their actions make them sick (pneumonia, colds and headaches!) but most importantly delay the negotiations; we spend hours lined outside the Bella center waiting to enter, we miss the plenary, group discussions and other country meetings. i must say, its not only the fault of the demostrators, organization has been very terrible! there is no differentiation between a chief negotiator and an observer! RIDICULOUS! the only way they know how to deal with the situation is to stop movement, which means no going in or outside! The Danes are obsessed with equality!!

With all the commotion outside the Bella center one would think things would be calmer inside...only its the opposite! The president of COP15 has resigned well, diplomatically....there has been a 'change of power as high level delegates move in'! Nations have been anticipating this and as such we have gotten different reasons to this change. some say she was being biased and sidelined the Kyoto Protocol. its only logical to have a neutral and fair leader right? well, these allegations could be true or false, so please dont quote me! the official press statement can be found at ; http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_15/items/5244.php

On the other hand, Botswana delegation is doing well, standing their ground with the Africa group. the debates among the delegation are very informative and are the kind that stimulate further thinking. I cant really blog about the progress yet atleast till its all public informations. the general consensus is that negotiations are going well and we MIGHT be well on our way to an agreement BUT NOT a treaty (Legaly binding!).

Its such an exciting time in the world right now and aparently COP15 is going down in history as one of the most attended events and widely sort out for! Lets hope that it will also go down in history as the most powerful and life changing event in history!

GREEN PEACE people! rememeber that you too have a role to play: walk those short distances, turn off electrical appliances when not in use, keep warm with clothes and use little heating systems if possible and most importantly be HUMAN!

Plenary Drama

I had to write this before i forgot and lost the excitement. today has been eventful and overwhelming! just from the hr and a half long que to the variety of bothes available....not to forget the expensive and bad food!

Today as you may have read, the African states walked out of negotiations......'This is a walk-out over process and form, not a walkout over substance, and that's regrettable," Reuters

African states are very unhappy with the way negotiations are going. I cant really say much on this issue at the moment, il update later.

Talks have resumed but have been limited to informal consultations on procedural issues, notably developing countries' demands for more time on the Kyoto Protocol.
The G77-China bloc, speaking for developing countries, said the Danish hosts had violated democratic process.
Some delegates talked forlornly of the vast amount of negotiating left to be done before the summit concludes.
The countries that suspended co-operation were those which make up the G77-China bloc of 130 nations. These range from wealthy countries such as South Korea, to some of the poorest states in the world.
The G77-China bloc speaks for developing countries in the climate change negotiation process.
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Blocs representing poor countries vulnerable to climate change have been adamant that rich nations must commit to emission cuts beyond 2012 under the Kyoto Protocol. But the EU and the developed world in general has promoted the idea of an entirely new agreement, replacing the protocol. Developing countries fear they would lose many of the gains they made when the Kyoto agreement was signed in 1997. They point out that the Kyoto Protocol is the only international legally binding instrument that has curbed carbon emissions, and also that it contains functioning mechanisms for bringing development benefits to poor countries such as money for investment in clean energy projects. Previously during this meeting - formally called the Conference of the Parties (COP) 15 - developing countries have accused the Danish chairs of ignoring their concerns. G77-China chief negotiator Lumumba Di-Aping explained why the bloc had taken the decision to withdraw its co-operation.

"It has become clear that the Danish presidency - in the most undemocratic fashion - is advancing the interests of the developed countries at the expense of the balance of obligations between developed and developing countries," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One programme.
"The mistake they are doing now has reached levels that cannot be acceptable from a president who is supposed to be acting and shepherding the process on behalf of all parties."

He said it would leave some of the world's biggest emitters without targets for cutting emissions.
Many developing countries have been arguing for a "twin track" approach, whereby countries with existing targets under the Kyoto Protocol (all developed nations except the US) stay under that umbrella, with the US and major developing economies making their carbon pledges under a new protocol.
More than 100 heads of state and government are scheduled to be in the Danish capital on Friday for the closing session to sign a final deal.

in plenary, the President of Maldives brought statement delivery to a halt as he fiercefully expressed hes disappointment in the negotiations and talks. ' This needs to STOP! stop! we need to stop talking! we have been talking for 14 years, its time to act!' he shouted and just as the president of the conference was about to agree with him, the G77 president and represenatative of Sudan calmly took center stage as he asked for answers from the CMP some of which included; what the resolution will be, if we are negotiating on Kyoto or a political agreement or a converging path.....

To my disappointment, the president couldnt clearly asnwer these, it got to a point where i almost dozed off ......'the resolution will be what will be agreed' answered the CMP... hahahhah! seriously?! ahh...anyway, i hope for better discussions.

the next coming days will be more exciting, presidents want agreements on the spot (atleast thats the feeling im getting) they want quick answers from their ministers and the conference Secretariat, its getting nasty in here and i hope that all thisenergy will be drawn towards productive actions and talks.

side note: i have never been more proud of my country, we have a great team here in COP15, people that know what they are doing and what they need to see. the best of it all is that they are practising inclusive leadership and we (youth) feel like we belong (as we should)!

Copenhagen the freezer!

from the countdown i have been doing on the other posts, you might have guessed that i am FINALLY here, live in Copenhagen! yay! (....without my bags..oh! Airfrance..)
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im tired and freezing but that doesnt mean im not excited to be here. it took me an hour and fifteen minutes to get through the security check point and fortunately the official delegates desk was empty and registration took me about 5 minutes....1hr 20mins for registration wow! in the freezing cold i might add. anyway, good news is i got that done and im officially a delegate to COP15.

im going to get status updates on Botswana and the whole conference which shall later be up. its 4pm and its dark, dark like 9pm winter time Botswana. i really dont have anything technical to write at this point.
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Last statement, my host Helene is amazing! she is talented, beautiful, open hearted and very welcoming its unbelievable!

For now im just happy being here and look forward to the debates,discussions and negotiations that are awaiting me....

you too can be part of the climate change movement, find out what you can do to help, be GREEN!

Confusion!.....1day to go

Maybe im just confused, maybe i will understand things better once im there...maybe the leak was on purpose! I am confused, some say yesterday's leak wasnt a leak rather a document that has been up for a while on the internet that was worked on by an ad-hoc group that was authorized in Bali 2007! 2007!

Another point; i also read that the developing world 'leaders' South Africa, India, China and Brazil said they would walk out of negotiations collectively if things dont go their way. should we be worried now? is that day close or we are just being worried for nothing?

Another piece of information; the above named leaders said they will NEVER agree to emission cuts, NEVER, nothing binding they said. huh! what is it that we are looking for at the 15th Climate Change negotiations? do we want to keep attending conferences and have nothing agreed?

Maybe i will write something more meaningful next week, with a clear understanding of whats going on in Copenhagen.

PS when you read this, remember im writing this in my personal capacity not as a youth representative of Botswana!

Adios people!

the Road to COP15...2days

Today i got some very disappointing news, seems all the hopes and expectations i had for COP15 are going up in flames. UK,US and Denmark have a secret draft agreement which sidelines the developing nations, kicks out Kyoto protocol and weakens the UN's position in climate finance. i though we were having negotiations, fighting hard for the future and being considerate! in this 'secret' draft agreement, the rich are to emit twice as much as the developing and as for mitigation cost...well, lets say there will be a group that will 'benefit', the 'vulnerable developing nations'. what does this mean? aren't we all vulnerable? more on the story;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/08/copenhagen-climate-summit-disarray-danish-text?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

this is a time for action, our leaders need to stand their ground and make sure that our interests are protected! im furious and VERY disappointed. i hope this doesn't trickle down to next week's summit when the world leaders meet.

I hope our leaders dont forget that we are out in COP15 to 'SEAL THE DEAL!'