Stakeholder Forum hosts informal government dinner on Earth Summit 2012 in New York
February 2009: During the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the 17th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, Stakeholder Forum convened a number of governments from North and South to informally discuss the possibility of an Earth Summit in 2012 and to focus on the kinds of issues such a Summit could address.
This meeting was attended by 23 individuals from seventeen national governments, three non-governmental organisations, one independent consultancy and one university, all talking in their personal capacity under the Chatham House Rule. Representatives from the following governments attended the informal dinner: Austria, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Malaysia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA. Discussion focussed on a number of areas, including Global Environmental Governance, common but differentiated responsibility, financial implications of a Summit, and how to avoid ‘Summit fatigue’.
Though many governments stated clearly that they had not yet developed positions, the meeting provided an opportunity to share and exchange ideas on the role a Summit could possibly play. A ‘Non-Paper’ was issued based on the discussions at the meeting – the ‘Non-Paper’ status conveys that the points outlined to not necessarily represent agreement from all who attended, but rather capture the discussions that took place.
To download the Non-Paper please click here.
