Africa

 
At the COP28 Climate Talks in Dubai, Education Cannot Wait Calls on Donors to Urgently Mobilize More Resources to Scale Up Life-Saving Access to Quality Education for Crisis-Impacted Children

By Gordon Brown and Yasmine Sherif
London/New York, Dec 5 2023 (IPS)

“The one international language the world understands” wrote Eglantyne Jebb, founder of Save the Children, “is the cry of a child,” and the evidence is accumulating that children are not only the innocent victims of conflict whose pleas need to be heard, but also the most vulnerable victims of climate change.

The climate crisis is an education crisis. Right here, right now, climate change is robbing millions of children and adolescents of their right to learn, their right to play and their right to feel safe and secure.

In Pakistan deadly floods destroyed or damaged over 26,000 schools last year. This exposed over 600,000 adolescent girls to higher risks of school dropout, gender-based violence, and child marriage. In Ethiopia, girls like Mellion are going hungry and risk dropping out of school forever as a result of the ongoing drought.

While the climate crisis threatens the rights of every person on the planet, those who are enduring the brunt of its impact are the most vulnerable girls and boys already living in protracted crises settings due to armed conflicts, forced displacement and other crises. For them and their communities, climate change is already a daunting reality that can mean the difference between life and death, between war and peace, between the chance to learn or not.

Today, there are more than 224 million crisis-impacted children worldwide who urgently need education support. New analysis by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, hosted by UNICEF, has found that 62 million of these children have been impacted by climate hazards such as droughts, floods, cyclones and other extreme weather events since 2020. That’s close to the total populations of several G7 nations such as the United Kingdom, France or Italy.

While these children have contributed least to the issue of climate change, they have the most to lose. Furthermore, over the last ten years, 31 million school-aged children have been displaced by the climate crisis, with 13 million in the last three years alone.

The climate crisis poses a real and present threat to global security, economic prosperity and the very fabric of our societies. Climate impacts could cost the world economy US$7.9 trillion by 2050, according to the World Bank, and could force up to 216 million people to move within their own countries by 2050.

Cyclones, typhoons, floods and droughts are increasing in severity and intensity. The number of disasters driven, in part, by climate change has increased five-fold in the past 50 years. Climate hazards are driving displacement directly, but also driving competition over scarce resources and threatening fragile peace in many parts of the world. Over 70% of refugees and internally displaced people on the move due to conflict and violence originally came from climate change hotspots.

Taken together, these intersecting crises of climate change, displacement and conflict are having a profound effect on education opportunities for millions of children and adolescents around the world.

As we look at this year’s Climate Talks in Dubai (COP28) and the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, we must connect the dots between climate action and education action. It’s our investment in our people, our planet and our future.

To rise to this challenge, ECW is calling on donors, the private sector and other key partners to urgently mobilize US$150 million in additional resources. This is an important contribution towards ECW’s overall resource mobilization target of US$1.5 billion toward the Fund’s 2023-2026 strategic plan.

We all know that education has a sound return on investment. Long-term investments in human capital – including education, skills training and overall health and well-being – offer 10 times more return on investment than investments in physical capital. By investing in education today, we are investing in economic and social prosperity tomorrow, we are investing in an end to displacement and hunger, we are investing in a better world and children’s futures.

The climate crisis threatens to end human civilization as we know it today. Now is our time to address this issue head on, and education plays a key role. By ensuring learning continuity for the most vulnerable children – and connecting quality education with climate action – we can equip an entire generation of climate stewards with the skills to adapt to the changing environment and pave the way to a better future.

In the eye of the storm, we are calling on new and existing donors to stand with us. We are appealing to you to act: right here, right now. Will you take up this challenge?

The Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown is the UN Special Envoy for Global Education and Chair of the Education Cannot Wait High-Level Steering Group.

Yasmine Sherif is the Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises.

IPS UN Bureau

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was charged alongside 10 others for various corruption-related offences.

Six members of President Hage Geingob's family, including his children, have travelled to Dubai.

Global drug policies need an overhaul, new report says. Credit: Jonathan Gonzalez/Unsplash

By Ed Holt
BRATISLAVA, Dec 5 2023 (IPS)

A major advocacy group has demanded an overhaul of global drug policies as a landmark report is released showing how governments’ complacency has perpetuated a failed ‘war on drugs’ despite its devastating consequences for millions of people around the world.

Using wide-ranging data from UN, government, academic, and civil society sources, ‘Off track: Shadow Report for the mid-term review of the 2019 Ministerial Declaration on Drugs’ released today (December 5) by the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) illustrates the collapse of the UN drug control regime, its authors say.

It shows how, despite billions spent every year to curb drug markets and availability, in the last four years, the number of people who use drugs has risen to historic levels, overdose deaths are surging, executions for drug offences have soared, and millions have continued to be imprisoned for drug offences. And this is all while access to treatment for drug dependency remains low and shockingly unequal in different parts of the world.

But at the same time, the group claims, the long-held consensus behind global prohibition is fracturing, and since 2019, the number of people who can legally access internationally controlled drugs for non-medical use has more than doubled to over 294 million.

“There has often been an attitude [at policy level] that drugs are wrong and that the approach to drug use should be a punitive one. But recently there has been a growing recognition, on the ground and at grassroots level but also at some policymaking level, that this approach is not working. That recognition is accelerating as we reach a breaking point on this,” Marie Nougier, Head of Research and Communications at IDPC and one of the main authors of the report, told IPS.

The report is, according to IDPC, the only completely comprehensive evaluation of drug policy developments globally since the 2019 Ministerial Declaration on drugs which laid down the main objectives of the international community in addressing the world drug situation for a 10-year period. It also shows how drug policy has affected, both negatively and positively, not just drug users but other communities and people affected by drug use.

Drawing on a broad range of data and evidence, as well as on the experience of civil society and communities, the report shows, however, that there has been little, incomplete, or no progress in achieving the Declaration’s objectives.

Presenting personal testimony as well as data on, among others, drug use, drug production and trafficking, and the effects of drug law enforcement on users and others, it concludes there is little evidence that policies aimed at the prohibition and eradication of drugs have been effective in reducing illegal drug markets, or tackling their connection with human insecurity, violence, and organised crime.

But its authors say there is widespread proof that punitive policies on drug use promoted by governments have actually undermined some of the key aims of the 2019 Ministerial Declaration itself and of the broader UN system, including the promotion of health, human rights, and sustainable development.

“The approach to drug use needs to be rethought,” said Nougier, citing examples of countries which have moved away from punitive approaches to drug use.

“No one country has a great drug policy – they all face different issues with regard to their drug policies – but for instance Colombia has implemented steps to address human rights in its drug policies and is looking to really move its policies in the right direction; Ghana is another example – in 2020 it replaced a punishment of a minimum five-year jail sentence for possession of drugs for personal use with giving judges the option of imposing a fine instead,” she said.

The latter change came out of working with civil society to review drug laws which now seek, amongst others, to treat drug use and dependence as a public health issue rather than focusing on law enforcement, incarceration, punishment, and repression, she explained.

The report also brings a focus on how the ‘war on drugs’ has also disproportionately affected some communities – and how little has been done to deal with this.

According to the civil society organisations surveyed for the report, drug control operations have a disproportionate impact on marginalised communities to a significantly high degree, in all corners of the world. However, only 12 out of the 54 survey respondents (22%) reported government efforts to reduce – directly or indirectly – such disproportionate impacts.

It highlights, and gives evidence, including personal testimony, for example of the disproportionate racial and gender impact of the enforcement of drug laws.

“There are lots of people apart from drug users themselves who are being affected by the ‘war on drugs’, for instance along lines of race and gender, among others. There are intrinsically racist approaches to drug control in some countries. Those targeted by law enforcement are often from specific groups,” Nougier pointed out.

For many years, critics of punitive drug policies, including major healthcare bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), as well as drug users themselves, have called for decriminalisation of drug use, backed by the provision of harm reduction services such as needle exchange programmes, opioid agonist therapy (OAT) services, and others, as a public health measure.

But while many countries have seen the benefits of harm reduction measures and enthusiastically implemented at least some of them – although access to such programmes remains very poor in many parts of the Global South—policymakers, at least at national level, are much more reticent when it comes to decriminalisation.

“Politicians won’t say it in so many words, but the feeling we get is that it’s too much political effort to change drug policy. When we talk to them, they are very engaged and supportive when it comes to harm reduction measures, but as soon as you mention decriminalisation, everything changes,” said Nougier.

Campaigners for drug policy reform point to the recent pushback by the UK government to plans to open the UK’s first drug consumption room, where users could take their own drugs under medical supervision, in Glasgow. Discussed for years, it finally got the green light in September after it was confirmed that users using the room would not be prosecuted.

But the approval, granted by city authorities, was immediately criticised by the then Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, who said it was the wrong policy to address drug dependency, while Home Office minister Chris Philp said previously the UK Government does not support such facilities in England and Wales, over concern they “condone or even encourage” drug use.

Peter Krykant, an activist who ran his own unsanctioned mobile ‘overdose prevention service’ in Glasgow for years and who is now campaign lead for charity Cranstoun’s drug and alcohol support service, told IPS: “What we on the front line feel is that everything is getting harder every year because we’re not seeing any change to the system.”

However, policy reform advocates also point out that the room was approved and is set to open soon, with more cities in the UK likely to now apply for approval for similar facilities. They say this comes from a growing movement at grassroots level for a change in approaches to drug use.

“Grassroots advocacy, led by people who use drugs working in alliance with other community groups, has probably been the most effective approach towards establishing drug consumption rooms in cities. It is drug user activism that is challenging the status quo, taking the risks, and ultimately changing the law,” Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director of Release, a UK-based NGO campaigning for drug policy reform, told IPS.

Krykant pointed out that local communities have welcomed the Glasgow drug consumption room, with support for such sites high among the public.

There are signs that this is being recognised at a higher level, too. Earlier this year, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called for an end to the ‘war on drugs’ and transformative changes towards drug policies based on health and human rights. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has also called for the decriminalisation of drug use and responsible regulation of drug markets by governments.

The IDPC report, which is being released before the mid-term review at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March next year, makes note of the recognition, especially by Turk, of the failings of the current widespread punitive approach to drugs and gives a set of recommendations for transformative change of the UN drug control regime. These include, among others, putting health, development, and human rights at the heart of drug policy and allowing countries to consider the legal regulation of drugs.

Many campaigners say decriminalisation and, eventually, regulation of drugs need to be implemented as soon as possible in global drug policies, from a public health perspective, if nothing else.

“Decriminalisation of drug possession is crucial if we want to see the best possible health outcomes for people who use drugs. Criminalisation is a major driver for stigma and marginalisation, which acts as a barrier to accessing services,” said Eastwood.

“Ultimately, though, regulation of drugs is the only way we can ensure that the supply of substances is as safe as possible. With an ever-more toxic supply across the world and now occurring in the UK, we need to protect people’s health by ensuring they have access to a regulated supply,” she added.

Nougier said that while the report makes a number of calls for reforms, the first steps to key policy changes, including decriminalisation, could be taken very easily.

“It would be naïve to think all the reforms and changes we are calling for could be done in their entirety overnight, but what we are saying is that governments need to recognise that the war on drugs is ‘undoable’, and that reforms need to be started now. That acknowledgement could be made immediately, and while decriminalisation in terms of policy would obviously take time, in practice it could be changed overnight simply by telling police not to criminalise people for drug use,” she said.

“Drug policy should be reviewed. You shouldn’t need to be repressing communities, instead you should be looking to support them,” Nougier added.

Quotes from Diego Garcia Sayan, Global Commission on Drug Policy:

Throughout my career as a lawyer, judge, minister, and human rights expert, I have seen first-hand how in Latin American countries and around the world, highly punitive drug control efforts have been a key driver of violence and mass incarceration, especially for women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people living in poverty.

The mid-term review, alongside other discussions taking place in Vienna, Geneva, and elsewhere, should lay the ground for a process of deep reform that will shed the global punitive paradigm, and protect the health, welfare, and human rights of people everywhere, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. This Shadow Report provides concrete steps on how this can be made possible.

Quote from Petra Schulz, Moms Stop The Harm, who lost her child Danny from drug poisoning in 2014:

Looking into the future, I see legally regulated substances with a public health focus as the only possible alternative. The war on drugs has failed many, and there are too many casualties, including our youngest child. Not a day goes by where I don’t think where he might be and what he might do if he was still with us.

Quote from Alexey Kvitkovsky, who provides critical peer support for People Who Use Drugs in war-torn Ukraine

I transported patients from their homes to the OAT room in my car under fire, and thanks to this, dozens of people got access to their medication. As a peer counsellor, I continued to advise OAT patients from Luhansk Oblast who had evacuated to the western regions of Ukraine from the hotspots on various issues: where to get humanitarian aid, OST, and antiretroviral medications, where temporary shelters were available, and how to get clothing and food.

Quote from Mona, mother of Hamza, who suffered excruciating pain due to a rare type of bone cancer

I would like to share the story of our son Hamza. He suffered from Ewing sarcoma for three years. The cancer spread throughout his body and the pain was out of control. The only rest he found was in the form of morphine, a painkiller that allowed him to sleep, eat and even breathe… Looking for medicine was our daily mission because we understood that any laps in our efforts would mean a hard pain for our beloved son.

Quote from Raj, who suffered first hand from the war on drugs in Patna City, India

Detained without due process, I endured physical abuse and intimidation, my dignity was stripped away by those meant to protect it. It became painfully clear that the war on drugs was a breeding ground for unchecked power and brutality. Forced to navigate a Kafkaesque legal system, I grappled with the trauma of my ordeal, witnessing firsthand the erosion of justice in the name of an elusive war.

Quote from Manoela Andrade, a woman who uses drugs in Brazil

We all know that the war on drugs was never against drugs, but against specific people. But what you may not know is that we, black women, are the most affected by this genocidal political project of body control.

Quote from Christian, a person who uses cannabis in Malta

The home-growing law adopted in Malta in 2021 has been a huge plus for us. Less dependence from the illegal market and its repercussions on the world, less dependence on importation, and now we get to know what we are consuming.

Quote from Junior “spirit” Cottle, a traditional cannabis farmer from St Vincent and the Grenadines

The perception that we are doing well, and that doing drugs means wallowing in money is a misconception. The illegal nature of what we do brings with it many risks. Like the risk of being caught and imprisoned, the risk of being robbed by armed gangs, the risk of having your crop being eradicated by law enforcement agencies… Yet we continue to ply the trade. And we do so because we have our families to care for, with little or no other source of employment.

[M]any growers have come to see the [cannabis] industry as a rich man’s paradise. But all is not lost. We must continue to struggle for a better space within the new industry, for a situation of fair trade, sustainability, and social justice.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

Aditi Agarwal moved from the world of tech to a youth-led initiative in India dedicated to recycling PET bottles through a circular economy approach. Credit: Umar Manzoor Shah/IPS

By Umar Manzoor Shah
DUBAI, Dec 5 2023 (IPS)

Aditi Agarwal, a brilliant computer science engineer and Gold Medalist, once thrived in the tech world, contributing to innovations at Microsoft. However, she felt a calling to address real-world challenges, particularly those related to carbon emissions and plastic pollution. In pursuit of a nobler cause, she joined a company called Go Rewise, a youth-led initiative in India dedicated to recycling PET bottles through a circular economy approach.

Agarwal’s passion for environmental sustainability is palpable as she explains, “There is no better and nobler cause than reducing carbon emissions in the world today because that is the only way we are going to create a balance and survive.” Her decision to “switch gears” from the corporate world to environmental activism reflects a deep commitment to making a tangible difference.

Go Rewise focuses on the staggering issue of plastic waste in India, specifically targeting the 10 million PET bottles discarded annually.

Agarwal elucidates the essence of their initiative, stating, “It means ‘go recycle wisely’. We believe in circularity—any resource extracted from the earth should be in balance, in circulation as long as possible.” The team’s groundbreaking efforts involve technical recycling, a meticulous process involving more than 20 steps of decontamination to ensure the recycled raw material is safe for human contact.

Agarwal’s passion shines through as she describes the impact of the work: “For the first time in India, we are creating a bottle out of a bottle.”

A woman sits among the plastic waste, which will be recycled several times. Credit: Go Rewise

The significance lies not only in recycling but also in preventing hazardous waste from accumulating in landfills. Agarwal emphasizes the urgency of their mission.

“Imagine 10 million bottles every year going into landfills; how much space it will take, and this plastic wouldn’t biodegrade in just six months or a year.”

The initiative is not just about recycling; it’s a holistic approach that involves collaboration with beverage companies and obtaining licenses from food regulators. “We have a license from food regulators for doing so. We are working with many beverage companies.”

The strategic partnerships enable Go Rewise to intervene at various stages of the plastic lifecycle, preventing pollution and promoting sustainability.

The story goes beyond recycling; it involves millions of ragpickers across India, who play a crucial role in the process. Agarwal speaks passionately about their involvement.

“We collect from ragpickers, and we train them on what is PET and what is non-PET.”

The initiative empowers individuals on the ground, creating awareness about different types of plastics and their impact on the environment.

Once the collected bottles reach Go Rewise, they undergo a meticulous process of segregation, washing, and drying before being put to use again.

Agarwal explains, “We wash the bottles, and the chemical properties of the polymer are regulated.” This commitment to quality ensures that the recycled bottles can go through the process multiple times, contributing to a sustainable and circular economy.

AAgarwal, now serving as the Assistant Vice President overseeing marketing for Go Rewise, is a driving force behind the initiative. She attends COP28 not only to showcase the innovative solutions they are implementing but also to inspire others to think critically about their contributions to environmental sustainability.

“I am here at COP28 to inspire and get inspired,” she told the Inter Press Service.

Reflecting on her journey, Agarwal emphasizes the importance of assessing solutions carefully “Activism doesn’t mean discarding the solution without assessment. We want people to assess the solutions they are creating. There is a need for thoughtful and sustainable approaches that cater to the demands of billions of people on Earth.”

As a computer science engineer who once excelled in the corporate world, Agarwal’s story is a testament to the power of individuals to make a difference. Her decision to step away from the conventional path and delve into real-world problems echoes a broader call for a paradigm shift in how we approach environmental challenges.

Agarwal’s journey with Go Rewise is a story of transformation—from a tech-driven career to a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability. Her words serve as a rallying cry for a circular economy, challenging the prevailing linear approach, which, according to her, is make-take and waste.

As she stands at COP28, Agarwal seeks not only to inspire but also to ignite a collective movement towards a future where products re-enter the value chain, contributing to a healthier planet for generations to come.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');   Related Articles

• Human Rights Crucial as Wealthy Nations Reap Energy Transition Benefits
• Why is There Funding for War But Never for Climate Finance, Ask Feminists
• Wrecked by Climate Change, Farmers in Kashmir Shift to Lavender Cultivation

Credit: UNRWA/Ashraf Amra

By Lynn Hastings
GAZA, Palestine, Dec 5 2023 (IPS)

The 7-day ceasefire brought respite to everyone; hostages were reunited with their families and desperately needed aid went into Gaza. We need more of this; all hostages released and considerably more aid and protection for Palestinian civilians.

But since the resumption of hostilities in Gaza on 1 December, 700 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in addition to the 15,500 already killed. Israeli military operations have expanded into southern Gaza, forcing tens of thousands of others into increasingly compressed spaces, desperate to find food, water, shelter and safety.

Nowhere is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go.

The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist. If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond.

What we see today are shelters with no capacity, a health system on its knees, a lack of clean drinking water, no proper sanitation and poor nutrition for people already mentally and physically exhausted: a textbook formula for epidemics and a public health disaster.

The quantities of relief supplies and fuel allowed in are utterly insufficient. Despite the enormous efforts of the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies, UN agencies and other partners, the use of only the Rafah crossing – meant for pedestrians – to bring in trucks of goods does not work.

Humanitarian operations cannot be kept on a drip feed of fuel. It is the foundation of social services and our operations; including for hospitals, desalination plants, clean drinking water and sanitation.

Space for the humanitarian response allowed inside Gaza is constantly shrinking. The two most important routes – the coastal road and Salahaddin road – are now cut off to our teams and trucks, hindering our ability to help people wherever they are.

The UN and NGOs alone cannot support a population of 2.2 million. Commercial and public sectors must be allowed to bring supplies into Gaza to restock markets. This must include fuel in a manner which ensures Israel’s security.

Announcements of establishing so-called safe zones and tented cities without assurances that people will be able to move freely and that assistance can be delivered where there is need are alarming. These zones cannot be safe nor humanitarian when unilaterally declared.

The UN stands ready to work with all parties to expand the number of UN-managed safe shelters and to deliver assistance where it is needed.

Lynn Hastings is the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Footnote: Asked about news reports that Israel may not renew Lynn Hastings’ visa, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters December 1 : “Yes, we’ve been informed by the Israeli authorities that they would not renew the visa of Ms. Hastings past its due date at some point later this month.

As a matter of policy, we, anywhere around the world, UN people do not overstay their visas, right? I mean, that’s just a fact. I can only — and I’ve said this before — reiterate the Secretary-General’s full confidence in Ms. Hastings, the way she’s conducted herself, and the way she’s done her work. Being the Humanitarian Coordinator in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is challenging work, to say the least, both in terms of the humanitarian situation and the political situation”.

IPS UN Bureau

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

Including trees has benefits for urban dwellers and should be integrated into planning. This visual is of elevated railway line owned by the City of New York. Credit: USDA/Lance Cheung

By Cecilia Russell
JOHANNESBURG & TASHKENT, Dec 5 2023 (IPS)

Successful city planning, which takes place with the involvement of citizens, is the hallmark of the creation of sustainable cities, the International Conference on Demographic Resilience heard.

Katja Schafer, Inter-regional Advisor, UN Habitat, set the scene for the discussion ‘Demographic resilience: environmentally sustainable cities friendly to all categories of the population,’ by noting it was crucial to make the best use of “appropriate densities to connect people to services, their housing needs, their social needs, schooling, health facilities, and so on.”

The discussion included a reminder by Anvar Temirov, Head of the Department of Ecological Education, Scientific Research, and Implementation of Innovations, Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, that critical to urban planning was to keep in mind ecological and environmental balances and that “the fight against climate change and the measures of mitigation are one of the priority number one agenda items these days.”

He told the audience of international parliamentarians that successful urban planning included developing safe, environmentally friendly cities to promote economic, environmental, and social sustainability that used best practices like renewable energy, pollution management (ideally zero-emission and including green buildings to reduce pollution), daylighting, and green spaces in urban planning and development, including bringing agricultural areas into the urban space so that citizens can benefit from locally produced food.

Daniel Griswold, Associate Economic Affairs Officer, UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section, agreed and told the audience of the benefits of developing long-term master plans for urban forests, which, apart from environmental benefits, also benefit the mental health of the citizens.

“Trees can reduce ambient temperatures by up to 8 degrees Celsius… It also works at the neighborhood level. If you have pockets of forests in the neighborhood, the cooling benefit can emanate into the surrounding streets and reduce heat-related deaths.”

The urban forests needed to be maintained as they could also impact crime, result in accidents, and destroy infrastructure.

But he said the benefits outweigh the costs by roughly five to one, according to research.

Iskandar Soliev, an urban planning specialist, suggested it was crucial to reduce the number of cars, prioritize pedestrian safety in cities, and improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

Retrofitting roads and streets to be more environmentally friendly had a benefit to public health, he told the audience, adding that more people have died on the roads than from COVID-19.

Mukhayo Makhmudova, Culture Programme Officer, UNESCO Uzbekistan, suggested “reusing historical buildings” so that they are not only used as tourist hubs but also for the local population.

Policymakers were encouraged to consider demographics in their urban planning, something Takhmina Turdialieva, architect and head of the Young Architect’s Association of Uzbekistan, said should also include involving the citizens.

“If citizens are involved in the process of development in the city, it will serve as an innovation lab because the whole city will be generating ideas and effective solutions foreseeing this, and by doing so, finding the good solutions will be much easier.”
IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');   Related Articles

• Lawmakers Told: Plan From the Cradle For Healthy Aging
• Lawmakers’ Vital Roles in Ensuring Dignity for Aging Populations

Communities affected by nuclear testing, many originating from island nations in the South Pacific, share their experiences at the Nuclear Survivors Forum. Credit: ICAN / Haruka Sakaguchi

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 5 2023 (IPS)

The language used in the Treaty of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is unambiguous on its focus of the grave humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. The TPNW also recognizes the influence of the public conscience “in the furthering of the principles of humanity as evidenced by the call for total elimination of nuclear weapons”.

This public conscience has been shaped by what we know already of the consequences of nuclear testing. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the historic reasons to argue for nuclear disarmament. Decades later, the hibakusha – the term used to refer to survivors of the Japanese nuclear bombings – continue to be vocal in their pleas to world leaders to end nuclear weapon proliferation. Beyond Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the experiences in other affected regions – as represented by second- and third- generation survivors – stand as clear reminders of the intergenerational impact of nuclear testing.

While the Second Meeting of State Parties was an opportunity for member states and NGOs to support the Treaty and express solidarity with affected communities, it has been through a side-events hosted by civil society that those affected can directly testify to their own experiences. It has been through holding such events that the narratives built around nuclear survivors can be expanded, be made more inclusive.

On November 30, the International Campaign for Abolishing Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), along with partner organizations such as Peace Boat and Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, convened the Nuclear Survivors Forum. Hosted at the Church Center for the United Nations, the event saw people from communities around the world commiserate over their experiences with nuclear testing and their impact on their homes and communities.

Taraem Taukaro, nuclear survivors forum. Credit: Katsuhiro Asagiri

The forum created a space where views, ideas, and common experiences were shared, especially for communities that “rarely have such opportunities”, according to Taraem Taukaro, a youth delegate who came to the event with the Kiribati government representatives. The Republic of Kiribati has been one of several island nations in the Pacific that were impacted by nuclear tests, notably conducted by British and American military forces in the mid-20th century. The Kiritimari island, which is part of the Republic, was previously the site of multiple nuclear bombing tests between 1956 and 1962.

Taukaro’s mother, who lived through the testing, suffers from health issues which is believed to have been caused by exposure to radiation from the fallout. This exposure also resulted in health complications for the next generation, like with Taukaro’s sister, who was born deaf. It is a challenge for this family to have been impacted this way. One of the direct impacts has been that the indigenous Kiribati people that lived through the tests are afflicted with health problems and have suffered losses in their environment and biodiversity. Their descendants now contend with the same issues.

Bedi Racule, nuclear survivors forum. Credit: Katsuhiro Asagiri

Bedi Racule, an activist with the Pacific Conference of Churches, provided perspective on the impact of nuclear testing on the Marshall Islands and the greater South Pacific region. The US military conducted nuclear tests in the region, notably on Bikini Atoll between 1946 and 1958. As Racule noted, many Pacific communities continue to feel the impact of nuclear testing, which encompass cancer, displacement, and ecological contamination.

“There is a loss of our wellbeing and our quality of life and our connection to land and ancestors and culture,” she said. “…There is a lot of pain and trauma.”

When speaking of the nuclear survivors who attended the forum, she added: “I really feel for this community, and for my people. I also want to highlight their resilience, their strength. Having vulnerability is not weakness. It is strength… I just want to commend all of these people that have stood up now and in the past for a better world that’s free of nuclear weapons. And specifically, have a nuclear-free zone, and the first nuclear-free constitution.”

For young people, there is a greater responsibility to them to educate them on the impact of nuclear testing; to contextualize the history and the way their connection to culture has shifted, including what has been lost.

Racule remarked that during the forum, there was a call from the affected communities to establish an advisory group. “The core of [the TPNW] is the humanitarian response to nuclear weapons, knowing what has happened in the past and seeking justice for that and preventing these experiences from ever being felt again by anyone.”

Taukaro remarked that the international community, including the British government, could do more to provide funding and support for medical resources and environmental clean-up, as part of the compensation towards the affected communities in Kiritimari and its neighboring islands.

Racule expressed a different view. “Among our network of nuclear justice advocates, it is very well-acknowledged that nuclear issues are intrinsically linked to issues of colonization, of self-determination,” she said. “Even our countries in the Pacific that are free and independent and sovereign, they still have trouble voicing their wants… because of geopolitical interests, because of aid donor funding. We also see this development aid as a way to come in and influence what is happening, to take away our freedom not only politically but economically, financially, socially.”

With real life testimonies from survivors and their descendants, the event was a reminder that nuclear disarmament must be effective sooner rather than later to ensure that our future generations can live in peace and pursue decent lives. The public conscience must be respectful and elevate the voices of the indigenous communities who have been disproportionately affected by nuclear testing and live through its fallout, well into the new millennium.

IPS UN Bureau

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

Women harvesting peas in Haryana, India. Credit: TechnoServe/ Nile Sprague

By William Warshauer and Joao Campari
DUBAI, Dec 5 2023 (IPS)

Food and agriculture is a top agenda item at UNFCCC COP28, as the world considers how to tackle the climate impacts of what we eat and how we produce it. The stage has been set for COP28 to be a “food COP”, but for commitments to translate to action, it must also be a “farmers’ COP”.

As countries unite at COP28 around the Emirates Declaration on Resilient Food Systems, Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Action, the Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation and other country-led initiatives, it is farmers, fishers, and food producers who will be vital to actually implementing urgent climate action on the ground and in the water.

In addition to being critical to reducing emissions from food production, farmers and fishers are also some of those most affected by climate change. A just transition in agricultural production therefore presents a multi-faceted opportunity to reduce carbon emissions, restore nature, and ensure better and more resilient livelihoods for the world’s 600 million smallholder farmers, all while bolstering global food supplies.

To capitalize on this opportunity, farmers, fishers, and food producers must be empowered to adopt nature-positive production practices that enhance their livelihoods while simultaneously protecting nature and the climate.

Much attention will rightly be paid to how negotiators integrate food systems approaches, that consider food production, consumption and loss and waste, in the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work on Implementation on Agriculture and Food Security, or Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement. But if we are to translate global commitments into local action, all eyes must be on how finance is released to food producers so that they are incentivized to use practices that benefit climate, nature and people.

Money matters

Farmers and fishers are tending land and water to feed themselves and their communities, and to improve their livelihoods. While they are some of our most important environmental stewards, and many have a bond with nature, we cannot expect large-scale transitions to nature-positive practices while food producers are financially incentivised to implement unsustainable practices that focus on increasing yield at any cost.

Aid agencies and private financiers must fulfil existing financial pledges while allocating more climate finance for transformative solutions within the agriculture and food sector. In addition, studies have shown that USD540 billion of environmentally damaging agri-food subsidies need to be repurposed each year. WWF is part of the working group on repurposing agrifood subsidies and supports, introduced at COP26, and is working with governments and private investors to rapidly change how agriculture and food is financed, to aid a transition away from unsustainable practices that produce a narrow range of unhealthy foods to nature-positive, climate-resilient food systems that provide everyone with enough healthy and nutritious food.

Effective and equitable resource distribution is critical. Farmers, fishers, and rural women must benefit from better access to the financial support available if we are to make food systems more resilient, inclusive and sustainable.

Seeing is believing

Building trust is also essential for the transition to more resilient food systems. While there is significant evidence that nature-positive production practices can deliver comparable yields and incomes to current practices, without degrading our natural world, farmers continue to face new challenges in the face of climate change. Increasing the availability of measurement tools and technology, and integrating them in national strategies for food systems, will help farmers implement practices demonstrated to be most effective.

Alongside finance, smallholders need full access to comprehensive information, training, and expertise that helps them maximize both productivity and sustainability. Partnerships like that between TechnoServe and WWF help provide farmers with pragmatic advice and support on how to adopt practices suited for their unique realities that sustain both their livelihoods and their environment.

Spread the word

If food systems transformation is to be achieved at the speed required, governments, businesses, development organizations, and food producers must work together to develop and implement scaleable models. This can be challenging given the fact smallholders are often dispersed across large rural areas. Innovative solutions like radio, video and chat bots accessed by mobile phones, as used by TechnoServe to support tens of thousands of coffee farmers across five countries to implement nature-positive production practices, can help drive scale and accelerate impact.

As we head towards a pivotal COP30 in Brazil, an agricultural and environmental bellwether, climate talks must now focus both on driving more ambitious global commitments, and on equipping and empowering smallholder farmers to implement solutions on the ground and in the water. Tangible action in landscapes, seascapes and riverscapes, especially those that are undergoing rapid conversion and degradation due to unsustainable food systems, relies on COP28 delivering enhanced financial support for nature-positive food production.

Supporting smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change and adopt nature-positive practices not only serves their needs and rights to a decent livelihood, but it also protects a vital and increasingly precarious source of food and food security for the entire world. There is a clear opportunity for negotiators and financiers to seize at COP28.

William Warshauer, president and CEO of TechnoServe, a non-profit providing business solutions to poverty
Joao Campari, global leader, food practice, at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

IPS UN Bureau

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

Dr Agnes Kalibata, the President of AGRA, and a member of COP 28 Presidency Advisory Committee. Credit: Isaiah Esipisu/IPS

By Isaiah Esipisu
DUBAI, Dec 5 2023 (IPS)

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has announced the release of USD 100 million at the ongoing United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 28th Conference of Parties (COP 28) in Dubai, UAE, to support 10 African countries in adapting food loss reduction solutions.

The funds, which will be disbursed through AGRA, will be used to enhance African smallholders’ access to technologies, make food loss reduction solutions more accessible and affordable, and support the creation of enabling environments for food system transformation on the continent.

The GCF was created under the Paris Agreement and is currently the world’s largest climate fund, mandated to support developing countries in raising and realizing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) ambitions towards low-emissions, climate-resilient pathways.

Isaiah Esipisu interviewed Dr Agnes Kalibata, the President of AGRA and a member of the COP 28 Presidency Advisory Committee.

IPS: Give a brief overview of the $100 million GCF investment in Africa’s food systems.

Kalibata: At the start of COP 28, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), AGRA, and a number of other partners announced an investment of USD 100 million in what we are calling Reducing Post-Harvest Losses in Agriculture. One of the challenges farmers in Africa have is that they produce a lot of food, but 40 percent of it goes to waste. This initiative will begin by investing in seven countries that AGRA works in to ensure that we can support farmers to reduce post-harvest losses.

As announced earlier this week, the GCF will inject USD 70 million into the initiative, and other partners such as the Rockefeller Foundation and USAID, among others, will contribute the remaining USD 30 million. Through this partnership, seven countries—Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia—have already expressed interest in being part of the project. The target is 10 African countries.

This is just the beginning. We do recognize that post-harvest losses are a very critical part of growing markets in these countries; it plays a critical role in improving food security for farmers, but it is also a critical part of reducing climate change because if we can save more, we do not need more land to produce more.

IPS: How exactly are the funds going to help smallholder farmers in the mentioned countries at the grassroots level?

Kalibata: The money will help farmers get access to technologies that will help them reduce losses during and after harvesting their produce. For example, when you are harvesting rice and putting it in the paddy water, you are compromising the quality because the grains will crack. So one of the things we will do is ensure that farmers are trained on how to harvest their produce, when to harvest, and the handling process.

For example, we will equip them with the right shelving and storage techniques. This will ensure that after harvest, commodities are dried and kept well in order to avoid things like aflatoxin contamination.

IPS: What factors were considered when selecting the countries to benefit from the USD 100 billion?

Kalibata: With GCF, countries have to express interest in participating in any particular initiative. In our case, the funds are for the purpose of unlocking post-harvest losses.

Our drive is therefore to support countries in implementing these programs as the primary partners in the initiative. Other partners include co-funders such as the Rockefeller Foundation, USAID, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), among others.

IPS: What do food loss and waste mean in terms of greenhouse gas emissions?

Kalibata: It is clear from the science that Africa emits the least of the greenhouse gases. But in terms of food systems, food loss and waste emit 8 percent of greenhouse gases globally.

However, our emissions in Africa are very minimal, and therefore our main focus is on food systems. Just think about what will happen if we save 40 percent of the food we lose to waste! Every time we go to the farm, we are always looking towards increasing our yields. But then we end up losing more than our production increment.

It is also important to note that most of the food wasted ends up producing methane from organic matter, which is a dangerous greenhouse gas. Reducing losses will therefore mean reducing such emissions.

IPS: When are farmers likely going to start benefiting from the $100 million from the GCF?

Kalibata: Working with GCF takes some time. We need time to prepare the investments, and we also need time to make the programs and projects ready. So far, GCF has released what they call the preparatory facility for investment, which is usually the initial process.

However, it is not the only investment we work with as AGRA. There are others. But this particular investment is targeted at supporting the building of systems, strengthening the systems for better post-harvest management, and ensuring that farmers have access to the appropriate technologies.

IPS: When disbursing these funds, will AGRA work directly with governments, or will it be through community- and farmer-based organisations?

Kalibata: AGRA works in a number of ways. Where governments have the ability to work with us, we engage them. Where we have different partners to work with, we engage them. We also work with businesses to enable the private sector’s ecosystems.

We also work with governments to strengthen their capacity so that they can improve the way they engage the private sector. At some point, we work with NGOs whenever we find that it is the only system that we can work with to get the results we need.

IPS: In your role as the advisor to the COP Presidency, do you see the money committed at COP 28 for the Loss and Damage Fund coming in to salvage pastoralists and smallholders in ASALs who have always lost their livelihoods either to droughts or floods?

Kalibata: Let’s begin by celebrating the fact that the Loss and Damage Fund is now active at the World Bank, and it is going to be available for countries. One of the things we are trying to push for is for this money to become accessible to those who need it. It shouldn’t come in the form of expensive loans that are difficult to access. This is because we are dealing with losses and damages that have already happened.

What will be good in terms of managing the use of the Loss and Damage Fund to support the agricultural sector and food systems would be to strengthen the resilience of farmers. They need access to good-quality seeds; they need access to disease-, pest-, and drought-tolerant seeds, keeping in mind that flood-tolerant varieties are already on the market.

This is also an opportunity for us to strengthen the business ecosystem that supports agriculture.

The third point is that there is so much loss happening in the system. When people lose everything, then the impact is so great. If we can only start by managing that kind of impact, then people will have enough food to eat and enough ability to recover because, with climate change, farmers even lose the seeds for the next season. Yet the most important thing for many farmers is to save seed for the next season.

IPS: Why is the African continent not food secure despite its abundance of arable land?

Kalibata: It is because the issue with Africa’s food security is not about land. It is about being able to produce enough per unit area. Farmers who do not have access to good seeds cannot produce enough. Farmers with no access to appropriate fertilizers cannot produce enough. We are actually making efforts in those areas, but it is not enough.

But most importantly, there is a need for good leadership to ensure that all these things reach the smallholder farmers in good time. You have to create systems that reach out to them, and that is what AGRA is investing in.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');   Related Articles

• Why Agroecology Should Be Considered as Key for Climate Negotiations
• Pacific Leaders Announce Largest Conservation Effort in History
• Why is There Funding for War But Never for Climate Finance, Ask Feminists

Four women living with HIV who won a landmark case tell the BBC about how they were sterilised.

James Cleverly is hoping to finally secure flights to the country for migrants who travel to the UK illegally.

Border officials say they stopped dozens of buses carrying young children from Zimbabwe.

Fossil fuels require recurring new exploration and development expenditures, while renewables are inherently self-replenishing. Credit: Bigstock

By Philippe Benoit
WASHINGTON DC, Dec 4 2023 (IPS)

The International Energy Agency now projects oil, gas, and coal use will all peak this decade. This constitutes a dramatic shift from the last 150 years when the thirst for fossil fuels persistently rose. But now this growth is nearing its end sooner than many expected, driven in part by a surge in renewables.

This significant event, however, masks a more striking possible future: One in which total global energy use peaks and energy’s weight in world affairs diminishes.

The modern era has been marked by increasing energy demand, largely driven by rising populations (more people using energy) and growing economies and incomes fueling increased energy consumption per capita.

Over the last 50 years, energy use more than doubled from 250 exajoules to more than 600 as the world’s population increased from 3.7 to 7.8 billion people and global GDP expanded from $3 trillion to more than $85 trillion.

The IEA projects energy demand may grow another 25 percent by 2050, servicing 9.7 billion people and a world economy projected to have further expanded annually by just under 3 percent. Renewables increase dramatically to meet this demand.

Renewables, moreover, typically draw from national resources such as local sunshine and wind patterns rather than foreign trade. As these resources move into a leading role in a peak energy future, domestic policies and considerations should gain importance for governments relative to trade and other international ones

Significantly, energy use drops under the IEA’s climate scenarios, driven by more robust climate policies than currently exist. While these scenarios may eventually materialize to counter the threat of climate change, they remain uncertain.

There are, however, three forces operating largely independent of climate considerations that are likely to lead to peak global energy use before the end of this century. They are longer-term downward global population trends, structural shifts in emerging economies as their incomes rise and continued progress in energy efficiency.

Ever since Malthus coined his theory, there have been fears that exponential population growth would outstrip food supply. Now, rather than uncontrolled population growth, the projections point to a global peak around 2085 or earlier, dropping thereafter to below 9 billion people by this century’s end. This new trend removes what had been an important source of upward pressure on global energy use.

Second, as countries initially develop, they transition from agrarian to more energy-intensive industrial activities. But as they continue to grow, their economies move to less energy-intensive services activities, now dominant in advanced economies and expanding in China, India and other emerging economies.

Third, energy efficiency programs being implemented worldwide, including in the U.S., China and other large economies, are dampening demand even as economies expand. These programs are motivated by both non-climate objectives (e.g., enhanced energy security and affordability) and climate ones.

These forces have already helped produce energy peaks in the U.S., Japan, and Europe. Emerging economies and poorer countries are at earlier phases of development — a reason why the IEA has projected further growth in energy demand in China, India and elsewhere.

But even there, population, structural and energy efficiency dynamics are ultimately likely to have their effect. For example, China’s energy demand is now projected to peak later this decade.

Why is this “peak energy” significant? Because it will have a variety of economic, policy, geopolitical and even security impacts.

For example, it points to a future global economic landscape in which energy plays a diminished role. This includes a lower share of energy in global GDP, especially as economies continue to grow, and even potentially a peak in energy spending in absolute terms after accounting for inflation.

One dynamic likely to drive this change in spending is the shift from large capital investments involved in expanding energy systems or transitioning to a low emissions future, to the less costly maintenance and periodic replacement of assets inherent in a peaked system. Another is the ongoing displacement of fossil fuels that require recurring new exploration and development expenditures with renewables which are inherently self-replenishing.

Renewables, moreover, typically draw from national resources such as local sunshine and wind patterns rather than foreign trade. As these resources move into a leading role in a peak energy future, domestic policies and considerations should gain importance for governments relative to trade and other international ones.

Other affected areas will include diplomacy, including the lessened importance of petrostates for the U.S., China and the military, such as a possible redeployment of the U.S. Fifth Fleet from the Persian Gulf. These shifts may already begin to be triggered by peak oil and gas even before the advent of peak energy but will likely deepen under the latter.

Various developments could counter energy peaking, such as a surge in energy-intensive activities like space tourism. Another frightening possibility is widespread war as seen last century. Combat consumes a great deal of fuel and reconstructing buildings and infrastructure destroyed by war is energy-intensive. Alternatively, the discovery of a cheap, clean and accessible energy source such as fusion could lead to creative new ways to use that energy.

Conversely, more robust climate policies can accelerate peak energy. For example, the IEA’s Net-Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario foresees a global energy use in 2050 which is 15 percent lower than today’s total. This drop is driven largely by strengthened energy efficiency programs that counteract the upward pressures of population and economic growth.

However, in contrast to peak coal or oil being potentially followed by significant declines in their use over time, peak energy is unlikely to presage a subsequent large drop in consumption as growing economies will buoy demand. In fact, as GDP growth continues through the next century and beyond, energy demand could once again start to rise as, notably, energy efficiency gains reach their limits.

In a broader sense, just as history has included the stone, bronze and iron ages, we have been living since the Industrial Revolution in an energy age. But this age, during which energy has dominated so many economic, geopolitical and other dimensions, may be coming to an end with peak energy.

Beyond the projections of oil, gas and coal demand reaching its heights this decade, and notwithstanding the current growth in renewables, overall energy use may also hit a high point later this century. This “peak energy” is a future we should now start contemplating and analyzing.

(First published in The Hill on November 19, 2023)

Philippe Benoit is an adjunct senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, research director for Global Infrastructure Analytics and Sustainability 2050 and was previously division head for energy efficiency at the International Energy Agency.

Holders South Africa qualify for the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations after wrapping up a 3-1 aggregate win over Burkina Faso.

It comes after the Supreme Court ruled proposals unlawful amid concerns about the Rwandan justice system.

Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity plans to mobilize high-impact investment for this continent-wide transformation, including the largest conservation effort globally. Credit: Pacific Community

By Umar Manzoor Shah
DUBAI, Dec 4 2023 (IPS)

Pacific people live at the nexus of oceans, climate, and food systems, and the interaction of climate and ocean is raising sea temperatures and threatening habitats and resources vital to the region’s sustenance, Palau’s President Surangel Whipps, Jr., said at the launch of an effort to protect and rejuvenate the region’s ecosystems and empower communities through to the year 2050—in what is considered to be the biggest single conservation effort in history—Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity.

At the event at COP28 on Sunday, the project received a 100-million USD pledge to protect and rejuvenate the region’s ecosystems and empower communities through 2050.

Several world leaders and politicians attended the launch at an event titled ‘Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity: Pacific Leaders Commitment to a Sustainable and Prosperous Blue Pacific: For Our Pacific and for the World.’ 

Whipps told the audience, “No one knows better than us about what works and what hasn’t worked in the Blue Pacific… Despite major efforts by our Pacific communities and long-standing international partners, development and environmental outcomes in the Pacific are not happening at the pace or scale needed to protect the planet or meet our regional needs. The world is not on track to meet any of the 17 sustainable development goals or climate goals by 2030. The Blue Pacific has a pivotal role in correcting the global course by achieving urgent global environmental commitments, including 30 by 30.”

Announcing the $100 million donation, CEO and President of Bezos Earth Fund, Andrew Steer, praised the Pacific Community for “dreaming big, aiming high, and working together”—a quote he attributed to Whipps, as he praised the Pacific community for what will be the biggest conservation effort in history of 1 billion hectares.

Surangel Whipps, Jr., the President of Palau, shakes hands with CEO and President of Bezos Earth Fund Andrew Steer after the announcement of a USD 100 million donation to the Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity conservation effort. Credit: Pacific Community

Coastal Community builds a seawall. The Pacific Community’s Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity aims to conserve 1 billion hectares. Credit: Pacific Community

“This is nowhere enough, but it is important to all of us. If there was ever a time for multilateralism, this is it,” he said.

Tonga’s Prime Minister, Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, agreed, saying the Pacific region needed genuine cooperation from world leaders in the prevention of natural resources.

“We do not need reports to tell us where we are. We know where we are standing, and that is the reason that we are here. There are initiatives being taken, but more is needed.”

The United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, termed the launch of extreme importance and stated that no prosperity in the Pacific is possible unless concrete measures are taken for its preservation.

He highlighted how putting an immediate ban on illegal fishing is crucial and should be stopped without delay.

Minister of State of the United Kingdom for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, termed climate change a primary threat and said that the UK is keen to combat this threat without delay.

“We need to accelerate global action in terms of our agreements related to climate policy, and we want a genuine partnership in the Pacific for the greater common good,” Mitchell said.

Pertinently, Pacific leaders have been calling for a transformative shift for the Blue Pacific Continent for the objective of what they call ‘2050 Strategy and Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity (UBPP).’

The UBPP proposal invites collaboration from partners and investors, under the leadership of Pacific leaders, to forge ground-breaking partnerships facilitating the realization of this paradigm shift within the current decade.

Pacific leaders committed to an ambitious action plan designed to swiftly access new and additional funding tailored to the specific needs of the region. This plan empowers nations to take charge of their collective development and conservation agendas.

It involves the creation of a coalition platform to attract and coordinate diverse funders, supporting long-term development plans. Additionally, it harnesses the power to convene, access, and leverage funds through existing modalities or establish new ones, bringing catalytic and innovative financing to Pacific communities and organizations.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');   Related Articles

• Human Rights Crucial as Wealthy Nations Reap Energy Transition Benefits
• Why is There Funding for War But Never for Climate Finance, Ask Feminists
• Kashmir’s Apple Industry Faces Dire Threats as Climate Change Takes its Toll

Research team in the Arctic. Professor Tjernström is standing on the left.

By Jan Lundius
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Dec 4 2023 (IPS)

This year’s UN Climate Change Conference is taking place in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December. The so-called COP summits are organised every year and constitute a means for the global community to agree on ways to address the climate crisis, such as limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, supporting vulnerable communities to adapt to the effects of climate change, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

More than 70,000 delegates are attending the COP28 in Dubai. Main delegates are the 47 representatives of the member states (called Parties), which constitute the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Business leaders, young people, climate scientists, Indigenous Peoples, journalists, and various other experts and stakeholders are also among the participants. Officially, COP 28 stands for the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC.

UNFCCC was established in 1992 to combat “dangerous human interference with the climate system”, in part by limiting the greenhouse gas emissions that compromise Earth’s entire ecosystem, a prerequisite for human existence. Among other items on its agenda COP 28 will address progress made in accordance with the Paris Agreement of 2015, when 195 Parties of the UNFCCC agreed to keep the rise of global temperature to well below 2 °C (3.6 °F), compared to pre-industrial levels, and preferably limit the increase to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F).

To gain a scientific perspective of the meaning and influence of COP28, IPS asked Professor Tjernström about his views on climate change and what he assumes might be done to amend it. Michael Tjernström is since 2001 professor of Meteorology at Stockholm University. He has spent several periods at institutions such as CIRES, The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and The Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) and National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), all in Boulder, Colorado, USA. Professor Tjernström’s main research interests concern climate change in the Arctic. He has participated in several scientific expeditions to Arctic areas and is since 2011 a member of the International Arctic Science Committee.

Michael Tjernström

IPS: Professor Tjernström, can the outcomes of COP28 drastically affect current climate changes?

Michael Tjernström: The COPs are a necessary and essential factor when it comes to addressing climate change. A COP summit might be likened to a regular check-up visit to the dentist. It can be painful, but is necessary for good dental hygiene. The dentist might find that your teeth are in a very bad state and to save them, urgent measures have to be taken – caries has to be amended, maybe a bad tooth has to be extracted, dental bridges inserted, etc . The point is that the dentist is an expert and you have to trust him. However, the decision to save your teeth is all yours. In a similar fashion the COPs intend to amend already present damages to the climate, determine their causes and try to prevent a negative development. But it is up to the members to act.

IPS: How do you perceive the UN’s role in this endeavour?

Michael Tjernström: There is absolutely no other global organization other than the UN which would be able to organize and be in charge of such a process. No other national, international, political or private, organisation would be able to establish a global consensus and general awareness, as well as maintaining the perseverance, stamina, objectivity and legal strength to do so. An endurance against all odds, but nevertheless made possible through the UN’s established rules, combined with its global and local outreach. Of course, there are cracks and concerns, but the administrative structure and operations of the UN are firmly based on the commitment of its member states.

People, who in general are prone to criticize the UN system are often only perceiving the actions of the Security Council and how its commitment is crippled by the veto power of its five permanent members. However, this does not apply to the UNFCCC and its scientific support organisation, ICCP. As a scientist and propagator for awareness about climate change, I perceive the lack of understanding the great importance of the UN as a marketing problem. People are not aware of what this global organisation stands for, and even less so – its support of the global scientific community.

IPS: Will you attend the COP summit in Dubai?

Michael Tjernström: No, most scientists have through their research already made their fair contribution to efforts to combat climate change. The current state of research, results and warnings are comprehensively explained and diffused through the ICCP reports and scientists have thus no need to attend the COPs. Whether or not politicians listen to science or not is not determined by my presence at a COP.

COP summits are more politically than scientifically motivated. However, they are based on the factual basis provided by ICCP reports. The COPs mainly attract other stakeholders than scientists, such as government representatives, spokespersons for environmentalist pressure groups and lobbyists representing the interests of fossil fuel-based industries, as well as oil and coal producing companies. Many such lobbyists try to find a place among decision makers, while environmentalists might be looking for political scapegoats.

People and organisations are trying to highlight their own, often specific interests, some of them being based on doubtful assumptions and moral priorities. Environmentalists have often demanded that certain interest groups be excluded from COP summits, like those lobbying for the use of fossil fuels, interests of oil producers, as well as industrialists who, for the sake of their own profit, try to minimize the threat from global warming.

Nevertheless, it is important that influential stakeholders are present . The global outreach demands this. Everyone has to be allowed to have their voice and concerns heard, as well as being provided with an opportunity to be informed about scientific achievements, new environmentally friendly technologies, and the threats of global warming.

Industrialization based on non-polluting and zero emissions of greenhouse gases, as well as new eco-friendly technology, are essential for change and improvement. Environmentalism’s contributions are also important. Like most revolutionary movements radical environmentalists highlight political and capitalist motivational reasons and misconduct, while they demand change and sacrifice. Historically did socialists and suffragettes contribute to emancipation and justice. However, some revolutionaries have turned into fanatics, and some have concentrated on relatively minor but easily targeted issues while ignoring an overall picture. For example, opponents to air travel are maybe not fully aware of the fact that it actually contributes to only three percent of global greenhouse emissions, while private cars and other fossil-fuel based transportation means account for much more of carbon dioxide emissions . It might be stated that it would be more beneficial for the environment to limit the use of your car, than avoid travelling by air. Veganism may be considered as beneficial when it comes to emission of greenhouse gases, though methane emissions from ruminating animals constitutes less than five percent of greenhouse gas emissions. If we could stop throwing away a third of all the food we produce, this would be much more efficient and would also have other benefits. However, every effort to limit greenhouse emissions is worthy of attention, though decisive and comprehensive political actions are particularly crucial for achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible. It is not enough to limit them; they must be eliminated.

IPS: But can COPs really have the impact you could wish for?

Michael Tjernström: In several respects, development is moving in the wrong direction, especially when it comes to acquiring knowledge. Many confide in badly informed, or even deceitful, social media and populist politicians. In certain circles a negative attitude to research and science is thriving. Science might by such groups be perceived as an essentially separate activity, practiced by an intellectual elite devoting itself to mutual admiration.

The COPs make participants aware of the fatal threat of global warming. But more than that, it also makes the general public aware and therefore participants can be held accountable for their actions, or lack thereof, and are through legally binding agreements forced to take social and economic measures to amend the ongoing destruction of natural resources, and the atmosphere.

IPS: What exactly is ICCP and what is its connection with the COPs

Michael Tjernström: Generally speaking, people are not knowledgeable, most don’t know what ICCP is. The task of ICCP, i.e. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities and it does so by examining all relevant scientific literature on the subject. This comprehensive review and dissemination of scientific insights and research results include natural, economic and social impacts and risks. ICCP also covers possible responsive options. IPCC does not conduct its own original research, its mandate is to survey the research situation, while aiming at being objective and comprehensive, and only openly published results that have already been reviewed by experts can be used. Thousands of scientists and other experts then volunteer to review the findings and publications of ICCP, before its key findings are compiled into a Synthesis Report intended for policymakers and the general public. Experts have described the work of ICCP as the biggest peer review of the global scientific community. COP28 will discuss the 6th ICCP Synthesis Report, issued in March 2023.

Most climate-related risks assessed in the Fifth Synthesis Report, issued in 2014, are in the Sixth Report deemed to be higher than earlier predicted and projected long-term impacts are worse than they were assumed to be in 2014. The Sixth Synthesis Report highlights that climatic and non-climatic risks will increasingly interact, creating compound and cascading risks, which will be extremely difficult to manage. The confidence of the conclusions has also been gradually increasing across the reports.

The development of climatological research is quite fast, the lag in actual efforts to halt global warming is mainly to be found in decisive decision-making. The original ICCP reports contain tens of thousands of pages that few decision-makers can assimilate. The summary for policy makers is reviewed and edited by several stakeholders. Efforts may thus be made to mitigate alarming findings and adapt them to political concerns. However, changes and adaptions are carefully wetted in order to secure that none of them contradict actual and fact-based research results, predictions and warnings.

IPS: Do you perceive yourself as a pessimist, or as an optimist?

Michael Tjernström: I am both hopeful and worried. As a researcher I cannot allow myself to fall victim to paralyzing dystopias. As a scientist I contribute to the measurement of climatological processes, while taking the pulse of the current situation, but also looking for trends and measures to mitigate, and perhaps even hinder, a worrisome development. Accordingly, a scientist has to be a kind of optimist even in the face of despair. Furthermore, I consider that my role as a researcher has to involve the popularization and dissemination of research results. A role I appreciate and feel comfortable with.

It is reasonable that we in the West, who so far have contributed by far the most to the ongoing climatological damage, also take our responsibility when it comes to mitigation and adaptation. We have the technological, historical and scientific prerequisites to make amends for all the damage we have caused and should therefore also go into the breach for the realisation of necessary improvements, while contributing to the economic means to do so.

But the picture is complicated. China is making great progress in climate research, but is at the same time contributing to the world’s largest emissions of greenhouse gases in total, and is number two in the world in per capita emissions, yet is still claiming they should still be treated as a developing country and indeed has a large poor population in the face of a rapidly growing middle class. Africa is lagging behind in its industrial development and consequently have limited emissions, but must nevertheless already now end its dependence on fossil fuels.

We in the West live well and safely and could without any major problems dismiss a lot of the gratuitous comfort we currently are enjoying. The drama is undeniable, even when the Paris Agreement was signed it was by some researchers pointed out that the 1.5 target was unattainable in reality. There is much talk about tipping points, when much of the existing ecological balance suddenly collapses, and that this might happen at a two degree rise in global temperature. But contributing factors are manifold and I don’t believe it will be happening in the near future. There is no really compelling evidence for most of these suggested tipping points. The most important thing is to immediately stop the burning of fossil fuels. In spite of all, I assume that much can and will be done to stop the worrisome development.

IPS interchange with Professor Tjernström was quite extensive and informative. In a following article we will return to Professor Tjernström describing his own research and thoughts about current, and future climatological changes.

IPS UN Bureau

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

UN Volunteers Day is commemorated annually on December 5.

By Simone Galimberti
KATHMANDU, Nepal, Dec 4 2023 (IPS)

If there is an agency or program within the UN that I really admire and wish the best for, this is the United Nation Volunteers or UNV. Its overarching mission, mandate and key objectives are paramount for humanity.

Unfortunately, volunteerism is neglected worldwide and its transformative importance never fully understood. There are no single issues affecting our planet and the whole humanity that does not require volunteerism.

That’s why UNV that is technically part of UNDP, has a big role to play. Yet, to some extents, UNV is missing into action as it has been unable to raise to the challenges. It can be an issue of lack of availability of resources or it could be the complex red tape system bogging down the whole UN System.

It can be simply the fact that each agency and program within this galaxy of UN entities is simply not too adept at mainstreaming and embed volunteerism in their operations. For sure, UNV does not lack expertise nor very passionate and capable persons, some of whom I have been able to collaborate with in the past.

They really believe in the cause, in the promotion of volunteerism and they really want to push hard so that development can fully leverage its power. But somehow, considering its expertise, UNV is underperforming.

Probably one of the biggest challenges for an organization like UNV is the difficulty in engaging and involving stakeholders on continuous basis. There are actually some big success stories for UNV on this regard.

For example, the Global Technical Meeting held in July 2020 after months of preparations was a truly, groundbreaking initiative.

The end result was an important blueprint to embed volunteerism in the global development agenda, ensuring that volunteerism could really placed at the center of the pursuing the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Getting the Global Technical Meeting in place took months of preparation and several online discussion groups were created where stakeholders, practitioners and citizens passionate about volunteerism, could contribute. Enabling such forums was remarkable and a true achievement for UNV.

Yet after more than three years since then, no real follow up mechanism has been established. The initial excitement that a new level of global discussion on volunteerism had been achieved, then rapidly declined.

Now I am wondering why in the recently held SDG Summit, to my best knowledge, there was no serious debate on what volunteerism can do to support the implementation of the Agenda 2030.

It is not surprising, therefore, that there has not any apparent and inclusive exercise to revise the implementation of The Plan of Action to Integrate Volunteering into the 2030 Agenda.

Another example is the organization of the International Volunteer Day (IVD) that is celebrated December 5. This can be a great opportunity not only to raise awareness but should also be seen as a key platform to engage and mobilize people throughout the year.

So far, the practice, at countries level, has been to have a sort of coordination mechanism one or at the most two months before the celebrations. While it is important to bring practitioners and stakeholders together for IVD and while I always considered these engagements meaningful, I always felt that we were missing an opportunity.

I always believed that IVD should be not only a big carnival, a moment of joys where local volunteering champions are recognized and duly acknowledged. This component is essential and always needs to be on the front.

At the same time, the day should be used to talk about the less glorious and yet important nitty gritty of policy making. Many might not think of this aspect as strategic.

Yet, if we really want to elevate volunteerism at the center of the Agenda 2030, it is essential to discuss about policies and legislations that can truly empower volunteering efforts for social change.

Think for example about the process of localizing the SDGs? Can’t it be a phenomenal way of engaging and involving citizens? Participation is also a key aspect of volunteerism and a key tenant of the broader concept of civic engagement.

Yet the most important function for IVD is to rally together the whole “movement”, all those love volunteerism: academicians, practitioners, experts, representative of national and international NGOs, donors but also students and any citizens passionate about it.

This means coming forward with extensive planning and collective capacity to execute them, a process that requires months and months of preparation. By my own observation, it was way too late, towards the end of November, when UNV started sharing information about today’s main message.

Even deciding on the theme of IVD could become an exercise of participation with rounds of consultations, ideas contests to provide the best and more meaningful ideas for it. In a way, IVD, in the way I see it, should be seen as the pinnacle of a whole year coordination exercise, not only an end into itself but a catalytic event that stirs the movement to action throughout the year.

UNV has a unique role to help shape this whole dynamic. Conducive to it would be the creation of coordination mechanisms that bring together all the stakeholders. These could take different shapes and forms, from informal working groups to more formal networks and forums.

Based on my own experience, it is wise to start small and then build momentum gradually, step by step. These mechanisms would not only work as info sharing and coordinating platforms but also as groups that plan and execute joint events and activities all year long.

For example, running two or three of such activities, like discussion forums, or awareness trainings at school levels could precede and build excitement around the final big event, IVD. There is no other player that has the mandate and convening power like UNV to bring together such collaborations.

At the same time, I am fully aware that resources at disposal for UNV are not endless especially in times of crises and UNV local country offices have to balance many competing priorities.

That’s why better and more strategic coordination at local level could tremendously help UNV pursue its mission. Another one that deserves attention is the mobilization of UNV Volunteers.

I always felt something odd about such programs. In reality, the program, even if admirable, is basically a full-time paid job. If you compare its stipends or allowances with formal UN jobs, it is clear that a member of UNV just receives a decent remuneration.

Yet the reality is different and more complex. Compared with many local jobs offered by local NGOs, that same package disbursed to an UNV volunteer looks like an awesome salary.

But the compensation aspect is only one problematic side of the equation. The other is the fact that this form of full-time volunteerism promoted by UNV risks to create further confusion about some of the key tenants that are enshrined into it.

I am referring to the cooperative, solidarity driven and generosity filled self-conscious decision of helping, even in very organized forms, others. By no means, I am implying that full time volunteering is intrinsically and necessarily wrong.

It is one of the many ways to support a cause and act selflessly. Yet there are several other experiences of it that are better enabling positive change at grassroots levels, closer to the beneficiaries that can, more easily, become true partners in advancing social justice.

In these examples, international full-time volunteers do get some allowances that provide for their basic expenses and live safely and with dignity. Yet these “privileges” are not too detached from the reality of the hosting countries.

National and International UNV Volunteers are on many ways promoters of positive development outcomes and should be praised for their commitment. Yet there is something wrong when many join the UNV volunteer program, either nationally and internationally, because they know that this is a great launchpad to full fledged careers with the UN.

I have no doubt that UNV is uniquely positioned to enable systemic social and economic progress.Its mandate and mission are more important than ever. Yet from engaging in the global discussions to achieve the Agenda 2030 to rethinking the role of citizens in the delivery of essential services, including ways people can participate in the decision making, volunteerism is the hidden gem of the global development agenda.

In this International Volunteer Day, let’s praise the accomplishments so far realized by UNV. At the same time, let’s work together to ensure that a more agile, proactive organization can turn itself into a much stronger hub of activism, social change and dynamic discussions.

Volunteerism is a too important aspect of our humanity.Only a revamped UNV can leverage it and help it truly become indispensable dimension of our lives, not only in the South but also the North as well.

Simone Galimberti is the Co-Founder of ENGAGE and The Good Leadership. He is based in Kathmandu, Nepal.

IPS UN Bureau

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images

By Andrew Firmin
LONDON, Dec 4 2023 (IPS)

The Netherlands is the latest country to lurch to the right amid the global cost of living crisis. Its November election saw maverick far-right populist Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV) come first. A hardline Islamophobe who’s called for the Quran to be banned could be the next prime minister.

Change – of what kind?

Change always looked on the cards – the only question was what kind. Since 2010, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte pieced together governing coalitions after four elections – no mean feat given highly fragmented politics in which numerous parties take seats.

Rutte even bounced back from resigning in 2021 following a scandal over mass false fraud accusations against child benefit claimants, only to come first in the election. But his last government split when other parties rejected his proposal to tighten restrictions on the right of asylum seekers to be joined by family members. Rutte announced he wouldn’t run again.

Suddenly the election had a fresh look. Rutte’s party, the People’s Party for Freedom for Democracy (VVD), had a new leader, Dilan Yeşilgöz, who arrived in the Netherlands as a child refugee and hoped to become the country’s first female prime minister. The New Social Contract (NSC) party, founded in August, sought to capitalise on anger at government scandals and for a time rode high in the polls. On the centre-left, the Green and Labour parties joined forces (PvdA-GL) under former European Commission vice president Frans Timmermans.

But it was Wilders who capitalised. The result suggests that multiple government scandals and the high cost of living haven’t just dented trust in the parties involved – but in politics in general. That generated a protest vote for Wilders.

Another important factor was a strong campaign focus on immigration – and not just by Wilders. NSC and VVD also called for tougher limits on asylum seekers. But all this played into Wilders’s hands. Evidence suggests that when election campaigns centre on immigration, people are tempted to back the party that has banged the drum the longest, rather those seen as seizing on the issue opportunistically.

Bigger trends

The Dutch election is the latest that points to bigger trends. The first is a broad rejection of incumbents during a time of high cost of living. Time and again, ruling parties are being punished for the financial squeeze and people are more willing to give alternatives a go. In the Netherlands, all four parties in the outgoing government lost support.

There’s also a longer-term trend in Europe of right-wing populist and nationalist parties building up electoral respectability over the years. Tipping points can come after years of efforts to normalise the standing of parties once considered extreme. The Dutch result came in the wake of far-right parties heading the government in Italy, winning elections in Switzerland, joining the governing coalition in Finland, propping up the government in Sweden and surging in support in France and Germany.

In many European countries, far-right politicians have tilted the political centre ground towards them. Established parties have adopted their discourse, most often by promising hardline migration policies. This has two effects: far-right parties succeed without needing to win power, because they influence policies, but it also boosts their chances of success, since it enables them to fight elections on their strongest territory.

Long-term presence

Wilders is no new arrival. He first entered parliament in 1998 before splitting from VVD to form his own party over the issue of Turkey’s potential European Union (EU) membership. PVV came third in elections in 2010, 2012 and 2021, and second in 2017. In 2010, after taking over 15 per cent of the vote, PVV agreed to support Rutte’s first government.

Now that long campaign of normalisation appears to have paid off. Wilders has continued to offer simplistic solutions to complex problems, and they resonate with people who don’t see their lives getting any better. Migrants and the country’s racial and religious minorities are scapegoated, blamed for genuine problems like high prices, affordable housing shortages and education and healthcare problems.

Bad news on climate

The result also augers bad news for the climate.

The Netherlands is home to two distinct currents. One is an increasingly active climate movement insisting that the government end fossil fuel industry subsidies, with the demand communicated through non-violent direct action. Campaigners have repeatedly blocked a major highway and Dutch authorities have reacted with rising repression. When around 25,000 people took part in an action on 9 September, the police used water cannon and detained some 2,400 people. Undeterred, tens of thousands marched through Amsterdam in November to demand climate action.

On the other side stands the farmers’ lobby. The Netherlands is an agricultural powerhouse, but the industry causes almost half the country’s nitrogen emissions, a greenhouse gas and air pollutant. A 2019 Supreme Court ruling ordered that emissions be cut, entailing lower livestock numbers. In response farmers have staged disruptive protests, including through roadblocks, although compared to climate protesters, relatively few have been arrested.

The farmers’ protests were given an electoral voice in 2019 through the formation of the Citizen-Farmer Movement (BBB), which calls for an end to emissions cuts. It came first in provincial elections in March, making it the biggest party in the Senate, parliament’s second chamber.

Wilders clearly isn’t on the climate movement’s side. He’s promised to rip up environmental regulations, downplay international agreements and increase oil and gas extraction.

What’s ahead?

Months of negotiations will determine who the next prime minister is. Wilders says he wants the job, and the convention is that the largest party provides the prime minister, although he’s not certain to prevail. Negotiations haven’t got off to the best start: Wilders appointed what’s known as a ‘scout’ to talk to various party leaders, but his appointee quickly had to resign over fraud allegations.

A right-wing coalition looks the most likely. BBB is the most enthusiastic potential partner and NSC has indicated it might be willing to join a coalition. VVD has ruled out being part of any cabinet, saying it would only support confidence and spending votes, but this could be a negotiating tactic.

As prime minister, Wilders might disappoint his supporters. He’d likely have to rein in his usual bluster. Coalition partners would insist that his most extreme policies be dropped, among them any move to take the Netherlands out of the EU. Some plans would likely be unconstitutional anyway, violating religious freedom guarantees.

Beyond this, the current trend may be cyclical. It’s harder to position as anti-establishment outsiders once power has been won and deceptively simple solutions have failed, although as Donald Trump has shown, it isn’t impossible. But it may be significant that one of the rare recent setbacks for right-wing populist and nationalist parties has come in Poland, where many voters saw the Law and Justice party as the political establishment and blamed it for the high cost of living. The wheel can turn.

The problem is that much damage is done during a regressive spell: to the rights of minorities and excluded groups, with political rhetoric invariably normalising hatred and violence, and to civic freedoms, which are always attacked. There’s also the danger that a vanishing window to act on the climate will be missed.

It can’t simply be a matter of waiting for this time to pass. Civil society and progressive forces must offer ideas that speak to people’s current anxieties and frustrations, based on a narrative where a better future for some doesn’t come at the expense of the rights of others.

Andrew Firmin is CIVICUS Editor-in-Chief, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report.

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');