We, the undersigned civil society groups who have been present here in The Hague, collectively reject the Hague Roadmap for Action.
More than 100 organisations, many of which have not been invited to this Conference, have also expressed their serious concerns in a Civil Society Statement on October 31.
Those most impacted by climate change and whose livelihoods are most at risk, in particular small-scale farmers, indigenous people and women especially from developing countries, have not been present, or consulted, nor have genuinely participated in this process. A democratic and participatory process should have involved all sectors of civil society engaged on these issues in a process designed to genuinely engage and dialogue with civil society. The "roadmap for action" drafted by a few cannot be claimed to have been "collectively developed", even by those present at the Conference.
We therefore have strong objections to a Chair's summary that portrays a "shared understanding" on challenges and solutions for a so-called roadmap on highly complex linkages between food security, climate change and agriculture.
The conference also lacks the legitimacy of a UN process where all governments are represented, and negotiate and adopt decisions. It therefore cannot produce as its output an agreed Roadmap for Action, but should only issue a Chair's summary of the various discussions that have taken place at the conference.
In addition, a process that genuinely seeks to draw together the linkages between agriculture, food security and climate change should have involved participants from both the agriculture and climate change sectors and processes. Otherwise, the outcome of the conference could be interpreted to be an attempt to undermine or pre-empt on-going negotiations in the UNFCCC.
Our understanding of the problems and solutions differs fundamentally from the framing posed by the organizers. We believe that adaptation has to be the main priority of this conference. The agricultural challenges faced by the poorest and most vulnerable, in Africa but also in Asia, in small-island states, in Latin America, are adaptation challenges. While sustainable farming practices can provide mitigation benefits, the climate crisis is caused first and foremost by the emissions of rich countries and we reject that small farmers are meant now to take on the mitigation responsibilities of the North.
The unanimous endorsement of carbon markets and market mechanisms in the draft is unfounded. There are on-going discussions about market-based mechanisms at both the CBD and the UNFCCC. At the 10th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity which ended in Nagoya last week, the issue of innovative financial mechanisms, including market mechanisms for financing biodiversity, proved so controversial that a draft decision on it was not adopted.
Also, at the UNFCCC, the issue of carbon market mechanisms is equally controversial. Developing countries support limiting the use of existing carbon market mechanisms, and oppose the introduction of new ones. Therefore, the conference should refrain from policy prescriptions about carbon markets.
This is because under the UNFCCC, developed countries have legally binding commitments to finance adaptation and mitigation (including for agriculture) in developing countries. So-called innovative "carbon finance" is being promoted by some so that developed countries can avoid, rather than fulfill their obligations. Instead, many developing countries are demanding that fund-based financing should be the focus. Carbon markets, with their speculative tendencies, inherent instability, combined with the complexity of the agriculture markets could spell disaster for food rights, food security and livelihoods in developing countries.
Finally, tools and strategies needed to address food security, food sovereignty and climate change have been widely discussed in the IAASTD; in ongoing discussions within the UN FAO Committee on World Food Security and key processes led by social movements such as La Via Campesina and other farmers organizations. The Hague conference need not reinvent the wheel. Conference organizers cannot therefore ascribe a set of tools and policy recommendations to all the participants who have gathered here.
4 November, 2010
Signatories:
Both ENDS, the Netherlands
ETC Group
ILEIA - Centre for learning on sustainable agriculture, the Netherlands
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, USA
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
International Forum on Globalisation
Joop de Koeijer, member of NAV (Dutch Arable farmers' Union) and Via Campesina
Platform Aarde, Boer, Consument, the Netherlands
Tearfund, UK
Third World Network
X MinY Solidarity Fund, the Netherlands
Spirit Of Squatters Collective
Spirit Of Squatters Collective : This is solidarity action (like most of our videos). The solidarity is stronger when it is seen by as many people as possible.So...Please use it ! Pass this info to everybody who could be interested !!!
Feel free to embed,link it,send it,screen it etc. Use it=don't loose it. Reclaim the media with us !
... So get inspired. TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER !!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/spiritofsquatters Spirit Of Squatters Collective is always trying to report and support good things what are happening around us. We trying at least one time a week show You some news. Our goal is to do it daily but 1st we can not be everywhere and 2nd We don't have enough time mainly to edit ( there are many projects waiting for their time...) That's why we waiting for You to help us support good things with our video channel and with creating independent media.
and that's few words from our pages:
With our activities we want to make this world a better place.Reclaim the media with us.Feel free to use our videos.Now all up to you !!!Real life is beginning when you turn off the tv, computer. See you on the streets in actions !!!
WATCH!
READ!
THINK!
REALIZE!
TALK!
COMMUNICATE!
LISTEN!
DEFEND!
DESTROY!
CREATE!
CHANGE!
GET INSPIRED!
RECLAIM MEDIA WITH US!
JOIN US!
FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS!
LOVE !!!
SQUAT!
E-Mail: mgriks(at)gmail.com 
Website: http://www.ourmediaindymedia.blogspot.com
3 comments:
SOYBEANS remember?? they own the rights to soybeans...you cannot trust Monsanto or any other corporations .IN America we have lost our rights with The Patriot Act There are protesters being arrested by the men in black"Blackwater"Our govt is using the same fear tactics Stalin and Hitler used to slowly destroy our Democracy.Since when did The Dept of Domestic Security ..become Dept Of Hmland Security. "Heimatund".It is changing and we need to be ready . 911 was an inside job.."In Plane Site" video check it out and be the judge . It is becoming a corporate and govt marriage that will bring US to our knees.marg22az@gmailcom. Stand your ground and get informed.
SOYBEANS. Monsanto did the same with Soybeans in the US.It was against the law to grow soy that ws not the Monsanto bean, thru corporate government,. manipulation,and fear of fines if they did.We are losing our Democracy here and The patriot act due to nine eleven, which was an indside job ,(in plane site-video)and the oh b lackwater ..not the Doobie Bros.but big bro.. We the people are becoming we the supressed, misinformed, threatened and there is not a single candidate to support that is trustworthy.The sad thing is that george and herbert and all yale grads go back to kennedy and his demise in Dallas. We now realize pearl Harbor, The gulf of Tonkin and 911 all had to do with a reason to go to war Our govt has lied to us for years, NWO is the plan and population control and HAARP- which can manipulate the weather.. not many know ,, but do not let your instincts be thwarted. Fight for your farmers,, mmonsanto is Big Business with a military twist in my op.
I want to talk abt this .email me marg22az@gmail.com
Post a Comment