Cochabamba People's Agreement must be heard in UNFCCC negotiations

This sign-on letter was circulated by the Bolivian government prior to the negotiations that began on May 28, 2010 in the UNFCCC to push for key proposals made in the Cochabamba People's Agreement to be included in negotiations.The People's Agreement was a key document of the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, held in Bolivia in April 2010.

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May 28, 2010 – This is the pronouncement of the World People's Movement for Mother Earth, which demands that the United Nations climate change negotiations be inclusive, transparent and equitable, and incorporate the proposals presented by the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in order to find real solutions to the climate crisis and save humanity and our Mother Earth as we know it.

Este es el pronunciamiento del Movimiento Mundial de los Pueblos por la Madre Tierra, que reclama un proceso de negociaciones sobre cambio climatico en Naciones Unidas, incluyente, transparente y equitativo, que incorpore las propuestas de los pueblos que han sido presentadas como resultado de la Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos sobre Cambio Climatico y los Derechos de la Madre Tierra, para alcanzar soluciones reales a la crisis climatica, y salvar a la humanidad y a nuestra Madre Tierra como hoy la conocemos.

Sign-on letter: People's voices must be heard in climate negotiations; official UNFCCC negotiating text ignores World People's Conference solutions

In April 2010 more than 35,000 people from 140 countries gathered in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and developed the historic Cochabamba People's Agreement, a consensus-based document reflecting substantive solutions to the climate crisis. We, the undersigned organizations, both participated in and/or supported this historic process.

Reflecting the voices of global civil society and the agreements reached in 17 working groups, the Plurinational State of Bolivia made an official proposal, comprised of the core components of the Cochabamba People's Agreement, to the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Since then, the accord has gained support and recognition by various nations and regional bodies including ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance of Our Americas) and UNASUR (Union of South American Nations). 

We are therefore deeply concerned that the new text proposed in the AWG-LCA as a basis for climate change negotiations does not reflect any of the main conclusions reached in Cochabamba.  

The Chair and the Vice Chair of the AWG-LCA (from Zimbabwe and the United States respectively) have instead incorporated all of the proposals of the Copenhagen Accord, which does not even have the consensus of the United Nations.   

We urge the UNFCCC to embrace the conclusions reached by social movements, indigenous peoples and international civil society in Cochabamba. It is both undemocratic and non-transparent to exclude particular proposals from the negotiations, and it is imperative that the United Nations listens to the global community on this issue critical to humanity.  

We call on all countries in the United Nations, and in particular the President and Vice-President of the AWG-LCA, to include the core conclusions of the Cochabamba People's Accord in the negotiations in the run-up to Cancun. These life- and earth-saving proposals include: 

1. A 50% reduction of domestic greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries for the period 2013-2017 under the Kyoto Protocol, domestically and without reliance on market mechanisms.

2. The objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations at 300ppm.

3. The need to begin the process of considering the proposed Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth to reestablish harmony with nature.

4. The obligation of developed countries to honor their climate debt toward developing countries and our Mother Earth.

5. The provision of financial resources equal to 6% of GDP by developed countries to help confront the climate change crisis.

6. The creation of a mechanism for the integral management and conservation of forests that, unlike REDD-plus, respects the sovereignty of states, guarantees the rights and participation of indigenous peoples and forest dependent communities, and is not based on the carbon market regime.

7. The implementation of measures for recognizing the rights of Indigenous peoples must be secured in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and applicable universal human rights instruments and agreements. This includes respect for the knowledge and rights of indigenous peoples; their rights to lands, territories and resources, and their full and effective participation, with their free, prior and informed consent.

8. The incentivizing of models of agricultural production that are environmentally sustainable and that guarantee food sovereignty and the rights of indigenous peoples and small-scale farmers.

9. The protection and recognition of the rights and needs of forced climate migrants.

10. The promotion of the establishment of an International Climate and Environmental Justice Tribunal.

11. The consideration of a World Referendum on Climate Change that allows the people to decide what will be done about this issue, which is of vital importance to the future of humanity and Mother Earth.   

We demand that the conclusions established by the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, which protect life and Mother Earth, be incorporated into the negotiating text during the negotiations in Bonn, Germany, from May 31 to June 11, 2010.  

There cannot be an equitable, transparent, and inclusive negotiation process, nor true solutions to the urgency of the climate crisis, if the AWG-LCA  negotiating text ignores the voices of the peoples of the world that the negotiators should be representing.

La voz de los pueblos debe ser oida en negociaciones climaticas

Texto Oficial de negociacion de la CMNUCC ignora las soluciones de la Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos

En abril de 2010 mas de 35.000 personas de 140 paises se reunieron en Cochabamba, Bolivia y desarrollaron el historico Acuerdo de los Pueblos, un documento basado en el consenso, que refleja las soluciones sustanciosas a la crisis climatica. Nosotros, las organizaciones abajo firmantes, participamos y/o apoyamos este proceso historico.

Como reflejo de las voces de la sociedad civil global y los acuerdos alcanzados en 17 grupos de trabajo, el Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia hizo una propuesta oficial, compuesta por los componentes centrales del Acuerdo de los Pueblos de Cochabamba, al  Grupo de Trabajo Especial sobre la Cooperacion a Largo Plazo (GTE-CLP) en el marco del Convenio Marco de Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climatico (CMNUCC). Desde entonces, el acuerdo ha ganado el apoyo y el reconocimiento de diversas naciones y organismos regionales como el ALBA (Alianza Bolivariana de Nuestra America) y UNASUR (Union de Naciones Suramericanas). 

Por consiguiente, nos preocupa profundamente que el nuevo texto propuesto en el GTE-CLP como base para negociaciones climaticas no refleja ninguna de las principales conclusiones alcanzadas en Cochabamba. 

El Presidente y el Vicepresidente del GTE-CLP (de Zimbabwe y los Estados Unidos, respectivamente) han incorporado en su lugar, todas las propuestas del Acuerdo de Copenhague, que ni siquiera tiene el consenso de las Naciones Unidas. 

Instamos a la CMNUCC a adoptar las conclusiones alcanzadas por los movimientos sociales, pueblos indigenas y sociedad civil internacional en Cochabamba. Es a la vez antidemocratico y poco transparente excluir determinadas propuestas de las negociaciones, y es imperativo que las Naciones Unidas escuche a la comunidad mundial sobre este problema critico para la humanidad.

Hacemos un llamado a todos los paises de las Naciones Unidas y, en particular al Presidente y el Vicepresidente del GTE-CLP, a fin de incluir las conclusiones fundamentales del Acuerdo de los Pueblos en las negociaciones en el periodo previo a Cancun. Estas propuestas de preservacion de la vida y la tierra incluyen:

1. Una reduccion del 50% de las emisiones internas de gases de efecto invernadero por parte de los paises desarrollados para el periodo 2013-2017 en virtud del Protocolo de Kyoto, a nivel nacional y sin depender de los mecanismos de mercado.

2. El objetivo de estabilizar las concentraciones de gases de efecto invernadero a 300 ppm.

3. La necesidad de iniciar el proceso de considerar la propuesta de Declaracion Universal sobre los Derechos de la Madre Tierra para restablecer la armonia con la naturaleza.

4. La obligacion de los paises desarrollados a que honren su deuda climatica hacia los paises en desarrollo y a nuestra Madre Tierra.

5. El suministro de recursos financieros equivalente al 6% del PIB de los paises desarrollados para ayudar a enfrentar la crisis del cambio climatico.

6. La creacion de un mecanismo para la gestion integral y la conservacion de los bosques que, a diferencia de REDD-plus, respete la soberania de los Estados, garantice los derechos y participacion de los pueblos indigenas y comunidades dependientes de los bosques, y no este basado en el regimen del mercado de carbono.

7. La implementacion de medidas para reconocer los derechos de los pueblos indigenas deben ser garantizados de conformidad con la Declaracion de las Naciones Unidas sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indigenas y los instrumentos y acuerdos universales de derechos humanos. Esto incluye el respeto por los conocimientos y los derechos de los pueblos indigenas, sus derechos a las tierras, territorios y recursos, y su participacion plena y efectiva, con su consentimiento libre, previo e informado.

8. El incentivar los modelos de produccion agricola que sean ambientalmente sostenibles y que garanticen la soberania alimentaria y los derechos de los pueblos indigenas y los pequenos agricultores.

9. La proteccion y el reconocimiento de los derechos y necesidades de los migrantes forzados por causas climaticas.

10. La promocion de la conformacion de un Tribunal Internacional de Justicia Ambiental y Climatica.

11. La consideracion de un Referendum Mundial sobre el Cambio Climatico que permita al pueblo decidir que se hara sobre este problema, que es de vital importancia para el futuro de la humanidad y la Madre Tierra.

Exigimos que las conclusiones establecidas por Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos sobre Cambio Climatico y los Derechos de la Madre Tierra, que protegen la vida y la Madre Tierra, sean incorporados al texto de negociacion durante las negociaciones en Bonn, Alemania, del 31 Mayo al 11 Junio  2010.

No puede haber un proceso de negociacion equitativa, transparente e incluyente, ni verdaderas soluciones a la urgencia de la crisis climatica, si el texto de negociacion del GTE-CLP ignora las voces de los pueblos del mundo cuyos negociadores deberian representar.

People’s voices must be heard in climate negotiations

June 2, 2010, Bonn – PWCC – Today, ambassador Pablo Solon of the Plurinational State of Bolivia highlighted Bolivia’s concern over current UN climate negotiations. The ambassador talked of the voices of the real victims of climate change being excluded from the negotiations.

“In April 2010 more than 35,000 people from 140 countries gathered in Cochabamba, Bolivia and developed the historic Cochabamba People’s Agreement a consensus-based document reflecting substantive solutions to the climate crisis”, Solon said.

“We are therefore deeply concerned that the new text proposed as a basis for climate change negotiations does not reflect any of the main conclusions reached in Cochabamba. We made this proposals in line with UN rules, by the April deadline, but still they have not been included”, Pablo Solon said.

“Proposals from Cochabamba have been side-lined but every single element of the so called ‘Copenhagen Accord’ has been included, even though it was not recognised by the United Nations. This means that on finance we are only considering $100 billion a year to respond to climate change – just $20 per person in the developing world – to solve climate change. It’s clear that climate change impacts are not going to be dealt with for just $20 per person”, Solon said.

“We urge the UN to embrace the conclusions reached by social movements, Indigenous peoples and international civil society in Cochabamba. It is both undemocratic and non-transparent to exclude particular proposals from the negotiations, and it is imperative that the United Nations listens to the global community on this issue critical to humanity”, Solon said.  

“In total 18 different ideas were excluded, including 50% emission cuts for rich countries by 2017, a 300 ppm greenhouse gas stabilisation target, a proposal for a declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth and a new, realistic assessment of finance needed to fight climate change”, Solon said.

“There cannot be an equitable, transparent, and inclusive negotiation process, nor true solutions to the urgency of the climate crisis, if the UN negotiating text ignores the voices of the peoples of the world that the negotiators should be representing”, Solon said.