Monday, May 12, 2008

Half-Way Through and Running on Empty

By: Neth Dano, Third World Network

If you were woken up from your daydreams during the thematic discussions by an interesting national experience shared by a government Delegate, there is hardly any useful material (except perhaps the EU’s) available to get more details about the more interesting experiences shared by Delegates on the floor. Reporting has been made voluntary at the CSD after all.

Of course, one can always google (there’s wi-fi connection in every spot of the UN basement, including the toilets, believe me!) for additional details – IF such information exist in the web. Otherwise, you can approach the Delegate who spoke on the experience. If you are lucky, s/he might have time and patience to tell you more. If not, you can visit country where the experience came from. If that’s too much, forget about it.

Some veterans note that the once-hailed interactive process discussions at the CSD have seriously deteriorated. We all noted the lackluster dialogue with the Major Groups on Tuesday that was poorly attended by government delegates and can hardly be called interactive.

Interaction has to be mutual, you see. MGs should perhaps be much more innovative next time to attract attendance, participation and interests from government Delegates in these Dialogues. One brilliant idea would be to perhaps RAP their statements, instead of reading them! Or better still, perform a play to make their presentations more visual. That would make the CSD deliberations really inter-active and more in tune with the times.

On a serious note, the poor attendance and lack of interaction in the CSD’s Dialogue with MGs is not just a case of deterioration of process, but may be interpreted as a sign of the low importance given by government Delegates to the inputs of MGs. We have written about this observation in previous CSDs, and it has persisted.

Last week, the thematic discussions on Land ended an hour before the 1:00pm, while the session on Drought and Desertification wrapped up some 30 minutes early. That’s quite unusual for thematic discussions in past CSDs that went way past the time and even after the Interpreters have left their booths. Instead of maximizing the remaining time as an opportunity for further discussions, ask probing questions, or seek clarification on some points to Delegates – and seize the chance of making the discussions really interactive, finally - the respective Chairs of the sessions appeared relieved to adjourn the sessions early. Carpe diem? Forget it.

There are clear signs of fatigue at CSD, which become more and more palpable every session. After all, who wouldn’t be tired listening to endless speeches and going home empty without any concrete sign of sustainable development in sight to show? But then, Delegates cannot afford to be tired at this point in time. Not now. None of us attending this CSD has the right to feel and show fatigue at this time when the world’s poor are too hungry to think of fatigue. The issues under this thematic cluster are matters of life and death for a great mass of people, and the CSD has to prove its relevance more than ever. It has already bungled that chance last year with Energy and Climate Change.

Not again. Please.