Rio day 3: The quickening
Not such a good start today. I was so surprised to see the beach at daylight walking to the bus that I tripped and smashed up my computer. Its the first time in nearly a million miles that i've broken one and when i've really needed it too. So i've not been able to write on the bus or at night. If you are in Rio area and have a spare mac I can borrow, let me know. I'm writing this mostly on an iPod at the moment.
Day three (apparently called Friday in the real world) was supposed to be the last day of negotiations, before they went into the informal NGO days with the People's Summit downtown and various discussions and side events up here in nowhere land. Its also the last day that the UN is running the show and thank (insert deity or curse word as desired here) thats almost over. The morons who fear the UN black helicopters taking over the US should be forced to come to some of these meetings and see how organised they are. They would be lucky to take over a children's playground in Peoria.
It was more of the same from the last two days and the informals and the inter-sessionals and the prep-coms before. Fustration is building a bit and chairs have been starting to tell of delegations, that they cannot keep demanding reductions in the text below what was agreed to in 1992 and in Johannesburg in 2002. Right now the text is about as ambitious as a 3rd rate Italian restaurant menu. Lots of carbs and no protein.
Substantively, things are not fantastic for us. Principle 10 is nowhere mentioned in the text. They have been some improvements on some other issues. The women's sections are now less regressive. Their right might have reached the 20th century (early rather than late). RIght to water and sanitation and there is a lot of debate on the Sustainable Development Goals and how they relate to the MDGs. Thats not fully sorted out yet and in a different room so I cant give too much insight on it at the moment. Our position as part of Beyond 2015 is that there should be an inregregated process with the Post MDGs and of course with access to information and full participation of civil society and others. Not just govts and their selected experts.
Not shockingly, they didn't finish anything today. Its only been two years - why should we expect any less? We heard late that the Brazilians are taking charge and introducing their own text, based on the agreed sections and what has been debated. Apparently in 1992, the chair locked the doors and banged his gavel so much that his hands were bleeding. We can only hope. There is such a low level of urgency coming from them. They seem to not want to act until every fish is gone, water supply dried up, mountain flattened, and we can only visit the Maldives is by using SCUBA gear.
Tomorrow should be fun. Lots of new people coming in, and bringing new energy. But a but late in the game to do real change.
Well off to the bus and to bed. Might make it back before 10 tonight and even eat dinner.
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