- Chair of the Social PreCOP 2014 summarizes key messages for the COP 20 agreed during the Ministerial Social Dialogue held on 6 November in Isla Margarita, Venezuela.
Servindi, 13 November 2014.- The Social PreCOP should be institutionalized as a mechanism for peoples participation in the decision making process of the conferences of the parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
To this conclusion arrived officials and social representatives at the Social and Ministerial Dialogue during the Social PreCOP 2014 in Isla Margarita, Venezuela.
Representatives of social organizations stated that some points are still under discussion and consider "necessary to continue discussing" to develop mechanisms to follow up on this innovative process.
The dialogue session was moderated by Claudia Salerno, Deputy Minister and Special Envoy for Climate Change for Venezuela, in coordination with Voto Bernales, Ambassador of Peru, the country chairing the coming COP20 in Lima.
Social movements and organizations raised key issues such as effective social participation, sustainable and fair systems and the transition to renewable energy.
Moreover, greater gender equality and inclusion of indigenous peoples in decision-making and active policies for education, training and awareness on climate change.
Social representatives demanded "inclusion of civil society and viable solutions" that are crosswise to all the actors involved in this problem.
On the part of the ministers, they called to expand the social base and the participation of organizations and movements, while ensuring continuity of their involvement in the intergovernmental process.
Thanks were given to Venezuela's for taking the initiative and put on the table the issue of social participation in climate change discussions, and also for the effort of promoting exchanges between peoples and governments at the PreCOP 2014 in Isla Margarita.
At the closing remarks, Salerno stressed that the Social PreCOP was an exercise of real participatory democracy.
"The force born in Margarita should grow," she said.
This was the first dialogue between civil society and the governments within the framework of the UNFCCC to strengthen the struggle to face climate change.
Key messages for the COP 20 at the Social PreCOP 2014
“This document is a Chair ?s summary of the key messages that we perceived that, among the diverse views of the different social organizations participating in this meeting, received consensus from all groups and organizations. Some points are still being debated within civil society, including the best ways to continue this process, and that organizations pledge to continue discussing.”
Download PDF file:
[http://www.precopsocial.org/sites/default/files/key_messages_for_ministers_social_precop_2014.pdf]
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Translated from Spanish by Luis Manuel Claps for SERVINDI and IWGIA.