Making Our Voices Heard: Interventions at COP18
New York, New York (December 11, 2012)– Recognized as an official constituency of the UNFCCC in 2011, the Women and Gender Constituency works to ensure human rights and gender equality are incorporated into UNFCCC negotiations, agreements, plans and actions. The Constituency is currently comprised of eight* observer NGOs to the UNFCCC, some of whom are networks. Individuals and organisations engaged in women and gender issues who are not accredited to the UNFCCC are encouraged to work through accredited members of the constituency. Thus, we represent several hundred grassroots groups, national and international organisations and networks.
As an official Constituency, members are invited to deliver interventions during the negotiations and to make submissions. While the Constituency strives for joint positions, at the same time it respects and values the diversity of opinions and approaches of the various members.
Interventions
Below, please find a record of all the interventions delivered at COP18, including video of those delivered by members of the WEDO team.
7 December - Andrea Quesada of WEDO summarized the demands of the women and gender constituency presented in previous interventions and thanked Parties for their support to gender equality. She urged Parties to continue on this track and commit to further gender-sensitive policies and propose actions to fully and effectively implement them.
To read the intervention, click here.
Postponed - Due to constant postponement of the informal plenary of the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Durban Platform (ADP), the intervention by Sabine Bock, WECF, could not be delivered. It was planned to request social equity not to be just a co-benefit, but really a core element of mitigation actions. This is fundamental in order to achieve the profound transformation of our societies towards equitable low-risk and low-carbon societies.
To read the intervention, click here.
1 December - a decision has been adopted by the SBI on increasing the participation of women in climate change decision making. Bridget Burns of WEDO made an intervention welcoming this decision, but arguing for more actions which encompass not just gender balance, but the principles of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
To read the intervention, click here.
27 November - Rachel Harris of WEDO made an intervention in the LCA-opening on behalf of the Women and Gender Consituency. She asked for equity to be at the heart of the climate regime and that we need to transform how we think about mitigation and adaptation to make the responses to climate change equitable, socially just and environmentally sound.
To read the intervention, click here.
27 November - An intervention has been made by Angelique Kipulu on behalf of trade unions and the Women and Gender Constituency. She stated that the work programme on loss and damage must place specific attention on poor working families, and especially women.
To read the intervention, click here.
26 November - Ulrike Röhr (LIFE e.V) made an intervention on behalf of the the Women and Gender Constituency in the COP 18 Opening Plenary. She drew attention to the need to ‘close the gaps’ on climate change – the gigatonne gap, the gap between words and action, and of course, the gender gap.
To read the intervention, click here.
*Current Members of the Women and Gender Constituency
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), ENERGIA, the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, GenderCC – Women for Climate Justice, Huairou Commission, ICAE (International Council for Adult Education), LIFE e.V., Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF), Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
