Reaction to Brazil’s “Presentation of a New Text”

Julian gives an update on today's events: As host country, Brazil takes charge of negotiations, and developes a new text (with merged and newly agreed-upon paragraphs) for the work to continue on. Then they distribute it...in the delegates-only pavilion. Oh, and Switzerland wants to go to the beach.  

A Reminder of Reality

By Julian Velez This is a reflection of my time in the Sustainable Development negotiations that took place in New York City. These negotiations are called the “informal-informal negotiations”; they are a build up to the Rio+20 summit. I speak of Food Sovereignty as a refreshing term that contrasts with the concepts and environment that is present in this UN process. I find the process of the...

The Green Economy Will Inspire All Nations with Positive Light?

By Julian Velez The EU again steps forward to propose the idea of a roadmap for the Green Economy. They are testing the waters, looking at the reactions of the different groups in order to come up with a proposal of how that roadmap should look like. Their position on how to implement this roadmap is quite visible. Their roadmap plan demonstrates their lack of inclusion of the developing world,...

Take it, leave it or change it…

by Julian Velez The ALBA group (Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas) sees that Transitional Committee (TC) has expressed very serious concerns regarding   the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The TC was uncharged of drafting all the details of how the GCF is going to function and the TC report was brought up for either adopting or rejecting it. The ALBA group doesn´t want to reject the report but...

Elusive Unity

by Julian Velez Unity between the different groups is a key aspect for the outcome of these negotiations, because that is how strong positions on the decisions come about and also that is how agreements come forward. If each country only pushed for their agenda and their agenda only, nothing would happen. Countries work as blocks to find united positions that give strength to their statements....