Participation Guide Rio 20

An introduction for children and youth
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PARTICIPATION GUIDE
An introduction for children and youth
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PARTICIPATION GUIDE
LegaI notice
The contents of this publication do not necessarily refect the offcial opinions
of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development or other institu-
tions of the United Nations. Neither Rio+twenties nor any person or organiza-
tion acting on behalf of Rio+twenties is responsible for the use that may be
made of the information contained in this participation guide.
Copyright notice
© Rio+twenties, Brussels, 2011
Rio+20 Participation Guide is an open access publication,
subject to the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
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may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form of educational or non-
proper services without special permission from the copyright holder, provided
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The Rio+20 logo is property of the United Nations and the United Nations owns
all rights to its use.
Citation
Rioplustwenties, 2011. Rio+20 Participation Guide - An introduction for children
and youth. Brussels
Lead authors
This participation guide was written by Ward Claerbout (BE), Sebastien Duyck
(FR), Michaela Hogenboom (NL), Saba Loftus (ÌRL), Ìvana Savic (RS) and Ben
Vanpeperstraete (BE).
Executive editors
Saba Loftus and Ben Vanpeperstraete
Copy editor
Brendan Coolsaet
PIease print this guide according to high environmentaI and sociaI standards.
For further information:
www.rioplustwenties.org
[email protected]
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AcknowIedgments
The participation guide was initiated by the board members of Rio+twenties.
This project could not have happened without the advice, support and contibu-
tion of many youth activists. Special thanks are due to: Nicolo Wojewoda (ÌT)
÷Road to Rio, Lloyd-Russel Moyle (UK)÷ÌFM-SEÌ, Lisa Develtere (BE), Kiara
Worth (SA), Gabe Van Wijck (NL)÷DNYC, Felix Beck (DE)÷DBJR, Rachel
Ray Butler (US)÷Rapid Response, Anna Collins (UK)÷UKYCC, Bernadette
Fischler (AT)÷WAGGGS, Mitch Lowenthal (US)÷SustainUS, Sophie Manson
(UK)÷Young Friends of the Earth Europe, Tan Mei Jia÷EcoSingapore, Leela
Raina (Ìndia)÷Ìndian Youth Climate Network, Juliana Russar (BR)÷Adopt a
negotiator and Diana Vogtel (UK)÷350.org.
Acknowledgement is also given to the millions of people around the world who
have contributed to the progression of sustainable development in their own
areas, including the thousands of young people. You are a constant source of
inspiration and invigoration.
Rio+twenties is grateful for fnancial support provided by Youth in Action Pro-
gramme.
Photo credits
UN Photo/Michos Tzavaros (p.6) ÷ Flickr Creative Commons/woodleywonder-
works (p.22) ÷ Flickr Creative Commons/SustainUS (p. 28, 32, 37, 50, 58) ÷
R.Hart's "Ladder of Participation¨ (adaptation) (p.34) ÷ British Council's Global
Changemakers (p. 39) - Young Friends of the Earth Belgium (p.62) ÷ Flickr
Creative Commons/David Shankbone (p.72)
Photos used in this participation guide are property of the cited authors and the
authors own all rights to their use.
Contents
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Sustainable De·elopment .................................................................................10
Rio-20 ..................................................................................................................14
Objecti·es ........................................................................................................14
1hemes .............................................................................................................15
Green economy .........................................................................................15
Key dates and meetings...........................................................................1¯
Go·ernance ................................................................................................18
Process .............................................................................................................18
Actors ...............................................................................................................21
1ips and tricks .................................................................................................24
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Vision and Mission .............................................................................................29
Membership .........................................................................................................30
Organising Partners ............................................................................................31
Structure ..............................................................................................................32
1he \outh Space ............................................................................................32
Policy task íorces ............................................................................................32
1ask lorce on the Green Lconomy ........................................................32
1ask lorce on Go·ernance ......................................................................33
1ask lorce on Objecti·es .........................................................................33
\orking groups ..............................................................................................33
1he lacilitation 1eam ................................................................................33
1he Communications \orking Group ..................................................34
1he Mobilisation \orking Group ...........................................................34
1he Children \orking Group .................................................................34
Decision-making process ...................................................................................35
At the CSD .................................................................................................35
1hrough the email list ...............................................................................36
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\hat is participation· .........................................................................................40
Diííerent roles you can play ..............................................................................41
Do you want to be a young ad·ocate or lobbyist· ....................................42
1ips and tricks on youth ad·ocacy...............................................................44
Do you want too be an acti·ist· ...................................................................45
Do you want to be part oí the media· ........................................................46
1ips and tricks íor young acti·ists ...............................................................46
1ips and tricks íor youth media ...................................................................49
Do you want to be a íacilitator· ...................................................................50
Do you want to be a supporter· ...................................................................50
1ips and tricks íor íacilitators ......................................................................51
1ips and tricks íor supporters ......................................................................52
Are you a uni·ersity student· ........................................................................54
Spark grass root action· .................................................................................54
1ips and tricks íor grass root action ............................................................55
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Outreach ...............................................................................................................58
Promote Rio-20 .............................................................................................58
Approach \our National \outh Council ....................................................59
1ry to contact your national oíFcial delegates ...........................................59
Participate in regional youth preparatory meetings ...................................59
Don`t íorget the paperwork! ..............................................................................61
Accreditation and registration ......................................................................61
Pre-registration ...........................................................................................61
Accreditation ..............................................................................................62
1ips and tricks - low to get prepared ........................................................63
Visa ...................................................................................................................64
lunding ............................................................................................................64
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Lngaging with the Rio-20 Coníerence ...........................................................69
lrom home ......................................................................................................69
Outside the coníerence doors ......................................................................¯1
Keep in touch .............................................................................................¯1
Networking .................................................................................................¯1
1aking action ..............................................................................................¯2
Inside the Rio-20 coníerence ......................................................................¯4
Oral inter·entions ......................................................................................¯4
1racking the negotiations .........................................................................¯4
Corridor lobbying ....................................................................................¯5K
Participation in workshops .......................................................................¯6
lolding a side-e·ent ..................................................................................¯6
1ips and tricks íor holding side-e·ents .......................................................¯¯
Margin oí Manoeu·re ....................................................................................¯8
DOs and DON`1s ..........................................................................................¯9
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\hy do we need to íollow up· .........................................................................82
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Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 8 |
Inequitable consumption patterns are al-
ready evident in this process. As youth, who
constitute 60% of the world’s population, we
have been given 22 minutes of the ofcial
time throughout the process. This is where
change must begin”

—Wagaki Mwangi
Speech at the 1992 Earth Summit
“
Ìntroducing the UN Conference on sustainable development
| 9 Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth
3'3#4)"456-
Introducing the UN Coníerence on
Cba¡ter 1
&-8-6%9:-"#
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 10 |
Ìntroducing the UN Conference on Sustainable
Development
´v.taivabte Dereto¡vevt i. cvrrevtt, a bv¸¸ rora v.ea for att /iva.
gooa aereto¡vevt ava evrirovvevtat ¡ractice.. .. tbe covce¡t ba. a
tovg bi.tor,, a brief bi.toric orerrier i. girev to ¡roriae covte·t to rbat
re bo¡e to acbiere. 1bev re ta/e a cto.er too/ at tbe Rio-20 covfer·
evce.
SustainabIe DeveIopment
During the 50s and 60s, it was clear that the world`s en·ironmental state was
rapidly deteriorating. In 1962, Rachel Carlson in her book Silent Spring`
introduced the idea oí de·elopment being interconnected with economic
de·elopment, en·ironment protection and social well-being. Six years later
a debate on en·ironmental sustainability was initiated at the UNLSCO Bio-
sphere Coníerence.
1he next year, in 1969, the Frst Larth Day was held in San lrancisco, USA,
and has since become an annual celebration. 1he same year, lriends oí the
Larth was established, marking the sparking up oí mo·ements ad·ocating
íor the en·ironment. 1wo years later, Greenpeace and the International In-
stitute íor Ln·ironment and De·elopment íollowed.
Aíter this things began to gain momentum, in 19¯1 OLCD adopted the
polluter pays principle`
!
and the íollowing year, the UN Coníerence on
the luman Ln·ironment was held in Stockholm, Sweden, which estab-
1
1he Polluter Pays Principle ,PPP, is an en·ironmental policy principle which requires that the costs
oí pollution be borne by those who cause it. It is normally implemented through two diííerent policy
approaches: command-and-control and market-based. 1he elimination oí subsidies is also an impor-
tant part oí the application oí the PPP.
Ìntroducing the UN Conference on sustainable development
| 11 Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth
lished the United Nations Ln·ironmental Programme ,UNLP,. 1he Club
oí Rome published its Limits oí Growth` which predicted catastrophic
consequences ií de·elopment should continue in its current intensity and
íorm. In 19¯6, íor the Frst time, en·ironment and human settlement were
linked at a United Nations Coníerence.
lowe·er, the term sustainable de·elopment` was only introduced a íew
years later by L·a Balíour and \ek Jackson in the IUCN \orld Conser·a-
tion Strategy which was published in 1980. In 198¯, Our Common luture`
,known as the Brundtland Report`, deFned sustainable de·elopment as
&-8-6%9:-"# #,4# :--#3 #,- "--&3 %1 #,- 9$-3-"# O)#,%'# (%:9$%P
:)3)"* #,- 45)6)#F %1 1'#'$- *-"-$4#)%"3 #% :--# #,-)$ %O" "--&3`. In
1990, the International Sustainable De·elopment Institute was established
and the UN Summit íor Children recognised the impact oí en·ironmental
issues on íuture generations.
1hese strands were then brought together in the Larth Summit, which was
held in 1992. 1he Larth Summit is the popular name gi·en to the UN Con-
íerence on Ln·ironment and De·elopment, held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. Approximately 1¯0 go·ernments participated with o·er 2,400 repre-
sentati·es írom NGOs.
1he Larth Summit resulted in the íollowing documents, which ha·e be-
come among the most important documents íor sustainable de·elopment
oí our time:
! I)% 7-(64$4#)%" %" Q"8)$%":-"# 4"& 7-8-6%9:-"#R principles that
emphasized the coordination oí economic and en·ironmental concerns,
! N*-"&4 C;: global measures to protect the planet`s en·ironment while
guaranteeing sustainable economic growth,
! S%$-3# T$)"()96-3: preser·ation oí íorests and monitoring impact on
timberlands,
! #$%&'%()$% ($ #$*+,( -'.'/()01,()$% 2##-3: which proposed a
participati·e approach in·ol·ing local communities to combat desertiF-
cation in speciFc ecosystems,
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 12 |
! #$%&'%()$% $% 4)$5$6)1,5 -)&'/.)(7 2#4-3: 1his international agree-
ment aims to conser·e biological di·ersity, to use its components in a
sustainable way and to share íairly and equitably, between all people
in·ol·ed, the beneFts that arise írom the use oí genetic resources.
! 89 :/,*';$/< #$%&'%()$% $% #5)*,(' #=,%6' 289:###3:
1his con·ention aims to pro·ide a íramework íor actions to curb
human-caused climate change well within manageable dimensions.
1he Con·entions on Biological Di·ersity, Combating DesertiFcation, and
Climate Change are oíten dubbed the three Rio con·entions`. 1he UN-
lCCC is the most íamous and in turn led to the Kyoto Protocol. In 199¯,
countries concerned with climatic changes met in Kyoto, Japan, and estab-
lished emission reduction commitments írom a 1990-baseline. 1he global
reduction target is ¯° by 2012, the end oí the Frst commitment period.
Uníortunately, the USA ,the largest emitter per capita, has not ratiFed the
Kyoto protocol up to today.
1he Larth Summit also began a new íunctional commission oí the UN
Lconomic and Social Committee ,LCOSOC,, namely the Commission on
Sustainable De·elopment ,CSD,, which has a mandate to monitor interna-
tional progress on sustainable de·elopment, pro·ide policy direction, and
coordinate action within the United Nations system to achie·e the goals oí
Agenda 21.
1en years later, in 2002, the Rio-10 Coníerence was held in Johannesburg,
South Aírica, and produced the Johannesburg Plan oí Implementation
,JPOI,. 1his document aimed at pro·iding íurther guidance to operation-
alise sustainable de·elopment through ad·ancing three priorities:
· Po·erty eradication.
· Changing unsustainable patters oí consumption and production.
· Production and protecting the natural resource base.
linally, sustainable de·elopment has emerged as one oí the most promi-
nent de·elopment paradigms o·er the last íour decades. It aims to pro·ide
Ìntroducing the UN Conference on sustainable development
| 13 Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth
a holistic approach, en·eloping se·eral dimensions such as economic, en-
·ironmental, social and participatory de·elopment into a single íramework.
O·er recent years, we ha·e seen a growing institutionalisation oí sustainable
de·elopment on the international le·el.
Objectives and themes of Rio+20
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· A green economy in the context oí
sustainable de·elopment and po·erty
eradication ,GLSPDL,, or in short:
*$--" -(%"%:F ,see page 13,.
· 1he institutional íramework íor sustainable de·elopment
,IlSD,, or in short: *%8-$"4"(- ,see page 14,.
=,- %5?-(#)8-3 %1 I)%JC<
! 2-('$)"* $-"-O-& 9%6)#)(46 (%::)#:-"# íor sustain-
able de·elopment
! N33-33)"* #,- 9$%*$-33 #% &4#- 4"& #,- $-:4)")"*
*493 in the implementation oí the outcomes oí the major
summits on sustainable de·elopment
! N&&$-33)"* "-O 4"& -:-$*)"* (,466-"*-3
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 14 |
Rio+20
In 2009, the UN General Assembly ,UNGA, decided to orgavi¸e, iv 2012,
tbe |vitea ^atiov. Covferevce ov ´v.taivabte Dereto¡vevt at tbe bigbe.t ¡o..ibte teret,
ivctvaivg íeaa. of ´tate ava Corervvevt or otber re¡re.evtatire., ava iv tbi. regara
acce¡t. ritb gratitvae tbe geverov. offer of tbe Corervvevt of ßra¸it to bo.t tbe Covfer·
evce` ,paragraph 20 oí the resolution A,RLS,64,236,
It is our hope that the outcome should be íorward-looking and action ori-
ented` and should result in a íocused, political document`.
Objectives
1he objecti·es oí Rio-20 co·er a ·ast terrain in terms oí political debates
and possible outcomes.
1he Frst objecti·e is to 3-('$- $-"-O-& 9%6)#)(46 (%::)#:-"# íor sus-
tainable de·elopment. Against the backdrop oí numerous crises, there has
only been a lukewarm political commitment to sustainable de·elopment
and the most rele·ant negotiations seem to attract ·ery íew leads oí State
,with the exception oí the UNlCCC`s 15th Coníerence oí Parties on Co-
penhagen,. lence, the Rio-20 Bureau recently identiFed renewed political
commitment as the most important oí objecti·e oí Rio-20.
1he second objecti·e is to 433-33 #,- 9$%*$-33 #% &4#- 4"& #,- $-:4)"P
)"* *493 in the implementation oí the outcomes oí the major summits on
sustainable de·elopment. 1he underlying rationale to this is that both Agen-
da 21 and the Rio Declaration oííered a lot oí political íood to the inter-
national community, which mostly remains rele·ant today. 1he bottleneck
in achie·ing progress has been eííecti·e implementation, and the Rio-20
coníerence needs to bring additional guidance on this.
1he last objecti·e is to address "-O 4"& -:-$*)"* (,466-"*-3. 1he
Coníerence Secretary General, Mr. Sha Zukang, highlights some new and
emerging challenges íor consideration:
· Green jobs and social inclusion,
Ìntroducing the UN Conference on sustainable development
| 15 Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth
· Lnergy access, eíFciency and sustainability,
· lood security and sustainable agriculture,
· Sound water management,
· Sustainable cities,
· Management oí the oceans, and
· Impro·ed resilience and disaster preparedness.
Themes
Green economy
There is no agreed deFnition oí what a green economy is. 1hose in ía·our
oí a green economy` íocus primarily on the intersection between en·i-
ronment and economy. 1here are oíten trade-oíís between economic and
en·ironmental goals and with the green economy, decision-makers want
to recognise and strengthen the synergies between both. 1hose oposing
the concept oí green economy` don`t hesitate to emphasize that the clear
signal oí the resolution in íraming green economy within a certain context,
namely Sustainable De·elopment and Po·erty Lradication.
=,- #$4"3)#)%" #% #,- *$--" -(%"%:F
O)66 $-U')$- 4" ):9$%8-& "%#)%" %1 O-66P
5-)"* VBBBW #,4# #4X-3 )"#% 4((%'"# #,- 6):P
)#3 %1 %'$ 964"-#4$F 4"& 3%()46 5%'"&4$P
)-3Y
-MGC\ input to the Rio-20 Compilation Document
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Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 16 |
lence, green economy can`t and should not replace the concept oí Sustain-
able De·elopment. \e are not going to support either perspecti·e as it`s up
to you to make up your own mind and we recommend reading about it ,lots
a·ailable online,.
1hus there are many diííerent ·iews on green economy. But in a general
way, the íollowing F·e strands seem to ha·e emerged so íar:
;B I-&'(-Z $-'3- 4"& $-(F(6-, including making all production green,
seen by many as a panacea íor present economic ills, and is ·iewed
as a market liberalistic ·iew. Others call it green washing or greening
greed,
CB >=' ?1$%$*)1. $@ ?1$.7.('*. ,%A 4)$A)&'/.)(7 2>??43, an
approach adopted by 1LLB to show how economic concepts and
tools can help equip society with the means to incorporate the ·alues
oí nature into decision making at all le·els. 1he aim oí 1LLB is to
pro·ide a bridge between the multi-disciplinary science oí biodi·er-
sity and the arena oí international and national policy as well as local
go·ernment and business practices,
[B 7-P*$%O#, or a critical approach to the system oí economy, based
on what is known as hard sustainability`,
GB 7)3#$)5'#)8- *$%O#,, which tries to look at Sustainable Consump-
tion and Production in a `írugal` way,
KB @6%546 #$4"3)#)%", incremental change with strengthening key insti-
tutions in the Fnancial system, based on indentiíying, among others,
a number oí principles írom earlier UN documents.
1he outcomes can range írom a common understanding, shared ·ision to a
more practical roadmap and toolbox.
Ìntroducing the UN Conference on sustainable development
| 17 Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth
Key dates and meetings
24

Dec 2010 New \ork, USA UNGA Adopts the Resolution calling íor Rio-20
16-18

May 2010 New \ork, USA lirst Preparatory Committee
11-12 Jan. 2011 New \ork, USA lirst Intersessional Meeting
¯-8

March 2011 New \ork, USA Second Preparatory Committee
¯-9 Sep. 2011 Santiago, Chile Regional Preparatory Meeting íor Latin America
and the Carribean
¯-9 Oct. 2011 Cairo, Lgypt Regional Preparatory Meeting íor Arab region
19-20 Oct. 2011 Seoul, Republic oí
Korea
Regional Preparatory Meeting íor Asia
20-25 Oct. 2011 Addis Abeba, Lthopia Regional Preparatory Meeting íor Aírica
1

No·. 2011 L·erywhere Deadline íor inputs to compilation document
1-2 Dec. 2011 Gene·a, Switzerland Regional Preparatory Meeting íor Lurope
,including North America,
15-16 Dec. 2011 New \ork, USA Second Intersessional Meeting
25-2¯ Jan. 2012 New \ork, USA Initial discussions on Compiliation Document
,zero-draít,
19-23 Mar. 2012 New \ork, USA Negotiations ,iníormal-iníormals, on draít
outcome document
26-2¯ Mar. 2012 New \ork, USA 1hird Intersessional Meeting
30 Apr - 4 May
2012
New \ork, USA Negotiations ,iníormal-iníormals, on draít
outcome document ,tbc,
13-15 Jun. 2012 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1hird and linal Preparatory Committee
16-19 Jun. 2012 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Iníormal coníerence oí the middle`
20-22

Jun. 2012 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil United Nations Coníerence on Sustainable
De·elopment ,UNCSD,Rio-20,
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 18 |
Governance
1he discussion on the !"3#)#'#)%"46 S$4:-O%$X 1%$ 2'3#4)"456- 7-8-6P
%9:-"# looks at radically impro·ing the current go·ernance system íor
Sustainable De·elopment. 1he ultimate goal is to see how key Sustainable
De·elopment institutions, together with other institutions such as the in-
ternational Fnancial institutions ,IlIs,, the multilateral de·elopment banks
,MDBs,, and the rest oí the UN system work in deli·ering on sustainable
de·elopment objecti·es.
1he discussion íocuses mainly in the role oí institutions in the diííerent
,economic, ecological and social, pillars, as well as how they interlink. 1his
can include questions on decision-making, implementation or accountabil-
ity. It ranges írom upgrading existing institutions, designing new ones or
impro·e eííorts on how diííerent institutions work together. 1he discussion
also co·ers local, national and international le·els.
Process
Initially, the General Assembly resolution íoresaw three preparatory meet-
ings to prepare íor Rio-20. lowe·er, by the end oí the second preparatory
meeting, the number oí days preparing íor the summit had mushroomed.
1he table on page 1¯ gi·es an o·er·iew oí the most important ,oíFcial,
e·ents building up to Rio-20. Note that this time-line is still subject to
change. lor more e·ents and updates, please íollow the oíFcial Rio-20
website: http:,,www.uncsd2012.org,
Other unoíFcial e·ents are being ,or will be, organized by the global ci·il
society mo·ement. 1hese will run in parallel with the oíFcial track and could
potentially innuence the o·erall outcome.
Ìntroducing the UN Conference on sustainable development
| 19 Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth
Major negotiating groups and regionaI interest groups
! N\HNR ALBA is the Spanish acronym íor the Boli·arian Alli-
ance íor the Americas, a leít-wing Latin American coalition oí
eight countries. ALBA countries ad·ocate íor an alternati·e to
the current liberal capitalist íramework, including during nego-
tiations related to sustainable de·elopment.
! N3)4" *$%'9: UN Group oí Asian states, oíten quite loosely
coordinated.
! B@/)1,% 8%)$% 2B83: 1he AU is the largest regional political
organization, and includes all countries oí Aírica but Morocco.
At international processes, the AU ad·ocates íor the general in-
terests oí Aírican peoples.
! HN2!0: Group comprising oí Brazil, South Aírica, India and
China. 1his group oí emerging countries maniíested itselí as
strongly coordinated during the Copenhagen climate talks.
! ?C/$D',% 8%)$% 2?83: 1he LU comprises 2¯ member states,
who prepare their positions together beíore taking part in in-
ternational negotiations. 1he LU is a tightly knit block which is
more capable oí presenting common positions than most other
coalitions.
! @$%'9 %1 ]]: 1he G¯¯ is the largest negotiating group in·ol·-
ing 131 countries írom the Global South. Due to the ·ariety oí
its membership, the G¯¯ rarely ad·ocates íor speciFc positions,
besides the general interests oí de·eloping countries. Depend-
ing on the issue, China will negotiate independently or together
with the G¯¯.
! >=' E/$CD $@ F,()% B*'/)1, ,%A (=' #,/)++',% 2EG8P
FB#3 includes all 33 states located in Latin America. Due to the
strong political and economical diííerences pre·ailing amongst
its members, GRULAC is a looser grouping.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 20 |
! ^.220N//_: 1his group includes most oí the nations írom
the Global North which are not part oí the Luropean Union,
including Australia, Canada, Norway, Japan, Switzerland, New
Zealand and the United States ,the acronym JUSSCANNZ
comes írom combination oí the Frst letters oí most oí the
members oí the coalition,. 1he positions oí this coalition are
howe·er less integrated than those oí the LU.
! F',.( -'&'5$D'A #$C%(/)'. 2F-#.3H 1he group oí LDCs is
comprised oí countries with the lowest luman De·elopment
Index ratings and lowest re·enues. LDCs are located mainly in
Aírica, but also include Asian and PaciFc countries and one Ca-
ribbean country.
! \-4*'- %1 N$45 2#4#-R 1he League is a political organization
promoting the interests oí its 22 member states írom Northern
Aírica and the Middle Last.
! =,- `$*4")a4#)%" %1 #,- T-#$%6-': Qb9%$#)"* 0%'"#$)-3
2IJ?#3 is primarily a trade bloc which deíends the interests oí
its 12 member states ,located in the Middle Last, but also in Aí-
rica and Latin America,. As the economies oí OPLC countries
depend largely on oil re·enues, OPLC oíten takes a conser·ati·e
stand to international cooperation on sustainable de·elopment.
! K*,55 L.5,%A -'&'5$D)%6 K(,('. 2KL-K3H 1he group oí the
SIDS represent low-lying insular countries which oíten íace
similar challenges regarding sustainable de·elopment. SIDS are
mainly located in the PaciFc, the Caribbean and around the coast
oí Aírica. Most SIDS are also members oí the AOSIS, the Alli-
ance Oí Small Islands States, which engages in ad·ocacy work at
·arious UN processes.
/%#-R Not all oí these coalitions will necessarily be acti·e during
Rio-20. Some country groupings exist íor the sole purpose oí ne-
gotiating on one particular topic.
Ìntroducing the UN Conference on sustainable development
| 21 Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth
Actors
\e can break the main players oí Rio-20 down to the íollowing key groups:
! >-:5-$ 2#4#-3R 1he UN has 193 member states, but not all coun-
tries ha·e equal bargaining power. In order to increase their innuence
these states group together to deíend common interests. Some net-
works are tight knit other more loose collaborations. Many countries
are a member to more than one alliance. lor instance Algeria is at the
same time a member oí the Group oí ¯¯ ,G¯¯,, the Aírican Union
,AU, and the Organisation oí Petroleum and Lxporting Countries
,OPLC,.
! ./P3F3#-: 4"& %#,-$ !"#-$*%8-$":-"#46 `$*4")34#)%"3R Apart
írom states, íunctions within the UN System will attend Rio-20 as
obser·ers. \hile they ha·e a seat in the consultation rooms, and can
take the noor, they do not negotiate directly. In general, these íunc-
tions take the íorm oí treaty-organizations, con·entions or special-
ized programs. 1hese include the three Rio Con·entions` ,UN-
lCCC, CCD, CBD,, the International Labour Organisation ,ILO,,
the lood and Agriculture Organisation ,lAO,, the United Nations
Ln·ironmental Programme ,UNLP,, the United Nations Lducation
and ScientiFc Organisation ,UNLSCO,, the \orld Bank, the \orld
1rade Organisation ,\1O, and many more.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 22 |
! 0)8)6 2%()-#FR Another group oí actors is ci·il-society. Non-go·ern-
mental organizations ,NGOs, are an important part oí ci·il society
and it is expected that thousands oí NGOs will attend the Rio-20
coníerence. Similar to the íunctions within UN System, they partici-
pate in the negotiations, and can sometimes inter·ene through Major
Groups, but neither Major Groups nor NGOs can directly negotiate.
Among these NGOs there is an incredible di·ersity in íorms, organi-
zations, aims, tactics, ·isions, etc., that their only distinct characteris-
tic is that they are not go·ernmental.
! >4?%$ @$%'93R 1he Major Groups íollow the classiFcation oí the
nine groups as identiFed by Agenda 21. 1hese are Business and In-
dustry, Children and \outh, larmers, Indigenous Peoples, Local Au-
thorities, NGOs, ScientiFc and 1echnological Community, \omen,
and \orkers and 1rade Unions. All these Major Groups ha·e their
own íocal points ,Organising Partners, and each ha·e a diííerent way
oí operating. \oung people are represented by the Major Group oí
Children and \outh. lor more iníormation about the Major Group
íor Children and \outh, see Chapter ¯. 1hese nine Major Groups
represent only a part oí ci·il society that will be present at Rio-20
and membership is not a prerequisite íor attending the Coníerence.
Some ci·il society actors don`t Fnd added ·alue in associating with a
particular Major Group and pursue their own tactics independently
or in another coalition.
! H'$-4' 4"& #,- 2-($-#4$)4#R 1he Rio-20 Coníerence is organized
by a dedicated Bureau and Secretariat. 1he Bureau is comprised oí
representati·es írom the main regional groups with the objecti·e oí
íacilitating the Coníerence. 1he Bureau gi·es guidance to the Secre-
tariat during the preparations and at the Coníerence, as well as in be-
tween the diííerent sessions. 1he Secretariat supports the Coníerence
and the Bureau with acti·ities ranging írom the day-to-day organisa-
tion, writing background documents and liaising with ·arious actors.
! >-&)4R \hile the media does not participate in the process, it is
crucial to communicating what is happening at the Coníerence with
the outside world.
Ìntroducing the UN Conference on sustainable development
| 23 Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth
OfñciaI Youth DeIegates
Some countries ha·e included 7$C(= A'5'6,('. )% (=')/ $@01),5
&-6-*4#)%". 1he more the youth are represented and ha·e legiti-
macy, the better. Usually there are limits on what an oíFcial youth
delegates can do, so the best is to combine her,his presence with the
work done by other youth írom the same country. At this moment,
a limited number oí countries include a youth delegate and we ha·e
great opportunity to change this. \ou could build the momentum
and encourage ,lobby, your go·ernment to establish a system íor
selecting a youth delegate. 1he composition oí the go·ernmental
delegation is a matter íor each go·ernment to deal with, so you will
need to approach your own go·ernment. Sometimes, supporti·e
declarations by UN oíFcials can help go·ernments o·ercome their
reluctance to include a youth delegate. Countries such as Belgium,
Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden ha·e a long tradition oí ha·-
ing youth delegates in their country delegations. 1hose countries can
be reíerred to when you contact your own go·ernment.
@-$:4" F%'#, &-6-*4#-3, íor example, ha·e a mandate gi·en to
them by the German lederal \outh Council and supported by the
lederal Ministry íor the Ln·ironment. 1his means that the two Ger-
man youth delegates represent about 5.5 million children and youth
as both part oí the delegation and the Major Group íor Children
and \outh. 1he German go·ernment also has a unique system to
increase participation oí youth írom de·eloping countries: they
support two young delegates írom Aírica to attend negotiations. In
general, the young people oí the global south are alarmingly under-
represented in international negotiations. Increasing the number oí
such youth delegates is crucial, as young people írom de·eloping and
emerging countries are contributing their highly important perspec-
ti·es on Sustainable De·elopment at the global scope. 1he German
go·ernment has taken a courageous step to increase ci·il society par-
ticipation írom a underrepresented region while also strengthening
their Ci·il Society participation írom their own country.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 24 |
Tips and tricks
! Q3#456)3, (%"#4(# with your country delegation in the
process leading up to and aíter Rio-20.
· lind ways to *4#,-$ )"9'# 1$%: F%'"* 9-%96- during
the year. 1his way more youth are in·ol·ed and acti-
·ated and the participation in the Rio-20 processes
becomes more representati·e.
· lind ways to -"3'$- (%"#)"')#F among youth repre-
sentati·es, to enable meaningíul participation and allow
knowledge transíer, íor example ·ia a junior,senior
system.
! 8.' 7$C/ D$.)()$% ,. ,% $@01),5 A'5'6,(' íor the
beneFt oí the youth mo·ement at large. In some
cases you will ha·e access to iníormation or insights
that others do not yet ha·e. Be transparent with your
delegations so you do not cross lines you should not
cross.
· la·e a look at the @')&- #% A%'#, 7-6-*4#-3 #% #,-
.")#-& /4#)%"3` íound at http:,,bit.ly,youthdelegat-
eguide
· lor additional help and support you can always contact
the MGC\ Organising Partners ,see next chapter, as
well as email UN youth at youth¸un.org .
Ìntroducing the UN Conference on sustainable development
| 25 Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 26 |
[INSERT QUOTE]
The surest way to corrupt a youth is to in-
struct him to hold in higher esteem those
who think alike than those who think difer-
ently”

—Friedrich Nietzsche
The Dawn of Day
“
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 27
The Major Group for Children and Youth
0,)6&$-"
4"& A%'#,
Cba¡ter 2
1he Major Group íor
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 28 |
The Major Group for Children and Youth
Cbitarev ava Yovtb are tbe /e, vorat .ta/ebotaer rbev it cove. to
´v.taivabte Dereto¡vevt. 1beir effectire ¡artici¡atiov i. bevce a ¡re·
reqvi.ite for ´v.taivabte Dereto¡vevt. 1be Ma;or Crov¡ for Cbitarev
ava Yovtb i. tbe vaiv ¡tatforv for ,ovtb ¡artici¡atiov iv tbe Rio-20
¡roce... 1bi. cba¡ter ritt gire a brief orerrier.
1he Major Group íor Children and \outh ,MGC\, is one oí the 9 group-
ings oí ci·il society recognized by the Agenda21. It is the youth constitu-
ency íor Rio-20. 1hereíore, the MGC\ has oíFcially a seat and limited
speaking opportunities at the Coníerence.
Internally, it deFnes itselí as umbrella under which all diííerent youth-or-
ganisations, networks and young people ha·e the opportunity to gather,
participate, ad·ocate and act toward achie·ing sustainability. Concretely, the
MGC\ meets online, through the diííerent e-mail list and the public web-
site. Once on site ,in New \ork, or in Rio,, it meets at least once a day, usu-
ally in the morning, in order to take major decisions and to plan ahead íor
the next day,s,.
1he MGC\ is in a sense a do-ocracy`. \hile smaller projects will be
mo·ed íorward by a íew people with the energy and capacity to mobilise
other youth and to actually make it happen -- acti·ities with íar-reaching
consequences ,strategy, is discussed, consulted upon and decided within
the bigger group. 1his is crucial to ensure transparency and accountability.
One oí our biggest strengths is that we are able to work together without
personal selí interests at play.
But please be aware that the possibility people will try to innuence you as
the youth ·oice is strong. Be careíul what you say, what you echo and re-
member we are building relationships-and the go·ernments are not the
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 29
The Major Group for Children and Youth
enemy , opposition but rather our partners in achie·ing this change. Be
persuasi·e, be prepared, be iníormed and create positi·e change.
\ou can Fnd out more about how the Major Group íunctions here: http:,,
www.youthcaucus.net,about,Processes-and-Procedures.
Vision and Mission
1he ·ision oí the Major Group íor Children and \outh is the ad·anced
participation oí young people all le·els, locally, nationally, regionally and
internationally, in the protection oí the en·ironment and the promotion oí
economic and social de·elopment.
Objectives of the MGCY
1he objecti·es oí the Major Group íor Chil-
dren and \outh ,MGC\, are to:
· Ad·ance the íull participation oí chil-
dren and youth within the Rio-20 and
related processes
· loster dialogue, collaboration, participation and unity in
di·ersity within the MGC\
· Lncourage, promote and strengthen the role oí ci·il society
at the Rio-20 Coníerence
· Stri·e to be an engaged and credible actor at Rio-20.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 30 |
1he mission oí the Major Group íor Children and \outh is to ensure that
the interests oí children and youth are taken into account in the planning
and decision making processes, and that youth in particular participate
meaningíully in the Rio-20 process.
Membership
1he MGC\ is an international coalition oí children and youth that has two
types oí membership: indi·idual membership ,below the age oí 30 years,
and group membership ,child or youth led organisations,.
Membership is acquired by adherence to the MGC\`s principles and poli-
cies, and by subscribing to the main mailing list ,uncsdyouthcaucus¸goog-
legroups.com,. A member can resign by unsubscribing írom the mailing list
and indi·idual membership in the MG\C automatically ends when a mem-
ber turns thirty years old. Acti·e organisational membership can continue
so long as there is a representati·e. Any member not íulFlling the obliga-
tions stipulated below risks remo·al írom the Major Group.
Membership criteria will be temporarily changed íor Rio-20. As the UN
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 31
The Major Group for Children and Youth
has decided that the Major Group oí Children and \outh will be the mecha-
nism íor young people to be in·ol·ed with Rio-20, any young person in-
·ol·ed with any UN en·ironmental process ,e.g UNlCCC, UNLP, CBD,
CCD, ..., will automatically be considered a member ,unless they chose not
to,. As such, they will ha·e the same rights and obligations as other MGC\
members.
Organising Partners
Lach oí 9 Major Groups has its own Organising Partners. Organising Part-
ners do not lead the Major Group, but ser·e as a ser·ice institution and aim
to íacilitate their Major Group. 1his means that they are not gate-keepers,
but are actually the indi·iduals who keep the communication nowing back
and íorth with the Secretariat. Rio-1wenties, the organisation behind this
guidebook, is one oí the Organising Partners íor the Major Group íor Chil-
dren and \outh. lor a list oí organising partners and their contact details
please ·isit http:,,bit.ly,OPcontact
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 32 |
Structure
1he MGC\ is sructured around the íollowing groups. Communication
inside these groups mainly goes through íree internet tools like Google
Groups and Skype.
The Youth Space
http:,,groups.google.com,group,Rioplus20\outhSpace
1he Rio-20 \outhspace e-mail list is the main e-mail list. 1his is a group íor
youth írom all o·er the world to share iníormation and discuss about the
upcoming UN Coníerence on Sustainable De·elopment ,Rio-20,. Please
join this list to get all the updates, iníormation sharing and general discus-
sion.
PoIicy task forces
1hrough its three policy task íorces, the Major Group shapes and compiles
youth-opinion on topics like the green economy or the íuture oí the institu-
tional íramework íor sustainable de·elopment. 1he Frst major contribution
oí the task-íorces was to outline the MGC\ position on the main thematic
issues, which was submitted to the Secretariat on No·ember 1st 2011, íor
inclusion in the Compilation Document.
Task Force on the Green Economy
http:,,groups.google.com,group,green-economy-youth
1his group works on Green Lconomy in the lramework oí Sustainable
De·elopment and Po·erty Lradication ,GLSDPL, see page 13,.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 33
The Major Group for Children and Youth
Task Force on Governance
http:,,groups.google.com,group,rio-20-youth-IlSD
1his group works on the Institutional lramework íor Sustainable De·el-
opment ,IlSD, see page 14,
Task Force on Objectives
http:,,bit.ly,Rio-\outh-Objecti·es_1askíorce
1his groups works on the 3 objecti·es oí Rio-20s, namely to secure re-
newed political commitments, to assess progress up to date and the imple-
mentation gaps and to address new and emerging challenges.
Working groups
1he Major Group organises its actions through a series oí working groups,
which are coordinated through a íacilitation team. 1he working groups deal
with e·erything that is not policy action`.
The Facilitation Team
http:,,groups.google.com,group,íacilitation-team
1he Rio-20 lacilitation 1eam is a group íor youth írom all o·er the world
who ha·e the time, capacity and commitment to acti·ely collaborate in the
preparations íor the upcoming UN Coníerence on Sustainable De·elop-
ment ,Rio-20,. It coordinates all the acti·ities oí the MGC\ and meets
E- 4$- #,- "-b# *-"-$4#)%" %1 &-()P
3)%"P:4X-$3 4"& O- 3#4"& 1%$ 4(#)%" 4"&
(,4"*-Y
-Bandung Declaration, UNLP 1unza \outh Coníerence 2011
L
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 34 |
e·ery two weeks through an on-line call to re·iew progress made through
the working groups and task íorces. Please only join this list ií you ha·e a
íew hours a week to spare to íollow up tasks ,Membership is moderated,
The Communications Working Group
http:,,groups.google.com,group,Rioplus20\outhComms
1his working group deals with all the internal and external communications
issues and pro·ides the MGC\ with a uniFed ·oice íor children and youth.
The Mobilisation Working Group
http:,,groups.google.com,group,rio20-youth-mobilisation
1his working group is action oriented and co·ers e·erything írom grassroot
and large scale projects to project based, campaigning and,or creati·e ac-
tions that young people are taking, both inside and outside the coníerence
centre in Rio.
The Children Working Group
http:,,groups.google.com,group,rio20-working-group-on-children-
·hl~en
As the ·oice oí children is oíten harder to represent than that oí youth,
this working group tries to impro·e the participation oí children and to
empower them to engage in the Rio-20 process.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 35
The Major Group for Children and Youth
Decision-making process
1he MGC\ deliberates annually during the CSD meeting, preparatory
meetings such as the Inter-go·ernmental Preparatory Meeting ,IPM, and
Regional Implementation Meetings ,RIMs,, and ·ia the mailing lists. 1he
mailing list will be the main means oí communication íor all decision-mak-
ing processes and in·ol·ement therein. Diííerent decision-making process-
es will be íollowed íor the diííerent e·ents, as stipulated below.
At the CSD
· 1he Major Group meets daily ií not decided otherwise,
· 1he meeting is called by the Organising Partners ,OP,,
· Any member oí the Major Group can propose a point oí the agenda
at least 30 minutes in ad·ance oí the session
· 1he MGC\ decides with consensus based on its principles
· Any decision that is made through consensus should be implemented
by the members oí Major Group in a uniFed íashion, with all mem-
bers committed íully to the decision that was made,
· In the rare situations,occasions where inclusi·e consultation does
not result in consensus, the OP can make an executi·e decision to
ensure crucial processes go íorward
· Decisions can be made regarding acti·ities and processes relati·e to
the CSD itselí, howe·er more strategic decisions with íar reaching
consequences can be íormulated at the CSD and shall be decided
on-line.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 36 |
Through the email list
· All decisions that need to be made throughout the year, and deci-
sions with íar-reaching consequences, will be sent to the MGC\
through the mailing list.
· A draít proposal will be sent to the mailing list and open íor com-
ments íor at least 2 weeks, ií not otherwise decided. All Major
Group members ha·e the opportunity to raise major concerns that
they ha·e pertaining to the decisions, with the OP,
· A second proposal will be circulated taking into account the pre·i-
ously raised concerns, íor at least one week. Ií none oí the mem-
bers ha·ing issued concerns disagree, the proposal is seen as ad-
opted.
· Shorter deadlines íor a decision can be arranged based on the re-
quirements oí signiFcant external time pressure
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 37
The Major Group for Children and Youth
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 38 |
Citizen Participation is like eating spinach:
no one is against it in principle, because it is
good for you. Participation of the governed
[is] a revered idea that is vigorously applaud-
ed by virtually everyone. The applause is
reduced to polite handclaps, however, when
this principle is advocated”

—Sherry R. Arnstein
A Ladder of Citizen Participation
“
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 39
What you can do...
E,4# F%'
(4" &%BBB
Cba¡ter ²
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 40 |
What you can do...
!" $%&' '()$&*" +( +&,, (-.,*/( 0/&(12 +%3$ .3/$&)&.3$&*" 4(3"'5 3"6 %*+
tbi. cav be .ba¡ea b, ,ovvg ¡eo¡te. !e gire av orerrier of tbe aiffer·
evt ra,. ,ovvg ¡eo¡te cav v.e tbeir ¡artici¡atiov ava trav.forv it ivto
a veavivgfvt rote. 1be.e rote. .erre a. av iv.¡iratiov, ava ¡eo¡te cav
cboo.e ove, covbive .ererat or ivctvae otber rote. vot corerea bere.
What is participation?
Participation comes in many íorms, and you can take on diííerent roles
when engaging into the process. L·eryone`s participation is ·aluable be-
cause we all contribute in diííerent ways based on our interests and capacity.
lor Rio-20, youth and children are an oíFcially recognised stakeholder
within the process but ensuring meaningíul participation and being taken
seriously requires determination and work. \oung people want to mo·e
beyond being seen as token` representati·es but signiFcant, credible and
acti·e actors in innuencing change.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 41
What you can do...
Different roIes you can pIay
1he number oí roles you decide to take on is up to you. All roles are ·alu-
able and collaboration between all these diííerent roles is key.
\e need to work together to strength and support each other. \e ha·e
a íew suggestions íor ways that you may want to get in·ol·ed below, and
some stories that hopeíully will inspire you. Do not be aíraid to create your
own way oí participating. \e will ask a íew questions that help you decide
whether the role will suit you and then we will gi·e a brieí introduction
to the role as well as some tips írom young people globally. \e ha·e also
included stories and inter·iews to gi·e you a glimpse oí what we mean.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 42 |
Do you want to be a young advocate or Iobbyist?
.re ,ov ivtere.tea iv beivg actiret, ivrotrea iv ¡otic, b,
6(7(,*.&"8 3"6 367*)3$&"8 9*/ '.()&:) &".;$ &"$* .*,&)2
ovtcove..
</( 2*; 8**6 3$ /(4(40(/&"8 93)$'= >* 2*; :"6 &$ (3'2
to a¡¡roacb .travger. ava va/e frieva.. Cav ,ov .¡ea/
iv av articvtate, ¡er.va.ire, frievat, ava /vorteageabte
ra,. íf vot.are ,ov rittivg to tearv.
1he Major Group íor Children and \outh should be y o u r
main íocal point ií this is a role you want to undertake. 1he Major Group
íor Children and \outh pro·ides íormal input to the process and welcomes
young people to be in·ol·ed in their acti·ities.
During the preparatory meetings, intersessionals, iníormal iníormals and
Rio-20 there will be space íor the Major Group to make íormal inter·en-
tions. 1hese opportunities are generally scarce and the time pro·ided will be
limited, ·arying írom one to three minutes. It is key to de·elop an eííecti·e
and collaborati·e way to write statements.
Lobbying is what the Major Group oí Children and \outh does to make
us more eííecti·e. \e ha·e trackers in all the negotiations and consultations
who keep track oí which group or member state shares our points or is
against them. 1hen the lobbyists ha·e the task oí approaching them in a
íriendly way and discussing our key lobby points. 1hese are based on our
draít zero and ha·e legitimacy because they been prepared through input
by thousands oí organisations and indi·iduals under age oí thirty globally.
Lobbying is when you approach members oí oíFcial delegations during
drinks, dinners and in the lobby and corridors oí the coníerence centre to
present our points. It can be scary at Frst but it is just sharing our input,
amendments and suggestions with the delegation. 1hereíore, you need to
be able to answer questions about why they should be included in the policy.
1he Major Group oí Children and \outh holds workshops íor those who
are newer at lobbying and has recently ,at CSD-19, created a mentorship
and support systems.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 43
What you can do...
!"#-$8)-O O)#, F%'#, 4&8%(4#- >)#(, \%O-"#,46
Member oí the SustainUS delegation at CSD-19
E,4# O43 F%'$ :%3# -b()#)"* -b9-$)-"(- 4# 027P;cd
>)#(,R At CSD-19, we had the opportunity
to innuence negotiations in a positi·e way.
By speaking with the delegates and Chair oí
my topic area írequently, I was able to cre-
ate a rapport that allowed the Major Group
oí Children and \outh to garner more speak-
ing time. As a result we directly proposed an
amendment to ad·ance the rights oí children and
youth in the topic oí waste management that was agreed upon by
the delegates oí our topic area.`
7)& 4"F#,)"* &)3499%)"# F%' 4# 027P;cd
>)#(,R 1hat the e·ent did not produce an outcome document. I
also thought 2 minutes íor nine major groups to share at the end oí
each negotiations session is íar too little chance to speak about the
issues.`
E,4# &% F%' #,)"X )3 #,- 5)**-3# (,466-"*- 14()"* )"#-$"4P
#)%"46 "-*%#)4#)%"3d
>)#(,R I think the biggest challenge is time. \e are in a day and age
where things are to be completed instantly. 1he modernization oí
communication makes it easier to draít a single text that incorporates
the comments oí delegates right írom the start. \hen delegates ar-
ri·e to delegate, they should not waste their time reading line by line
language that could ha·e been transmitted ahead oí time. Pomp and
circumstance needs to subside and real dialogue must occur earlier.
1his will sa·e delegations Fnancial and capital resources. Making the
negotiating process more eíFcient will help mitigate some oí the
írustration allowing íor an enhanced íorm oí diplomacy.`
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 44 |
Tips and tricks on youth advocacy
· Base your ad·ocacy on a shared Major Group position
íor more impact and a more coherent young people`s
·oice
· Make use oí the íormal input moments prior to the
coníerence
· De·elop concrete lobby points based on the youth po-
sition that suit the state oí oíFcial negotiation
· Once there is a negotiation text, use that as a basis íor
amendments
· Map the key players on your particular ad·ocacy area
and set up iníormal meetings with them
· Lstablish contact with your country delegation
· Consider lobbying your country delegation to become
part oí the oíFcial delegation
· 1he Luropean \outh lorum de·eloped a guide on
youth NGO`s at UN meetings which could be useíul
too. \ou can download the guide at http:,,bit.ly,Luro-
pean\outhlorumNGOGuide
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 45
What you can do...
Y
O
U
T
H
Do you want too be an activist?
.re ,ov vore ivtere.tea iv ¡vttivg ¡re..vre ov Corerv·
vevt. v.ivg creatirit, or vobiti.atiov tactic.. Do ,ov
ti/e orgavi.ivg or rvvvivg cav¡aigv.. .re ,ov abte to
¡re.evt bara bittivg ve..age. iv fvv ra,.. Or are ,ov
ivtere.tea iv tr,ivg.
\ith a íew key messages, young people can put
a lot oí pressure on the international community to take
action. By writing letters, political campaigning, organising rallies, street
marches, strikes and sit-ins young people can innuence the way people think
about sustainable de·elopment issues, you can share a message clearly and
demonstrate a key issue in a ·ery íun way. Acti·ism can lead to more cre-
ati·e íorms oí communication and make poweríul statements that set the
tone íor Rio-20. \oung people ha·e the power to put the emphasis back on
the big picture, on what it`s really all about: our sustainable íuture.
Creati·e actions and peaceíul demonstrations are excellent means to put
pressure on decision makers and energize the process.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 46 |
Tips and tricks for young activists
· Be creati·e!
· lumour can be key to an eííecti·e action with an im-
pact. In the climate negotiations íor example, one oí
the youth proposed to the chairperson oí the Kyoto
Protocol because true lo·e needs commitment`.
· Non-·iolence should be the basis íor the design oí any
action
! /%#-R Actions within the premises oí the coníerence
need to be appro·ed by the Secretariat. Consult the Or-
ganising Partners íor this, they are the liaisons between
youth and the Secretariat.
Do you want to be part of the media?
.re ,ov ivtere.tea iv ;ovrvati.v. Or tore treetivg.
íi/e rritivg abovt ,ovr o¡iviov ov tbivg.. íore to
tat/ abovt tbivg. or .bare ver.. .re ,ov .tva,ivg
Mar/etivg. Meaia. Do ,ov btog. Do ,ov ravt to
create a bv¸¸ ovtive. !avt to .tart ai.cv..iov.. Do
,ov ravt to va/e tbe ¡roce.. vvaer.tavaabte for ,ovtb,
cbitarev,aavtt. ovt.iae tbe ¡roce... í. ,ovr aiv to ¡vt
¡re..vre ov tbe vegotiator..
\hate·er your slant....this area is pretty broad. 1raditional media tends
to be newspaper articles, press releases, inter·iews, radio, and tele·ision.
But new media is rapidly increasing and there are lots oí opportunities íor
young people.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 47
What you can do...
A%'#, 5$-4X @')""-33 E%$6& I-(%$&
by the Sri Lankan team oí the British Council`s Global Change-
makers
\outh broke the Guiness Book oí \orld Re-
cords record íor the 1he Largest luman
Mosaic`. One thousand F·e hundred ,1500,
participants írom all around the Sri Lanka
spelt the word \outh!
1he e·ent was much more than setting a world
r e c o r d . \oung people oí diííerent ethnicities and religions gath-
ered together, united, bearing in mind the íact that they were all
Sri Lankans, proud to set a world record on Lankan soil. It was a
celebration oí youth. Sri Lankan \outh showed unity and strength.
More than 3 billion people on the planet today are aged 24 and un-
der. 90° oí them li·e in the De·eloping \orld, where they íace
the problems oí lack oí access to education and healthcare, high
unemployment among other issues. Although the e·ent was idea by
5 people chatting, it was organized with the help oí 150 ·olunteers
this e·ent might be impossible to F·e us and their commitment and
enthusiasm made our work easier.`
Check out the photos oí the action here: http:,,youth-is-the-word.
weebly.com,y-íorce.html
Ií you are interested in communication you can help make the process
more transparent, digestible and understandable. \ou can share news írom
the coníerence halls with the wider world or spark public debate or act as
a watchdog o·er the negotiators.
1his is all do-able! \e belie·e you ha·e what it takes! And ií you do too.
just di·e in.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 48 |
=,- N&%9# 4 /-*%#)4#%$ T$%?-(#
by Leela Raina - Adopt a Negotiator
I am adamant that youth are the key to halting
climate change because: \ho could be bet-
ter to decide the íuture than those who will
inherit it·!`
I belie·e, we, the youth are able to make a
diííerence where it seems impossible. And our
most key contribution is in the Feld social media,
in the age oí íacebook, twitter and blogs. \hen I started oíí com-
municating my thoughts to the world I would ha·e ne·er thought oí
the response I recei·ed and the innuence my words had on policies
and politics in the real world. As part oí GCCA-Global Campaign
íor Climate Action, an alliance oí o·er 200 en·ironmental NGOs, I
became the tracker íor India.
My attempts to capture the essence oí the talks in language that is
íun and íresh, made the message appealing. 1he response I got was
o·erwhelming with oíFcials commenting on the blogs to stints with
mainstream media like 1he Guardian and NPR where I got to con-
nect with a larger audience.
\ou don`t ha·e to join a big youth mo·ement to become an acti·-
ist. \ou just ha·e to act, and your action will become a mo·ement
in itselí! |... |So write, blog, comment and get in·ol·ed in whate·er
capacity you can. 1his is an important opportunity to Fght íor the
earth and íor our íuture. Seize the moment!
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 49
What you can do...
Tips and tricks for youth media
· Identiíy your audience!
· Use both traditional and new media
· Bloggers, increase your outreach! Search íor websites
that are willing to cross-post or republish your blog as
well as posting on your usual site.
· Lstablish contact with traditional media in ad·ance oí
the e·ent you are going to report on. In addition to a
press release, a personal approach like an email or call
will increase your chance oí success
· Create relationships with journalists and maintain
those relationships.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 50 |
Do you want to be a faciIitator?
1he Major Group oí Children and \outh
,MGC\, íacilitates young people`s in·ol·e-
ment. lowe·er, íor this to actually happen, it
means that a small number oí strongly com-
mitted young people ser·e the mo·ement as a
whole and create a space íor the ·oice oí young
people`. 1hey work within the Major Group oí
Children and \outh to prepare íor the Commissions a n d
Coníerences months ,e·en years, in ad·ance.
1hey typically in·est time and energy to organise a whole range oí internal
meetings, processes and structures and thus build a stronger mo·ement.
1hey also promote what young people are doing globally, pro·ide empow-
erment or skill workshops and pro·ide training on speciFc topics. 1hey use
their skills and ability to build a strong, more consistent and uniFed ·oice oí
young Ci·il Society behind the scenes.
lacilitating, capacity building and a good now oí iníormation are aspects oí
this. lacilitators are concerned with creating unity and ownership in order
to enable greater impact and a stronger ·oice. But just because they ha·e
been doing this íor a long time doesn`t mean that new people aren`t wel-
come. As we are young, the group is constantly changing and e·ol·ing to
ensure that the mo·ement doesn`t die when the current íacilitators lea·e..
Do you want to be a supporter?
Uníortunately, not all oí us will be able or willing
to attend the actual Coníerence. In pre·ious UN
Coníerences, there were se·eral organisations
that made good use oí their home oíFce, both
íor logistical matters like íundraising and re-
search.
\ou can be the backbone íor those present at
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 51
What you can do...
Tips and tricks for faciIitators
A%' (4" 5-(%:- 4 14()6)#4#%$ )1 F%'BBB
· Are willing to commit at least 6 hours a week.
· Belie·e in empowering indi·iduals meaningíul partici-
pation.
· Are willing to promote networks collaboration
· Are interested in stri·ing íor balanced representation
and willing to consistently outreach.
· Know your limits but be prepared to take ownership
and put in the time to make things happen.
· Are able to work with a di·erse team, independently yet
understand the importance oí collaboration, consulta-
tion and consensus.
A%' 4$- 4 14()6)#4#%$ )1 F%'BBB
· Are working to build a model oí organisation that al-
lows new people to step in the process
· Arrange capacity building acti·ities and promote mean-
ingíul participation within the process.
· Oííer skills to youth working groups.
· 1ake a leadership role that is behind the scenes.
· Act as íocal points or coordinators íor the MGC\`s
1ask lorces, etc.
· A·oid taking o·er or controlling things.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 52 |
the coníerence, and be part oí something bigger remotely. Oíí-site partici-
pation also has a positi·e result in terms oí sustainability as reduced tra·els
result in a lower-carbon impact but you need to think bigger than that. \our
role in getting local organisations in·ol·ed is ·ital to our o·erall success.
\ou are on the ground in your communities and your responsibility is íeed-
ing iníormation írom the bottom up.
Tips and tricks for supporters
· Mobilise your community
· Get local organisations in·ol·ed with the process
· leed iníormation írom the bottom to the top by mak-
ing eííecti·e use oí the existing mailing lists
· 1ake ad·antage oí your time zone to gi·e us an edge!
\ou can assist with draíting statements or researching
while the physically present group are asleep.
· Be a·ailable íor quick response or research during the
coníerence.
· Promote participation at a grass root le·el
· Lnsure that the team íeels supported and that they are
not alone.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 53
What you can do...
I49)& I-39%"3- /-#O%$X - by Rachel Ray Butler
Leading up to the climate negotiations in Copenhagen, the Lnergy
Action Coalition, the Sierra Student Coalition, and SustainUS jointly
recruited a list oí Rapid Responders-acti·ists |...| that would be in the
US during the Copenhagen coníerence. \e made it clear in the sign-
up process that we were |looking| íor a high le·el oí commitment.
Rapid Responders would not only take action themsel·es, but would
also spread the word through their networks at home and encourage
others to take action as well. |...|
At Copenhagen, we began phase two oí the plan: recruiting all-stars
írom the US \outh Delegation to commit to phone bank the Rapid
Responder list e·ery 2-3 hours. By staying in contact with the Rapid
Responders in the US, we would be able to relay updates írom the
negotiations and an action to spread through our networks at home,
gi·ing the US \outh at the coníerence more power and helping to
innuence the negotiations.
During the negotiations, a small core leadership team met daily to
determine the update and action oí the day, write a script, and recruit
the US \outh in Copenhagen to the Rapid Response phone bank. At
the Rapid Response phone banks, US \outh in Copenhagen would
meet, learn about the day`s update and action, split up the phone
banking list and |...| call the hundreds oí Rapid Responders at home.
1hrough this cross-Atlantic phone tree, US \outh were able to gener-
ate thousands oí actions that put pressure on the Obama Administra-
tion, |...| strengthening our networks and building power as US \outh
íor the long haul.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 54 |
Are you a university student?
.re ,ov .tva,ivg a reteravt to¡ic. !b, aov`t ,ov .bare
,ovr /vorteage.
Student groups and young researchers can help
create more concrete, ·aluable and researched
youth positions. la·ing students in the policy
paper draíting or statement writing processes, íor
example, is a ·aluable asset to negotiations. 1heir
íreshly acquired knowledge and insight could raise the qual i ty
oí the youth contributions. 1he participation oí young experts in the pro-
cess also helps building capacity while pro·iding them with experience ap-
plying their knowledge in the real world`.
Spark grass root action?
Do ,ov care abovt tbe ¡tavet ava tbe ¡eo¡te ov it. Do
,ov tbiv/ ,ov /vor otber ¡eo¡te rbo vigbt be ivter·
e.tea. .re ,ov rittivg to rai.e arareve...
\ou can raise awareness among your íriends,
íamily, neighbours, town or city. Mobilizing and
building attention are oí extreme importance íor
making Rio-20 a success. It is possibly the biggest and
best thing you can do to help prepare. It is something that too íew young
people are doing. And whether you mobilise your íriends, your school,
your neighbourhood or club-you are a local hero.
\our grassroots action coupled with online íorums can be used íor in-
creased in·ol·ement oí a wider di·erse group íor íeedback and input. 1his
can be directly íed in to the process at Rio-20. \e cannot do this without
your work at home. \e need your energy, your ideas, you play a ·ery ·alu-
able role in making go·ernments know that e·eryone cares and that there
is pressure írom home íor them to períorm.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 55
What you can do...
Tips and tricks for grass root action
· Get your íriends in·ol·ed and create a team
· 1hink oí íun ways to raise awareness
· 1win with another town, neighbourhood or city some-
where else in the world. It will add an extra dimension
oí íun.
· Share your stories online
· An inspiring and mobilizing message is ·ery eííecti·e
· Keep it short and simple!
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 56 |
A change is brought about because
ordinary people do extraordinary
things”

—Barack Obama
President of the United States of America
“
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 57
Before Rio+20
H-1%$-
Cba¡ter 1
I)%JC<
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 58 |
Before Rio+20
Pre¡aratiov i. /e,. .ttbovgb it vigbt .ovva avtt ava borivg, tbe better
,ov ¡re¡are ,ovr.etf, tbe better ,ov ritt reacb ,ovr orv ¡rioritie. at
Rio-20. 1bi. cba¡ter trie. to gire ,ov .ove ¡oivter. ov bor to iv¡rore
,ovr ¡re¡aratiov
Outreach
An important task in our preparation íor Rio-20 is the outreach to other
young people and the broader public.
Promote Rio+20
1alk about Rio-20 in coííee shops, schools, stores and while using public
transport. Becoming a Rio-20 mobile commercial is an option you might
want to consider. Con·ince people oí the urgent need to make sustainable
de·elopment not just a concept, but a way oí liíe. It is important that we
mobilize as many young people as possible, but also gain supporters.
\e need to show that we not only care, but act! Raising awareness in your
community, city, country and region about Rio-20, about the change you
are and want to see is possibly one oí the most ·aluable things you can do to
help. Rio-20 should not be just another summit, it should be our summit.
1he time now must be not to talk, but to act.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 59
Before Rio+20
Approach Your NationaI Youth CounciI
1ry to Fnd out ií other young people in your country or your region are
in·ol·ed in Rio-20. Some countries ha·e national youth councils and ií
your country does, contact them. \outh councils can reach a large group
oí young people to generate support íor the work leading up to and dur-
ing Rio-20. Many national or regional youth organizations ha·e plans to
launch campaigns on Rio-20 or to íacilitate youth participation. 1he inter-
net would be one way to Fnd out who is in·ol·ed. But ií they aren`t plan-
ning anything, you could take a role in initiating action.
Try to contact your nationaI ofñciaI deIegates
Prior to the Coníerence there are a lot oí meetings and lots oí discussions.
1he oíFcial delegates oí member states are crucial in these negotiations. 1ry
to get to know them, they ha·e access to a lot oí resources and the most
recent iníormation, they are the most important people to lobby.
\e understand that it`s not easy to Fnd out who is part oí the delegation.
But the participation lists írom CSD-18 and CSD-19 are a starting point.
Let those delegates know that you will be in·ol·ed, that you might be at Rio,
and that you care!
\hen approaching your national delegates, you can use Major Group`s lob-
by points to strengthen your demands. It is the most eííecti·e way to put
our input on the international agenda.
Participate in regionaI youth preparatory meetings
In some regions preparatory meetings will be organized by and íor young
people. 1hose meetings generally aim at preparing regional youth íor the
Coníerence and renecting on their regional state oí sustainable de·elop-
ment. Additionally, in those meetings, regional youth lobby points should
be one oí the outcomes. 1hese meetings are ·ery helpíul to prepare íor the
Coníerence and we would strongly ad·ise you to attend these meetings ií
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 60 |
7'#(, /4#)%"46 A%'#, 0%'"()6 - www.njr.nl
1he Dutch National \outh Council has an extensi·e background in
youth in·ol·ement in social and political aííairs worldwide. It endors-
es oíFcially elected \outh Representati·es to take part in international
coníerences, like Rio-20.
Lach youth representati·e has a mandate a two year cycle. 1he junior
youth representati·e attends UN coníerences with an
NGO accreditation and the senior ,person who
was junior the Frst year, youth representati·e
generally is part oí the oíFcial delegation. 1his
is done to ensure continuity and quality to their
youth contribution. Unlike in some other coun-
tries, in the Netherlands, youth representati·es
gather input írom youth about the topics related
to the negotiations and ha·e in-depth discussions
with other stakeholders throughout the year. lurthermore, they look
íor opportunities to deli·er input to decision-makers at all le·els. 1he
youth delegates ha·e a responsibility to in·ol·e young people at home
in negotiations through youth coníerences, workshops, guest lectures
and engaging in outreach acti·ities ·ia ,social, media.
1here is an acti·e youth working group on sustainable de·elopment
within the Dutch National \outh Council. \outh representati·es
share knowledge and work together with them on their contributions.
\hat is your youth council doing·
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 61
Before Rio+20
possible.
Ií there is no preparatory meeting organized in your region it might be in-
teresting to organize it yourselí ií you ha·e the time and resources. lor the
list oí Major Group oí Children and \outh regional meetings ·isit www.
youthcaucus.net
Don't forget the paperwork!
Accreditation and registration
1here are lots oí ways to be in·ol·ed without being accredited to attend
the Coníerence., but ií you want to be inside you will need to be accredited.
1his will need to be done TI!`I to your arri·al in Brazil.
Accreditation means that you will be registered in the UN database and will
ha·e access to the actual negotiations. 1here are se·eral normal types oí
accreditation: ci·il society delegate, go·ernment delegates, media accredita-
tion and accreditation through intergo·ernmental organisations. Please note
that the UN ne·er accredits indi·iduals but only states and organisations.
Depending on the status oí your organisation it will need to get registered
or accredited.
Pre-registration
1he NGOs that can pre-register their representati·es íall into 2 main cat-
egories:
1. NGOs that are in consultati·e status with the Lconomic and Social
Council ,LCOSOC,, including those on the roster through the list oí
the Commission on Sustainable De·elopment,
2. NGOs that were accredited to the \orld Summit on Sustainable De-
·elopment in 2002.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 62 |
=,- &-4&6)"- 1%$ 9$-P$-*)3#$4#)%" )3 C< >4F C<;CB \hen the pre-registra-
tion is completed, each nominated representati·e will recei·e a conFrmation
letter ·ia e-mail. 1hat letter ser·es as an oíFcial in·itation to the Coníerence
and can be used to apply íor a ·isa to Brazil ,see also next page,. Registra-
tion is ·alid íor both the Coníerence and the 1hird Preparatory Committee.
Once pre-registration is closed, on-site registration by representati·es oí
non-accredited NGOs will not be accepted! Representati·es oí an ac-
credited organization who are not able to attend the Coníerence cannot be
replaced by another representati·e oí the same organization.
1o start the registration process, íollow this link: http:,,bit.ly,UNCS-
DRegistration
Accreditation
1he Rio-20 Secretariat oííers a one time opportunity to become accredited
to Rio-20 íor organization that are NO1 in either oí the two categories
ha·ing access to pre-registration. 1hese organizations need to complete an
accreditation questionnaire as a new group. 1he Secretariat will e·aluate all
request and make recommendations to the General Assembly íor the ac-
creditation oí new organisations. =,- &-4&6)"- 1%$ "-O 4(($-&)#4#)%"
)3 C< S-5$'4$F C<;C. Once accreditation is appro·ed, an organization can
pre-register its representati·es until the general deadline oí 20 May 2012.
1he accreditation questionaire can be íound here: http:,,bit.ly,UNCS-
DAccreditation
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 63
Before Rio+20
Tips and tricks - How to get prepared
· Conduct your own research on the Coníerence. \e
suggest looking up its themes and objecti·es. 1ry to
Fnd out who`s done what, both on international and na-
tional le·el, in order to learn more, organise your time.
· Join rele·ant listser·es and contribute to the discussions
· Be bra·e! Remember that once you start.it gets easier!
· Do not be aíraid oí asking questions!
· Learn írom other people`s experiences.
· Reading UN documents is not the most thrilling experi-
ence but once you ha·e, a lot oí things will make more
sense. Read as much as possible.
· 1hink practical thoughts.
· Be the change you want to see!
· Make a game plan. 1hink critically, strategically and cre-
ati·ely.
· Set your own aims and objecti·es.
· Promote your work.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 64 |
Visa
Depending on your nationality, you might need a ·isa when entering Brazil.
\e encourage you to look into this well ahead íor the Coníerence. \ou can
take contact with a Brazilian diplomatic or consular mission in your home
country. A list oí the Brazilian diplomatic and consular missions can be ob-
tained at: http:,,www.itamaraty.go·.br,o-ministerio,o-brasil-no-16
1he Brazilian authorities promised to íacilitate access procedures íor all
participants. Don`t hesitate telling your local Brazilian diplomatic mission
you are attending Rio-20 and ií you already ha·e accreditation, bring it with
you to the consulate.
Funding
Ií you cannot imagine Rio-20 without you being physically there, then you
will need to think about íunding.
Rio de Janeiro is expensi·e and certain neighborhoods may be dangerous.
Saíe accommodation will be your biggest expense because you cannot aí-
íord to do it on the cheap as in some other places. 1hat is why íundraising
is important prior to the e·ent.
Beíore you start íundraising, make an estimation oí the cost oí your par-
ticipation. \ou might want to make a project proposal and submit it to
potential donors. Approach philanthropic, charity organisations, compa-
nies, uni·ersities as well as indi·iduals who can pro·ide you with the whole
amount or some part oí the money that you need.
Ask your íriends, íamily, and colleagues to help you in Fnding the right
people to talk to, and there are numerous ideas online. In-kind contribu-
tions should not to be íorgotten either: you could ask a tra·el agency to
pro·ide you with a ticket to Rio. Organising íund raising e·ents would also
be options. Be prepared to in·est a lot oí time and energy in Fnding money
to íund your trip. Remember, unless you ask you will ne·er know, but Fnd-
ing íunds can be a soul destroying process ií you don`t start early enough
and ií you ha·e no plan.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 65
Before Rio+20
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 66 |
The involvement of today’s youth in en-
vironment and development decision-
making and in the implementation of
programmes is critical to the long-term
success of Agenda 21”

—Agenda 21
Chapter 25.1
“
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 67
During Rio+20
7'$)"*
Cba¡ter :
I)%JC<
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 68 |
During Rio+20
Ovce Rio .tartea ,ov`tt ¡robabt, ravt to covtribvte to tbe va/ivg of
bi.tor,. 1bi. cba¡ter ritt ¡roriae ,ov ritb .ove etevevt. to rrite tbi.
bi.tor, vore to ,ovr ti/ivg.
O·er time, it has been recognised that neither the go·ernments nor the UN
system ha·e the human resources, political will, imagination or ideas needed
to deli·er much oí what needs to be done. As such, the participation oí
NGOs and Major Groups has increased enormously and you ha·e a big
part to play -whether you got to Rio-20 or not.
Once Rio-20 has started, you will notice that there will be a lot oí other
young people, all with their own ideas about what to push íor, as well as
ha·ing diííerent ideas how to push íor it. 1he Major Group íor Children
and \outh is one oí the most ·ibrant in terms oí contributions and tactics.
\hile it is important to respect strategies other young people might ha·e
which can contrast with your own ·iews, it`s equally important to prepare
yourselí well so you will shine. In this chapter, we will gi·e some diííerent
ways to be acti·e during the Rio-20 summit, as well as some more in-depth
acti·ities to consider in the Rio-20 coníerence.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 69
During Rio+20
Engaging with the Rio+20 Conference
\ou need to ask yourselí: where am I oí most use· Is it inside the coníer-
ence· Or in Rio outside the gates· Or at home ·`
Lach is a ·alid, ·aluable and important path. \ou can contribute in your
own unique way to making this e·ent a success. 1here are numerous ways
to meaningíully participate and the majority do not require you to be physi-
cally in Brazil.
No matter whether you will be able to be in the coníerence centre or not, or
in Rio or not, the key success íactors íor your in·ol·ement are the same: be
prepared, get íriends and others around you with who to work and take ac-
tions, and be bra·e! \hiche·er way you Fnally decide to participate, please
consider joining the Major Group oí Children and \outh. \ou can Fnd all
the iníormation about joining on http:,,www.youthcaucus.net,rioplus20
From home
During the coníerence itselí, there is a lot that you can do e·en ií you are
not willing or able to be in Rio. Attending an international coníerence is ex-
pensi·e and might ha·e a high en·ironmental impact. 1here are three main
impacts that you can ha·e while being home:
lirst, you can raise awareness in your community about what is happening
at the coníerence, reach out, and translate the outcomes oí the discussions
íor the public to understand. 1his is a key role in pre·enting other actors
,go·ernments..., írom presenting ·ery weak outcomes as successes.
Second, you can support the acti·ists attending the coníerence by building
up momentum and pressure towards ·arious decision makers. Ií a particu-
lar country is blocking progress, why not organize spontaneous and peace-
íul demonstration in as many cities as possible all around the planet· 1hese
local actions are really important to build pressure on the right actors and
make them íeel the heat`, where·er they are.
1hirdly, remember that the youth inside and outside oí the coníerence cen-
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 70 |
e04"('" )" H$'33-63f F%'#, (%"8-$*-"(-
Cancun in Brussels youth con·ergence íor cli-
mate justice` was set up as an alternati·e space
íor youth acti·ists who wanted to be in·ol·ed
in the climate negotiations but were not physi-
cally present in Mexico. lrom 29 No·ember
to 12 December 2010, it gathered some 100
young people coming írom all across Lurope.
Lach day a programme oí acti·ities like workshops, training, actions
and debates with Luropean politicians were organised by the attend-
ees. Acti·ities were íramed by daily theme under the topic oí climate
justice and how to get in·ol·ed with it.
L·ery morning a political brieFng oí what was happening in Cancun
was deli·ered by a team oí people who íollowed the negotiations and
youth acti·ities in Cancun. 1his kept the link between the two e·ents,
helped us understand what was going on in Cancun, and on se·eral
occasions react with messages and actions in Brussels.
Our reasons íor organising the e·ent were many, not least to make
sure that despite going to the negotiations themsel·es, young people
had a ·oice and could ha·e an impact on the negotiations. It also
meant that we could support and highlight the work oí youth and
other ci·il society at the negotiations by echoing it to the outside
world. linally, we used this momentum to build and strengthen the
youth mo·ement íor climate justice in the longer term, by creating
an alternati·e platíorm íor young people and acti·ists írom diííerent
organisations and backgrounds in Lurope to come together to work
and take action, take time to íace to íace discuss and share our experi-
ences and belieís and oí course, ha·ing some íun and get to know
each other.
See the blog at www.cancun-brussels.org
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 71
During Rio+20
tre in Rio will use the internet as the main íorum íor coordination and plan-
ning. 1hat means that you can contribute to this as well írom home as they
can in Rio.
Another íorm oí engagement would be to also organize a national or re-
gional e·ent in order to pro·ide an opportunity íor young acti·ists írom a
larger context to con·erge to a location closer to them and take actions to-
gether. See the text box íor a ·ery concrete example oí such a con·ergence.
Outside the conference doors
Not all oí us who will be in Rio will be inside the main negotiation centre.
L·en ií you are accredited to enter the coníerence centre, you also might
want to spend some time outside with the broader group oí ci·il society. It
will be íun and chaotic and an experience you will not íorget quickly.
Keep in touch
Ií you are outside oí the coníerence centre, make sure to constantly be
updated on what happens inside, and what support NGOs inside might
need írom you. Also, a lot oí coordination and organizing among youth
during the coníerence takes place online. 1his means that e·en when you
are outside, you can still íollow what is happening and pro·ide your own
input to the acti·ities taking place inside ,íor e.g. contribute to the draíting
oí positions, speeches, etc.,.
Networking
1he streets outside oí the coníerence centre and other e·ent centres are the
best place to network and meet a broad ·ariety oí stakeholders and orga-
nizations. 1ake this opportunity to learn about them, their issues, priorities,
and methods. Share yours. Ci·il society is at its strongest when diííerent
groups ,íarmers, youth, íaith-groups, NGOs, trade unions, all unite behind
a common ·ision and message. Collecti·e change means cooperating with
other groups. It means ha·ing diííerent strengths and trying diííerent meth-
ods. \hen policy ad·ocacy and outreach campaigns are coordinated, they
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 72 |
ha·e a greater chance to make an impact on the process.
Taking action
Media stunts or actions are a ·ery creati·e and ·isual íorm oí expression,
particularly used by youth. \hen preparing them, identiíying the target au-
dience oí the action ,negotiators, íellow NGOs, Medias, is key beíore the
action itselí is designed ,each audience might require diííerent approach,
location,timing íor the action,.
\hen planning any type oí action, think about all potential íactors that
might play a role in your success. Consider how to use their potential or to
reduce their capacity to interíere with your actions. Ií you do an outreach
action íor instance, the role oí the media will be the key: think about how
to get them interested in your message and how to help them write a good
story about it ,e.g. gi·e them a good photo opportunity with a clear and ·is-
ible message,. Ií you íeel that the police might be ner·ous about your plans,
arrange in ad·ance to ha·e one person liaising with them.
Make sure to balance the beneFts and costs that your initiati·es might pro-
duce, both íor you but also íor other groups around it. Sometimes a great
idea might be too diíFcult to put in place or ha·e costs that might not justiíy
its implementation.
All the other dimensions depend on the issue you are working on and the
creati·ity oí your group. 1he rules on how these can be conducted are dií-
íerent. 1here are se·eral actors in·ol·ed: mainly UN secretariat ,managing
the coníerence,, UN security and host country police íorces. 1here is no
iníormation yet on how this will take place in Rio.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 73
During Rio+20
N$# 4# I)%JC< - by Anna Collins, UK\CC
Art can change the way a person or a whole society
thinks about something. Both art and creati·ity
ha·e the power to reach people in new and ex-
citing ways. Many oí the principles in·ol·ed in
communal art projects are the same principles
used in creating social change. Both in·ol·e
people working to create something new or to
make something better or more beautiíul.
In the past youth groups ha·e had an Art Space` at UN coníerences
where they can come together and make art to be used at the coníer-
ence and beyond, this could be replicated at Rio-20. lere are a list
oí some oí the most common tools young people ha·e used at UN
coníerence during the last íew years and all these things ha·e been put
together in an Art Space.
H4""-$3: Perhaps the most simple way oí communicating, but ·ery
important. 1hink careíully about what message you put on your ban-
ner, keep it simple but understandable.
2#-"()63: Stencils are a great way to reproduce an image multiple
times, períect íor making t-shirts and nags or to paint directly on
walls.
2%"*3g(,4"#3: Ne·er underestimate the power oí a good song or
chant - they can last íor years and spread quickly.
T'99-#3g>43X3: Masks and puppets can be easily made to commu-
nicate in an entertaining way. Puppets can interact with each other as
theater or can stand alone and still communicate clearly
0%"#43#%$)4: 1his simple technique is a great way to ·isually share
more complex iníormation. Its sort oí like a powerpoint presenta-
tion that can be used on the streets, with no electricity and as much
theatrics as you like.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 74 |
Inside the Rio+20 conference
A lot oí young people will ha·e obtained accreditation to the coníerence
itselí, whether it is as an NGO, part oí the press or an oíFcial youth delegate
as member oí a national delegation. Although the colour oí your badge
might betray already what you will do, there are still a range oí options at
your disposal: írom lobbying directly to delegations, enhancing the policy
base or making the process more accountable.
Oral interventions
1here are only a íew opportunities íor ci·il society to speak. 1hese opportu-
nities are spread among the diííerent Major Groups. Inter·entions allow us
to make statements and raise issues. 1heir eííecti·eness is really dependant
on how nexible the process to deli·er them is and their timing. Other in-
ter·entions deli·ered during sessions oí the meetings are probably decided
upon by the bureau or the chairperson oí the ongoing session.
1he statements oí the Major Group on Children and \outh renect the
young perspecti·e` on the Coníerence themes. 1hey aims to strike a sub-
tle balance between a youthíul message and strong concrete argument that
raises the proFle oí young people as a credible actor.
Tracking the negotiations
In order to innuence the negotiations, it is crucial that you ha·e the latest
iníormation about which direction the discussion is going, who we want to
support, or who needs to be lobbied. lence, it is crucial to keep track oí
the discussions.
1hus íor any gi·en priority, you want to keep track oí the diííerent positions
oí the go·ernments. 1here are numerous diííerent ways to track but as long
as we can easily extract the iníormation needed and someone is co·ering all
the negotiations then we are Fne.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 75
During Rio+20
Corridor lobbying
One oí the best ways to get your position across is to con·ince delegates in
between the sessions. 1here are plenty oí opportunities to exchange ·iews
with diííerent delegates such as at receptions and side-e·ents or just simply
in the coííee bar. Meetings with national delegations allow oíten íor more
sincere and more in depth exchanges than we can ha·e in other contexts.
\hat young people get out oí this really much depend on the trust relation-
ship and whether the national delegation takes you seriously. Announcing
in ad·ance that you are interested in meeting the delegation would be ben-
eFcial. L·en better, arrange a meeting with your national delegation beíore
the coníerence itselí.
Getting in touch with the head oí delegation could work best íor global
issues. \hen approaching delegates on speciFc issues, make sure you Fnd
the right person who is working on the issue you think is important. Ií not,
maybe the delegate you just met might redirect you. Also the go·ernmental
delegation coordinator` ,the person arranging the schedule oí e·eryone
within the national delegation, can also be a good person to approach.
Once you are meeting the right delegate, it`s basically like making a sales pitch.
Ideally you should con·ince the delegates why your proposal would make
better policy íor their country and their interests than their current stance.
Keep your points short and simple. Make sure you con·ey the key message
and can back up your message by gi·ing a hard copy oí your amendment,s,
or by reíerring to other innuential sources or pre·iously agreed language.
Also, ha·ing a common ,national, language may be an asset.
A%' "--& #% 5- #,-:4#)(466F %$)-"#-&B
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Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 76 |
linally, don`t see lobbying as a single shot, but try building a relationship
oí mutual respect with the delegates. Plan a íollow up action plan: how you
are willing to íollow up with the delegation during the íollowing days and
most importantly at the implementation stage. Go·ernmental delegations
are usually keen on knowing what role their national ci·il society can play
in the long run.
Participation in workshops
\orkshops oííer an opportunity to hold less political and more technical
discussions. Some oí them might be too technical and not worth the re-
sources íor the major group on children and youth to be represented. low-
e·er they are a good opportunity to build relations outside the heat oí the
main discussions. Also, participation írom ci·il society representati·es will
be more welcome ií they can share experience and knowledge. It is thus
a good opportunity to raise the credibility oí youth as ha·ing some type
oí expertise, pro·ided representati·es are well chosen. Also a good ad·o-
cacy strategy íor the inclusion oí youth representati·es , the inclusion oí a
youth ·oice ,we planned to use recorded inter·entions when we could not
attend workshops on education, is a good way to highlight the willingness
íor steady in·ol·ement.
Holding a side-event
Side-e·ents are e·ents that are happening on the side oí the oíFcial process
,normally during lunch or aíter the oíFcial process,. Ií designed well, they
can be a poweríul addition to any ad·ocacy strategy as they are a good way
to engage discussions or to showcase best practice.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 77
During Rio+20
Tips and tricks for hoIding side-events
· Select your topic or theme and come up with a catchy
title
· lind an organisation willing to sponsor the side-e·ent
and register your side-e·ent with the Secretariat oí the
Coníerence
· Decide upon a íormat, Fnd speakers and a moderator
· Ií you ha·e enough íunds, deFnitely organise a recep-
tion aíter the side-e·ent
· Ad·ertise your side-e·ent ·ia e-mail lists, íolders or
íace to íace in·itation
· Lnsure the equipment is there, and arrange accredita-
tion passes íor those coming írom the outside.
· Promote it!
· Also ha·e a look at this guide: http:,,bit.ly,Side-
e·ent_guide
· Queries regarding side e·ents can be addressed to
side_e·ents¸uncsd2012.org
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 78 |
1he process around the preparation oí a side e·ent can also play a ·ery
helpíul role in pulling a team together around one particular project ,it can
contribute to creating a thematic group,. \outh are usually also in a good
position to show creati·e thinking regarding the way the side e·ent is being
íacilitated, so don`t hesitate to play around with the set up oí the íurniture
and to structure the discussions in a diííerent way than the classical Power-
Point presentations íollowed by questions and answers. Side e·ents impact
can be increased by in·iting a key VIP. lowe·er side e·ents oíten ha·e lim-
ited impact in terms oí engaging with delegations, oíten the outreach will
concern more oth
Since the deadline íor the submission oí an application is rather early, this is
probably the Frst thing one should work on. Submit a place holder applica-
tion according to the speciFc time-írame ,not sure íor Rio, and then get the
in·itations out,the concrete planning oí the side e·ent. 1he one thing you
might want to do beíore submitting the application, is to build a coalition
behind it, so that it can be submitted on behalí oí a larger group, hence
increasing your chances oí ha·ing the side e·ent accepted.
At some larger meetings, some actors ,the host country, the US, the LU...,
might ha·e rented a small part oí the ·enue and ha·e their own program
there. An alternati·e to setting up your own side-e·ent could be to get in
touch and check whether they would allow íor youth e·ents there. Ií ac-
cepted, the time írame would be more nexible than the oíFcial UN one.
Margin of Manoeuvre
Rules oí procedure only partially innuence the meeting. As ci·il society, the
space oí participation depends on a lot oí diííerent people and íactors. 1he
consequence oí this is that the space oí participation is based on subtle
negotiations among the diííerent actors. 1he application oí the rules ,e.g.
how many times can you speak in a working group, oíten don`t depend on
íormal rules, but the decision oí a small group oí people. Positi·ely innu-
encing these people ,like the Chairperson oí the session, can result in great
strides in terms oí ci·il society participation.
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 79
During Rio+20
DOs and DON'Ts
! 7` try to íocus on a speciFc issue. It is quite diíFcult
to íollow the whole course oí actions.
! 7` come prepared. Make sure you read all the rel-
e·ant documents, and make sure you know your policy
positions by heart
· Intergo·ernmental meetings push all oí us, 7` build
a support network and be tolerant with people that
seem to annoy you, but are in íact Fghting íor the
same or similar course
! 7` print business cards
! 7` create íriendships and be íriendly
! 7` /`= approach go·ernments when they are tak-
ing the noor
! 7` /`= disturb the meeting itselí
! 7` be polite and remember that delegates oí a coun-
try ,e·en ií they ad·ocate íor an opposite ·iew, are
still people.
! 7` ha·e íun !
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 80 |
“
Be the change you wish to see in the
world”

—Mahatma Gandhi
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 81
After Rio+20
N1#-$ I)%JC<
Cba¡ter ó
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 82 |
After Rio+20
Ovce ,ov cove bac/ frov Rio, ,ov`tt bare tearvea a great ver aeat,
vet a bvvcb of ti/evivaea ¡eo¡te ava bo¡efvtt, are toaaea ritb evovgb
("(/82 $* )*"$&";( :8%$&"8 9*/ 3 0($$(/ .,3"($? @%( A&*BCD )*"9(/(")(
cav`t .otre att tbe cov¡te· ¡robtev. tbe rorta cvrrevtt, .vffer. bvt
bo¡efvtt, gire. a veavivgfvt covtribvtiov. íevce a gooa ava .trovg
fottor·v¡ ritt be vece..ar,
Why do we need to foIIow up?
\hether the outcomes oí Rio-20 are good or bad, íollow-up will be the
key. Changes towards sustainability in the real world are what we want to
see. 1hereíore, we will íollow the topic until the outcomes are being proper-
ly implemented. Promises are not enough, we need to hold decision-makers
accountable and raise the bar ií outcomes turn out to be insuíFcient.
Moreo·er, we as the younger generation should stay committed to push our
society towards a more sustainable way oí li·ing. \hat the íollow-up will
look like, will depend on the outcomes oí the coníerence, on local realities
but particulary on the role you play in the process.
\ou can choose to íocus mostly on putting pressure on decision-makers
or try to set up a dialogue on the implementation oí the outcomes. Also,
you could íocus on spreading the word about the outcomes within your lo-
cal ,youth, community or design, íor instance, an educational programme
about it or organize an e·ent. In addition, you could put your time and
energy into translating the results oí something rele·ant írom ·ery compli-
cated policy into language suitable íor day-to-day liíe ·ia ,social-, media. Ií
the outcomes are highly dissatisíying, why not mobilize as many as possible
young people ,digitally or on spot, to make a clear statement that we can no
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 83
After Rio+20
E- (4" 348- %'$ 964"-# - by \AGGGS
In 2010, UN member states pledged their sup-
port íor climate change education. 1he \orld
Association oí Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
,\AGGGS, used the decision to de·elop
guidelines on how to hold go·ernments ac-
countable and make sure they act, as they ha·e
promised. 1hey recommend some steps to de-
sign a national ad·ocacy project, based on oíFcal
decisions taken at UN summits.
1. Decide what you want to íocus on and deFne your goals.
2. In·estigate how young people and youth organizations within
your country can get in·ol·ed in innuencing policy-makers and
reach out to them. A united ·oice may result in a stronger ·oice.
3. Identiíy the most suitable go·ernmental department and make
contact to inquire on how your go·ernment intends to íollow
up on the decision taken in Rio. 1ry to set up a meeting.
4. Make sure you are prepared. Ií you are going to meet an im-
portant person and you know you will not ha·e much time to
talk, practice by doing a role play.
5. Be part oí the solution. Show how you or your youth orga-
nization would be a ·aluable partner when implementing the
results.
6. Bring examples ,project descriptions, íacts and Fgures, photos,
pro·ing that you are already putting your own suggestions on
sustainable de·elopment into practice.
Be patient and persistent, as change sometimes happens ·ery slowly.
It might require a lot oí persistence to reach your aim but it will be
worth it! Download the guidelines here: http:,,www.wagggsworld.
org,en,resources,document,·iew,21981
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 84 |
longer accept business as usual and the status quo.
Please remember that while we ha·e a lot oí hopes íor Rio-20.it isn`t the
end. No one e·ent can change e·erything and the small steps that each oí
us take ha·e an impact. \e know that not all our wishes íor this e·ent will
come true. But we do know írom past experiences that with dedication,
hard work and lots oí íun we can make a diííerence. \e can positi·ely innu-
ence outcomes and we can create concrete change together!
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Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 85
After Rio+20
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth 86 |
Acronyms
ALBA Bolivarian Alliance Ior the Americas
AOSIS Alliance oI Small Island States
AU AIrican Union
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity
CBDR Common but DiIIerentiated Responsibilities
CCD United Nations Convention on Combating Desertifcation
CSD Commission on Sustainable Development
CSG ConIerence Secretary General
CSOs Civil Society Organisations
DSD Division oI Sustainable Development, part oI UNDESA
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council one oI the main organs in the UN
Charter
EU European Union
FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation
G77 Group oI 77
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GEF Global Environmental Facility
GESDPE Green Economy in the context oI Sustainable Development and
Poverty Eradication
GRULAC Group oI Latin America and Caribbean Countries
HLS High Level Segment
IEG International Environmental Governance
IFIs International Financial Institutions
IFSD Institutional Framework on Sustainable Development
IGOs Intergovernmental Organisations
ILO International Labour Organisation
InIormal inIormals term used Ior (negotiating) sessions that are not budgeted
Inter alia among other things
JLG Joint Liaison Group
JPOI Johannesburg Plan OI Implementation
JUSSCANNZ Japan, USA, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
LDCs Least Developed Countries
MDG Millennium Development Goals
MEAs Multilateral Environmental Agreements
MGCY Major Group Ior Children and Youth
NCSD National Council Ior Sustainable Development
NGOs Non Governmental Organisations
NSDS National Sustainable Development Strategy
ODA OIfcial Development Assistance
OECD Organisation Ior Economic Cooperation and Development
Rio+20 Participation guide - An introduction for children and youth | 87
After Rio+20
OPEC Oil Producing and Exporting Countries
RIMs Regional Implementation Meetings
SIDS Small Islands Developing States
UN United Nations
UNCED United Nations ConIerence on Environment and Development
(First Earth Summit in Rio in 1992)
UNCSD TF United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development Trust Fund
UNDESA United Nations Department oI Economic and Social AIIairs,
ConIerence Secretariat
UNDG United Nations Development Group
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNECA United Nations Economic and Social Commission Ior AIrica
UNECE United Nations Economic and Social Commission Ior Europe
UNECLAC United Nations
UNEP United Nations Environmental Programme
UNEP GC United Nations Environmental Programme`s Governing Council
UNESCAP United Nations Economic and Social Commission Ior Asia and the
Pacifc
UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientifc and Cultural Organisation
UNESCWA United Nations Economic and Social Commission Ior Western Asia
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UNGA United Nations General Assembly
UNICEF United Nations International Children Emergency Fund
UNRES 64/236 UN (General Assembly) Resolution calling Ior Rio¹20
WSSD World Summit on Sustainable Development
('Earth Summit 2002¨ in Johannesburg) - see also JPOI
WTO World Trade Organisation
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www.rioplustwenties.org
[email protected]
Participation Guide
Rio+20 - An Introduction for children and youth
www.creativecommons.org