The November 2011 edition of AEFJN's Forum for Action is now online. It contains articles on the ethical responsibility of the Church on the climate issue, on the clean up of the Ogoniland oil spills, which will take decades, on the spread of Libyan arms in the Sahel, on the production of medicines in Africa and on the EU's attempt to force African countries to sign EPAs.
The national election campaign officially started the 28th October in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), exactly one month ahead of historic presidential and legislative elections, scheduled for November 28 2011. 41 humanitarian and human rights organizations, among them AEFJN, have expressed concern about the high political tension and deteriorating security situation. They have called upon all Congolese and international actors involved to take urgent measures to prevent electoral violence, better protect civilians and ensure credible, free and fair elections.Climate Talks (June 2010)
Despite Positive Atmosphere, Climate Talks Move Slowly
Source: Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest (Volume 14, Number 21, 9th June 2010)
To read the full article: http://ictsd.org/i/news/bridgesweekly/77683/
A constructive and upbeat tone has characterised the climate meetings taking place in Bonn, Germany from 31 May to 11 June. Climate officials are scattered across four negotiating arenas, the most prominent of which is the negotiation toward a new global climate deal.
However, progress in those particular talks has been slowed by a lack of progress on the difficult issues.
Negotiators seem almost unwilling to tackle their substantive differences, especially those generated by the particular positions of the United States. The chair repeatedly asked parties to “speak out of the box” and work on whittling down their differences rather than restating positions and ideas. However, little progress has been made in the discussions thus far and many of the more controversial issues remain unresolved. The chair intends to present a more focused text by the end of the session, which parties will then negotiate in two forthcoming intersessional meetings before the end-of-the-year Conference of the Parties (COP) in Cancun, Mexico. Some experts say the most sensitive issues - including intellectual property, border measures, and sectoral approaches (agriculture and bunker fuels) are likely to remain bracketed until December’s COP.
It remains an open question as to whether negotiators will be able to secure a comprehensive, legally binding agreement at the Cancun COP.
Figueres will replace Yvo de Boer
Christiana Figueres, the former Costa Rican climate negotiator who will replace Yvo de Boer as head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, will assume her new post on 8 July.
“Governments will meet this challenge, for the simple reason that humanity must meet this challenge,” Figueres said in an interview with The Associated Press on the sidelines of the Bonn meeting. “We just don’t have another option.”