Planning Committee Meeting Minutes
Meeting #3
Thursday, 11th January, 2007
1:10 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Conference Room A

Committee Co-Chair

Richard Jordan

Handouts Distributed

Agenda
Minutes from 2nd Planning Committee Meeting (12/21/06)
Co-Chair Richard Jordan made available for all participants copies of the draft versions of the following documents to be issued during the Fifteenth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, all dealing with policy options and possible actions to expedite implementation: industrial development; inter-linkages and cross-cutting issues; energy for sustainable development; air pollution/atmosphere; climate change
BBC Article ‘At-a-glance: The Stern Review’

Opening Remarks

The meeting began with corrections of the previous Planning Committee Meeting Minutes. The previous minutes were to include the term ‘Climate Change’ before the suggested title: ‘Saving the Planet, The Challenges and Role of NGOs’. It was also agreed that the minutes and agenda would be posted online. Please see www.un.org/dpi/ngosection, and click on ‘Planning Committee Meetings’ on the right panel, or go directly to: http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/agenda-minutes.html . The email list is in the process of being updated.

The new meeting agenda was adopted. It was decided that the number of Sub-Committees remain the same as last year. However, the ‘Sub-Committee on Fundraising and Events’ will be called the ‘Events Sub-Committee’, and fundraising will be the role of the Executive Committee. It was moved that there be a ‘Sub-Committee on Thematic and Programme Development’, rather than a ‘Sub-Committee on Troubleshooting’. The participant sign up sheet for the Sub-Committees would be distributed in the next meeting.

Sub-Committees: Nomination of co-chairs

1. Media Sub-Committee

3. Midday NGO Interactive Workshop Sub-Committee

4. Resource Centre Support Sub-Committee

Co-Chairs:

5. Networking Sub-Committee

Co-Chairs:

6. Multigenerational Sub-Committee

Co-Chairs:

7. Internet Sub-Committee

Co-Chairs:

8. Thematic and Programme Development Sub-Committee

Co-Chairs:

Discussion Points:

1. NGOs and Workshop Proposals:
The question was raised as to whether NGO representatives who participate in the Workshop Committee should also be allowed to submit proposals for Midday Workshops. It was concluded that anyone who volunteers to be in a Workshop should not expect preferential treatment. All NGOs, however, should be eligible to submit a proposal. The co-chairs will ultimately manage the process.

2. Influence of locally-based NGOs on Workshop Proposals:
The Workshop Committee should be extremely sensitive of the fact that locally-based NGOs have greater influence on Workshop Proposals. They should, therefore, make extra effort to reach out for input and proposals from NGOs not based locally. There should also be extra effort to include youth-based NGOs.

3. Midday Workshop and Student Reporters:
Midday Workshops will have to look to universities for student reporters. Reports need to come from workshops in a timely fashion to facilitate the production of the Final Report after the Conference has finished.

4. Candidates for the Interactive Media Committee:
While effort needs to be made to nominate co-chair candidates from DPI associated NGOs, it is acceptable to include non-associated members for purely technical responsibilities.
Mary Christina Pennisis has agreed to contact possible Co-Chair candidates at the Honors College in Brooklyn. It was also suggested that students from Pace University be contacted.

Sub-Topics for Conference:

Following are ideas for Sub-Topics, and topics that might fall into a Sub-Topic, for the Annual DPI/NGO Conference on Climate Change. Please note that many of these topics are inter-related, and this is not a final draft of sub-topics. It is an outline of the discussion.
• Indigenous Issues
o Indigenous knowledge and traditional techniques
o Food security
o Animal welfare
o Vertical farming
• Water
o Deserts and Desertification
o Changing patterns
• Migration
• Energy
• Human Rights
o Important to look at the disproportional impact climate change has on the poor
o Important to keep this a ‘rights-based approach’
• Youth
• Geo-engineering
o The ability of science to contribute to solutions
o The possibility of green coal
• UN Reform
o Greening of the UN building
• Role of the Private Sector
o Global Compact
o City parks
• International Peace and Security
o How military conflicts affects Climate Change
• Conventions
o The Enforceability of Conventions
o UNEP’s role
o Kyoto Protocol
o Impact on the MDGs and Migration
o NGO’s need to know what to lobby for or against
• Solutions
o Important to encourage a ‘solutions-based approach’. Every Sub-Topic should have a solutions element.

Attendance:
Lois Beilin, Choon-Whe Cho, Mary W. Covington, Joan Davis, Bill Gellerman, Virginia Hazzard, Jeff Huffines, Bernardo Espiritu, Irene Kagoya, Sherrill Kazan, Joan Kirby, Pamela Kraft, Judy Kuriansky, Gloria Landy, Judy Lerner, Joan Levy, Linda Misek-Falkoff, Estelle Perry, Anne Riccitelli, Larry Roeder, Nadia Shmigel, Janet T. Stovin, Jonina Sutton, Moses Williams, Jerry Spivack, George Weinstein, Charles Hitchcock, Juanita Carrillo, Margo LaZaro, Hilary Tagliaferro, Ulia Gosart, Jennifer Zanowiak, Pauline Carnwell, Joanne Robinson, Richard Jordan, Isolda Oca, Robin Dellarocca, Britanny Carter, Mary Christina Pennisis, Alivia Osborne, Ella Kim, Marc Jorgenson, Nicholas Rees

Next Meeting: Thursday, 18th January, 2007. 1:15PM-2:45PM, Conference Room A