Proposal of Bolivia to Rio+20

The Rights of Nature

The proposals developed by the Plurinational State of Bolivia bring together and build upon the progress made in the World Charter for Nature  (1982), the Rio Declaration (1992), the Earth Charter (2000), and the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth (2010):

I. A DEEPER COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY

1. In this century, the central challenges of sustainable development are: on the one hand, to overcome poverty and the tremendous inequalities that exist and, on the other hand, reestablish the equilibrium of the Earth system. Both objectives are intrinsically linked and one cannot be reached independently of the other.

Press Release: Bolivia calls for urgent high level talks on cutting climate pollution

BONN, 17 june 2011 – At the close of UN climate talks in Bonn that failed to address the huge shortfall in emission targets compared to what the science suggests is necessary, Ambassador Pablo Solon of the Plurinational State of Bolivia called for a high-level meeting to discuss how to drastically reduce climate pollution.

“In order to have success at the UN climate conference in Durban in December we need to have a clearer willingness to increase the emissions reduction pledges that are on the table.” Ambassador Solon said.

Bolivia Proposes Pathway to Solve Climate Talks: Be clear about targets and honour commitments

BONN – Today, Ambassador Pablo Solon of the Plurinational State of Bolivia addressed reporters at the UN climate talks in Germany. Ambassador Solon outlined a clear plan, based on submissions from other countries and civil society, on how to move the talks forward in 2011.

“The key issue at these talks is the gap between how much climate pollution we need to reduce and how much countries are committed to reducing. We call that the “gap” and it’s the difference between 4C of warming and 2C of warming. The Cancun outcome sets us on a path to 4C.” Ambassador Solon Said.

“Some countries want to talk about the ‘rules’ first, instead of this gap in commitment, but we know that rules will not reduce this gap. Fixing rules will simply prevent the gap from increasing, it won’t set about actually reducing emissions. The heart of the matter is the depth of pollution cuts.” Ambassador Solon said.

Press Briefing of Bolivia: How to close the emission GAP?

Press Briefing of Plurinational State of Boliva,

Amb. Pablo Solón

Bonn, Germany, June 13, 2011

CLICK HERE to watch via UNFCCC Website

Climate Negotiations Need: Kyoto, a focus on protecctiong forest now

BONN- Today, as UN climate negotiations continued their slow start, Ambassador Pablo Solon of the Plurinational State of Bolivia outlined a clear vision to move negotiations forward.

Ambassador Solon in a press conference addressed :

·               Possible outcomes from the annual climate conference, to be held in Durban, South Africa in December;

·               the importance of forest protection to negotiations;

·               the need to recognize the rights of Mother Earth; and

·               proposed an international financial transaction tax.

Emergency ‘Call to Action to Protect Earth’ by UN, Pope, Scientists and Indigenous

(Suzy Chaffee) Following Bolivia’s passage of their domestic law “Recognizing Mother Earth as a living entity and giving Her the Same Rights as Humans,” the United Nations held a dialogue via an interactive webcast on its “Harmony with Nature” Day, April 20, and it is now working on adopting these rights worldwide.

Statement by Plurinational State of Bolivia

Statement by Plurinational State of Bolivia in ocassion the Informal Thematic Debate in the 65^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on the Green Economy: A Pathway Toward Sustainable Development

New York, June 2nd, 2011

Ms. President,

Let me begin by thanking the President of the General Assembly for having made possible this debate, which takes up issues that are crucial for humanity. The Plurinational State of Bolivia considers this opportunity to put forth issues of vital importance to the international community.

First off, we adhere to the assertions of the Group of 77 and China, put forth today by the delegation of Argentina. We coincide fully with what was said and would like to emphasize the fact that, under the concept of the green economy, there are attempts to introduce mechanisms that endanger the stability of ecosystems. We refer specifically to the so-called market mechanisms for environmental services.

Bolivia in the panel the Right to water and indigenous peoples

Intervention in the panel: The Right to Water and Indigenous Peoples

 Ambassador Pablo Solon, Permanent Representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the United Nations

 Issue 6 : Half-Day Discussion on the Right to Water and Indigenous Peoples

 New York, May 24, 2011

Thank you very much, Madam President.

The revolutionary process of change in Bolivia has its roots precisely in the struggle against the privatization of water in my country. Ten years ago, we had one of the biggest battles to defend this resource from privatization in the city of Cochabamba and to oppose and change a law that privatized the sources of potable water for indigenous peoples in farming communities that rely on irrigation. Thanks to our success in stopping the privatization of water and modifying that law, a great unity was born among the Bolivian people which later allowed us to seek even deeper changes, notably the recovery of our natural resources and the recovery of our government – our own government, not one dictated from the outside.

That is why we promoted a resolution at the United Nations last year to declare the human right to water and sanitation, a resolution that was adopted without a single vote in opposition. We have to wonder why it took 62 years to pass a resolution declaring the human right to water and sanitation when it is quite evident that without water, there is no life, and without life, there are no human rights. Nonetheless, 62 years went by between the passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Resolution on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation.

Earth Day Special: Vandana Shiva and Maude Barlow on the Rights of Mother Earth

This week the United Nations General Assembly discussed international standards that grant nature equal rights to humans. Similar protocols have been adopted by over a dozen U.S. municipalities, as well as Bolivia and Ecuador. Renowned environmentalists Maude Barlow and Vandana Shiva join us. Says Shiva, “Most civilizations of the world, for most of human history, have seen the world in terms of relatedness and connection,” says Shiva. “And if there’s one thing the rights of Mother Earth is waking us to, is: we are all connected.

Maude Barlow, head of the Council of Canadians, Canada’s largest public advocacy organization. Barlow is also co-founder of the Blue Planet Project and chair of the board of Food and Water Watch. She is the author of Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water.

Vandana Shiva, world-renowned environmental leader, feminist and thinker from India, author of many books, including Earth Democracy: Justice, Sustainability, and Peace and Staying Alive: Women, Ecology, and Development.

AMY GOODMAN: As the world celebrates Earth Day, Bolivia is about to pass the world’s first law that grants nature equal rights with humans. The Bolivian delegation to the United Nations urged the global body to adopt a similar law during this week’s Harmony with Nature conference.

DAVID CHOQUEHUANCA: [translated] The United Nations is revolutionizing the way we look at our planet. At the moment, various issues are being receded in the United Nations, and we have begun to discuss the idea of declaring an official International Day of Mother Earth. And we will also soon be discussing what are the rights of Mother Earth.

UN Resolution: Harmony with Nature

Sixty-fifth session

Second Committee

Agenda item 20 (i)

Sustainable development: Harmony with Nature

Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon, Georgia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Syrian Arab Republic and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of): revised draft resolution

Harmony with Nature

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development,1 Agenda 212 and the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21,3 the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development4 and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (“Johannesburg Plan of Implementation”),5

Recalling its resolutions 64/196 of 21 December 2009 and 63/278 of 22 April 2009, in which it designated 22 April as International Mother Earth Day,

Press release

United Nations Approves Two More Resolutions by Bolivia: Harmony With Nature and World Conference on Indigenous Peoples

Earlier this week, the General Assembly of the United Nations approved by consensus two resolutions presented by Bolivia. The first, entitled “Harmony with Nature,” asks to convene an interactive dialogue on International Mother Earth Day on April 22nd, 2011. Topics will include methods for promoting a holistic approach to harmony with nature, and an exchange of national experiences regarding criteria and indicators to measure sustainable development in harmony with nature.

This resolution recognizes that “human beings are an inseparable part of nature, and that they cannot damage it without severely damaging themselves.” It also seeks to contribute to the preparatory process for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012.