Disasters

Water

Hunger

Rio+20: making a better world for children All over the world children are facing new development challenges: for example, the economic crisis, the changing climate and an increasing number of disasters. These challenges combine to make the lives of children more difficult and provide barriers to the fulfilment of children’s rights. The Rio+20 Earth Summit in June 2012 provides an opportunity to address these new challenges and create a safer future for children by: • Mobilising political support and action from governments to agree new, long-term approaches to development that will fulfil children’s rights and place children on the path to a safer future. • Contributing to the ongoing discussions about the post-2015 development framework, and continuing dialogue about tackling climate change and ensuring aid effectiveness. Regular monthly negotiations between governments are taking place in the run up to Rio+20. Strong action by governments in this negotiation process will help ensure that the Rio summit outcome document provides a successful action plan for

sustainable pathways to development. Rio+20 will be an opportunity to look back at some of the successes in sustainable development over the past 20 years, and identify areas where further progress is needed. With a radically altered economic, social, political and environmental context, Rio +20 provides the opportunity and forum to agree a new framework for sustainable development that recognises and addresses the new development challenges faced by the global community: challenges that hit children hardest. It is widely accepted that action is needed on longterm, sustainable paths to development. As the recent UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on Sustainability stated ”the current global model is unsustainable … Indeed if we fail to resolve the sustainable development dilemma we run the risk of condemning 3 billion members of our human family to a life of endemic poverty.”1 Rio+20 provides a key opportunity to agree an action plan on sustainability to ensure that most of the world’s children are not condemened to a life of poverty.

Recommendations for UK Government 1 The UK Government should ensure children and intergenerational equity are prioritised in the  discussions and action plans of Rio+20. 2 The UK Government should champion discussion of child centered approaches to new development  challenges at Rio+20. 3 Before, during and after the Rio+20 Summit, the UK Government should consult with children.  1 UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on Global Sustainability (2012), Resilient People, resilient planet: A future worth choosing

unicef.org.uk/rio

UNICEF UK

RIO+20: MAKING A BETTER WORLD FOR CHILDREN

1

Rio +20: The UN Conference on Sustainable Development The UN Conference on Sustainable Development (known as ‘Rio+20’) takes place in Brazil on 2022 June 2012 to mark 20 years since the initial Earth Summit in 1992. It will be attended by all governments, as well as civil society and private sector representatives. The conference aims ”to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of sustainable development, and address new and emerging challenges.”2 Rio+20 will have two broad ‘streams’ of work: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development. Seven key issues sit within these two themes: 1. Green jobs and social inclusion 2. Energy 3. Cities and sustainable urbanisation 4. Food security and sustainable agriculture 5. Water 6. Oceans 7. Reducing disaster risk and building resilience

These issues are vitally important to allowing children everywhere to survive and thrive. For example: • Disaster risk reduction: From recent incidents of disasters, children typically represent 50–60 per cent of those affected.3 • Urbanisation: For the first time in history, more than half of the world’s people – including more than a billion children – now live in cities.4 • Food security: Although fewer children are undernourished than in the 1990s, 1 in 4, or 143 million under-five children in the developing world are still underweight.5 • Water: Every day, 3,000 children under the age of 5 die from diarrhoea related diseases, mainly caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. That is one child every 30 seconds or the equivalent of 160 classes of infant schoolchildren lost every single day to an entirely preventable health crisis.6 The discussions on these thematic issues at Rio+20 are therefore vital for saving children’s lives and transforming their futures. In the run up to Rio+20, monthly intergovernmental negotiations are taking place to negotiate the final outcome agreement which will be finalised at the summit in June. © UNICEF/HQ09-1245/Pirozzi

History of Rio +20 Twenty years ago, in 1992, world leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the UN Earth Summit. The Summit agreed a new framework to ensure the equitable use of natural resources and promote sustainable development for present and future generations. This included: •

•

Agenda 21 – a framework of principles for sustainable development that was adopted by all governments. The establishment of several UN bodies to ensure fair and environmentally sound natural resource usage and long-term development, including the UN Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC) that now oversees the international climate negotiations.

2. www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/about.html 3. UNICEF, Rio+20 Key Messages 4. World Bank, http://wbi.worldbank.org/wbi/about/topics/urban. 5. UNICEF, Nutrition, www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_4050.html. 6. WaterAid statistics, www.wateraid.org/uk/what_we_do/statistics/ default.asp.

unicef.org.uk/rio

UNICEF UK

RIO+20: MAKING A BETTER WORLD FOR CHILDREN

2

What is sustainability? The Brundtland Commission’s landmark report Our Common Future, published in 1987 developed the now widely accepted definition of ‘sustainable development’: “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” 6 Sustainability is the intersection between three pillars – environmental, economic and social. Fair and just consideration must be given to development in each of these areas. Sustainability has at its core fundamental, intergenerational implications. It is about building pathways to development that provide the best possible outcomes for children now as well as for children in the future.

© UNICEF/HQ09-1253/Pirozzi

What is intergenerational equity? The concept of intergenerational equity refers to the need for a fair distribution of the costs and benefits of any development plan or use of resources between different generations. Different generations must be given equal opportunities and chances. Intergenerational equity is at the centre of sustainable development. It is about ensuring development occurs in a way that provides a fair chance and equitable use of natural resources for both today’s population and populations in the future. Fundamentally intergenerational equity is about children. It is about giving children today the best chance at a safe and secure life, but also building policies that will give the same opportunity to future generations.

6. Our common future : The report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

unicef.org.uk/rio

UNICEF UK

RIO+20: MAKING A BETTER WORLD FOR CHILDREN

3

Tree of child rights

The three branches of sustainability – economy, society and environment – are integral to realising child rights as laid out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (see Tree of child rights). Sustainable development will help realise child rights, putting children everywhere on a path to long-term development that will help them survive and thrive.

unicef.org.uk/rio

UNICEF UK

RIO+20: MAKING A BETTER WORLD FOR CHILDREN

4

CHILD-CENTRED SUSTAINABILITY IN PRACTICE Water and disaster-risk reduction in Madagascar In Madagascar, one in two people do not have safe drinking water and only about one in ten have adequate sanitation facilities. The country is also particularly prone to hazards such as cyclones, floods and drought. According to forecasters, the intensity of cyclones is likely to increase over the next 10 years.

Food security in Mauritania In Mauritania, high food prices, periodic drought and regular flooding in foodproducing regions mean that children are very vulnerable to malnutrition. In order to reduce this risk, since 2008 UNICEF has supported the Ministry of Health to organise two annual nutrition surveys to improve nutrition © UNICEF/MENA00793/Schytte

© UNICEF/HQ08-0204/Rasoamana © UNICEF/HQ09-1250/Pirozzi

surveillance and early warning. These surveys document the nutritional situation of children at two times of the year: the lean season (July) and postharvest (December). Since 2008, UNICEF has been working with the Water Department of the Government of Madagascar in targeted regions to ensure that in case of an emergency there are stocks of water and sanitation supplies ready, such as mobile latrines, water treatment units and purification tablets. UNICEF and partners have also been training community members in preparing for an emergency response, for example by providing training on water treatment and storage. In the flood-prone areas, all the boreholes and latrines constructed have elevated structures. During the 2010 and 2011 cyclone season, these efforts contributed towards a reduction in diseases. For instance, there were no reports of an increase in diarrhoea among the population who received water filters on the north east coast. Overall, these activities have enabled communities to respond before the arrival of humanitarian relief teams and they have limited the adverse impacts of emergencies on water and sanitation facilities.

unicef.org.uk/rio

This data allows better planning of nutrition and food security programmes and initiatives, and forms the basis of an early warning system in the country. Key indicators from post-harvest surveys are used to improve knowledge of malnutrition trends and to accelerate interventions that aim to reduce vulnerability. Early results suggest that this is already having an impact: the survey carried out in December 2010 revealed an improvement in the nutritional situation of children during the post-harvest period, partly as a result of a good rainy season but also due to the efforts of the government and partners to target the most vulnerable. Survey data from July and December 2011 are considered key information for all stakeholders in order to mitigate a nutrition crisis during the current drought and food crisis, as the lean season in 2012 is anticipated to arrive earlier and last longer.

UNICEF UK

RIO+20: MAKING A BETTER WORLD FOR CHILDREN

5

© UNICEF/HQ08-0202/Rasoamana

What the UK Government must do The UK Government should capitalise on its global leadership in development and climate change to champion children both in the negotiating process and action emerging from Rio+20. The UK Government needs to help ensure the Rio+20 outcomes provide a sustainable future for today’s children and future generations.

1. C  hildren should be at the heart of negotiations and action plans on sustainability before, during and after Rio+20 Children’s futures and intergenerational equity are core principles for sustainable development, so children’s rights and consideration of children’s specific vulnerabilities should be at the centre of the discussions and outcomes on sustainability before, during and after Rio+20. This means that policies supported by the UK Government in their negotiating position ahead of Rio+20, as well as the outcome and action plans emerging from Rio+20, should be designed so that they give the best possible outcomes for children. Therefore, the UK Government should take action on the following key points, which will help put children at the heart of sustainability. a. R  ecognition of children in sustainability discussions at Rio+20 A sustainable future requires that children have the opportunity to grow up healthy, educated, and

unicef.org.uk/rio

protected. It also requires that they have food, clean water and clean air. Every day, more than 3,000 children die because of poor sanitation. Children play a unique role in sustainability, as agents of change and as an important vulnerable group to consider when making decisions about sustainability. The UK Government should advocate for special attention to be given to children in the sustainability plans of all seven key themes at Rio+20- including water, food security, urbanisation and disaster risk reduction. b. D  ecisions on sustainability should be made within a framework of intergenerational justice The intergenerational implications of sustainability should lead to development policies that are built for the long term and consider the implications for current and future generations, ensuring that children now and in the future have all the best opportunities possible to survive and thrive. The UK Government should be key advocates for the importance of intergenerational planning and equity in sustainability policies and plans before, during and after Rio+20. c. Sustainability should deliver benefits for children Alongside prioritising children and intergenerational principles in sustainability policies and outcomes, leaders at Rio +20 should agree that the transition to sustainable development must bear benefits for children and not negatively impact on their potential and ability to survive and thrive now and in the future. UNICEF UK

RIO+20: MAKING A BETTER WORLD FOR CHILDREN

6

For example, one of the two main themes of Rio+20 is ”the transition to the green economy”: countries will be expected to work together on a ”green economy roadmap” following on from Rio. These roadmaps must deliver the best possible benefits for children and not sanction activity that will be detrimental to child rights. For example, they should include a green economy plan that will impove children’s health and well being, be able to provide youth employment, and not bear a cost that will be transferred to future generations. Green Economy road maps must help realise child rights and not negatively impact on them. Similar principles must also be applied to other key outcomes and policy initiatives emerging from Rio+20. The UK Government should show global leadership by championing policies that ensure children bear the benefits from the sustainable development outcomes of Rio+20. d. Rio should provide sustainable solutions for emerging development challenges The rights of children and young people are increasingly threatened by issues and events outside of their control, including climate change, food crises, economic crises, humanitarian disasters and conflicts, high levels of youth unemployment, rapid urbanisation, and increased fiscal austerity.

Equity and sustainability Sustainable development is about ensuring that there is equity in development and the availability of natural resources both between generations and within generations. It is a key tool for ensuring that national and international inequities can be addressed and there is greater equality in development pathways globally. The reinvigorated sustainable development agenda emerging from Rio+20 is a key opportunity to address inequities and deliver equitable development for all, in particular children. All of the thematic issues being discussed at Rio have resonance for children. Thus, smart solutions in sustainability can help address key inequity issues facing children and young people. Equity should therefore be at the forefront of discussions on sustainability, and in the emerging sustainable development plans from Rio+20. The UK Government should champion equity as a key outcome of the sustainable development agenda.

© UNICEF/MENA00765/Schytte

These challenges compound existing problems, exacerbating the situation faced by many children in developing countries. The Summit is a key moment to integrate these issues into the development paradigm for 2012 and beyond to ensure they are considered in the postMillennium Development Goals framework. Children need to be prioritised in development responses to counter these challenges, so that they can better withstand these threats to development. For example, disaster risk reduction needs to be child centred, urban interventions should recognise children’s vulnerabilities, and food security policies need to pay specific attention to children. The UK Government should champion discussion around child-centred approaches to these new challenges at Rio+20. The child dimension of these new development challenges should then be championed by the UK Government beyond Rio+20 into the post-2015 debate.

unicef.org.uk/rio

UNICEF UK

RIO+20: MAKING A BETTER WORLD FOR CHILDREN

7

2. Consult with children and young people

The voices of children and young people are rarely heard in global negotiations. Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that ”children have the right to participate in decisions affecting them.“ The outcomes from Rio+20 will shape what the future looks like, so they should be informed by the people who will be the future leaders – today’s children and young people. Moreover, children can be key actors in driving the sustainability agenda forward, both now and in the future as adults, so they should be included and consulted on sustainability initiatives at the earliest possible moment. For the UK Government, consultation with children and young people on sustainability could take a variety of forms. Options include: •

•

•

In the UK: consultations with groups of children and young people from around the UK and from different genders, ethnic and socio/economic backgrounds and from a variety of age groups. This will help gauge what issues UK young people feel are important in global sustainability discussions In the UK: Youth panels established by the UK Government to regularly consult UK young people on the UK Government’s sustainability plans Around the world: The Government should work with their partners at country level to hold consultations with children and young people. These consultations should include children from a variety of ages from across gender, ethnic and socio/economic backgrounds. These consultations should seek the views of children and young people on what they would like to see come out of Rio+20 and the future they would like to see. In developing countries, children and young people should also be consulted on the interventions in the areas of water, food and disaster risk reduction that would make their lives more secure. These views should then be incorporated into the UK’s own negotiating position.

The UK Government should strive to consult children and young people and integrate their input on sustainability plans, before, during and after Rio+20.

Conclusion

The Rio+20 Summit in June 2012 provides a unique moment to reshape the development agenda for 2012 and beyond. Rio +20 could ensure that children and future generations are able to meet the new and emerging development challenges and have the best possible opportunity for a long term, sustainable future. The UK Government should build on its leadership role in international development and the international climate arena to champion the needs of children and ensure that Rio +20 is an important step in saving and transforming children’s lives today and for future generations.

Author: Jazmin Burgess, Climate Change Policy and Research Officer, UNICEF UK

For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit unicef.org.uk/rio

unicef.org.uk/rio

UNICEF UK

RIO+20: MAKING A BETTER WORLD FOR CHILDREN

8