Rachael Purcell, IFMSA:
The first week of COP 19 has been an enlightening experience. A long way from the realm of clinical medicine and university study back home in Australia, the negotiations have provided insight into the high level decision-making processes that surround climate change. I believe that medical student participation at COP 19 is a valuable way to experience climate change policy in a global setting. The benefits of translating this into public health practice and advocacy in our home countries are clear. I also think that attending COP19 affords the opportunity to share our experiences with student colleagues back in our own countries.
There is an incredible amount of enthusiasm and energy being generated across the National Stadium – particularly by youth delegates, who offer a vibrant and passionate perspective on climate change issues, which transcend generational barriers. I have particularly enjoyed the perspectives offered by delegates from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences, and hope that this continues throughout the coming week. I have valued the warm reception given to delegates by many of the people of Warsaw, particularly those working across the conference venue, who greet us every morning with a smile.
Being from a medical background, the majority of my experience with the topic of climate change has been health-related, focusing on the vulnerabilities of disadvantaged populations, and the preparedness of health systems and professionals. I especially look forward to the Climate and Health Summit, which will be held on Saturday 16th November at the Marriott Hotel, and I would encourage everyone who is available to attend. I believe that a consideration of the health impacts of climate change must remain at the fore of negotiations on climate change, and I hope that its importance is evident in the decisions to come at COP 19.
Daniele Saguto and Giovanni Cunico, Youth News Agency, Italy:
The fourth day of negotiations has come to an end here at COP 19; the air is caustic both inside and outside the Narodowy Stadium. The ‘Young and Future Generations Day’ is also through.
The youth definitely stand out as one of the most active constituencies within the Conference. Nevertheless, their position inside the negotiations remains a pretty difficult one: they must achieve the goal of making their voice count among other stakeholders who can surely afford much more organised and financed lobbying activity.
Many topics are being pushed forward by YOUNGO (the UNFCCC constituency of youth non-governmental organisations), but one stands out among all others: the principle of intergenerational equity (that is defined in both the Rio Convention and the Brundtland Report). This principle puts forward the idea of undertaking actions that do not compromise the potential activities and prosperity of future generations, and represents a legal and moral basis on which to build any arrangement on climate change.
At about 09:30, a group of young people from different countries decided to organise a demonstration: they stood still for about half an hour with a piece of tape on their mouths and a poster with a future date and an imaginary baby tied around their neck. They were asking for intergenerational equity to be put into the COP agenda and for it to be officially affirmed like it is within the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP). Also, they called for all the promises made during the negotiations to be based on economic models not using the ‘discount rate’, which, if taken into account, would give a distorted picture of future environmental costs and impacts.
In the afternoon, a side event organised by the UNFCCC Secretariat was held on the topic of intergenerational equity, providing a platform for young delegates from all over the world to connect with some of the most important actors at COP and impress upon them that this principle is a fundamental requirement for climate justice and an ambitious agreement for 2015.
This crucial principle can be summarised through a Native American proverb: ‘This world has not been given to us as a heritage from our fathers, but as a loan from our children.’ We surely hope that the delegates will keep this in mind during the negotiations! – Outreach magazine
