BY CHANTAL VAN DEN BOSSCHE

 May 8, 2022 – June 1st, the Women’s Major Group with support of WECF will organise the Stockholm+50 associate event: “Feminist priorities for people, planet and peace”, where global ecofeminist movements will bring key recommendations to Stockholm+50. 

Stockholm+50 celebrates 50 years of global environmental governance. The 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm, paved the way for governments to finally address human health and the global dimensions of pollution. The conference led to the creation of the first European Union environmental policies and the establishment of environment ministries and of UNEP. A few years later, the first “Green Party” was founded in Germany, including leading ecofeminist Petra Kelly.

WECF, jointly with the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), organised a regional CSO Preparatory Meeting on the 2nd of May 2022, to provide input into the UN’s Regional Multi-stakeholder Consultation for Europe towards Stockholm+50 on 5 May 2022.

Interventions and priorities – S+50 CSO Forum

Participants from the S+50 CSO Forum shared their visions and priorities for the next 50 years of global environmental policies here. WECF partners from Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan gave key note speeches in the opening plenary to the governments and stakeholders present on May 5th.

Andriy Martynyuk, Executive director, NGO Ecoclub started by stating, to his main regret, that we now need not only to recover from COVID-19 but also from Russian military aggression in Ukraine.  In his speech he also mentioned the exacerbation of the problems of inequality and military actions leading to ecocide.  You can read his full speech here.

Olga Djanaeva from NGO ALGA in Kyrgyzstan made clear that rural women are experiencing the impact of climate change and environmental degradation in their daily lives, as glaciers no longer provide the needed water, and toxic pesticides and plastic waste are polluting our soils, food and groundwater sources. Her full speech can be found here.

Stockholm+50 aims to mobilize governments, civil society and all sectors to accelerate environmental policies and governance. Three leadership dialogues are planned on

Reflecting on the urgent need for actions to achieve a healthy planet and prosperity of all 

Achieving a sustainable and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic

Accelerating the implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development

Stockholm+50 is convened by the United Nations and is hosted by Sweden with support from the Government of Kenya, on 2-3 June in Stockholmsmässan, Stockholm. A Peoples’ Forum takes place from 31 May-1 June 2022. WECF as part of the Women’s Major Group to UN Environment, is organising a side-event on June 1st in the Stockholm Environment Institute (registration to follow soon).

Why is it important for Ecofeminists to engage on the anniversary of Stockholm+50?

We have all the necessary scientific, social, economic and technical solutions for a just transition to avoid total climate and environmental collapse of our planet. But even though we have this knowledge, we lack the political will and see strong resistance to environmental policies as well as to the gender-equitable principles of this transition. That is why the ecofeminist movement needs to be strongly represented in Stockholm in June 2022.

WUNRN

Stockholm+50 Overview

Civil Society Prep Meeting (padlet.com)

WECF