19 March 2012: At a side-event event organized by the Association of World Citizens and the World Alliance to Transform the UN (WATUN), panelists discussed aspects of creating a more effective system of environmental and sustainable development governance.

Opening the session, Rob Wheeler, Chair of WATUN, provided an overview of options to strengthen environmental and sustainable development governance including: developing an environmental court that can follow up on laws and agreements; developing an ombudsperson for future generations; pursuing proposals that have emerged from the High-Level Panel on System-wide Coherence within the UN system; exploring options to “green” the international finance system; revitalizing the Commission on Sustainable Development into a council under the General Assembly; and exploring options to upgrade the status of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Elise Ruggeri Abonnat, International Centre of Comparative Environmental Law, presented on a suggestion to reinforce environmental governance and efforts to create a world environmental organization (WEO). She emphasized the potential for creating a WEO as a specialized institution, based in Nairobi and undertaking actions previously taken by UNEP. Other goals of a WEO were highlighted including protecting the environment and representing the needs of future generations. Catherine Pearce, World Future Council, elaborated on the efforts towards having ombudspersons for future generations. Noting the disconnect between policy formulation and what citizens are calling for, she said that ombudspersons for future generations would help bring the needs of future generations into contemporary decision-making.

Lucy Webster, International Council of the World Federalist Movement, outlined ideas to make decision-making more democratic, for example by weighting UN decisions to account for factors such as population and contribution to the regular UN budget. Quizia Gonzales, UN Representative at the International Union of Land Value Taxation, outlined how a green tax on local and public goods can maximize incentives for the fair distribution of wealth, protect basic needs, enhance environmental protection, support the transition to organic farming, and level the economic playing field worldwide. Benton Musslewhite, Vice President, WATUN, elaborated on the proposed new UN charter for a more democratic and empowered UN, explaining that the purpose of the charter would be to make it possible to create a structure for global governance that is democratized and empowered. [IISD RS Sources]