BOLIVIA AT THE UN
A VOICE FOR GLOBAL REFORM
Bolivia is one of the poorest and smallest nations
in the world. However, under the leadership of Evo Morales and its able
U.N. Ambassador, Pablo Solon, Bolivia has become a truly prophetic voice in
matters related to the survival of the planet.
As Bolivia's UN Embassy correctly states:
"In the last two years, the UN General Assembly has approved five resolutions
initiated by the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Four were approved by consensus,
and one in a vote with no country opposed (the resolution on the Human Right
to Water and Sanitation). Never before in the history of Bolivian diplomacy
has the country had such an impact in the UN."
(1)
Creation of International Earth Day (UN Resolution - Adopted, April 2009)
"Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann thanked Bolivia for having taken the lead in bringing the resolution to the Assembly and added that, by declaring the International Day, Member States recognized their responsibility, as called for in the Rio Declaration, adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the “Earth Summit”, to promote harmony with nature and the planet to achieve a just balance among economic, social and environmental needs of the present and future generations of humanity... Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma applauded the Members of the world body who had “taken a historic stand for Mother Earth” by acknowledging humanity’s common interest in the protection of the planet and its environment." (2)
UN General Assembly Document (2)
Harmony With Nature (UN Interactive Dialogue, August 2010)
"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...The second resolution convenes in 2014 a World Conference on Indigenous Peoples with the objective of contributing to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples." (1)
UN General Assembly Document PDF
UN General Assembly - Interactive Dialogue On Harmony With Nature Includes video of speeches. April 22, 2011
Bolivia UN - Speech By Bolivia on Harmony With Nature At UN General Assembly
Human Right to Clean Water (UN Resolution - Adopted, July 2010)
The resolution states, "Introducing a draft resolution on the human right to water and sanitation (document A/64/L.63/Rev.1), the representative of Bolivia said that human right had not been fully recognized, despite references to it in various instruments. Each year, more than 3.5 million people died from diseases spread by contaminated water, he said, pointing out that the lack of access to water killed more children annually than AIDS, malaria and measles combined...By a text on the human right to water and sanitation, the Assembly expressed deep concern that some 884 million people were without access to safe drinking water and more than 2.6 billion lacked access to basic sanitation. Bearing in mind the commitment to fully achieve the Millennium Development Goals, it expressed alarm that 1.5 million children under five years old died each year as a result of water- and sanitation-related diseases, acknowledging that safe, clean drinking water and sanitation were integral to the realization of all human rights." (3)
UN General Assembly Document (3)
On Indigenous Peoples
United Nations World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (UN Resolution - Adopted, November 2010)
"Following an initiative by the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the United Nations General Assembly approved by consensus yesterday a draft resolution (A/C.3/65/L.22/Rev.1) in which countries agreed to hold a “World Conference on Indigenous Peoples” in 2014. The Conference, which will take place at the end of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (2005 – 2014), aims to exchange criteria for the fulfillment of the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The resolution calls on Member States and the international community to help find solutions to the problems faced by indigenous peoples in areas including culture, education, health, human rights, the environment, and socio-economic development. The resolution makes reference to the first World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, organized by the Plurinational State of Bolivia in Cochabamba from April 20th to 22nd, 2010. It also expands the mandate of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples to include facilitating the participation of representatives of indigenous organizations in the sessions of the UN Human Rights Council. ." -World People's Conference On Climate Change And The Rights Of Mother Earth (4)
UN General
Assembly Resolution GA/SHC/3997
Bolivia UN - Bolivia's Initiative
Leads UN To Organize "World Conference on Indigenous Peoples"
World People's Conference On Climate Change And The Rights Of Mother Earth
- Bolivia Leads UN to Organize “World Conference on Indigenous Peoples”
(4)
UN General Assembly
Resolution 61/295 - United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples
Wikipedia - Declaration On The Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Bolivia UN - Letter From President
Morales To The World's Indigenous Peoples
The Guardian - "Indigenous Thinking Can Solve Climate Crisis", Says Bolivian
Foreign Minister
BOLIVIAN ACTIVISM ON THE WORLD STAGE
World People's Conference on Climate
Change and the Rights of Mother Earth (Also known as The Cochabamba Conference)
We
call upon States to recognize, respect and guarantee the effective implementation
of international human rights standards and the rights of indigenous peoples,
including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
under ILO Convention 169, among other relevant instruments in the negotiations,
policies and measures used to meet the challenges posed by climate change.
In particular, we call upon States to give legal recognition to claims over
territories, lands and natural resources to enable and strengthen our traditional
ways of life and contribute effectively to solving climate change."
(6)
World People's Conference on Climate
Change and the Rights of Mother Earth Main Page (6)
Wikipedia - World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of
Mother Earth
Alternet - World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of
Mother Earth: An Antidote to Copenhagen?
Huffington Post - World People's Conference on Climate Change and the
Rights of Mother Earth Kicks Off in Bolivia
Bolivia's Law on the Rights of
Mother Earth
For more information, please visit our page dedicated to this historic law:
World Future Fund - Law of Mother Earth
International Climate Court
This is a really interesting idea. Poor nations damaged by climate change would not need to plead for help that is not going to come from rich nations. Instead, they could go to court to sue the nations that have put the most carbon in the atmosphere. At the top of that list is the U.S. One can see why the U.S. does not want this kind of "rule of law".
Bolivia UN - Bolivian
Ambassador Calls For Climate Tribunal
International
Court for the Environment
Bolivia Rising - International Climate Justice Tribunal Preliminary Hearing,
Cochabamba, Bolivia
The Guardian - Grassroots Summit End With Calls For International Climate
Court
BBC - As Glaciers
Melt, Bolivians Ask For Compensation