Link gave the International Youth Climate Movement’s message (”intervention”) to the SBSTA – the Subsidary body for Scientific and Technical Advice.  The SBSTA (pronounced “substa”) advises the COP on teh specific technical and scientific policies, and also looks into the possible implementation, though that is more in Subsidary Body for Implementation (SBI).

Up the the very last, we were editing, etc….here it is…

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SBSTA intervenion of IYCM, Saturday 12th Dec

Thank you Madam Chair,

Respected negotiators, my name is Linkesh Diwan.

On behalf of the International Youth Climate Movement, I speak for 2 point 2 billion people, the children on this Earth.

We demand that forests be preserved in their natural purity, rightfully protected by International Law, and kept out of the carbon market.  Take the brackets off our future.

Forests are more than carbon sinks.  Forests provide homes, food, soil, clean water, for diverse life forms.  Forests are different from plantations.  Forested lands, all lands, must be held in trust by and for the local or indigenous peoples that depend upon them.

REDD, as it stands, presents a huge danger to human rights, natural forests and the climate.

This we can not accept.

As youth we fear your plans for us. Seeking Climate Justice, some of us have been fasting and praying for 37 days on water only. We are desperate.

To avoid a disastrous outcome from COP15, we demand that any agreement must include:

• a clear definition, and distinction between plantations and natural forests;
• explicit language protecting intact natural forests, and ensuring conservation of biological diversity;
• accounting for emissions from peat soils and other ecosystems;
• safeguards for the rights of local and indigenous peoples;
• and we need to address the causes for continued forest destruction.

Dear Leaders, before you make your decisions, please ask yourselves: what would Mahatma Gandhi do? (2s) Please do that.

Thank You

A photo of Link giving the intervention will have to wait till later.  We do have one though.

Loving you,

Aunty Kamala, Anni and Link