Side Events for Wednesday 03 May

Michael Bedrin, Chief Counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, said a panel was established to find out what environmental issues will be faced by Pennsylvania with two prominent results: Land use issues were the most pressing problem; and the most important issue was environmental education and environmental stewardship. He said local officials need greater tools and greater education, as they are not elected on a land use platform. He emphasized the need to revitalize the urban areas to counter sprawl, and highlighted the Land Recycling Program, which is a series of three statutes: changing rules for cleaning up urban sites and put them back into productive use; uniform cleanup standards and standardized review procedures; and release of liability, a powerful incentive to put properties back into use. He said, with the provision of financial assistance, 700 sites have been cleaned up. He also highlighted the importance of data in decision making and the need for identifying a set of environmental indicators.

Raymond E. Cantor, Assistant Commissioner for Land Use Management and Compliance, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said New Jersey is known for having the most toxic waste sites and is the most densely populated state in the United States. He said development, particularly sprawl, is the primary factor that is harming ecosystem problems He said people have not really thought about the impact of this development on the environment. He drew attention to getting all the information into the GIs system and getting it out to the counties and that the problems that exist must be recognized to begin with.In conclusion, he said that recognition of environmental impacts is still in the early stages, regional perspectives are beginning and upfront planning avoids problems later.

Peace Child International hosted this side event, gathering panelists from UNICEF, UNDP, UNEP, the Hague Appeal for Peace, the Trickle-Up Program, and the UN Youth Unit. Individuals on the panel spoke about their programs and experiences which engage and empower youth. Underlying questions were addressed on the roles that youth occupy, implementation of Chapter 25 of Agenda 21 to involve young people in decision-making; obstacles to engaging youth, and how international organizations, governments, NGOs and the private sector can best form partnerships with young people. The event was attended by youth delegates to the CSD-8, national government delegates, UN agencies, and NGOs.

Andres Guerrero, UNICEF, related that though UNICEF's programs are largely influenced by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and are centred on serving youth interests, the challenge remains as to engaging youth in leadership roles.  Out of 302 programs, all report the involvement of youth action in various areas of concentration such as civil society, children's rights, HIV/AIDS, etc. yet only 12 report youth in head positions, and only 8 have youth in analytical/problem-solving roles. The organization actively seeks out new and innovative ways to balance these trends.

Dr. Noel Brown, UNEP, an ardent supporter of youth participation, notes that we are well beyond the point of definition... the challenge now is action. Impressed with the Youth Action Proposals, young people are identifying things that are within their spheres of expertise and ability. Now the question remains as to the creation of mechanisms to fund, support and engage youth projects on a regular basis. Dr. Brown suggested that each UN agency and program should create youth funding windows in order to provide such mechanisms of entrustment for young people, as they are in a season of life full of creative and valuable ideas.