CSD: Day 1

It’s kind of like being an animal in a zoo – there’s a hundred people walking past you, some stopping to take a look. Some just glare and move on, others stop to take pictures. A nice lady with a badge leads the group ahead into the corridor on the right, into the UN secretariat to continue their guided tour. We stay right where we are: in line. There’s a good amount of people in line, and we all have the same destination: the photo desk where our picture will be taken to print our UN Grounds Pass. We had hoped that 8:45 in the morning would still allow us to check in pretty quickly, but after a hopeful start we ended up quagmired. The first plenary session of the Commission opens while I sit down and politely smile as the guard focuses the camera.

Once we make it through check-in though, things start picking up quickly. We head down to the temporary North Lawn Building where the conference takes place, and already some of us are given precious ‘secondary badges’ that allow us access into the plenary meetings. I muster all of my early morning attention to listen to the opening statements and take notes – these statements generally contain only the vaguest of claims and proposals, not to mention they are also distributed in hard copy. However, as you get into the flow of the meeting and compare the content of statements, it is interesting to note the differences in angle. For example, the G77 and China clearly emphasize the need for developing countries to maintain their growth, and the responsibility that already developed countries have to aid them through development assistance and debt relief. The EU and US, on the other hand, emphasize equal global collaboration and solutions through scientific development and good governance, among others. We’ll see if such differences lead to the same outcome as in Copenhagen… my hope is still that CSD will turn out to be less politicized and more open to sharing of knowledge and good practices to the benefit of all.

As the day progresses, it becomes clear that we, as youth, really can have an influence here. Already some of us have spoken to government delegates, and have been met with favorable reactions. The United States in particular advocates strongly for major group participation, including youth. And in several large-scale meetings, the floor is given to youth delegates who make statements. These are off-the-cuff, but they are clearly received positively. And there is no apparent lack of space for youth to be heard: in the corridors, delegates are easily approachable (especially in the cafeteria), and in the meetings there is no lack of speaking time to be given to youth. However, this of course is a mixed blessing: it means that the member states themselves are so far being relatively passive, or keeping their cards close to their chest. On the other hand, this is to be expected on a first day. Now, during the coming days, it’s our job to make sure the discussion quickly integrates youth concerns. By putting in good work this week, we can nudge the debate in the right direction. With the great people we have on our delegation, I have high hopes!