UN Climate Conference Targeted by Reproductive Groups

By Wendy Wright | November 28, 2011

Another global UN conference on climate change kicked off today in Durban with 10,000 officials from 194 countries. It’s pretty safe to say that the location of this one keeps it from embarrassments like the freak blizzard that hit Copenhagen during the 2009 conference. But it won’t be free from controversy.

Reproductive and sexual rights groups that target youth are in Durban to embed their agenda into the conference. This is despite the fact that countries overwhelmingly did not identify reproductive matters as either a need or a way to address issues related to climate change.

Advocates for Youth partnered with Population Action International, Sierra Club and World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, to give a workshop titled, “Sex, Justice and Sustainability.” As they describe it, “The workshop was a really exciting opportunity for us to make these connections and to see how environmental youth activists understand why we can’t talk about climate change without talking about population, health, gender and education.”

Leading up to the conference, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon asked wealthy countries to come ready to commit $100 billion a year into a Green Climate Fund. Where there is huge money, “reproductive justice” (i.e. abortion and graphic sex ed) advocates are sure to be found. Here is an example of how they shoe-horn their way in:

“Advocates for Youth is here in Durban, because we believe that educating girls and boys, empowering women, meeting the demand for voluntary family planning, and ensuring access to comprehensive, youth-friendly SRH [sexual and reproductive health] services is [sic] not only plan [sic] an important role in supporting human rights-but also in climate change mitigation and adaptation. “

Though they won’t say the words “population control,” Advocates for Youth spells out their goal (fewer people and more money for their groups) in cold economic terms:

“In fact, for every $1 spent on international family planning efforts, governments save up to $31 in health care, water, education, housing and resources they need to provide for themselves and their families. That is why we are asking for Member States in the negotiations of the climate change conference to prioritize and fully fund SRHR and family planning programs for women and youth in national strategies.”

Observers are anticipating the Durban conference will be an overall disappointment for its advocates, due in part to the global economic crisis. But the fight will continue. Next year the UN will convene a series of meeting to culminate in Rio+20, the 20th anniversary of another environmental summit.

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