August 2011

As preparations for the 64th Annual United Nations Department of Public Information NGO Conference on Sustainable Societies Responsive Citizens enters its last week of preparations the UN Holds a major press conference on the event. The UN issues a UN news alert note on the conference to engage the media.

Over 2500 stakeholders have preregistered for the conference, the schedule includes major UN spokespeople speaking including Achim Steiner (UNEP), Flavia Pansieri (UNV), Kiyo Akaska (UN DPI), Kandeh Yumkella (UNIDO), Liz Thompson (UNCSD2012). it will also have leading stakeholder speakers including, Vandana Shiva, Dan Bena (PepsiCo), Konrad Zimmerman (ICLEI), Daniel Mittler (Greenpeace),  Victoria Tauli Corpuz, Jeremey Wates and Thierno Kane and finally governments including Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark,  and USA.

Over 100 stakeholder organisations have  sent in amendments to the conferenc text. It will be the most significant and important contribution of stakeholders to sustainable development for a decade.

"The parallels of the ecological problems with the financial crisis are clear. The banks and financial institutions privatized the gains and socialized the losses.

We are doing the same with the planets natural capital.

Our present lifestyles are drawing down the ecological capital from other parts of the world and from future generations. We are increasingly becoming the most irresponsible generation our planet has seen.

The principal goal of our economy should be to improve the lives of the entire world's people and to free them from want and ignorance - without compromising the planet itself. "