Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

W elcome to  Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage ,($25 on Amazon) a podcast dedicated to  exploring the inspiring stories of individuals who have shaped the global environmental movement.  Drawing from the book  Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage,  edited by Felix Dodds and Chris Spence, each episode highlights the remarkable contributions of leaders who have fought for sustainable development, protected vital ecosystems, and navigated complex political landscapes. This podcast is produced by Sustainable Society Cafe. What does it take to turn a struggling global climate effort into one of the most ambitious agreements in history? In this episode, we explore the remarkable leadership of Christiana Figueres , the former Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, who transformed the UN’s climate framework from a place of frustration to one of hope. Drawing from her story, we uncover how Figueres inspired a “can-do” culture within t...

  Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage edited by F elix Dodds and Chris Spence is now available on Routledge, Amazon and most onsite bookshops. If you pre-order on Routledge site and use the code FLE22  at checkout you will get an extra 20% off the book. Present retail price is around $27 . "Environmental Heroes in Diplomacy tells an important story.  The individuals chronicled here took on daunting challenges in negotiating global agreements on some of the biggest issues of our times. Through courage and determination, they managed to forge positive action. These stories and their collective message reaffirm one of my core beliefs - multilateral diplomacy, when carried out with vision and persistence, actually works. The efforts and achievements highlighted in these chapters are a clear illustration of three crucial action points for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. First, every human being, especially our leaders, must be unr...

One of the best candidates for new Secretary General withdraws  President of the General Assembly President of the Security Council United Nations New York, New York Dear Sirs: We are now less than four months away from the date on which the new Secretary­ General must take office. In consultation with the General Assembly, the Security Council has the responsibility to guide the selection process to its final resolution in an orderly and timely manner. Out of loyalty to the United Nations and in order to facilitate the advance of the selection process I hereby inform you that today I withdraw my candidacy to the position of Secretary ­General.  I do so with gratitude and with concern. Deep gratitude to my government and my country, to all other Member States, to civil society and to private sector for the perseverance with which they continue to uphold the values and principles of the United Nations. Above all my gratitude to the staff of the United N...

So since the first poll Vesna Pusić has withdrawn as a candidate for Secretary General which leaves 11 and Kevin Rudd the former Prime Minister of Australia was NOT supported by his government to join the election. There are still rumors of a late addition by Alicia Barcena (Mexico) Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean who would be an excellent candidate but I think will not join the fray. Those who have read my blogs on the election will know I have supported both  woman and regional rotation which would mean an Eastern European woman candidate.  So let’s look at where we are. After the second straw poll António Guterres (Portugal) the former Portuguese left of center Prime Minister is still in first place but has picked up one less encourage and for the first time two discourage. The question in many people’s minds are those two P5 members such as China and Russia. There is no question in my mind ...

by Alexandra Coe and Felix Dodds On Tuesday the 12 th of July the candidates for the next United Nations Secretary General were debating in the UN General Assembly Hall which was excellently moderated by Al Jazeera's James Bays and Folly Bah Thibault. The first thing to say about the debate is that ALL the candidates performed well and conveyed strong leadership capabilities needed for the next Secretary General. The debate was so much more refreshing than the US Democratic and  Republican debates for President, and gives hope that there are still among us true leaders. The pressing question of the SG debates was if the rotation around the regions was most important in this year’s selection or if representation by a woman was more important at this point in UN governance.  It’s important to understand that the UN has been, since Javier Perez de Cuellar, operating a regional rotation among the five official UN regional blocks. The Eastern European Group has ne...

UN’s former climate change chief, who was a key architect of the Paris climate agreement, joins the list of candidates to succeed Ban Ki-moon. She was nominated by the  president   Luis Guillermo Solís  of Costa Rica.  Christiana Figueres said in her vision statement:  "The objective of the United Nations is to provide the architecture through which countries can address their common problems, peacefully resolve their disputes and support each other in building strong, prosperous and just societies. This is the foundation of international peace and security. Much has been achieved by this unique institution over the past 70 years, thanks to the dedication of its Member States and the commitment of its staff worldwide. The question before us now is how to address the exigencies of a future so mired in complexity. In the face of rampant injustices, abuses, unrest and conflicts with increasing ramifications, there is understandable despair. But g...

I thought i would update the blog on the c andidates I know have applied for  the  next Executive Director of UNEP . How about like ILO the shortlisted  candidates  should have to hold a hustings in New York for  member  states and  stakeholders . What is their vision of UNEP?  First a few comments on my thoughts ont he issue. The present debate in the UN on 'fit for purpose' is very important as many UN organizations, including UNEP, are run like late 20th Century multilateral organizations with very vertical mandates and institutional structures. The new Executive Director will need to create a more networked organization and this includes a real partnership with stakeholders. Is this possible? At the moment at UNEP there are problems around stakeholder engagement on the engagement rules with the new UNEA.  It is sad to see the discussions in Nairobi on stakeholder engagement at times it seems to be going back to pre Rio...