Photos: angela7dreams via FlickrWe have a critical opportunity right now to make sure the next U.N. climate chief will serve the needs of the global community of women, and we need to seize it.
With Yvo de Boer stepping down as executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be appointing a replacement. The role of the executive secretary is critical to achieving a fair, ambitious, and binding climate agreement, and a strong successor to de Boer is absolutely essential for Cancun and beyond.
What will make for a strong UNFCCC executive secretary? The Climate Action Network has issued a letter articulating important qualifications, which include political leadership, experience with negotiations, commitment to civil society, and a thorough understanding of the challenges of development in the Global South.
As leaders of organizations working at the forefront of environmental and women’s issues in the Global South, we’d like to add another qualification to that list: an understanding of the full range of gender issues, including access to reproductive health and family planning.<... Read more
