I didn't get to CSD until lunch today since I had a final exam in the morning. I got a chance to go to the Global Youth Action Network side event partly presented by our very own Juan, along with delegates from the Netherlands, Germany and a researcher from the Smithsonian Institution. The researcher talked mostly about doing research in the arctic, and didn't get to much into education and youth. The delegate from the Netherlands went into detail about how the Dutch education system is actively incorporating sustainable development, and seems to be one of the leader countries in terms of S.D. education. The German presenter was a substitute for the actual delegate who was supposed to do the presentation, but could not make it as she was in negotiations (actually, same with the Dutch presenter). He got notified an hour before the presentation so he didn't really know what he was talking about... ha... Juan mainly talked about the history of the Global Youth Action Network, from its inception to CSD15.  At this side event, I met with a high-level official of the Korean Ministry of Environment, and a UNEP official. 

 After this event, I went to the I.D. conference where the countries were making amendments to the Chair's text. The most interesting (yet not surprising) thing happened with the U.S. delegation, which repeatedly corrected the text to lower the significance of sustainable development and CSR. For example, the recommended changing "Encourage corporate social responsibility" to "Welcome corporate social responsibility." Lindsay beside me just went "arrrgg" and hung her head in shame (I'm Canadian...haha). Norway was the opposite of the USA. It requested to add environmental responsibility and several other important sustainable development points into the document. 

The climate change conference was posponed till tomorrow morning as delegates needed more time. I am looking forward to attending this meeting, and especially seeing what the USA has to say about climate change.

 Peace out!

 Bob Ma