Closing Plenary Of The Prep.Com.

The Prep.Com. has finished today at 5:30 p.m., and it cannot be said that it had a happy end, as a document approved in its whole could not be achieved.  Many of the paragraphs are between parenthesis and others weren't even discussed. The reason for this was the slow advance of the discussion, caused in particular by the G77 +China. A political Statement was reached, with the abstention of only 2 countries. A closed intersectional session will be held on April 20 in New York with the missions of the countries in order to continue the negotiations. In the final session each block of countries expressed their good disposition towards dialogue and negotiation, so as to have a complete document before the Special Session in June. Among the different participations in this final plenary, the following ones can be mentioned:

• The European Union referred to the work and contribution of the NGOs in this Prep.Com. They also pointed out the free participation of the NGOs and supported several complaints for aggression from various groups that have not respected the different opinions. This was well received by the feminists, as it was referred indirectly to the conservative groups, which had had aggressive attitudes towards many colleagues from the various NGOs or from the official delegations.
• The G77+China, despite the problems in this process, was satisfied with the political Statement, and expressed that it is willing to keep on negotiating.
• The group of the JUSCANZ, speaking for Canada, thanked the president of the Preparatory Commission for her work in this process. In the speech it was expressed that, despite the dissatisfaction because of the low grade of advance achieved in this Prep.Com., they were willing to keep on negotiating and dialoguing. The group also supported what the European Union said about the participation of the NGOs.
• Mexico, for its part, trusts the political will of the rest of the countries to advance in the negotiations and requested, in this sense, to make a greater effort.

LATIN AMERICAN CAUCUS

The colleagues from the official delegations shared their perceptions about what was foreseen, that is to say, to be able to finish the negotiations and have a final document. From the section IV (Further actions and initiatives...), the group from the G77+China arrived to the paragraph 56, point k, which was not approved.

When measuring the advances of this past two weeks, we find only 6 paragraphs approved, and most of them between parenthesis. The group discussing sections II III and I arrived to paragraph 30, the issue of family bringing the discussion to a standstill. The commission, in charge of elaborating the Statement of the Caucus for the governments participating in the Preparatory Conference, handed in the statement already corrected and it was put to the vote and approved by the persons present in this Caucus.