Unelected World Future Council? Who Elects Them?

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The World Future Council Here at the World Future Council we endeavor to bring the interests of future generations to the centre of policy making. We inform policy makers about future just policies and advise them on how to implement these. Political solutions for the challenges of our time exist. New Councillors Seven new Councillors were elected at our last Annual General Meeting in November 2011: American actress and environmental activist Daryl Hannah; Minister of Natural and Cultural Heritage from the Republic of Ecuador, María Fernanda Espinosa; Rt. Hon John Gummer, Lord Deben, President of GLOBE International; Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of International Union for Conservation of Nature; Thais Corral, co- founder of the Women, Environment and Development Organization; Ana María Cetto, co-founder of Third World Organization for Women in Science; and Anuradha Mittal, founder of progressive policy think tank Oakland Institute. >> Once a year Our Annual General Meeting From the 4th to 6th of November, our global community of Councillors assembled in Hamburg for the World Future Council’s fifth Annual General Meeting. In themed workshops, Councillors, consulting experts and staff discussed the priorities for the coming year. The constructive weekend-long meeting concluded with the Council’s adoption of the work programme for 2012. It is the diversity of unique personalities that makes our Council so special. This year’s Councillors include Hans-Peter Dürr, nuclear physicist and philosopher; Pauline Tangiora, Maori Elder, and Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Somalia to the United Nations. >> Future Policy Award 2011 And the winners are... Congratulations to Rwanda’s National Forest Policy, initiated in 2004, for winning the 2011 Future Policy Award. The Gambia’s Community Forest Policy and the USA’s Lacey Act with its amendment of 2008 took home the Silver Awards. The three policies in the world which most effectively contribute to the conservation and sustainable development of forests for the benefit of current and future generations were announced at the UN headquarters in New York. >> Wangari Maathai passes away Our Honorary Councillor Wangari Maathai has passed away in Nairobi, Kenya, surrounded by her family. We are deeply shocked and saddened. Her commitment to environmental and human rights will remain an inspiration for us here at the World Future Council to continue fighting for the rights of future generations. >> We Demand the Global Nuclear Phase Out In a joint statement 50 laureates of the Right Livelihood Award and members of the World Future Council demand a global nuclear phase out. “Nuclear power is neither the answer to modern energy problems nor a panacea for climate change challenges. There is no solution of problems by creating more problems,” state the experts, activists, politicians, clergy, entrepreneurs and scientists from 26 countries. Support us on Facebook. World Future Council

News from our Working Groups We develop and spread solutions for: Climate, Energy and Regenerative Cities, Future Justice, Sustainable Ecosystems, Sustainable Economies and Future Finance, Peace and Disarmament. Welcome to the "International Year of Access to Sustainable Energy For All" It’s the year 2012 and still more than 1.6 billion people around the world have no access to electricity. Reason enough for the United Nations to declare 2012 the “International Year of Sustainable Energy for All”. Especially Africa faces big challenges but also great opportunities. 650 million people live without access to energy on the African continent. Find all information about our work in Africa here. UN Biodiversity Chief Signs Memorandum of Understanding with WFC Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Future Council in Hamburg, Germany, in order to establish a framework of cooperation in promoting the implementation of the Convention and its Strategic Plan 2011 to 2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Read the press releasehere. Launch of Nuclear Abolition Forum The WFC has partnered with seven organisations to launch a Nuclear Abolition Forum. The Forum consists of a dedicated website for articles and discussions (www.abolitionforum.org) and a periodicalfocusing on specific issues for achieving and sustaining a world free of nuclear weapons. Read more on the launch here. Events International Conference on Good Policies for Disabled People 22-23.01 Vienna: The WFC will highlight visionary policies for disabled people in partnership with the Essl Foundation and Bank Austria. Eight Good Policies have been selected by the Scientific Advisory Board to be presented and discussed with 200 international decision-makers in the field of disability policy.  >> Climate Finance & Carbon Markets Africa 24-25.01 Johannesburg: Ansgar Kiene, Director WFC Africa Liaison Office, will speak about African climate finance at "Climate Finance & Carbon Markets Africa". The international conference will break down the key outcomes of COP 17 and what they mean for Africa.  >>