Are we talking about climate change or are we talking about sustainable development?

Last time I checked, we were talking about both — but that apparently is the debate here at the UN Meeting on Climate Change (COP17).

In a special dialogue on climate change, hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, the “UN must continue to deliver as one.’ I wonder what he would have said last week when Ms. Figueres responded to a question regarding access to sexual and reproductive health information and services as an issue that her “other” UN colleagues should handle, because it's not a “relevant” issue here at COP17.

If only Ms. Figueres attended the COP17 side event, “Implementing the Cancun Adaptation Framework: vulnerability, changing populations and human mobility” hosted by researchers, advocates and various agencies of the United Nations. She would have understood that climate and variability already affect human lives and livelihoods, health, wellbeing and security, and will continue to affect the ways that these contribute to vulnerability, challenging people’s capacity to adapt to climate change. She would also understand that, at the same time, those countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts are also the ones experiencing the most significant changes to their population.  

Population, climate change and sustainable development are intrinsically interlinked and this is why Advocates for Youth is pushing for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to prioritize and elevate sexual and reproductive health and rights at COP17.
We must also recognize that globally, the world is much more mobile because of climate change and this can be positive, but also has put strains on sustainable development including the strengthening of public health systems.

The impacts of changing climatic conditions, coupled with factors such as environmental degradation, extreme weather events, population growth, rapid urbanization, weak governance and tenure challenges, have led to increased competition over scarce natural resources-most notably fertile land and water-and resulted in tensions and conflicts between communities and livelihood groups. In addition, the relocation, migration, displacement and urbanization among populations directly impacts communities’ access to sexual and reproductive health information and services.

We shouldn't be wasting our time debating on whether we're negotiating on climate change, sustainable development, or the "global business plan," as Ms. Figueres described it--but the the holistic lives of individuals and communities, and our right to a just, sustainable and equitable world for us all, whoever or wherever we are on this planet.