The participation of civil society in COP15 is in question as the UN announced that the numbers of NGOs able to access the Bella centre will be severely restricted as the second week of the COP 15 conference proceeds.
The President of the COP 15, Connie Hedegaard, told NGO delegates that she wanted civil society to keep up the pressure on politicians, but then had to acknowledge it would be hard for that to be achieved if the NGO delegates were unable to access the conference centre.
There are now estimated to be around 25,000 NGOs in Copenhagen trying to get into the Bella Centre. NGOs are the Non Governmental Organizations – Business, Trade Unions, Environmental Groups, and Research Institutes amongst others.
On top of this there are 5,000 registered press delegates and 10,000 registered as government delegates, who are being given priority.
The Bella Centre itself can only admit 15,000 people
On Monday 10,000 people, the ones who have arrived to attend this week’s second part of the conference, have been waiting to be registered. Some delegates have been queuing since 8am and are now being told, six hours later, that registration has been closed for today and has been sent back to their hotels.
Today and Wednesday less than a third of the NGO delegates will be let in, on Thursday this will be reduced to 1000, just 4% of those wanting to get in. By Friday, maybe only 90 NGOs will be allowed in at all. The 15,000 limit of the Bella Centre will almost entirely be taken up by Government delegations and the Press.
These restrictions are likely to serious disrupt the civil society activities being held this week. Those with exhibition stands in the second week of the conference face having to take them down again on Wednesday barely halfway into their allotted time. Those with 'sidebar' presentation events will struggle to get their speakers into the conference centre and find there is no audience for them.
These reductions in NGO numbers will likely not be noticed too much by government delegates at the meeting. The conference centre will remain full and negotiations are ongoing. It has to be wondered how so many government delegates can be actively involved in the negotiation process.
With some irony, the first heads of state delegates arriving today are being greeted by heavy snowfalls.