COUNTDOWN: 2 days - An Australian Minister could still make it to this year's United Nations climate summit in Warsaw (November 11-22) if they left now. By arriving on or before November 20, the Minister can be there for the vital closing days. Surely a remarkable, terribly sad plea from the typhoon-devastated Philippines makes this a must-attend for Australia.



'What my country is going through as a result of this extreme climate event is madness. The climate crisis is madness. We can stop this madness.' - Yeb Sano, chief climate negotiator for the Phiiippines, on the opening day of the UN climate summit.

For the first time in over 16 years, the Australian Government will not be sending a Minister to the annual conference for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, this year in Warsaw, Poland.

1 Million Women will be attending, however, to receive the greatest recognition we have ever had with an award from the United Nations, as a women's movement making a real difference on climate change.

As daughters, mothers, sisters and grandmothers who are determined to act on climate change, we regard these international negotiations as the critical intergovernmental process for protecting future generations from catastrophic global warming.

1 Million Women has never been to one of these conferences before. But now three of our team are going to Warsaw as guests of the United Nations.

In October, ahead of the public announcement of our award, 1 Million Women wrote to Australia's Environment Minister, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, and Foreign Minister, the Hon. Julie Bishop MP, asking that one of them honour our Australian movement by attending the awards ceremony in Warsaw - on November 20th, near the end of the summit, when Ministers usually are there to make the hard decisions.

We never imagined Australia not sending a Minister to these global negotiations. If not Mr. Hunt who has responsibility for climate matters, then Ms. Bishop whose department handles international negotiations.

1 Million Women respectfully asks that the Ministers reconsider their decision not to go to Warsaw, which has caused great concern among Australians.

This will show Australians and the world that our nation remains committed at a high political level to real action on climate change.

Our petition is for everyone, women and men.

http://1millionwomen.com.au