Songs and...

To script

 

"Ode to the UN ECE"
(to the tune of Yellow Submarine)
This song is a thank to Wiek Schrage, Sofie Flensborg and Ana Maria Jimenez de Aberasturi,
for their hard work in the UN ECE Secretariat in supporting the negotiations.
 

In the Palais, where countries speak
Lives Sofie, Ana Marie and Wiek
And their job is to assist
Delegations through the mist
Of negotiating text
For whatever Convention
Comes up next

We all live in the UN ECE
Wiek, Sofie and Ana-Marie,
Wiek, Sofie and Ana-Marie
We all live in the UN ECE Wiek,
Sophy and Ana-Marie, Wiek,
Sofie and Ana-Marie

Then one day, they had a shock
A new Convention was on the block
Rights to know and rights to sue
There was helluva lot of work to do Faxing this and copying that
What a drag for the Secretariat

We all live in the UN ECE
Wiek, Sofie and Ana-Marie, Wiek,
Sofie and Ana-Marie
We all live in the UN ECE Wiek,
Sofie and Ana-Marie, Wiek, Sofie and Ana-Marie

And now as we approach the end Soon there'll be no more reports to send
No more drafts from the NGOs
No more listening to all their woes
Free at last to go our ways
After all the tedious days

We all live in the UN ECE
Wiek, Sofie and Ana-Marie, Wiek,
Sofie and Ana-Marie
We all live in the UN ECE Wiek,
Sofie and Ana-Marie, Wiek,
Sofie and Ana-Marie

 

We all live in the UN ECE
Wiek, Sofie and Ana-Marie, Wiek, Sofie and Ana-Marie
We all live in the UN ECE Wiek,
Sofie and Ana-Marie, Wiek, Sofie and Ana-Marie

 

"Ode to the Plenary"
(to the tune of 'The Drunken Sailor')

This is a sideways look at the current state of play in the negotiations from the point of view of the Plenary, focusing in on the Chairman
(Mr. Wilhelm Kakebeeke)'s and the host Denmark (Mr. Veit Koeste)'s primary concern - to get a Convention signed!!!

 

Will we finish this bloody Convention?
Will we finish this bloody Convention?
Will we finish this bloody Convention?
We haven't got much time left
Aarhus is around the corner;
Aarhus is around the corner,
Aarhus is around the corner-----
So Wilhelm and Veit are nervous

Right to know and right to sue
And right to a healthy environment too
And other Ministries to woo
And NGOs won't stop talking
Aarhus is around the corner,
Aarhus is around the corner,
Aarhus is around the corner-----
So Wilhelm and Veit are nervous

But Wilhelm has a cunning plan
Chairing sessions like a very strict man
Doing everything he can
To get a new Convention
Sleepless nights and panic attacks,
Sleepless nights and panic attacks, Sleepless nights and panic attacks-----
'Cos Wilhelm and Veit are nervous

Chop down the Christmas tree
No participation in policy
Leave it all till the next century
And the Ministers will be happy
Annexes or anorexia,
Annexes or anorexia
Annexes or anorexia-----
Wilhelm and Veit are nervous

So we will have to wait and see
If it's an effective policy
Or is it a programme or a strategy?
We'll have to have a definition
Aarhus is around the corner, Aarhus is around the corner, Aarhus is around the corner-----
So Wilhelm and Veit are nervous

 

And when the final deed is done And there's no more negotiating fun
Citizens can reflect in the dying sun
And ask themselves this question

Rights to know and rights to sue And a right to a healthy environment too
Are they there for me and you?

 

 

The Battle Hymn of the NGOs
(to the tune of John Brown's Body)

The NGOs' musical attempt to keep their spirits up in the midst of rational despair!!!

 

Off we go to the new Convention
Full of hope and energy
All we want are small improvements What we find's hypocrisy
For big business, greed and power
Need the lies of diplomacy
For their evil to prevail

All we seek is recognition
That we have a role to play
And that the whole world will not cave in If citizens can have their say

Then there's hope with the new proposal A healthy environment is our right
But then come the usual suspects
So there's going to be a fight
Maybe it's tough to tar all countries
With the same obstructive brush
But the truth it must be heard

All we seek is recognition.....

Optimism of the spirit
Pessimism of the thought
Are the lessons from the sessions
Of the battles we have fought
But we will keep on going
Till our voices have been heard
And democracy is born

All we seek is recognition.....

 

So we'll wait for the final session
Will we go to Arhus or not?
Should we all have made the effort?
In the end, what will we have got?
Only time holds the answer
Only Fate can give us the score-----
But at least we've made it to Roma, thanks to Francesco for ever more

Grazie mille Francesco caro
Grazie mille Francesco caro
Grazie mille Francesco caro
Siamo felice di essere a Roma, grazie mille Francesco

 

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