A BRIEF REPORT ON THE PROCESS LEADING TO

WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (WSSD)

By Lawrence Correa, dated 12/15/01

“Shall we dare to ask the question – how sustainable is a world which promotes the strident and unabated leaps of development of some parts of the world, and which perpetuate and, even exacerbate, the underdevelopment and accompany poverty and disease in other parts of the world?” Thus spoke Mr. Mohammed Valli Moosa, the environment and tourism minister of the summit’s host country, South Africa, in a leading article, ‘Towards Earth Summit 2002’, on the occasion of the first PrepCom held in New York, at UN Headquarters, from 30^th April to 2 May, 2001.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development (also known as Rio + 10), will be a summit gathering from 2 - 11 September, 2002, in Johannesburg, South Africa, of world governments, concerned citizens, United Nations agencies, multilateral financial institutions and other major actors to assess global change since the historic United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), of 1992. In Johannesburg the world will take a critical look back at UNCED, and aim to arrive at a comprehensive, frank and useful review of the past ten years.

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the "Earth Summit," was held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 3 - 14 June, 1992 on the 20th anniversary of the first international Conference on the Human Environment, (Stockholm, 1972). This conference was the culmination of the understanding of the world community that environmental protection and natural resources management must be integrated with socio-economic issues of poverty and underdevelopment. The conference was able to see how various social, economic and environmental factors are interdependent, and affect one another. Simultaneously, a ‘Global NGO Forum’ was held which was attended by an unprecedented number of NGO representatives outlining a vision for the future of the environmental and socio-economic developmental state of the world.

The three important documents adopted by more than 178 Governments at the Rio Conference were: 1. Agenda 21: A Comprehensive Plan of Action; 2. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; 3. The Statement of Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests.

Among the key aspects of Agenda 21 are the chapters dealing with the role of major groups: women, youth, indigenous peoples, NGOs, business and industry, workers and trade unions, science and technology, farmers and local authorities. Agenda 21 is the first UN document to extensively address the role of different stakeholders in the implementation of a global agreement.

The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created in December 1992, to ensure an effective follow-up of UNCED, and to monitor and report on implementation of the agreements at the local, national, regional and international levels. The 55^th General Assembly session of the United Nations decided in December 2000, that the CSD would serve as the central organizing body for Rio+10.

The upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development will aim to answer the following questions, among others: What has been accomplished since 1992? What have the participating countries done so far to implement Agenda 21? Have they adopted the National Sustainable Development Strategies as they agreed they would by 2002? Have they ratified the conventions that aim to prevent loss of biodiversity or ensure women's rights as they agreed to do in 1992? What obstacles have they encountered? What lessons have they learned about what works and what does not? And what new factors have emerged to change the picture? What mid-course corrections need to be made to reach the goals? Where should further efforts be concentrated?

(The relevant documents and websites can be found in the section ‘Sustainable Development’ on VI’s homepage: www.vivatinternational.org)

Certain progress has been made since the Rio conference in putting the principles of sustainable development into action, but there is much more that need to be done. Rio+10 will have to address certain other realities that were either not been addressed at that time or have emerged recently. One is the impact of globalization, and the other is the impact of terrorism on the efforts towards sustainable development. The Heinrich Boell Foundation and UNED Forum invited NGOs to participate in an online forum to address a few important questions:

-Will the shock of September 11 create a new climate of international co-operation between North and South, East and West, thus creating a fertile ground for a new, ‘global deal’?

-Will the terrorist attacks shift media attention, and priorities of governments away from the issues of poverty, environmental degradation and globalization that are the center of the Johannesburg agenda?

-Does the Johannesburg agenda need a re-framing, for example in terms of (environmental) security, or the provision of global common goods, peace being one of them?

-How can civil society, engaged in the preparations towards Johannesburg 2002, react to the new developments? What are the strategies to make the World Summit a success under these new circumstances?

In fact, the terrorist attack on September 11 is having an impact on the dates of the World Summit. The General Assembly is considering a proposal to change the dates to from August 26 to September 4, 2002, so that the last day of the conference does not coincide with the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

However, the issue of terrorism should not divert us from other serious problems the world is facing today. "One is tempted to say that we must now focus all our energies on the struggle against terrorism, and on directly related issues. Yet, if we should do so, we will be giving the terrorists a victory of a kind. Let us remember that none of the issues that faced us on 10 September has become less urgent. The number of people living on less than one dollar a day has not decreased. The numbers dying of HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other preventable diseases have not decreased. The factors that cause the desert to advance, biodiversity to be lost, and the Earth's atmosphere to warm have not decreased." UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the UN General Assembly on November 10.

In recent months, African leaders have committed themselves to “A New African Initiative’, in order to eradicate poverty and to place their countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development. They have declared that they will no longer allow themselves to be conditioned by circumstance. Africans will determine their own destiny and call on the rest of the world to complement their efforts. (www.vivatinternational.org, WSSD and beyond) It is hoped that this initiative gets attention during this summit.

The Process leading to the Summit:

Commission on Sustainable Development is acting as the preparatory committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The summit will be preceded by regional preparatory committee meetings (PrepComs) in all regions of the world in the summer and fall of 2001. These will be coordinated by The UN’s Regional Economic Commissions, the regional offices of UN Environment Programme, the UN Development Programme Regional Bureau and the CSD Secretariat.

There will be also Preparatory Committee Meetings (PrepComs) at the international level, i.e., at the UN headquarters, in 2001 and 2002.

Preparatory Committee I (PrepCom I) was held in New York, UN Headquarters, from 30^th April to 2 May, 2001.

Preparatory Committee II (PrepCom II): New York, UN Headquarters, 28 January to 8 February, 2002

Preparatory Committee III (PrepCom III): New York, UN Headquarters, 25 March to 5 April, 2002

Preparatory Committee IV (PrepCom IV): Jakarta, Indonesia, 27 May to 7 June, 2002

World Summit on Sustainable Development: Johannesburg, South Africa, 2-11, September 2002

By its resolution 2001/PC/1, the Preparatory Committee encouraged further participation of the NGOs in the PrepComs and the Summit in Johannesburg. Keeping this in mind, the secretariat of the Summit has invited the non-accredited organizations to apply for accreditation to the PrepComs and the Summit. Vivat International has applied.

Vivat International’s Contribution to the Sustainable Development Process:

Being aware that sustainable development is a significant factor of the integrity of creation, Vivat International has given great importance to the process leading to the World Summit. Lawrence Correa has been representing VI in the PrepComs, workshops and meetings connected with the issue of sustainable development. He has done so with the belief that many of our members are involved in activities and programs promoting sustainable development. The positions he would like to take in the discussions and in statements to the PrepCom and the final Summit at Johannesburg become stronger and credible if they are based on the reports, experiences, analysis and comments of the members of VIVAT International in the field. You are therefore highly encouraged to send them to him (to his e-mail address: larry@vivatinternational.org).