IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION EXCHANGE CITED IN HIGH-LEVEL MEETING OF COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Press Release
ENV/DEV/476
IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION EXCHANGE CITED IN HIGH-LEVEL MEETING OF COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
19980430 The need to exchange national experience and information on sustainable development was among the issues stressed this morning, as the Commission on Sustainable Development continued its high-level segment.The exchange of views during the Commission's high-level segment was of common benefit in areas such as access to fresh water, pollution control and sanitation, the Secretary of State of Hungary said. Calling for a task force to improve communications strategies, she said there should be greater public awareness of the Commission's work.
The Environment Minister of the Czech Republic said his country had launched a programme of official development assistance (ODA) to transfer knowledge, exchange experts and promote communication. He also stressed the importance of indicators, calling them an essential tool for realistic implementation of sustainable development.
Australia's Environment Minister said nations should ensure that there was a proper information base before intervening in the capture of natural water sources. His country had made costly and harmful mistakes in its freshwater management because of a lack of sound information on eco- efficiency. Priority should be given to preserving natural ecosystems, he said.
A number of speakers supported the idea of charging users a market price for fresh water as a way to recover costs. The Advisor on Science, Technology and Environment to the President of Guyana, however, said the proposal failed to address the socio-economic realities of developing countries, calling for more attention to meeting developed countries' ODA commitments.
On the role of industry, the Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and Science of the United States said that voluntary partnerships and initiatives could be particularly valuable in identifying and promoting the best practices. Respect for core labour standards, freedom of association, the right to bargain collectively, prohibition of forced and child labour and non-discrimination in employment were essential for sustainable development, she said.
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Statements were also made by Ministers from Austria, Ireland, Greece, Morocco, Germany, Gabon and Benin, as well as by the State Secretary of Switzerland and the representatives of Slovenia, Iraq, Finland and Kenya. Representatives of the European Commission and of the World Council of Churches also spoke.
The Commission will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its high- level segment.
Commission Work Programme
The Commission on Sustainable Development met this morning to continue its high-level segment. (For background, see Press Release ENV/DEV/474 of 29 April.) The Commission was established following the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held at Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Agenda 21, the Conference's action programme, stressed the importance of international cooperation for sustainable development.
Statements
MARTIN BARTENSTEIN, Federal Minister for the Environment of Austria, said the momentum of sustainable development was continuing this year. Determining the pricing of fresh water was a first priority, because water had to be made available to all people of the world. The statistics made that clear, with 25,000 people dying every year from drinking polluted water. Austria was lucky with its high quality and quantity of water, and it had always invested in keeping that resource clean. Over the past 10 years, it had reduced the level of unsatisfactory river water from 15 to 2 per cent.
Industry was part of the sustainable development problem, but it was a bigger part of the solution, he said. In the past century, labour productivity had increased a hundredfold, and resource productivity could increase just as quickly. Austria would host a trade fair on a concept for doubling resource productivity which would demonstrate the profitability of sustainable development to industry.
At the United Nations, that same demonstration was occurring through discussions with the stakeholders, he said. Sustainable development would come about by communicating the message about the economic, social and political aspects of sustainable development to all stakeholders, including employers, unions and nongovernmental organizations. The theme of sustainable tourism was also most important and timely.
MARTIN BURSIK, Minister of the Environment of the Czech Republic, said his country had hosted an international workshop on indicators of sustainable development earlier in the year. Indicators were an essential tool for realistic implementation of sustainable development. The report of the workshop had been distributed and would play an important part in implementation of the Commission work programme regarding indicators, which would be tested by more than 20 volunteer countries.
As a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), his country had changed from a recipient to a donor country, he said. It had launched a programme of official development assistance (ODA) to transfer knowledge, exchange experts and promote communication between people -- such as through its funding of a project by the United Nations
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Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to promote cleaner production in Croatia. It was also actively negotiating for full membership in the European Union and was ready to sign the Kyoto Protocol on reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
NOEL DEMPSEY, Minister for the Environment and Local Government of Ireland, said that in order to secure a safe and reliable supply of water, increased funding must be secured. However, the mechanisms for such financing should not jeopardize the basic human right to water. Countries should retain the right to decide the manner in which costs would be covered.
He said that Ireland's development cooperation policy involved a commitment to support the intrinsic human right of access to the basics of life. That applied in particular to clean, safe water, and 11 per cent of Ireland's bilateral aid programme resources were devoted to the provision of water and sanitation. Its ODA expenditure had tripled since 1992.
Industry and business must adopt a proactive approach to integrating sustainable development considerations in their activities, he said. Many voluntary instruments supported industry in making the right environmental choices. Large transnational companies had mostly contributed to the spread of good environmental practices, but small businesses needed technical advice and support to facilitate cooperation with partners, to share in the use of new clean technology products and to build subcontracting arrangements.
FRANC STEINMAN (Slovenia) said that intensified cooperation and participation at the international, regional and subregional levels was basic to the creation of successful sustainable development policies. It was also essential for the transfer of technology, the monitoring of environmental standards and the enforcement of efficiency.
The main concerns with respect to freshwater management were achieving a balance between demand and water protection, and ensuring the good status of the aquatic environment, he said. An integrated water management programme recognized the role of ecosystems as users, providers and regulators of freshwater resources. Stress must also be put on the active participation of the local users, non-governmental organizations and the public in the preparation and implementation of policies for using and protecting resources.
MELINDA KIMBLE, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and Science of the United States, said that fresh water was essential to sustainable development and to life. It had economic, social and environmental values which were inextricably linked to other discussions on development taking place around the world. Agenda 21 was adequate to meet goals and it did not need to be renegotiated.
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All Governments must address water issues, she said. The United States had announced its clean water action plan, which aimed at restoring and protecting its waters. It promoted cooperation between the various economic sectors and civil society, as well as partnerships between federal and local agencies. It went beyond regulatory requirements to encourage locally determined voluntary actions to meet and even exceed local and national targets. Agenda 21 was the blueprint for the United States' approach.
Addressing the role of industry, she said that voluntary partnerships and initiatives could be particularly valuable in identifying and promoting the best practices. Another key element of the responsible entrepreneurship which formed part of the foundation for sustainable development was adherence to core labour standards. Freedom of association, the right to bargain collectively, prohibition of forced and child labour, and non-discrimination in employment were fundamental human rights and were essential for sustainable development.
THEODOROS KOLIOPANOS, Vice-Minister for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works of Greece, said his country, which had one third of the coastline of the Mediterranean basin and nearly 3,000 islands, had fully recognized the need for careful water management. Freshwater availability in Greece was subject to seasonal fluctuations, and in summer, water could be scarce. Special attention should be given to the protection of aquifers from seawater intrusion and to the effective control of marine pollution.
His country was developing a national master plan for surface, underground and coastal waters based on an integrated approach, he said. Pricing of water was one of the tools being applied. Social needs and problems were also taken into consideration, especially in Greece's vast agricultural sector. Close cooperation was needed at international and regional levels to ensure the efficient use of water by different partners on the basis of common responsibility.
He said that Greece had signed and actively participated in the elaboration of a number of bilateral and multilateral agreements that reinforced cooperation with neighbouring countries, benefiting not only agriculture and industry, but also tourism. The time had come for immediate action. "We must not leave the main burden of unresolved environmental questions to the younger generations, the true stakeholders of the future of sustainable development."
AHMED IRAQI, Secretary of the Environment of Morocco, said the main concerns of developing countries were addressed by the Commission. Water was a basic source of life. Threats to water must be reduced, and it must be available to all. The structural inadequacy of meeting the water demand worldwide was obvious. Demand was increasing but water reserves were being exhausted.
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He said Morocco had taken a global approach to the water cycle in its semi-arid environment. Goals for irrigation and water supply had been met. Technical structures, along with new policies and regulations, also served to increase availability. The process relied on participative management and dialogue, with industrialization playing a major role. The combination of regulations and economic incentives was still being worked out.
Forums such as the Commission were important for the exchange of information, he said. The format of its current session should be continued in future. They must result in defining precise programmes for action, then setting up the machinery and financing to implement them. For sustainable development, citizens needed to see their lives improve. Those capable of effecting real change must be involved in the process.
ROBERT HILL, Minister for the Environment of Australia, said the Kyoto Protocol was a critical part of the sustainable development debate. All nations had a responsibility to decrease emissions and reduce dependency on fossil fuels. However, the Protocol was just one step along a longer road of international challenges with respect to climate change and air quality.
He said that Australia was in the driest inhabited continent in the world, with the least river water and the smallest area of permanent wetlands. Its water management measures in the past had not been based on sound information on eco-efficiency and so had proven to be costly and harmful.
Nations should ensure that there was a proper information base before intervening in the capture of natural water sources, he went on to say. Rather than simply taking water to meet national needs while hoping the remaining water would be sufficient for the natural system, policies should aim first at protecting the natural system. Water must be properly valued to ensure that it was put to the best social and economic use.
ERHARD JAUCK, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany, called for specific and action-oriented decisions to rekindle the Rio process. This morning, Germany had confirmed its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by signing the Kyoto Protocol. In September 1998, it would sign the Prior Informed Consent Convention on the trade in hazardous chemicals. By offering to host the Convention's secretariat, Germany was demonstrating its willingness to live up to its responsibilities as a major chemical producer and exporter.
He said it was necessary to increase the synergy between the struggle against poverty and the quest for sustainable consumption and production patterns. Economic, ecological and social needs must be reconciled. An integrated approach was needed, which would include cost-covering prices for water, at least in the medium term; greater private sector involvement and the
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encouragement of public-private partnerships in capacity-building; action at the national level; and the improvement of regional cooperation. Germany was currently providing funding for water projects with a total value of DM 7 billion.
Industry must be a partner on the road to sustainable development, he said. Strategies involving the private sector could include complementing the regulatory framework with voluntary technical cooperation efforts by industry; the use of environmental management systems, which produced both economic and ecological benefits; and voluntary commitments, which proved that industry could make additional efforts. The continuing advance of globalization required an ecological framework for the world economy. The question of whether minimum environmental standards at the regional and international levels could be an answer to the challenge of globalization must be examined.
PASCAL NDZEMBA, High Commissioner in the Ministry of Planning, Environment and Tourism of Gabon, speaking on behalf of countries using French as a common language, said that population growth, rapid urbanization, industrialization and irrigation needs were resulting in water being removed to the point where water tables and reservoirs were declining to critically low levels.
He said that measures for proper water management should integrate all aspects of development, management and protection of water resources. They should seek to meet essential public needs; promote equitable, efficient water distribution among the various users; protect ecosystems; and maintain the water cycle. There was also a need for improved knowledge and information on water management, and for better partnerships among all stakeholders.
The Commission should issue clear directives to improve the effectiveness of international cooperation regarding water. Such measures should include enhancing inter-agency coordination within the United Nations system; establishing mechanisms and procedures to allow the Commission to follow-up regularly on issues; reaffirming the role of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP); and promoting improved cooperation between donors countries and recipients.
JAMES CURRIE, Director General of Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection of the European Commission, said that cooperation between all partners -- including government, business, non-governmental organizations and trade unions -- was absolutely essential to achieve sustainable industrial policies and practice. The European Commission, together with industry, was taking a series of actions to bring about much greater eco-innovation and eco- efficiency.
All nations must use the world's scarce resources ever more efficiently and bring a mutual will to bear on making both production and consumption much
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more sustainable than at present, he said. A review of voluntary initiatives involving all interested parties, as was suggested during the Commission's industry segment last week, was a good idea. The Commission would be happy to contribute to future discussions on the idea.
SAHIDOU DANGO-NADEY, Minister of Environment, Housing and Urbanization of Benin, said his country had actively participated in programmes and meetings for merging environmental issues with economic and social development. It had also taken many actions at the national level, including the establishment in 1994 of a centre which tied environmental concerns with the social and economic aspects of life. Established with assistance by the Netherlands, it addressed issues concerning the wetlands and flora, and involved stakeholders and beneficiaries from business-people to educators.
He said Benin approached its water resources from an integrated management perspective. A component of that was a village water programme. Even so, a drop in the water level, produced by a drought, had created a breakdown in electric supply. Other countries in the region had also been affected. Furthermore, business pollution was affecting aquifers, and all those countries were trying to develop new methods of addressing the overall water problem.
During the Commission's present session, there was much constructive dialogue between governments and civil society, he said. The dialogue revealed that the international community had taken many actions for sustainable development. It was time to implement those actions in the field, by taking social aspects into account in water management, with industry heavily involved through technology transfers.
FRANZ BLANKART, State Secretary of Switzerland, said the issue of freshwater supply would represent a major challenge in coming decades. A further reduction of clean water resources in many regions was expected, as a result of population growth combined with the increasing use of natural resources entailed in economic development, as well as the alteration of natural ecosystems, forests and wetlands.
Switzerland had acquired experience in managing water resources in mountain areas, which were particularly important for freshwater supply, he said. They were also particularly vulnerable. Action should be oriented towards prevention, which better reflected the definition of sustainability in the long-term, and which was more cost-effective. The UNEP should play a greater role.
He said that people in many countries were alarmed by the globalization of trade. If action was not taken by developing countries to introduce social and environmental rights, public opinion in developed countries might move their governments to protectionism. In order for industry to become a key
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actor in implementing sustainable principles, governments must create the necessary framework conditions. Fiscal policies must also be reformed. A current reform in Switzerland aimed at taxing the use of non-renewable resources instead of taxing labour.
NAVINDRANAUTH CHANDARPAL, Advisor on Science, Technology and Environment to the President of Guyana, said the proposal to introduce charges for water use failed to address the socio-economic realities of developing countries. More attention should be paid to the developed countries' failure to meet the commitment to allocate 0.7 per cent of their gross national product to support sustainable development.
He said his country needed to conduct studies to determine the real water situation with respect to its aquifers and groundwater. Considerable investment was also needed to extend water supply further into rural areas and to replace the rapidly depreciating infrastructure in urban centres. Guyana must decide how to fund improvements, and that might mean taking funds away from education and health.
While the Commission had recognized poverty reduction as a priority issue in water management, recognition must be translated into action, he said. Such action should include paying attention to the special problems of small island developing States, which were in particular need of support in financing, technology transfer and training.
KATALIN SZILI, Secretary of State of Hungary, said she supported the Commission's inter-sessional work and that her country had an integrated approach to sustainable development. Exchanging views during the high-level segment was of common benefit in areas such as access to fresh water, pollution control and sanitation. Not enough attention was given to the cross-sectoral components of those issues. Hungary's own experience showed that without adequate management, problems such as waste water would grow faster.
Many items on the Commission's agenda had not been addressed deeply enough, she said. The discussion of fresh water should also consider the appropriate balance between various uses of water, such as for agriculture and eco-systems. The pricing for those uses must be considered. Environmental damage left behind by companies should be part of the pricing issue. Governments spent vast resources for rehabilitating damaged areas, but the costs should be divided on a user and polluter basis. Those costs should be shared by corporations. Clarity about degrees of responsibility was the best basis for cooperation.
The important public awareness component of sustainable development had not been discussed, she said. There should be more public awareness of the
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Commission's work. Hungary called for a task force to find ways and means of improving communication strategies.
NAJY ALI HARAJ (Iraq) said special attention should be paid to the problems of water sources that were shared by one or more countries. The building of dams and other projects in one country could often effect water flow in another. Such projects could also increase the pollution in freshwater sources. Rules for use of international waterways were a matter of international law, which provide for their equitable and reasonable use. Nevertheless, governments and private businesses helped finance water projects around the world despite objections of countries which shared the water source.
On the proposal to charge a market price for water, he said the United Nations must oppose all calls to turn water into an economic commodity. Water was the main element of life on the planet. It could not be assessed with a cost that might place a heavy financial burden on people. Iraq had taken a number of steps for sustainable freshwater use. Those plans, however, had been obstructed by huge dams and other projects built in other countries and by an international blockade that had severely hindered various development plans within the country.
ILKKA RISTIMAKI (Finland) said the supply of clean drinking water, although essential, was only one of the areas which needed to be increasingly addressed. In future, Finland needed to put more emphasis on resource assessment and water legislation. She said that voluntary initiatives by businesses were important, but they should be seen as supplementary to a proper regulatory framework. Public authorities defined the minimum level of performance for industrial sites through the use of permits.
With respect to development cooperation, Finland supported building up the capacities of developing counties to deal with environmental issues, she said. That included strengthening their environmental administrations and training future civil servants in the field of environment.
ROSLYN ODERA (Kenya) said her country had made substantial efforts in creating a conducive environment for investment in Kenya. At the macroeconomic level, the Government had designed a favourable policy and regulatory framework to promote a competitive market environment. Measures supportive of regional and international economic integration had also been put in place, and Kenya participated in various economic organizations. All those measures were intended to further the objectives of sustainable development, and national investment could be augmented by the international community.
Effective planning for integrated water resource development required accurate data and information, she said. It required the creation of public
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awareness about sustainable water use and management. It required help with such debilitating factors as uneven distribution of freshwater resources, rapid population growth and escalating service delivery costs. Many of Kenya's neighbours needed help in meeting those conditions.
CARMEN YAMBERLA, of the World Council of Churches, said the Council's focus on a sustainable community led it to a serious critique of the current trend towards economic globalization. That trend involved a concentration of power in the hands of a minority, an increasing gap between the rich and the poor, regional and global threats to the environment and a weakening of political institutions.
She said the move towards economic globalization and deregulation, trends which were strongly supported by most corporations, undermined public channels to ensure the accountability of corporations. She was unconvinced by the trickle-down theory that efficient economic activity would benefit all.
Realizing the need for a code of conduct in the global operations of companies, member churches of the Council in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States had developed a draft code for corporations, entitled "Principles for Global Corporate Responsibility -- Benchmarks for Measuring Business Performance". The principles covered such areas as corporate responsibility related to ecosystems, national communities, employees, shareholders, customers, suppliers and contractors. They were also translated into criteria for implementation, with measurable benchmarks for independent verification.
Water symbolized the spiritual essence in all religions, that which was sacred, she said. In the Christian tradition, the water of baptism was a powerful image of unity, as well as a sign of equality in God's reign. In many debates on sustainable development, water was called merely an "economic good". The use of that concept was ambiguous, and therefore troubling. The term "good" could denote a commodity or a virtue. Access to water should be recognized as a fundamental human right.
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