SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HOLDS DIALOGUE WITH CIVIC GROUPS; STRENGTHENED INVOLVEMENT IN IMPLEMENTING JOHANNESBURG GOALS STRESSED

Commission on Sustainable Development

Eleventh Session

AM & PM Meetings

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HOLDS DIALOGUE WITH CIVIC GROUPS; STRENGTHENED

INVOLVEMENT IN IMPLEMENTING JOHANNESBURG GOALS STRESSED

Current talks on the future direction of the Commission on Sustainable Development overemphasized environment at the expense of other pillars of sustainable development and failed to offer concrete suggestions for civil society’s involvement, a trade union representative said this morning during a multi-stakeholder dialogue on the Commission’s future work programme.

Speakers had spent more time reaffirming the goals of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation than comprehensively evaluating proposals on the table to coordinate and implement those aims, she said.  More discourse was needed on partnerships for key policies.  Ministers should also address the Commission’s role in influencing the current deadlock on developmental issues in trade talks, as well as the issue of how war undermined multilateral processes, hindered development, and harmed the environment.

Participants this morning included representatives of major civic groups
-- trade unions, business, women, youth, farmers, indigenous people, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, and science and technology -- all addressing ways in which the Commission could better aid implementation of the Plan adopted last year at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, and in particular the way in which their own role in that could be strengthened.

At the afternoon session, the Chairman, Valli Moosa (South Africa), introduced two draft decisions -– one on the future organization of its work, and another on the status of non-governmental organizations and other major groups accredited to the Johannesburg Summit.  

A representative of business and industry told the Commission the resource needs to push the Johannesburg Plan forward were daunting.  Indeed, businesses welcomed partnerships with the public sector in capacity-building and technological and scientific innovation to create jobs, improve management systems and spread wealth.  She hoped the Commission would encourage more partnerships in the future.  The Commission should also address ways to stimulate innovation through competition in the marketplace, open market access for developing countries, and inform consumers in those countries of choices of products and services.

The representative of the women’s group lamented the lack of a women’s rights framework in the Commission’s work.  Gender indicators for reporting and monitoring implementation of the Johannesburg Summit’s outcomes should be

established.  Gender-balanced policies should guide the Commission’s work in water, energy, poverty eradication, HIV/AIDS and trade, among other issues.  She called for creation of a global focal point on gender issues by next year and a report on gender monitoring by 2004.

Similarly, the youth group representative expressed a desire for a greater voice for his constituency in Commission forums and processes.  In 2000, young people between the ages of 15 and 24 accounted for 18 per cent of the global population.  Four official youth delegates had been sent to participate in Commission forums.  However, youth’s input, thus far, had had little impact on decision-making.  Nations must work to build national and local youth councils and integrate youth’s insights into policies.  Doing so would not only educate them on the youth target market, but also help advance the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. 

The farmers’ representative agreed with the minister’s priorities on water and energy for future discussions, and proposed that consumers be invited to future dialogues.  He stressed that the Commission’s strength was interlinkages.  For example, water contributed to reducing hunger, and was also essential to reaching the Johannesburg target on sanitation and drinking water.  There was a need to consult scientists on better drip irrigation technology and to forge stronger links with international water management institutions.  Future talks should address water’s relationship to ecosystems, hunger and sanitation, he said.

A representative of indigenous peoples said respect for land rights, transparency and good faith should be the guiding principles of partnerships.  The Commission must fully engage and adequately fund indigenous groups at all levels of monitoring and implementation, since such involvement was critical for biodiversity protection.  Moreover, future programmes should review the impoverishing effects of poor water management and overdevelopment on indigenous communities.

The local authorities representative also raised concerns over development, particularly in mega-cities, where integrated water resource management was crucial to sustainable development.  Poor public transport infrastructure, and inadequate housing, sanitation and health infrastructure were a leading cause of pollution in urban metropolises.  Stronger local authorities were needed to manage urban development without destroying natural resources.  The Commission should play a greater role in streamlining guidelines for development. 

The representative of non-governmental organizations joined the speaker for indigenous rights in calling for a rights-based approach in the Commission’s future work.  He added that consumers needed a greater voice, particularly regarding consumption and production.  Non-governmental organizations had been a driving force behind Commission programmes for some time, attending Commission meetings to explain obstacles and shed light on how to overcome them.  However, that was translated into Commission jargon and labelled in ways considered irrelevant to people on the ground.  That must change.

A representative of the scientific and technological community stressed the importance of scientific counsel in the Commission’s future work, as noted in the Secretary-General’s report.  Science and technology partners had the capacity to provide independent and authoritative advice, for example, summaries of best

available knowledge.  He supported the Commission’s focus on water and energy, but suggested expanding that focus to include sustainable production and consumption.

When the floor was opened to Commission members, several speakers urged the Commission to expand current major groups to include the elderly, the disabled, the media, educators, and consumers.  A group representing the elderly, India’s representative noted, would help the Commission with future ageing issues, while the media reflected and even sometimes created public opinion.

Commission Chairman, Mr. Moosa (South Africa) observed that none of the major groups had referred to the disabled, suggesting that a separate category was needed.  Noting that half a billion people worldwide were disabled, Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, stressed that including them underscored the notion of equality of opportunity and capacity.

Other speakers highlighted the importance of stakeholder networks at the national, regional and international levels.  Networks of scientists, the representative of the United States said, would be immensely valuable in expanding knowledge on sustainability.  Saint Lucia’s representative pointed out that small countries lacked large science communities, and regional offices were needed to link up with scientific communities worldwide.

Representatives also noted that poorer countries had financial difficulties bringing major groups together and sending them to major functions.  As a result, representation of major groups from developed and poorer countries was uneven, and the international community should help in addressing that imbalance.

Speakers in the dialogue included representatives of the Netherlands, Egypt, Australia, Hungary, South Africa, Japan, Senegal, Finland, Sweden, Brazil, Greece, Belgium, Czech Republic, Republic of Korea, Jordan, Iran, Austria, Canada and Barbados.

In addition, representatives of the European Commission and the World Conservation Union spoke.

The Commission will meet again at a time to be announced.

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