Sweden speaking for the Euroepan Union and the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Montenegro and Serbia as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Armenia align themselves with this statement Mr. Jakob Ström, Counsellor with the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the UN said to the UN General Assembly
"With appreciation for the G77 proposal, the EU values a High-level Event on Sustainable Development in 2012 as an opportunity to make further progress on the mainstreaming of sustainability policies that foster green economy and reduce poverty. For an event to be meaningful there has to be broad agreement in this Assembly on how it can complement already ongoing processes in the field of sustainable development and be planned so as not to divert resources from or negatively affect them. The EU looks forward to engage actively in the forthcoming discussions on developing the content and agenda of the HLESD. We are very much encouraged by the quality of the debate held in this Committee last week on green growth."
It is vital to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This is the essence of sustainable development, from health and education for individuals to trade or biosafety regimes at the global level. The EU believes that promoting and integrating economic, social and environmental strategies is a core UN system function. We have 40 years of multilateral effort and experience to build on since Sweden proposed the first UN conference on the human environment. A new era could now be in the making, ushering an ecoefficient economy and an equitable development model.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Australia welcomes chance to discuss new Summit
In a statement by Annette Ellis the Parliamentary Advisor to the Australian Mission to the UN, Annette said:
"We welcome the opportunity to discuss a possible high level event on sustainable development in 2012, and look forward to hearing the views of others on this proposal."
"We welcome the opportunity to discuss a possible high level event on sustainable development in 2012, and look forward to hearing the views of others on this proposal."
Pakistan Backs Rio + 20
In the statement by Dr Asad Khan Minister of Pakistan to the UN concernign Rio+20 he said:
"Clearly the challenge of sustainable development has become far too acute and big for any country to tackle. The UN undoubtedly, has a central role to play in this regard, particularly in advancing the global sustainable development to meet new and emerging challenges in an increasingly globalized world.
The need for an integrated and coordinated response to arrest, reduce and rverse the negative trends is, therefore, vital. In this regard we look forward to an early decision on convening a world summit on sustainable development in 2012 in Rio, Brazil to carry out a comprehensive review of the implementation of Sustainable Development Agenda since Stockholm and to delineate a roadmap for future actions to effectively deal with new and emerging sustainable development challenges."
"Clearly the challenge of sustainable development has become far too acute and big for any country to tackle. The UN undoubtedly, has a central role to play in this regard, particularly in advancing the global sustainable development to meet new and emerging challenges in an increasingly globalized world.
The need for an integrated and coordinated response to arrest, reduce and rverse the negative trends is, therefore, vital. In this regard we look forward to an early decision on convening a world summit on sustainable development in 2012 in Rio, Brazil to carry out a comprehensive review of the implementation of Sustainable Development Agenda since Stockholm and to delineate a roadmap for future actions to effectively deal with new and emerging sustainable development challenges."
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Norway endorse Rio+20
Lastly, we have on our agenda a proposal to convene a high-level event on sustainable development in 2012. We are all aware what such an event takes of time and resources. Still, events of this nature are sometimes required when we are faced with new global challenges.
If we agree on the need for a new high-level event, it is crucial that its agenda is forward-looking and focused. It should in no way overlap with or undermine the work of neither CSD nor other intergovernmental bodies.
What pressing issues of a political nature may require heads of state and government to gather in order to find common solutions to common challenges? Two topics that have been suggested are green economy and water. Both represent important challenges that are not properly dealt with in existing international fora, and deserve serious consideration.
A third proposal concerns reform of the International Environmental Governance system (IEG). This is not a new topic. The challenges faced by today’s system are well known. They include fragmentation, overlap, lack of coherence, multiple and costly adminstrative entities, combined with insufficient funding for environment and sustainable development action. The need for reform is obvious, but our ability to act has so far been inadequate. The outcome of the current Belgrade process initiated by the UNEP Governing Council may give an indication of whether there is sufficient political will and enough momentum to take the process further. If so, a high-level event may be the right forum.
If we agree on the need for a new high-level event, it is crucial that its agenda is forward-looking and focused. It should in no way overlap with or undermine the work of neither CSD nor other intergovernmental bodies.
What pressing issues of a political nature may require heads of state and government to gather in order to find common solutions to common challenges? Two topics that have been suggested are green economy and water. Both represent important challenges that are not properly dealt with in existing international fora, and deserve serious consideration.
A third proposal concerns reform of the International Environmental Governance system (IEG). This is not a new topic. The challenges faced by today’s system are well known. They include fragmentation, overlap, lack of coherence, multiple and costly adminstrative entities, combined with insufficient funding for environment and sustainable development action. The need for reform is obvious, but our ability to act has so far been inadequate. The outcome of the current Belgrade process initiated by the UNEP Governing Council may give an indication of whether there is sufficient political will and enough momentum to take the process further. If so, a high-level event may be the right forum.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
India backs Rio+20
In its statement to the UN Committee Two India backs the Summit. It said:
"The need for sustainable development has perhaps never been felt as strongly as it is being felt today. The multiple inter-linked crisis that we face today necessarily need an integrated approach to sustainable development, with emphasis on all its three pillars of economic development, social development and environmental protection. This is key to achieving our devlopment goals, particularly that of eradicating poverty and hunger.
We agree with the views expressed in the report of the Secretary General that Agenda 21 was truly an attempt to bring diverse agendas together. It is important that we continue to strive for full implementation of this important consensus as well as its Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
In this regard we also support the holding of a "Rio+20" event in Brazil in 2012 to comprehensively reveiw progress made in implementing the sustainable developmentagenda."
"The need for sustainable development has perhaps never been felt as strongly as it is being felt today. The multiple inter-linked crisis that we face today necessarily need an integrated approach to sustainable development, with emphasis on all its three pillars of economic development, social development and environmental protection. This is key to achieving our devlopment goals, particularly that of eradicating poverty and hunger.
We agree with the views expressed in the report of the Secretary General that Agenda 21 was truly an attempt to bring diverse agendas together. It is important that we continue to strive for full implementation of this important consensus as well as its Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
In this regard we also support the holding of a "Rio+20" event in Brazil in 2012 to comprehensively reveiw progress made in implementing the sustainable developmentagenda."
Switzerland backs the Summit
In Committee 2 of the UN General Assembly the Government of Switzerland backs Rio+20:
"A new high level event on sustainable development - 40 years after Stockholm, 20 years after Rio and 10 years after Johannesburg - could offer a welcome opportunity to give new impetus to common approaches and solutions for addressing pressing ecological, economic and social challenges. To make sure that such an event is a success, a clear and shared vision of the scope and the expected outcomes will be needed, and a solid and constructive prepration process will have to be put into place.
With regard to the scope, we believe that such an event could serve the following purposes:
+ to assess teh implementation of the outcomes of the former major conferences in the area of sustanble development;
+ to identify and addtress existing gaps in the international regime with regard to the environmental, economic and social challenges which have not yet received the attention they merit and;
+ to critically assess the existing governance structures with regard to environment and sustainable development and make proposals to improve the coherence, effectiveness and efficency of governance in each of the three pillars of sustainable development."
The preparatory process will be decisive for the potntial success of a 2012 high level event. It must be adequately fine-tuned to the scope and expected outcomes of the event, transparent and inclusive. In our view, the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) is not the appropriate preparatory body for the high-level event. The CSD already has an established multi-year work programme. With regard to the outcome, the 2012 high level event would have to be set up in such a way as to enable it to achieve a far reaching declaration targeted on specific key subjects strenthening effectiveness, coherence and innovation of sustainable development worldwide.
"A new high level event on sustainable development - 40 years after Stockholm, 20 years after Rio and 10 years after Johannesburg - could offer a welcome opportunity to give new impetus to common approaches and solutions for addressing pressing ecological, economic and social challenges. To make sure that such an event is a success, a clear and shared vision of the scope and the expected outcomes will be needed, and a solid and constructive prepration process will have to be put into place.
With regard to the scope, we believe that such an event could serve the following purposes:
+ to assess teh implementation of the outcomes of the former major conferences in the area of sustanble development;
+ to identify and addtress existing gaps in the international regime with regard to the environmental, economic and social challenges which have not yet received the attention they merit and;
+ to critically assess the existing governance structures with regard to environment and sustainable development and make proposals to improve the coherence, effectiveness and efficency of governance in each of the three pillars of sustainable development."
The preparatory process will be decisive for the potntial success of a 2012 high level event. It must be adequately fine-tuned to the scope and expected outcomes of the event, transparent and inclusive. In our view, the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) is not the appropriate preparatory body for the high-level event. The CSD already has an established multi-year work programme. With regard to the outcome, the 2012 high level event would have to be set up in such a way as to enable it to achieve a far reaching declaration targeted on specific key subjects strenthening effectiveness, coherence and innovation of sustainable development worldwide.
US still not supporting Rio+20
The following is the US statement to the Second Committee of the UN GA on a possible Rio+20:
"There has been substantial discussion of a possible “Rio+20” conference on sustainable development. We welcome continued work towards sustainable development and discussion on this particular topic. However, we continue to have questions on the necessity of such a conference. We already have a large number of agreements governing our ongoing sustainable development efforts; we must ensure that another meeting does not detract valuable attention from these priorities. Also, we must consider whether a high-level meeting is the most effective use of limited resources. Above all, we advocate continuing progress towards existing commitments and spending resources on actions that directly produce results."
"There has been substantial discussion of a possible “Rio+20” conference on sustainable development. We welcome continued work towards sustainable development and discussion on this particular topic. However, we continue to have questions on the necessity of such a conference. We already have a large number of agreements governing our ongoing sustainable development efforts; we must ensure that another meeting does not detract valuable attention from these priorities. Also, we must consider whether a high-level meeting is the most effective use of limited resources. Above all, we advocate continuing progress towards existing commitments and spending resources on actions that directly produce results."
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