Events convened on Thursday, 6 June 2002

Launch of the Capacity 2015 Initiative
Presented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 

Left to right: Alberto Umaña, UNDP; Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Tebtebba Foundation; Kaoru Ishikawa, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Hassan Wirajuda, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia; Princess Basma bint Talal of Jordan; and Mark Malloch Brown, UNDP.

Alvaro Umaña introduced Capacity 2015, a programme built on the success of Capacity 21 with the goal of developing local-level capacities in developing countries and countries in transition to implement Agenda 21 and the Millennium Development Goals.

Hassan Wirajuda, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, welcomed Capacity 2015 and its focus on partnerships at the local level, and highlighted the particualr importance of human, institutional and information technology capacity building.

Princess Basma bint Talal of Jordan commended Capacity 2015's effective and innovative approach to enabling sustainable development and bridging the gaps between North and South and the global and local levels. She said its focus on local communities' needs and knowledge demonstrates the recognition that sustainable development should be internally supported rather than externally imposed by donors, and stressed that indigenous peoples and youth will be the main beneficiaries of Capacity 2015.

Mark Malloch Brown, UNDP, said Capacity 2015 aims to link global aspirations for sustainable development and actions at the local level, and to transfer technologies and skills in a way that strengthens communities' capacities. He emphasized that the Millennium Development Goals should become a central focus of the WSSD outcomes, and stressed the need for clear indicators to measure progress in their implementation and for visionary and bold Type II partnerships.

Mark Moody-Stuart, Business Action for Sustainable Development, stated that communities' lack of capacity to express their needs is an important concern for international companies in developing projects. He welcomed Capacity 2015 to help build such capacity, which will enable business entities to engage in more constructive cooperation with local communities.

Fevzi Aytekin, Minister of Environment of Turkey, presented a video demonstrating how Turkey is embarking on Capacity 2015, building on successful partnerships created by Capacity 21. He stressed the need to maintain the momentum created by Capacity 21 and strengthen partnerships and synergies at the local and global levels to ensure the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Kaoru Ishikawa, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that Japan is reorienting its development assistance toward the "software" aspects of assistance, particularly education, gender and conflict prevention. He said local communities empowered by hope and by capacity building are the main protagonists in achieving sustainable development.

Hans Peter Schipulle, German Ministry of Development Cooperation, stated that continued implementation of Agenda 21 requires, inter alia, assistance in creating partnerships and multi-stakeholder dialogues, and reformulation of national sustainable development strategies to incorporate poverty reduction goals, and recommended that Capacity 2015 complement poverty reduction efforts.

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Tebtebba Foundation, highlighted recognition of the right of indigenous and local peoples to decide how development will take place in their communities as a precondition for sustainable development. She underscored the need to ensure that indigenous peoples have the capacity to protect and assert their rights, and that their rights are not eroded or contradicted by countries' obligations under the WTO, IMF or other international frameworks.

More information: http://www.undp.org/dpa/pressrelease/releases/2002/june/06jun02.html

Contact: Alvaro Umaña <alvaro.umana@undp.org> Princess Basma bint Talal <pbo@nic.net.jo> Mark Moody-Stuart <markmoodystuart@undp.org> Hans-Peter Schipulle <shipull@bhz.bund.de> Victoria Tauli-Corpuz <vco@skyinet.net>

Chinese Environment Minister Xie Zhenhua (right) accepts the Global Environment Leadership Award from Mohamed El-Ashry, CEO and Chair of the GEF.

At this event, Mohamed El-Ashry, CEO and Chair of the GEF, presented the 2002 Global Environment Leadership Award. He explained that the award recognizes an individual, group or organization from government, the private sector or the NGO community for leadership or international actions over a sustained period to protect the global environment.

El-Ashry presented this year's award jointly to Chinese Environment Minister Xie Zhenhua and Madam Jiang Zehui. El-Ashry explained that Xie was being recognized for his long-standing leadership in environmental protection and sustainable development, as exemplified by his role in bringing China into compliance with the Montreal Protocol well ahead of the schedule established by the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer. El-Ashry lauded Jiang's role as an important leader in forestry, as demonstrated by her development of an "Ecology First" ideology and her advocacy for the establishment of a national forestry action plan that supports sustainable development.

Xie accepted his award as "an encouragement to Chinese environmentalists," and highlighted Chinese measures to protect the environment, including restructuring industries, strengthening environmental regulation, and raising public awareness.

A representative of Jiang accepted the Leadership Award on her behalf, commending the concern shown by the GEF and the international community for China's forestry development, and the technical and financial support they have provided.

El-Ashry then presented a special award honoring Maurice Strong as a Champion of the Global Environment. El-Ashry drew attention to Strong's outstanding services in every area of the global environment, including the creation and promotion of the Earth Charter and his role in establishing the Earth Council.

In accepting this award, Strong acknowledged the personal significance of receiving the award and observed that the WSSD could have a "decisive influence" on the transition to a sustainable future.

More information: http://www.gefweb.org

Contact: Hutton Archer <harcher@worldbank.org>

Nabiel Makarim, Indonesian State Minister for Environment, and Børge Brende, Norwegian Minister of Environment, highlight the success of the ten-year history of environmental cooperation between Norway and Indonesia.

This event launched a public-private partnership for poverty eradication through integrated marine and coastal zone management between Indonesia and Norway.

Nabiel Makarim, Indonesian State Minister for Environment, noted that the primary aim of the partnership initiative is to alleviate poverty in coastal communities, with a focus on fostering sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in local communities, because fishermen are among the poorest people in Indonesia.

Børge Brende, Norwegian Minister of Environment, explained that the main objectives of the partnership are to: contribute to economically beneficial activities and sustainable development in aquaculture and fisheries in the region; strengthen institutional cooperation and capacity building in integrated costal zone management; facilitate the mutual transfer of knowledge in marine science and technology; and integrate the ecosystem approach into fish farming and aquaculture. He expressed hope that the partnership would make concrete contributions to the field of sustainable aquaculture and fisheries and to local fishing communities.

Sumyaryo Sumiskum, Indonesian Fishermen's Organization, highlighted challenges for the sustainable exploitation of fishery resources posed by globalization, population growth and the associated increase in demand for protein, and government decentralization in Indonesia. He underscored the importance of developing aquaculture and commercial production to support the livelihoods of fishing communities in Indonesia.

Ingvald Løyning, Marine Harvest, outlined the success and benefits of salmon farming in Norway, including significant export revenue, job creation in remote areas, and financial gains to enable investment in farming of other species. He highlighted extensive efforts to ensure the sustainability of salmon farming, including algal bloom warning systems, fish vaccination, disease control measures, and use of fallow times, but flagged escapees as an ongoing problem.

Discussion: In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed, inter alia: the resource intensity of aquaculture in Norway and the environmental impacts of its importation of fish oil and fish meal; threats to wild salmon and the marine environment caused by salmon farming; and how Norway will contribute to integrated coastal zone management and help improve the welfare of fishermen in Indonesia.

Karen Perry and Susan West Marmagas, PSR.

Karen Perry, PSR, introduced this event, which entailed an informal discussion on issues of environmental health and sustainable development. She stressed the importance of partnerships, and outlined environmental health references in the Draft Plan of Implementation for the WSSD.

Susan West Marmagas, PSR, highlighted the particular vulnerability of children to environmental hazards, and expressed interest in establishing partnerships to build on the work of the World Health Organization and others on environmental and health indicators for children.

Discussion: Participants discussed, inter alia: priorities and possible partnerships on environmental health issues; the need to develop health indicators to measure political as well as programme-related progress; the economic benefits of improved health at both individual and aggregate levels; water and sanitation issues; barriers to inter-sectoral integration of health issues; linkages between energy and health; and the public health benefits of unleaded gasoline.
 

More information: http://www.psr.org/enviro.htm

Contact: Karen Perry <kperry@psr.org> Susan West Marmagas <swest@psr.org>

Maurice Strong, Earth Council, explains that the vast expansion of economic activities that transform the earth's natural wealth into monetary assets undermines our future, and stresses the need to promote "sophisticated modesty" as a way to improve the quality of life while minimizing individual contributions to environmental degradation.

Jan Pronk, UN Special Envoy to the WSSD, stressed the need to base political actions for sustainable development on a sound ethical framework, and called on the WSSD to welcome the Earth Charter, and on individual governments to endorse it.

Juan Mayr, Minister of Environment of Colombia, said targets and priorities for action should be based on a clear ethical framework. Underlining the crucial importance of including ethical issues in international negotiations, he affirmed his commitment to advocating for an ethical paragraph in all negotiations.

Maurice Strong, Earth Council, observed that little action has been taken toward sustainable development despite a common understanding that current economic activities undermine the wealth and future of the earth and despite the existence of means to change this situation. He attributed this lack of action to the erosion of an ethical base for action, and stressed the need for an ethical framework built on common elements of different religious and ethical systems. He stated that the Earth Charter represents such a framework, and recommended that governments recognize it as an instrument to guide people's behavior with respect to the earth and each other.

Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan, Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, stressed that the Earth Charter's greatest strength lies in a consensus on fundamental ethical values that respond to the needs of both developing and developed countries. She expressed hope that the WSSD would recognize the Earth Charter and civil society's contributions to it. She recommended that governments, inter alia: express moral and political support for the Earth Charter; use the Charter as an educational instrument to sensitize the public to the ethical dimensions of sustainable development; and consider supporting the Earth Charter in their statements at the WSSD. She outlined Jordan's efforts to promote the Earth Charter, highlighting its potential to reinstate the values of peace, tolerance and non-violence in the Middle East.
 

More information: http://www.earthcharter.org

Contact: Princess Basma Bint Talal <pbo@nic.net.jo> The Earth Council <info@earthcharter.org>

Eveline Herfkens, Minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, stresses the critical need to achieve the ICPD goal of universal access to reproductive health services, and emphasized that reproductive health is not only a matter of health but also one of education.

Eveline Herfkens, Minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, emphasized that the linkages between population and the environment are manifested in both population growth and poverty in developing countries as well as unsustainable consumption patterns in developed countries. She stressed the need for policies to ensure that all people, particularly poor women in developing countries, have options and the ability to make choices about their families and sexuality, including by expanding access to reproductive health services.
Listen to Herfkens's presentation

Klaus T�pfer, UNEP Executive Director, highlighted the implications of a world population of 7.9 billion in 2025 for people's living conditions and the earth's carrying capacity. He emphasized the need to address: ageing and negative population growth in developed countries; the disproportionate increase in populations in the world's poorest and most ecologically sensitive areas; immigration in developed countries; and the problem of "brain drain" from developing countries. Noting the disproportionate increase in populations in urban areas, he stressed the need to ensure that efforts to make urbanization sustainable are given priority on the WSSD agenda.
Listen to T�pfer's presentation

Mona Makram-Ebeid, American University in Cairo, noted that women's concerns are inadequately addressed in decision making, and that financial and trade policies are gender blind and result in serious economic costs to society due to the continuing gender gap in education and the limited number of women in decision-making positions. She said realizing sustainable development will require, inter alia: more sustainable production and consumption patterns; the incorporation of gender perspectives into all stages of the policy process; a shift from viewing women as a target group to recognizing gender equality as a development goal in the work of the UN; and fulfillment of people's basic needs through investments in health and education.

Mayling Oey-Gardiner, University of Indonesia, noted that despite increased awareness of the linkages between population and the environment and women's crucial role in achieving sustainable development, many challenges remain, including: conflicts in developing countries between meeting people's livelihood needs and seeking to promote economic growth with limited resources; displacement and poverty due to environmental degradation; unsustainable consumption patterns in wealthy countries; the gender gap in education; and under-representation of women in political office.
 

More information: http://www.unfpa.org

Contact: Mona Makram-Ebeid <mmakbeid@aucegypt.edu> Mayling Oey-Gardiner <insanhs@indo.net.id>

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) on the side is a special publication of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Editor of ENB on the side is Kira Schmidt kira@iisd.org.This issue has been written by Tamilla Held tamilla@iisd.org, Jenny Mandel jenny@iisd.org and Kira Schmidt kira@iisd.org. The Digital Editors are Andrei Henry andrei@iisd.org, Leila Mead leila@iisd.org, and Diego Noguera diego@iisd.org. Funding for publication of ENB on the Side at PC-IV is provided by UNDP. The opinions expressed in ENB on the Side are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IISD and funders. Excerpts from ENB on the Side may be used in non-commercial publications only and only with appropriate academic citation. For permission to use this material in commercial publications, contact the Managing Editor at kimo@iisd.org. Electronic versions of issues of ENB on the Side from WSSD PC-IV can be found on the Linkages website at http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/2002/pc4/enbots/.

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