Publisher : ASEAN Secretariat
Place of publication :
Publication year : 2002
Thematic : Capacity Building
Language : English
Note
A decade ago, at the Earth Summit in Rio, we witnessed a historic moment in fostering global partnership for sustainable development. The event was symbolic, not only in giving new meaning to sustainable development – linking economic growth, social development ad environmental protection; it also paved the way for concrete actions contained in Agenda 21, through effective collaboration among the developed and developing nations as articulated by the Rio Resolutions. Much more could have been accomplished if the spirit of Rio had been faithfully upheld. Ten years after Rio, the environment has deteriorated, natural resources have been depleted on a larger scale, poverty has increased, social and health conditions have been degraded, the poor nations have become poorer even as the rich nations have become richer. The prospect for a sustainable future has become bleaker after the promise of Rio. However, the ten years has taught us some valuable lessons. For one, we need to discard the business-as-usual mentality. The environment will not take care of itself. It does not have a chance against the onslaught of unsustainable trade practices, human over-consumption and production, a growing population, and environmentally unsound technologies and practices. Two, the linkage among economic growth, social development and environmental protection is real and should be addressed in a holistic manner. In this respect, ASEAN, unlike any other region in the world, has felt the full impact of these factors over the last decade. Until the late 90’s, ASEAN member countries experienced rapid economic growth, led by industrialization and export-led growth. Poverty levels were reduced, and less pressure was exerted on the natural resources. The financial crisis of 1997-98 reversed that beneficent trend and set back the gains achieved. Poverty increased, social and political unrest ensued, driving away business and investor confidence. The economic and social gloom was compounded by the severe forest fires of 1997-1998 in the region, which, apart from its environmental dimension, drove away tourists and curtailed other economic activities. Third, resolutions, principles, declarations need to be translated into concrete programs and implemented. The political will has to be exerted to provide the means for implementation in terms of technology, finance and other capacity requirements. Based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, the haves and the bigger consumers and polluters should look upon this as a win-win situation. It is not just a moral obligation anymore. Unless environmental costs are internalized, through trade, pricing, etc., developed countries have an obligation to provide the necessary means to developing countries to conserve the environment for the common good. It is in this vital aspect that the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) has to take up the challenge as a matter of priority. The Rio Resolutions and Agenda 21 have established principles, strategies and action plans for sustainable development. They are valid today as they were ten years ago. What is needed is the successful implementation of those commitments. Since Rio, declarations, targets and commitments have been made at various fora, including the Millennium Declaration, the Monterrey Declaration on Financing for Development, WTO negotiations, in particular the Doha Declaration, United Nations Forum on Forests, and the annual CSD meetings. WSSD cannot and should not renegotiate the declarations and commitments made at these specialized sectoral fora. On the other hand, WSSD provides a unique opportunity to pull together all these sectoral resolutions to provide the impetus for holistic, action-oriented implementation measures for real progress towards sustainable development. The ASEAN Report to the World Summit on Sustainable Development is presented partly in order to assist the WSSD to set in place targeted, time-bound, practical and implementable actions for achieving specific sustainable development goals. In particular, the report emphasizes the use of regional governance mechanisms and regional goals and plans as a vehicle to implement these efforts at the national and regional levels. ASEAN believes that in setting up the sustainable development framework, WSSD should draw upon the lessons, experiences, institutional settings, mechanisms, realities and dynamics of regional inter-governmental frameworks. This report offers that for the Southeast Asian region. It is within this framework that this report highlights ASEAN’s challenges in realizing sustainable development, its efforts in addressing these challenges and its commitments to a sustainable Southeast Asia. The report also outlines key priority program areas for which ASEAN invites partnerships and collaboration for implementation in the region. The report concludes with recommendations that the WSSD could adopt to facilitate the achievement
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Keywords : Risk Management
Encoded by : Mae Belen Llanza
