On 2 September 2002, the Washington Post commented that “to protect the world’s resources, governments need to step forward: they must hammer out international agreements that protect the forests and fisheries and atmosphere.” The editorial went on to assert that any prior failures or dormant initiatives set a “post-Johannesburg challenge” to the United Nations and its partners.
Already in 2003, the Commission on Sustainable Development discussed partnership initiatives on the basis of proposals contained in the Secretary-General’s report on the follow-up to the 2002 World Summit. That report called for enhanced cooperation between the UN and all relevant parties, in particular the private sector. Partnerships between the UN and the non-State sector to meet sustainability initiatives began to play an increasingly important role (see YUN 2003, p. 835).
Through regular reviews of Agenda 21 activities and other implementation plans, a broad examination of key issues surrounding sustainable development took place. In 2005, the Economic and Social Council considered how globalization and interdependence, created by market reforms and openness, had made integration into the world economy imperative, particularly for developing countries. This was crucial for the achievement of poverty eradication—and hence sustainable development—since economic growth in developing countries would allow them to tackle issues of social equity and environmental sustainability (see YUN 2005, pp. 910–922).
The 2005 Yearbook of the United Nations sets forth the challenges faced (p. 910): “To achieve poverty eradication and sustainable development, institutions were needed that could put developing countries on the path to economic growth and mediate the goals of social equity and environmental sustainability. Making globalization work for all required the reshaping of rules governing trade, finance and technology transfer; and giving developing countries a more effective voice and the means to participate in making the global decisions that affected them.”
In 2007, the Commission on Sustainable Development’s implementation cycle included work on the issues of energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution/atmosphere and climate change. That year, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon drew a positive balance with regard to Agenda 21: “To expedite implementation, Governments and other stakeholders developed a strategic focus for sustainable development, adopted sustainable development principles to guide sector-specific plans, took an integrated and holistic approach, and ensured broad practical focus on specific measures and corresponding criteria” (YUN 2007, p. 842). As the 2007 Yearbook documents, the General Assembly took action reaffirming that eradicating poverty, changing unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development were overarching objectives of and essential requirements for sustainable development.
Preparing for Rio+20
Over the past several months, United Nations Public Information Officer Vikram Sura worked as part of the Rio+20 team in the Department of Public Information’s Development Section. For Vikram, the most rewarding aspect of his work on Rio+20 has been “watching Member States and civil society interact, debate and consider each other’s views on what must emerge from Rio+20, with the knowledge that it is colleagues in the UN who have to create the opportunity and enable an atmosphere to cooperate.” He adds that “getting the UN system to speak in one voice on sustainability proves challenging,” but “any and all obstacles can be overcome with leadership, leadership and more leadership.” Looking forward, the key objectives for Rio+20 are to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, and assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in implementing Agenda 21 and relating goals. In this light, and yet on a personal note, Vikram concludes that “the one outcome of Rio+20 that I would really like to see is for individuals and nations to accept responsibility and cooperate.”
