| United Nations | E/CN.17/1994/13 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
21 April 1994
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Second session
16-27 May 1994
Item 8 of the provisional agenda*
HIGH-LEVEL MEETING
Report of the High-level Advisory Board on Sustainable
Development on its second session, New York,
17-22 March 1994
________________________
* E/CN.17/1994/1.
CONTENTS
Chapter Paragraphs
PREFACE ....................................................1 - 6
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................7 - 17
II. LINKAGES BETWEEN ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL
DEVELOPMENT IN A CHANGING WORLD ......................18 - 46
A. General considerations ........................... 18 - 27
B. Need for new approaches .......................... 28 - 35
C. Recommendations .................................. 36 - 46
III. NEW APPROACHES TO FINANCE AND TECHNOLOGY .............47 - 70
A. General considerations ........................... 47 - 52
B. Need for new approaches .......................... 53 - 65
C. Recommendations .................................. 66 - 70
IV. ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE UNITED
NATIONS AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES ................71 - 103
A. General considerations ........................... 71 - 75
B. Need for new approaches .......................... 76 - 97
C. Recommendations .................................. 98 -
103
V. ARRANGEMENTS FOR FUTURE WORK .........................104 - 108
A. Linkages between economic, social and political
development in a changing world .................. 105
B. Capacity-building: value-based education for
sustainability ................................... 106
C. Concrete ways of forging alliances ............... 107 - 108
VI. ORGANIZATION OF THE SESSION ..........................109 - 113
Annexes
I. QUESTIONNAIRE ON PARTNERSHIP .....................................
II. AGENDA ...........................................................
III. REPORT OF THE HIGH-LEVEL ADVISORY BOARD ON SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT ON ITS FIRST SESSION .....................................
Appendix. TERMS OF REFERENCE ....................................
IV. CURRICULA VITAE ..................................................
PREFACE
1. The High-level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development was
appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in July 1993
and held its first session in New York on 13 and 14 September 1993.
The terms of reference of the Board are in the appendix to annex III
below. The names and curricula vitae of the members are in annex IV.
2. At its first meeting the Board decided to focus its initial effort
on three broad themes:
(a) Linkages between economic, social and political development in
a changing world;
(b) New approaches to finance and technology;
(c) Establishment of new partnerships between the United Nations
system and other bodies active in the field of sustainable
development.
3. The Board established panels of its members to carry forward work
on those themes between its first and second sessions. The panels
reported to the Board at its second session in New York on 21 and 22
March 1994. Chapters II, III and IV of the present report are based on
their work.
4. The members of the High-level Advisory Board wish to emphasize
that this, their first substantive report, is not comprehensive. A
deliberate effort has been made to be selective within the broad
themes identified and to avoid duplicating the very large volume of
work in progress elsewhere, including that in preparation for the
sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development. The Board has
developed a series of comments and propositions, which it now puts
forward for consideration.
5. The Board emphasizes that the main theme that runs through these
pages is the need for new linkages. They need to run from global
through regional and national to subnational institutions. They need
to link government to the world of business, industry and commerce, in
partnership for technology transfer and cooperation. They need to
link the institutions of the United Nations system to one another and
to non-governmental entities in the world of science, environment,
sustainable development, humanitarian relief, business, industry and
commerce, labour, and many other sectors of society.
6. In its advisory capacity, the Board will, of course, give priority
to topics on which the Secretary-General asks for advice. It will be
forward-looking, seeking to identify the issues that will be important
to the United Nations in the future and providing suggestions as to
how they may be addressed. As the Secretary-General has requested,
its members will take on a promotional role, building understanding of
the immensely diverse work of the United Nations system and seeking to
forge new alliances between the United Nations, the specialized
agencies and groups outside the system.
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
7. This first report of the High-level Advisory Board on Sustainable
Development focuses on linkages. Since peace, development and
environmental protection are inseparable, sustainable development will
be achieved only if government, the business world, industry, labour,
science, and environmental, human rights and citizen's groups work
together. New alliances are also needed at the international level,
especially between the United Nations and its specialized agencies and
a wide range of other bodies.
8. Social, environmental and economic changes are driving societies
at an ever-increasing rate towards an uncertain future. Universal
information and the emergence of supra-national groupings are
rendering national frontiers porous, while within States, demands for
devolution to the local level impose other stresses. New approaches
to governance, law, and economic and social development are essential.
New linkages are needed between economic, social and political
processes.
9. The United Nations system needs to promote such linkages in its
own machinery. Joint meetings of the Bureaux of its various
intergovernmental bodies might be one means of facilitating
cooperation. International lawyers might be invited to identify areas
where international legislation is most urgently needed and to propose
appropriate machinery for the settlement of disputes. The annual
report of the Secretary-General might specifically address two or
three emerging issues and the linkages between them, and those issues
could create a focus for the High-level Segment of the General
Assembly, which might also include informal, interactive panel
sessions.
10. Governments and international organizations have much to
contribute. There is need to reach early agreement on an appropriate,
comprehensive and balanced set of indicators of sustainable
development and to use them to monitor progress. Governments should
also examine how to apply general principles like the "polluter pays
principle" in national and international regulations, taking steps to
ensure that where such action threatens to add to the burdens of the
poor, compensatory mechanisms are adopted. Transferable development
rights, international commodity-related environmental agreements, and
tradeable emission permits are other technical instruments whose value
and application should be considered. And where changes in
environmental or social circumstances cause international movements of
people, new policies to deal with them in a fair, expeditious and
efficient way should be developed.
11. New approaches to finance and technology are also needed. The
primary role of the governmental and intergovernmental communities is
to create a framework of conditions which facilitate the development
and adoption of environmentally sound technology and ensure that
markets are guided towards solutions which are both socially and
environmentally appropriate. Governments should create conditions in
which business can flourish, because technology transfer and
cooperation between enterprises work best under such conditions.
12. If the right mix of regulation and economic incentives is provided
by Governments, expenditure on controlling environmental pollution
should reduce overall costs to the countries concerned. Foreign
investments should help improve environmental quality in the recipient
countries. International minimum environmental standards should be
developed by cooperation between Governments, multilateral
organizations, business and non-governmental organizations.
13. Sustainable development may demand investment which is paid back
only over a long time scale. Its finance may require new and
innovative partnerships between Governments, international financial
institutions and the business sector. Such partnerships require
changes in attitudes and procedures among all the partners concerned.
And Governments need to continue to provide official development
assistance for technology transfer and cooperation, even if investment
by the business sector is stimulated.
14. New partnerships are also needed between the United Nations system
and other bodies active in the field of sustainable development.
Partnerships, in this sense, are relationships which help both
partners to advance their missions. Non-governmental entities
(including local authorities, labour and business organizations,
scientific, economic, humanitarian and environmental bodies and
citizens' groups) have the potential to contribute much expertise and
can greatly assist in the work of Governments and the United Nations
system.
15. At the national level, Governments can greatly enhance their own
ability to achieve sustainable development and contribute to United
Nations activity by developing partnerships with their own
non-governmental communities. Direct links between non-governmental
entities and the secretariats of the United Nations and the
specialized agencies could greatly assist the latter in their work.
Consultative forums between United Nations bodies and non-governmental
entities, and especially coalitions with particular expertise, should
be considered. The United Nations should enhance its capacity to
build such partnerships with non-governmental entities and to reflect
their views in its documents. These matters should be considered by
the working group reviewing the relationships between the United
Nations and non-governmental entities, defined in Economic and Social
Council resolution 1296 (XLIV).
16. The United Nations system can do much to catalyse a participatory
approach throughout the world. Besides building its own links with
non-governmental entities, the United Nations can develop and
promulgate models of successful partnership, emphasizing the need for
flexibility, practicality, adaptability, cost-effectiveness and
accountability. It can support training, information flow and the
promotion of awareness, and capacity-building. In parallel, the
non-governmental community can enhance its capacity to contribute to
partnerships with United Nations bodies by, for example, organizing
its members into representative coalitions and by inviting United
Nations participation in their activities.
17. The United Nations system could do much more to publicize its work
for sustainable development. Partnerships with potential commercial
sponsors would ensure better distribution of its excellent film
material. Partnerships with non-governmental entities could also do
much to publicize and promote the work of the United Nations.
II. LINKAGES BETWEEN ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
IN A CHANGING WORLD
"Peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent
and indivisible."
- Principle 25 of the Rio
Declaration
A. General considerations
18. The concept of peace as the absence of war is easy to grasp and
has conditioned the way in which the role of the United Nations in
peace-keeping operations - embracing peacemaking, peace-keeping and
preventive diplomacy - has been regarded. During the Cold War the
principal focus was on the avoidance of nuclear war between the
nuclear powers, while low-intensity wars which threatened
geo-political stability were often controlled by the intervention of
the super-Powers. With the end of the Cold War a new situation with
different types of conflicts has arisen. The hegemonic Powers have
less direct interest in the quick resolution of conflicts and wish
others to share the burden of intervention. Thus, the United Nations
is asked to be more active. Unfortunately, the Organization often has
insufficient resources to be fully effective, and thus the threat of
an escalation and broadening of local conflicts arises.
19. Peace, however, is more than non-war; it is a positive value. The
notion of peace as a positive concept in the form of institutional
pacifism is more complex. It includes both security and the provision
of conditions for the fulfilment of life inherent in the free and
unimpeded interaction of people on a universal basis. Those
conditions involve the economic, social, environmental, and political
spheres. Peace-building has to deal with inequities which exacerbate
social tensions and threaten an unstable world order. Conflict over
natural resources may give rise to civil disorder within States as
well as between or among them and may have played a role in the
Cambodian conflict. Sustainable development - and international
cooperation and assistance to support it - should be seen as an
important contribution to conflict avoidance. There are
interdependent issues even in peace-keeping and post-conflict
peace-building since, for example, environmental issues in such
sectors as potable water and sanitation, energy, and transportation
have to be addressed. Peace-building must also, of course, enhance
the capacity of a society to manage conflict; mediation between groups
and factions is crucially important. Where the United Nations is
involved in peace-keeping, it should continue its efforts for long
enough to guide the communities concerned back onto the path towards
sustainable development.
20. All societies are buffeted by the winds of change. Powerful
forces of globalization (centripetal forces) and of fragmentation
(centrifugal forces) are operating simultaneously in the world of
today. Each has its own logic involving different actors and
interests. The globalization of production by transnational
corporations, the globalization of international finance,
globalization of information, and large-scale movements of people have
not been matched by a corresponding reshaping of political
institutions. Prolonged periods of low commodity prices have had a
major impact on the economies of States, especially when they are
dependent on a relatively small range of primary commodities. States
have responded to these and other changes with varying degrees of
effectiveness. As a result, among the countries referred to as
developing, several have grown rapidly, transforming their economies
substantially, and a few of them have joined the ranks of the
industrialized countries. Others, including most sub-Saharan African
countries and least developed countries elsewhere, have been unable to
organize an effective response and are at risk of becoming further
marginalized. In some countries, regrettably, agricultural producers
have switched to growing highly lucrative crops for the illegal
production of narcotics.
21. The longer-term environmental consequences of the current patterns
of economic and demographic change are on the agenda of the
international community. Imbalances between population growth and
carrying capacity in many States have already led to social
instability in many countries, as has the necessity of coping with
political and environmental refugees in poor host countries. In the
long term, increasing numbers of retired persons relative to those in
the active labour force are likely to be a source of financial strain
and intergenerational tension. And pressures to liberalize the
international labour market may exacerbate international tension.
22. A number of other factors is driving structural change at a rapid
pace. The activities of transnational corporations and of enterprises
in dynamic economies, together with trade liberalization, have caused
major changes in the international division of labour. In the
technological arena, robotics and biotechnology, which have begun to
lead to a re-engineering of manufacturing and agricultural production
processes, point to an ever-shrinking demand for unskilled and even
many types of skilled labour in those industrialized countries where
the techniques are introduced. At the same time, the demand for
workers and managers highly skilled in information technologies can be
expected to increase. Although the speed of dissemination of new
technologies and that of market penetration by exporters is limited by
the rate of growth of capital accumulation, many businesses have not
been able to adjust rapidly enough. Educational systems have been
slow to adjust as well, leading to a mismatch between the skills
needed in the modern economy and those possessed by current members of
the labour force and to a fear of ever-growing structural
unemployment.
23. Another force shaping the world is the telecommunications and
informatics revolution. On the one hand, developments have made
possible the globalization of business and finance, mentioned above,
and the more efficient organization of the production of goods and
services. On the other hand, they produce an unprecedented flow of
information which enhances the awareness of violence and a growing
public sense of insecurity which provokes a demand for reaction by the
political system. The globalization of communications also spreads
the cultural values of industrialized countries faster than local
cultures and value systems can adapt, thereby increasing social
tension. But, again, indigenous peoples have made use of those very
same techniques to popularize some of their own cultural values,
encouraging "stewardship" and a "transcendental" respect for nature in
alliance with environmentally concerned groups.
24. In the political sphere, national frontiers are rendered porous by
telecommunications, the growth of scientific activity and knowledge,
global or regional actions to protect the environment, and global
investment and commerce, while States increasingly decide to yield
some of their sovereign prerogatives in political association with
others. Many examples come to mind: the European Union (EU), the
North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA), the Common Market of
the Southern Cone (MERCOSUL), the Association of South-East Asian
Nations (ASEAN), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group (APEC)
etc. Within States, fragmentation is of growing concern. The
weakening of traditional political authority leads many to question
the legitimacy of rule by traditional elites. The lack of an
effective means to develop political consensus has led to great
difficulties in implementing economic reform programmes which are said
to suffer from "weak ownership" in many developing countries.
25. In extreme cases, the backlash to the increasing erosion of state
authority in societies hitherto dominated by traditional values takes
the form of extreme nationalism, ethnic tribalism, and intolerant
religious fundamentalism. Acceptable humanitarian intervention in
situations of intolerable national behaviour has become necessary even
when the "spillover effects" from dysfunctional States do not directly
threaten international order. In many other situations, as economic
and social conditions worsen, either because of resurgent nationalism
and ethnic and religious tension or because of socio-economic
pressure, such as environmental degradation, population pressures and
poverty, migratory pressures increase. The consequent cross-border
flows of refugees and internal population movements further exacerbate
ethnic and communal tension.
26. Many observers trace the growing sense of social alienation to the
erosion of religion, ethics, and moral values. Associated with this
perception is concern over the weakening of bonds among family members
and within small communities and over the increase of crime at the
local, national, and international levels.
27. In short, the fundamental problem is the tension between the
forces and the logic of globalization and those of fragmentation.
B. Need for new approaches
28. There are several requirements for improved governance of the
international system if the concrete realization of an enhanced
concept of peace is to be brought about:
(a) An improved process for issue recognition and early warning,
especially in situations of sudden crisis, whether it be economic,
social, political, environmental or some combination thereof;
(b) Enhanced coordination of existing institutions, reflecting an
interdisciplinary concept of security which would, for example, allow
a more integrated approach to early warning, crisis and post-crisis
management, rehabilitation and reconstruction;
(c) Improved procedures for formulating an agenda of practical
measures to be agreed upon and implemented by the United Nations
system.
The proposals in chapter IV for new partnerships are relevant here.
29. The content of the agenda, however, should reflect an awareness of
the linkages between threats to security, broadly defined, and
pervasive worldwide inequities. Because the concept of sustainable
development is multidimensional - linking development with political,
economic, social, environmental and, even, security considerations -
it provides a useful framework for dealing with the complexity of such
contradictory processes as globalization and fragmentation.
30. The concept of sustainable development underscores the importance
of understanding the long-term consequences as well as their
short-term ramifications of policies and behaviours that are responses
to crises. The Rio Conference and the parallel Global Forum were
responses to the mismatch between patterns of development and the
requirements of environmental sustainability. The perception of a
similar mismatch between patterns of economic, social and political
change and the requirements of social stability has resulted in the
decision to focus the World Social Summit on the issues of poverty,
unemployment, and marginalization. One question that might be
considered in that context is whether the ability of society to absorb
and defuse social tension can be analysed in a manner analogous to
that of carrying-capacity in environmental analysis.
31. Sustainability explicitly recognizes the value of diversity. It
requires the internalization of externalities, which is equivalent to
a recognition of responsibility. It recognizes that the development
of political diversity allows a broad spectrum of the society to
participate in the political decision-making process. It calls for
the enhancement of broad economic structural diversity to assure
harmonious balanced development. It requires the acceptance of
ecological diversity to ensure the sustained functioning of ecosystems
in long-term development. Sustainability requires a unified approach
within which the interdependencies between issues and sectors are
taken into account in the design of political, economic and
environmental policies.
32. Such a design implies the elaboration of a matrix of policy
instruments and objectives, because a policy measure implemented to
achieve an objective in one area may have unintended consequences,
requiring supplementary policies in other areas. Any application of
this technocratic approach should be preceded by an analysis of the
carrying capacity of eco-systems and the critical loads of pollution
they can tolerate; steps to strengthen the effectiveness of
governance, meaning the ways by which sustainable development is
managed at the local, national and global levels; and the formulation
of a technology policy geared towards enhancing the capacity to choose
and to adapt, implicit in major technological shifts and management
approaches, rather than only to technology transfer in the traditional
meaning of that term.
33. The importance of mutually reinforcing policies can be underscored
by noting that, for example, all apparent conflicts between
development and the protection of the environment can be traced to six
causes:
(a) Government failure - i.e., incentives created by Governments to
use
the environment wastefully and inefficiently;
(b) Market failure - i.e., failure of prices generated by the
market mechanism to reflect fully the costs of production and
consumption;
(c) Missing markets - i.e., absence of unenforced property rights
for environmental services and therefore a lack of vested interest on
the part of economic agents in the sustainable exploitation of natural
resources;
(d) Situations in which the income-earning opportunities to which
the poor have access are insufficient to sustain life without
depleting the stock of natural capital;
(e) Failure to recognize the need for enhancing political, economic
and ecological diversity in the process of development;
(f) Scientific ignorance or error, leading to unsustainable
practices or the introduction of damaging products.
34. Another response to the challenges facing the international
community is to endeavour to extend the rule of law. Both national
and international laws seek to promote changes in behaviour. By
extending international law, States accept limitations to their
competencies in exchange for arrangements which benefit the citizenry
of all of them. International legal frameworks may of course provide
incentives and disincentives to influence behaviour as well as the
more traditional use of prohibitions and commands. Market-based
incentives also have much to recommend them since they constitute
voluntary rather than coercive mechanisms and are more efficient
policy instruments than pure command and control regulatory regimes.
The effectiveness of such laws and instruments depends, however, on
their acceptability to society at large, and here education and
information have a crucial part to play - especially where it is
necessary to persuade people to alter their life styles in the
interests of sustainable development.
35. Still another response to economic challenges has been for
multilateral financial institutions to assist developing countries and
economies in transition with the design of structural adjustment
programmes and to provide some of the external finance required for
their implementation. Developing countries often perceive this as
tantamount to the imposition by the donor community of policies which
they feel are insufficiently differentiated from one country to
another. All too often these programmes fail because they cannot be
fully implemented. This points to the need to develop these
structural adjustment programmes through a consensus-building process
at the national level which will more adequately prepare the different
groups affected by them for the sacrifices that will be necessary and
which will ensure an appropriate sharing of the burden of adjustment.
For the most developed market economies, the discipline of financial
markets leads to prudent fiscal management since the prospect of
growing budget deficits quickly results in increases in long-term
interest rates. For countries in the European Union, the Maastricht
agreement requires gradual convergence of fiscal and monetary
policies. Also, the adherence of the most developed market economies
to agreements to liberalize trade implies an acceptance on their part
of the necessary medium-term structural adjustment which that entails.
An important problem remaining, however, is the lack of an effective
surveillance mechanism to ensure that the macroeconomic policies of
the Group of Seven major industrial countries are designed to take
fully into account their impact on the world economy and especially on
the developing countries and economies in transition.
C. Recommendations
36. Governments must move beyond the sharing of information to the
sharing of resources and joint action. In particular, ways must be
found to integrate social, political and demographic issues with
issues of international finance, trade, labour and technology. A
framework for their integration might be developed by joint meetings
of the bureaux of the relevant United Nations bodies and specialized
agencies. Further recommendations on the development of partnerships
between the United Nations system and non-governmental entities are
made in chapter IV.
37. The deliberative process at the international level mirrors the
division of responsibilities at the national level. For example,
international specialized agencies such as FAO, UNIDO, the ILO, WHO,
UNESCO, UNEP and GATT have, as their national counterparts, ministries
of agriculture, industry, labour, health, education, environment and
trade; the IMF and the multilateral financial institutions correspond
to central banks and finance or economic ministries; the United
Nations itself, especially the General Assembly and the Security
Council, has as its national counterpart ministries of foreign
affairs. What is lacking is the functional equivalent at the
international level of national mechanisms for priority-setting and
examination of linkages between sectoral issues performed by the
office of the presidency or the cabinet of ministers. As a first
step, the innovation of an annual policy report of the
Secretary-General could reinforce a trend to use the high-level
segment of the General Assembly for this purpose. If so structured
and made available in capitals with sufficient lead time, the report
could encourage Governments to address, inter alia, two or three
pre-defined issues in their addresses to the General Assembly. It
should deal with emerging issues and linkages between them. It should
also make concrete proposals to Governments as to how best to deal
with those linkages in the context of the United Nations system.
Dialogue between Heads of State might be further encouraged by
compressing the High-level Segment of the General Assembly into a
shorter time-frame or, perhaps, by organizing informal forums
concurrently.
38. Adequate machinery for producing an evolving set of global rules
is not in place. International legal authority is totally fragmented.
Yet the use of law and due process is the essence of shared
competencies for international cooperation. The General Assembly
might consider inviting international lawyers chosen by their
countries' Governments to identify issues where global legislation is
most urgently needed and to propose appropriate mechanisms for the
settlement of disputes. International legal frameworks need to be
supplemented by mechanisms for monitoring their implementation and
measures to ensure compliance. Raising such issues would seem
particularly appropriate in the middle of the Decade of International
Law.
39. Indicators for monitoring sustainable development are
indispensable; yet it is a complex issue to choose an appropriate,
comprehensive, and balanced set of indicators for many purposes,
especially cross-sectoral linkages. Among other considerations,
indicators that are suitable for monitoring the sustainability of
supply or production as well as the sustainability of demand or
consumption should be identified. Monitoring the material intensity,
energy intensity, and renewable resource content per unit of final use
is also highly important.
40. The application of the "polluter pays" principle is important for
efficiency, because it ensures that the cost of implementing methods
to reduce pollution will be borne by those who inflict the damage. By
application of the "polluter pays" principle, considerations of equity
and efficiency usually coincide. However, not all policies intended
to correct environmental problems by applying the principle help the
poor; occasionally, the poor are harmed, and when this occurs,
compensating policies should be introduced.
41. Compensating policies should also be considered when other
environmental instruments that may disadvantage the poor are negotiated.
42. Transferable development rights are contracts for the sale or
leasing of land which specify obligations on the part of the
buyer/lessor in respect of conservation and confer rights to use the
property in certain limited ways. This device, which is already in use
in many countries to ensure the conservation of historical sites,
could reduce or eliminate the "missing market" problem associated with
the issue of habitat protection. It does so without infringing on
national sovereignty, since any country could freely establish the
conditions for sale or lease of publicly held lands, thereby
generating a revenue stream for the Government. It could also - by
publicizing the terms of such agreements and encouraging their
proliferation - reduce pressure from environmental lobbies for
international conventions which would have a negative impact on
national sovereignty.
43. Another idea is to use existing forums of producers and consumers
established to negotiate primary commodity agreements to explore
introducing environmental safeguards into them. International
commodity-related environmental agreements would avoid the problem of
loss of competitiveness associated with unilateral internalization of
the external costs generated by their methods of production. Such
agreements would establish a compensation mechanism by which consuming
countries would compensate developing-country producers for costs
incurred in producing the particular commodity in a more sustainable
way.
44. Still another idea on which a considerable literature is beginning
to emerge is that of tradeable emission permits. This device is not a
"license to pollute". Rather it is a way to encourage economic agents
to determine the least costly way of limiting total emissions to
levels established by national regulation or international agreement.
This device is often suggested for CO2 emissions and would need to be
negotiated by the parties to the Convention on Climate Change.
45. In order to deal with the challenges posed by international
movements of people, Governments should develop fair, efficient and
expeditious procedures to differentiate between those fleeing war and
violence and those fleeing poverty. International protection and
assistance should be granted to refugees and the internally displaced
until they can return home. Economic migrants could be dealt with by
liberalizing immigration policies in ways that recognize the
demographic patterns and labour needs of the industrialized world as
well as the aspirations of poorer countries in the East and South.
Capital, trade and technology markets have already been liberalized,
and there is a case for liberalizing labour markets as well.
46. To take the linkages between economic, social and political
development in a changing world into account would create an entirely
new basis for the United Nations system, and this report is intended
to be a step in that direction. The Board will continue to work on
the theme of linkages and will make additional proposals at a later
date. It also recommends a country case-study - in Cambodia or Viet
Nam, for example - to test the feasibility of an integrated approach
to public policy formulation in the economic, environmental, and
social areas and to evaluate the effectiveness of the United Nations
role in the continuum of peacemaking, peace-keeping and peace-
building.
III. NEW APPROACHES TO FINANCE AND TECHNOLOGY
A. General considerations
47. The terms of reference agreed upon by the Board at its first
session for its work on new approaches to finance and technology
included the consideration of innovative methods of financing and
securing resources and technology transfer; the importance of
developing and sharing new technology (especially "eco-efficient"
processes); and the development of new modes of capacity- building.
It was emphasized that the aim was to avoid the damage caused by
inappropriate technology transfer, and that South/South and
North/South sharing of experience would be of particular value.
48. There have been numerous initiatives in this broad field. The
Commission on Sustainable Development established inter-sessional ad
hoc open-ended working groups on finance and on technology transfer
and cooperation. A workshop on the transfer and development of
environmentally sound technologies was held in Oslo, Norway, from 13
to 15 October 1993, while a meeting on financial issues and Agenda 21
was convened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 2 to 4 February 1994.
49. Key documents, including the Secretary-General's report to the
Working Group on Technology Transfer and Cooperation and the Report of
that Working Group were made available to the Board. Because of this
continuing activity, and not thinking it appropriate to duplicate it,
the Board decided to focus its initial effort on new approaches to
environmentally sound technology transfer and cooperation, with
particular emphasis on the role of the private sector. At a later
stage, the Board envisages broadening its analysis, especially into
the field of capacity-building. Innovative ways of mobilizing
financial and other essential resources - for example, by redeployment
from the military to the civilian sectors - may also be considered as
a topic for later study.
50. This chapter of the Board's report therefore considers ways in
which Government and the business community can cooperate within a
framework of appropriate enabling conditions. The aim is to attract
private-sector investment for environmentally sound technology and
sustainable development. The Board accepts that such an approach must
take place within a context of policy and a regulatory framework which
guides the market and ensures solutions that are both socially and
environmentally appropriate. A balance has to be struck between
democratic decisions on social policies and the need for free
operation of markets. Such conditions clearly depend on adequate
systems of governance in the countries concerned.
51. The Board emphasizes that the process of cooperation between
Governments and the business sector to stimulate investment in
environmentally sound technology does not remove the need for official
development assistance (ODA) to promote sustainable development. The
Board endorses the call by the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development for significant new resources, including
ODA, and urges Governments to honour their undertakings in this field.
52. The ability of countries to mobilize domestic resources and to
create conditions that attract foreign direct investment varies
considerably from region to region; it is particularly weak in much of
sub-Saharan Africa and in the least developed countries elsewhere.
Technology transfer and cooperation in such countries is likely to
depend on ODA; so is support for the introduction of technology for
public-sector activities such as waste disposal and the improvement of
water supplies.
B. Need for new approaches
53. The transfer of environmentally sound technology 1/ requires a
process of cooperation between providers and recipients before, during
and after the transfer. For this reason it is more useful to describe
the wider process as "environmentally sound technology cooperation".
54. The expertise required for technology transfer and cooperation is
being developed in many countries. Governments and enterprises are
urged to look throughout the world for the best ideas and creative
solutions to meet their needs and solve their problems.
55. Technology transfer and cooperation work best between economic
enterprises - those that have a motive to provide new technology and a
motive to use it efficiently. Conditions for success include the
know-how, operating and maintenance skills of the user and appropriate
communications and training on the part of the originator. Companies
must continue to adapt and develop the technology during their period
of cooperation.
56. Thus, technology cooperation is most successful where business
works best. Creating such conditions should be a high priority for
Governments. This requires an opening of markets and an appropriate
enabling environment in all countries, including macroeconomic,
financial, legal, regulatory, and institutional conditions and
capacity-building and human resources development.
57. Increased competition will create and expand markets for new
environmentally sound technology which, because of its increased
efficiency, tends to be cleaner and less wasteful.
58. However, to create a market specifically for cleaner
technology, the legal and policy frameworks must be improved and
effectively implemented.
Such frameworks should include a mix of regulatory and economic
instruments, requiring and encouraging companies to be safer, less
polluting and more efficient in the use and management of resources.
59. At present, many developing country Governments fear that
environmental protection adds to the costs of production by imposing
standards that are more stringent than needed. They believe that such
protection will deter industrial investments and stunt economic
growth. This is one of the reasons why, in many countries,
environmental standards are minimal and laws are not enforced. This
attitude will change, and is changing, as Governments realize that
prevention is usually less costly than clean-up and as trade is seen
to favour countries with higher environmental standards.
60. Foreign investments for technology transfer and cooperation can be
expected to contribute to the improvement of environmental quality in
the recipient countries. One reason is that transnational
corporations are increasingly applying similar environmental standards
in all countries. Multilateral and bilateral development programmes
could be used to encourage compliance with the kinds of international
minimum standards which are being developed by organizations such as
OECD, the International Chamber of Commerce and the International
Standards Organization. Governments, multilateral organizations,
businesses and non-governmental organizations should cooperate to
develop such international standards.
61. There will remain situations where sustainable development will
call for technology cooperation that is not quite commercially
justifiable because the payback periods, based on current capital
market patterns, are too long to justify the necessary investment.
There are also situations where the market and business structure are
inadequate. These cases will require innovative new partnerships
between Governments and business.
62. Such partnerships may require:
(a) An increased willingness on the part of Governments and
development agencies to change their procedures and outlooks to take
better account of the realities of business and to see business and
industry as natural partners in the overall development cooperation
framework;
(b) An increased willingness on the part of Governments, in
cooperation with business, to invest in cleaner technologies in the
interest both of environmental security and increased competitiveness;
(c) An increased willingness on the part of business corporations
to seek economic opportunities in long-term technology cooperation
arrangements and a willingness to get involved in the communications,
training and education which that requires;
(d) An increased willingness on the part of multilateral
organizations, such as the World Bank, regional development banks and
United Nations agencies, to play a role in these new
government/business partnerships;
(e) An increased willingness on the part of Governments and
development agencies to move away from "tied aid" towards more
demand-driven technology cooperation.
63. In the present era of trade and business liberalization, such
innovative government/business partnerships might form new, mixed
public/private companies to promote and provide environmentally sound
infrastructure services for industrial parks, particularly in
developing countries. This would greatly help municipal authorities
to provide for rapidly increasing needs for public services.
64. Another form of such partnership might focus on retrofit projects,
often involving privatization, to provide new equipment to
underperforming operations, making them more commercially viable and
eco-efficient. The aim would be to provide industrial facilities in
need of upgrading and development with improved environmental and
financial performance, through management training and increasing
productivity. Target facilities would typically be process plants
involved in energy, cement, ferrous/non-ferrous metals, chemicals and
fertilizers.
65. A well-conceived enabling framework for private-sector investment
and a new partnership for development, as described above, offer the
best opportunity to produce the new and additional financial resources
required to promote technology transfer and cooperation.
C. Recommendations
66. Governments should create conditions in which business can
flourish, because technology transfer and cooperation between economic
enterprises work best in such conditions.
67. To create a market for cleaner technology, Governments should use
a mix of regulatory and economic instruments, requiring and
encouraging companies to be safer, less polluting and more efficient
in the use and management of resources.
68. Governments, multilateral organizations, businesses and
non-governmental organizations should cooperate to develop
international minimum environmental standards.
69. In situations where investments in technology cooperation are not
commercially attractive because of the long pay-back periods, new and
innovating partnerships between government, business, international
lending agencies and donor countries are required.
70. Governments should honour undertakings entered into at UNCED to
provide additional official development assistance, which is essential
even if investment by the business sector is also stimulated.
IV. ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW PARTNERSHIPS 2/ BETWEEN THE UNITED
NATIONS SYSTEM AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES 3/
A. General considerations
71. The United Nations system, either alone or in alliance with
Governments, cannot achieve sustainable development. There is a
substantial community consisting of non-governmental entities that
need to be accepted into partnership with the United Nations system
and/or with Governments in order to enhance progress towards
sustainable development.
72. The concept of "partnership" is a broad one and can apply to many
kinds of relationships between entities. Ordinarily, a partnership
implies a relationship during which a decision or consensus on an
issue or action in pursuit of a common objective can be envisaged.
However, in the present context, the concept of "partnership" must be
extended to working relationships during which, although no such
decision or consensus may be expected, there is, as a result of that
relationship, an increased awareness on the part of either or both
entities of possible perspectives or approaches.
73. Such partnerships between the United Nations system and
non-governmental entities are necessary because the latter have
special knowledge, active memberships and a capacity to build
awareness and promote action, enabling the United Nations system
internationally, and Governments nationally, to provide a framework
for action and to coordinate and develop governance mechanisms, laws,
economic planning and strategies for advancing the process of
sustainable development.
74. Partnerships should bring all sectors together in a common
understanding of what is needed, and then advance implementation.
They have to promote the central message of Rio - that environment and
development are inseparable. The non-governmental community should be
fully involved in the process, in fulfilment of a duty to cooperate in
the protection of the planetary environment, in the spirit of
sustainable development.
75. An apprehension is often voiced in regard to the mushrooming
growth of non-governmental entities and the difficulties in
determining which of them should be considered for partnership with
the United Nations system. The entities concerned are perceived as
differing widely in stature, professionalism and financial
accountability. One manner in which the difficulty can be overcome is
for Governments to resort to domestic legislation for registration of
such entities, requiring them to disclose their constitutions and the
aims and objects for which they have been constituted and to submit
financial statements regularly. Such legislation exists already in
many countries, and evidence of compliance provides the basis for
deciding the suitability of such bodies for partnership with the
United Nations system. Difficulties in that matter should not afford
grounds for selecting arbitrarily determined entities or for unduly
restricting the categories eligible for selection.
B. Need for new approaches
1. Ways of enriching the United Nations system by building
productive partnerships with non-United Nations bodies
76. While the United Nations system can benefit by a dialogue with
non-governmental bodies, it is not practicable to give such a
multitude of entities participatory rights in the governing forums of
the United Nations system. The decision makers in such forums must
remain States, through their representatives. None the less, the
process of such decision-making can be enriched by a dialogue with
non-governmental entities since they are repositories of expert
information and advice based on particular experience and they
represent a wide spectrum of public commitment.
77. This was a feature of the UNCED process, where the
non-governmental organization community - in particular, scientific
and professional bodies - contributed greatly to the preparatory work
of the Secretariat. In parallel, many Governments drew on national
non-governmental organization expertise in their own preparations.
The partnerships between the United Nations system and
non-governmental entities should operate as a two-way relationship:
(a) The partnership should make a contribution to the United
Nations system;
(b) The partnership should result in the development of an informed
supportive community for whom the work of the United Nations has
credibility. In large measure, decision-making by a system such as the
United Nations must enjoy credibility in order to secure compliance.
78. Some non-governmental entities are already deeply involved in
practical partnerships of this kind. Humanitarian relief
organizations are closely associated with the United Nations in famine
and disaster relief. Others are closely linked with work on the
implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other
international legal instruments.
79. Partnerships can greatly benefit the non-governmental entities
themselves in achieving their own missions. Their commitment is
likely to increase if good links can be established with United
Nations bodies, on a basis of real mutual benefit and support and if
value and due credit are given to their contributions to the United
Nations system.
80. Drawing on the practical experience of UNCED, the International
Conference on Population and Development, the World Summit for Social
Development, the Fourth World Conference on Women and other
initiatives, the following conclusion can be reached:
(a) Partnerships between non-governmental entities (especially
professional and representative ones) and national Governments can, by
enhancing governmental knowledge and awareness, contribute in turn to
the effectiveness of such meetings. The United Nations system should
accordingly encourage Governments to develop machinery for utilizing
that expertise. Any resistance to such linkages on the part of
government departments is likely to wane as confidence in the value of
such input grows, and non-governmental entities concerned grow in
public status;
(b) Direct links between non-governmental entities and the
secretariats of the United Nations system could greatly assist the
latter in the production of documents, analyses and action proposals;
(c) In some circumstances it could be most valuable for United
Nations bodies to set up consultative forums for discussion and
information exchange with the non-governmental community. Such forums
would involve non-governmental entities - especially coalitions - with
appropriate expertise;
(d) There is a particular role for major groups, in such areas as
science, law, conservation, humanitarian aid, women's participation,
youth and indigenous peoples, and such groups should be encouraged to
develop their own capacity for partnership by consultative mechanisms
and also by forming coalitions sharing collective interests in
specific areas of the sustainable development process.
81. Such partnerships impose obligations on the non-governmental
community, which must approach the relationship with genuine
willingness to cooperate and exchange information and views.
2. Ways of promoting and drawing on practical and effective
partnerships throughout society
82. The United Nations system should consider how it could catalyse
and expand the participatory approach throughout the world and so
ensure that citizens and all sectoral groups in society were involved
in the process of sustainable development.
83. Awareness develops consciousness, which in turn leads to
conviction, and this produces active leadership. In other words, as
awareness spreads, so action expands.
3. Ways of ensuring a flexible, adaptive, practical and
cost-effective approach
84. The United Nations system should engage in continuing dialogue
with major non-governmental entities and groups, to ascertain how
partnerships could be improved. The scientific community, in
particular, has rich experience to contribute.
85. The United Nations system needs to review its links with the
non-governmental community and consider how far these can be made more
flexible and suited to the world after Rio. (The Economic and Social
Council has established an open-ended group to evaluate such
relationships.)
86. A questionnaire developed by one panel member suggests one mode of
approach. Recent meetings (like the British Partnerships for Change
Conference) could be followed up. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin
could also be used to canvass opinions.
87. The likely criteria for a successful approach by the United
Nations system are the following:
(a) Flexibility. Relationships with the non-governmental entities
should not be over-institutionalized or tied to one standard structure
but should be able to adjust as issues arise and should be constructed
by each part of the United Nations system according to its perceived
needs;
(b) Practicality. The approach must be goal-oriented;
(c) Adaptability. The approach must recognize that sustainable
development is an evolving concept, and the machinery must accordingly
evolve with new understanding and experience;
(d) Cost-effectiveness. Account must be taken of the fact that the
non-governmental network is highly self-motivated and involves many
volunteers who are prepared to give knowledge, time and effort at a
very low cost;
(e) Accountability. The United Nations system should select
partners with defined constitutions, legal status, and a membership or
constituency to whom their officers are accountable.
88. As a final suggestion, models of partnership might be developed in
particular locations where there is evidence of willing cooperation.
4. Making the United Nations more open to its partners
89. Many of the contributions destined by non-governmental entities
for consideration in the United Nations system are channelled through
their Governments, but not all Governments are receptive to ideas from
non-governmental entities. The Commission on Sustainable Development
could urge such action upon them.
90. Formal relations between the United Nations and the
non-governmental community are governed by a 25-year-old resolution
defining "consultative status". The adequacy of this definition and
possible ways in which it might be changed are under examination.
91. In building confidence among non-governmental entities, it is
necessary for the United Nations system to demonstrate that it
attaches appropriate value to what they say. An open relationship
will greatly enhance confidence. Secretariats of United Nations
bodies can go a considerable way towards this goal by establishing or
refining their own consultative mechanisms.
92. An increasing number of major non-governmental entities are
inviting United Nations participation in their governing bodies and
major conferences. Such United Nations participation is an important
means of promoting a more open and reciprocal relationship.
5. How to publicize the work of the United Nations
93. The United Nations system can play an important part in enhancing
the lives of rural and urban communities everywhere. Its role can be
brought home by employing communications modes suited to local
cultural conditions. There is a variety of ways in which this can be
done.
94. The United Nations produces much first-class documentary film
material, which fails to receive wide screening because of lack of
sponsorship, lack of "personalities" connected with it, aversion to
self-publicity or a lack of enthusiasm for organizational publicity.
An earnest effort should be made, on a systematic and regular basis,
to find sponsors and establish a "sponsorship bank" which would
support the distribution of such films. The approach of the fiftieth
anniversary of the United Nations provides an appropriate occasion for
organizing such publicity. The view of the Secretary-General that
this publicity should emphasize the major role of the United Nations
in promoting sustainable development is strongly supported.
95. The forthcoming opportunities for publicity should be utilized by
all United Nations bodies. UNDP in particular should be able to
provide some absorbing accounts of sustainable development on the
ground. All United Nations bodies should be urged to suggest 20 good
stories telling key messages about the work of the United Nations -
all with a human, on-the-ground angle, rather than dealing with
Conferences. The United Nations Joint Information Committee should be
urged to develop a more cooperative approach to promote the United
Nations system as a whole.
96. With the development of good partnerships, non-governmental
entities themselves can be expected to provide some success stories
linked to local communities and cultures.
97. Non-governmental entities can also make an active and highly
significant contribution by impressing upon society the need to accept
changes in taxation and subsidy systems and adaptations in life styles
in order to facilitate sustainable development.
C. Recommendations
98. Governments should enhance their ability to contribute to United
Nations activities by developing partnerships with their own
non-governmental communities.
99. In the course of its review of its relationships with
non-governmental entities, as defined by the Economic and Social
Council in resolution 1296 (XLIV), the United Nations should enhance
its capacity to build effective partnerships with non-governmental
entities and to reflect their views in its documents.
100. The United Nations and its agencies should:
(a) Strengthen their linkages with appropriate intergovernmental
bodies and non-governmental entities in order to draw upon their
expertise;
(b) Seek to enhance national action by developing and promulgating
models for partnership, based on case-studies of success;
(c) Improve the effectiveness of consultative processes with
non-governmental entities, especially through the establishment of
consultative forums;
(d) Develop and promulgate models for partnership based on success,
emphasizing the need for flexibility, practicality, adaptability,
cost-effectiveness and accountability;
(e) Facilitate the process of sustainable development by
coordinating the development of indicators and strategies for
sustainability;
(f) Promote and support training programmes led by partner
institutions;
(g) Encourage the promotion of awareness down to the grass-roots
level and, especially through UNDP, support capacity-building;
(h) Encourage the establishment of electronic information networks
as effective ways of publicizing the work being done and as a means
for promoting cooperative action.
101. The non-governmental organization community should enhance its
own capacity to contribute to partnerships with United Nations bodies
by, inter alia, organizing themselves into representative coalitions
and by inviting United Nations participation in their activities.
102. The Commission on Sustainable Development should evaluate
national reports against models of effective sustainable development
and suggest avenues of possible improvement to Governments, including
benefits that may come by improvement in partnerships.
103. The United Nations should make the best of its publicity
material to promote its role in sustainable development and project a
more integrated image of its work. It should seek partnerships with
potential commercial sponsors to ensure better distribution and with
non-governmental entities which can do a great deal to publicize and
promote the work of the United Nations.
V. ARRANGEMENTS FOR FUTURE WORK
104. The Board held extensive deliberations on its future work
programme, including a full exchange of views with the
Secretary-General, who requested the assistance of the Board in
changing the perception of the general public that the United Nations
was only about peace-keeping. He emphasized that the work of the
organization on economic, social and environmental issues, in fact,
absorbed the larger part of its regularly budgeted resources. The
Board decided to focus preparations for its third session (17-21
October 1994) through three panels on the themes outlined below. It
agreed upon certain elements that ought to be considered by each panel
but made it clear that the panels would be free to develop those
themes in a broad context and to organize their work in a flexible
way. The panels were expected to make use of materials emanating from
the work of other bodies, to consult experts and organizations known
to them, as appropriate, and to request an early reaction from the
other members of the Board to a brief formulation of their anticipated
findings.
A. Linkages between economic, social and political development
in a changing world
105. Topics to be considered would include the flexibility of
ecologically sustainable food production in countries experiencing
rapid population growth and linkages to migration, the need for food
aid, and the ability of some countries to respect commitments made in
the convention on biodiversity; trade and environment; and linkages
between trade and food security. The Board decided to convene a panel
on these issues, composed of Emil Salim and Klaus Schwab
(Co-chairpersons), Celso Lafer, Maria de los Angeles Moreno, Edouard
Saouma and Mostafa Tolba.
B. Capacity-building: value-based education for sustainability
106. Among the issues which might be taken up under this heading
were the inculcation of values conducive to sustainable development,
the relative importance of developing educational materials for the
different stages of formal education; the importance of networks for
the exchange of information; and the issue of empowering groups which
are the target beneficiaries of capacity-building programmes. The
Board decided to convene a panel on these issues, comprising Tommy Koh
and Stephan Schmidheiny (Co-chairpersons), Saburo Kawai, Bola
Kuforiji-Olubi, Adele Simmons, Maurice Strong and Qu Geping.
C. Concrete ways of forging alliances
107. The Board proposed to continue to elaborate on this theme.
Board members were encouraged to circulate to non-governmental
entities, representatives of state and local governments, and
individuals known to them, a questionnaire formulated by the Board
(see annex I). In doing so, members of the Board were requested to
attach special importance to contacts with organizations, including
non-governmental organizations enjoying consultative status with the
United Nations, representing major groups, such as business, labour,
consumers, and state and local levels of government. To prepare its
work on this matter for the third session of the Board, a panel was
constituted with the following members: Jacques Cousteau and R. S.
Pathak (Co-chairpersons), Martin Holdgate, Valentin Koptyug, Laura
Novoa, Rita Levi Montalcini.
108. The Board decided that the panels would meet from 17 to 18
October 1994 immediately before the plenary session of the Board
(19-21 October). Each member of the Board was invited to be associated
with one of the three panels; the Co-chairpersons, Bernard Chidzero
and Brigitta Dahl, would rotate among the panels during their
deliberations.
VI. ORGANIZATION OF THE SESSION
109. The second session of the High-level Advisory Board on
Sustainable Development was held at United Nations Headquarters from
17 to 22 March 1994. Panel meetings were held on 17 and 18 March, and
the plenary session of the Board was held on 21 and 22 March.
Seventeen members of the Board attended: Bernard Chidzero, Brigitta
Dahl, Martin Holdgate, Saburo Kawai, Tommy Koh, Valentin Koptyug, Bola
Kuforiji-Olubi, Celso Lafer, Laura Novoa, R. S. Pathak, Qu Geping,
Emil Salim, Edouard Saouma, Stephan Schmidheiny, Klaus Schwab, Adele
Simmons and Mostafa Tolba. Four members were unable to attend:
Jacques Cousteau, Rita Levi Montalcini, Maria de los Angeles Moreno,
and Maurice Strong.
110. The officers elected at the first session for the term ending
on 30 June 1995 were Bernard Chidzero and Brigitta Dahl
(Co-chairpersons) and Martin Holdgate (Rapporteur).
111. The plenary was opened by the Under-Secretary-General for
Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development. The
Secretary-General addressed the Board and held a dialogue with them on
22 March 1994.
112. Preparations for the plenary session were carried out by the
three panels of the Board, each of which had prepared
intra-sessionally by means of correspondence among its members, with
the Secretariat, and, in some cases, with experts known to the members
themselves. The panel on linkages between economic, social and
political development in a changing world comprised Emil Salim and
Klaus Schwab (Co-chairpersons), Celso Lafer, and Mostafa Tolba. The
panel on new approaches to finance and technology comprised Tommy Koh
and Stephan Schmidheiny (Co-chairpersons), Saburo Kawai, Bola
Kuforiji-Olubi, Adele Simmons, and Maurice Strong. The panel on the
establishment of new partnerships between the United Nations system
and other non-governmental entities comprised Jacques Cousteau and R.
S. Pathak (Co-chairpersons), Martin Holdgate, Valentin Koptyug and
Laura Novoa.
113. Substantive services for the session were provided by the
Department of Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development.
Notes
1/ The term environmentally "sound" technology is a relative
concept. The performance and environmental impact of technology may
vary depending on the context of its application. It includes
"process and product" technologies that generate low waste or use
waste as a product for other processes. It may also include "end of
pipe" technologies for waste treatment and minimization. The term
"environmentally sound" also means "environmentally safe and sound".
2/ Partnerships are relationships entered into for a wide range
of purposes, including information exchange, definition of goals and
actions in a particular field, or joint action for the achievement of
a common purpose. In the present case the common purpose is
sustainable development.
3/ A non-governmental entity (the term is used in preference to
"non-State actors" and "non-governmental organizations") is an
organization or group outside national Government and its agencies.
Such entities include scientific, economic, environmental and
humanitarian organizations and also local and municipal authorities,
labour organizations and business. They have constitutions, mission
statements, action plans and formal administrative and financial
processes.
Annex I
QUESTIONNAIRE ON PARTNERSHIP
Please complete the questionnaire below, after having read chapter
IV, "Establishment of new partnerships between the United Nations
system and non-governmental entities", of the report of the High-level
Advisory Board on Sustainable Development on its second session.
1. Do you believe that partnerships or alliances between the United
Nations system and entities active in the field of sustainable
development would be an effective mechanism for assisting in the
implementation of Agenda 21?
2. If the answer above is affirmative, what types of alliance do you
consider likely to be most useful? Please describe them. As a
guideline, consider the following check-list and indicate the level of
usefulness you attach to each option:
(a) National forums/consultative mechanism/task forces that would
enhance the input by your Government to the Commission on Sustainable
Development:
not useful/useful/very useful
(b) International task force meetings on particular aspects of
sustainable development, convened by the secretariats of United
Nations bodies and enhancing their preparation of analyses and
proposals for intergovernmental consideration:
not useful/useful/very useful
(c) Establishment by United Nations bodies of formal consultative
forums or other machinery for contact with the non-governmental
sector:
not useful/useful/very useful
(d) If (c) is to be supported, the consultative machinery should be
open to all non-governmental organizations involving major and
representative groupings in a particular area - e.g., law, local
government, labour, humanitarian aid, conservation, science:
not useful/useful/very useful
(e) Opening of intergovernmental meetings in the United Nations
system to non-governmental representatives as full participants:
not useful/useful/very useful
(f) More direct involvement of the United Nations system through
one or more of its specialized bodies in conferences/task forces
sponsored by major non-governmental organizations or Governments:
not useful/useful/very useful
(g) Development by the United Nations system of machinery for
training of individuals from national Governments and the
non-governmental organizations community so that they can contribute
to the implementation of Agenda 21:
not useful/useful/very useful
(h) Direct participation by representatives of permanent United
Nations bodies in initiatives undertaken by non-governmental
organizations to promote on-the-ground action for the protection,
conservation, clean-up or sustainable development of the environment:
not useful/useful/very useful
(i) Greater support by United Nations bodies of on-the-ground
action for sustainable development by non-governmental organizations:
not useful/useful/very useful
(j) Direct participation by representatives of United Nations
bodies in intergovernmental agreements (including bilateral
agreements) designed to achieve sustainable development, thereby
lending the visible support of the United Nations to such agreements:
not useful/useful/very useful
(k) Direct participation of relevant United Nations bodies in
agreements between international private associations in order to give
them support and orientation under the sustainable development
principle:
not useful/useful/very useful
3. Please add any other comments you have on the way partnerships
should be developed and return this questionnaire to:
Annex II
AGENDA
1. Opening of the session.
2. Adoption of the agenda.
3. Report of the first session of the Board.
4. Matters arising, not covered under other items.
5. New approaches to environmentally sound technology.
6. Establishment of new partnerships between the United Nations system
and non-governmental entities.
7. Linkages between economic, social and political development in a
changing world.
8. Consideration of opportunities for the Board to contribute to the
work of the United Nations.
9. Organization of the work of the Board.
10. Adoption of the report of the Board on its second session.
Annex III
REPORT OF THE HIGH-LEVEL ADVISORY BOARD ON SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT ON ITS FIRST SESSION
1. The High-level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development held its
first (organizational) session at United Nations Headquarters, New
York on 13 and 14 September 1993. The Secretary-General met with the
Board on 14 September. Eighteen members of the Board attended:
Bernard Chidzero, Jacques Cousteau, Brigitta Dahl, Martin Holdgate,
Saburo Kawai, Tommy Koh, Valentin Koptyug, Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, Celso
Lafer, Rita Levi Montalcini, Laura Novoa, R. S. Pathak, Qu Geping,
Emil Salim, Stephan Schmidheiny, Klaus Schwab, Maurice Strong and
Mostafa Tolba. Two members were unable to attend: Adele Simmons and
Maria de los Angeles Moreno.
A. Election of Officers
2. The Board unanimously elected Bernard Chidzero as the Chair of the
Board, Brigitta Dahl as the Vice-Chair and Martin Holdgate as the
Rapporteur.
B. Terms of reference of the Board
3. The Board agreed on the following points:
(a) With regard to terms of reference (1), (2) and (3) (see
appendix), the results of the Board's discussions should be addressed
primarily to the Secretary-General to whom it had direct reporting
responsibility and was directly accountable;
(b) When the Board felt the need to address intergovernmental
bodies, such as the Commission on Sustainable Development, the
Economic and Social Council or the General Assembly, it would so
advise the Secretary-General and request him to convey its
views/recommendations to such bodies;
(c) With regard to term of reference (4), it was important for the
Board to address, through the Secretary-General, the United Nations
system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, which were
represented on the Administrative Committee on Coordination and were
especially important in pursuing the goals of the Commission on
Sustainable Development and sustainable development in general;
(d) Requests from intergovernmental bodies, including the Committee
on Sustainable Development, for advice from the Board would be
channelled through the Secretary-General;
(e) Terms of reference (5) and (6) were both innovative and very
important. They were particularly significant in light of the broadly
participatory nature of the Rio process which, it was felt, needed to
be continued and enhanced as a key element to the successful
implementation of Agenda 21 - the achievement of sustainable
development goals in general;
(f) In relation to term of reference (6), in particular, the Board
would explore the possible development of a programme of measures
aimed at keeping alive the Rio spirit, promoting better understanding
of the Rio Agenda and advancing sustainable development. Members also
considered that it would be incumbent on each of them to be
"pro-active" in their respective constituencies and through their own
professional activities. When the Board has agreed on an issue,
members can speak in furtherance of the Board's position. When there
is no common position, they will clearly speak as individuals guided
by the Board's general approach;
(g) Generally, optimal use of the Board's capacity to assist the
Secretary-General and the United Nations would require, on its part,
not only a degree of flexibility in operating within its terms of
reference but also creativity, originality and a forward-looking
approach.
C. Future work of the Board
4. After extensive discussions, and guided especially by the request
of the Secretary-General for help in demonstrating the United Nations
concern to promote sound and sustainable economic and social
development, the Board decided to focus its efforts initially on three
broad themes:
(a) Linkages between economic, social and political development in
a changing world;
(b) New approaches to finance and technology;
(c) Establishment of new partnerships between the United Nations
system and other bodies active in the field of sustainable
development.
5. The Board agreed to establish panels of its members on each of the
themes. It indicated a wide range of topics that might be considered
by each panel, while making it clear that the panels would be expected
to focus their analysis on one or two key elements, chosen by them.
The panels would work by electronic and other communication, would
consider the various studies and initiatives being undertaken by other
bodies, would consult experts and organizations known to them, when
appropriate, and would report to meetings of the Board.
Panel A. Linkages between economic, social and political
development in a changing world
Co-Chairs: Klaus Schwab and Emil Salim
Panel members: Mostafa Tolba and Celso Lafer
Topics to be considered would include the fundamental relationship
between environment, development, poverty and security; the social and
cultural dimensions of sustainable development (including equity
between groups and generations, and the need to empower communities);
the need for new global economic and trading systems; the need for
quantifiable and measurable indicators of sustainable development; and
the crucial role of political development, democratization and
dependable government.
Panel B: New approaches to finance and technology
Co-Chairs: Stephan Schmidheiny and Tommy Koh
Panel members: Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, Maurice Strong, Saburo Kawai
Topics to be considered would include innovative methods of
financing and securing resource and technology transfer; the
importance of developing and sharing new technology (especially
"eco-efficient" processes); and the development of new modes of
capacity-building. The aim was to avoid the damage caused by
inappropriate technology transfer. South/South and South/North
sharing of experience would be of particular value.
Panel C: Establishment of new partnerships between the United
Nations system and other non-State actors
Co-Chairs: Jacques Cousteau and R. S. Pathak
Panel members: Laura Novoa, Valentin Koptyug and Martin Holdgate
The panel would address the Secretary-General's concern that the
contribution of the United Nations to economic and social development
was neither widely known nor properly understood. Topics to be
considered would include the need to find ways of enriching the United
Nations system by building productive partnerships with non-United
Nations bodies; the need to make the United Nations more open to its
partners; the need to promote and draw on practical and effective
partnerships throughout society; how to publicize the work of the
United Nations better; and how to ensure a flexible, adaptive,
practical and cost-effective approach.
D. Methods and organization of work
6. The Board agreed that in order to maintain momentum, not more than
six months should elapse between the first and second meetings. The
panels would work by correspondence during the interval. Resource and
time constraints led the Board to decide that its second meeting,
scheduled for 17-22 March 1994, would be in two parts: panel meetings
on 17 and 18 March; the meeting of the Board on 21 and 22 March. The
intervening weekend would be used to prepare panel reports. This
timetable would allow for a report to be provided through the
Secretary-General to the Commission on Sustainable Development for its
meeting in May.
Appendix
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. To give broad consideration to issues related to the
implementation of Agenda 21, taking into account the thematic
multi-year programme of work of the Commission on Sustainable
Development, and to provide expert advice in that regard to the
Secretary-General and, through him, to the Commission, the Economic
and Social Council and the General Assembly. a/
2. To provide high-level advice, proposals and recommendations on
issues and themes to be addressed by the Commission on Sustainable
Development and the Commission's high-level meetings. b/
3. To bring to the attention of the Secretary-General and, through
him, to that of relevant intergovernmental bodies emerging problems
related to sustainable development and possible ways and means for
resolving them. b/
4. To provide the Secretary-General and, through him, the
Administrative Committee on Coordination with its views on the
expectations and concerns of major constituencies and groups on
sustainable development issues and on the contribution of the United
Nations system in addressing those issues. b/
5. To contribute to the building of partnerships between the United
Nations and the scientific, business and academic communities and
major non-governmental groups. b/
6. To promote knowledge and understanding of and mobilize support for
United Nations activities in the area of environment and development
throughout the constituencies and groups represented by its members.
b/
Notes
a/ General Assembly resolution 47/191 of 22 December 1992, para.
29.
b/ See "High-level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development:
report of the Secretary-General" (E/1993/15/Rev.1, 27 April 1993),
para. 6.
Annex IV
CURRICULA VITAE
Chairman: Bernard Chidzero (Zimbabwe). Senior Minister of Finance,
Economic Planning and Development. Other posts held include Deputy
Secretary-General of UNCTAD; Resident Representative, United Nations
Development Programme. Received professional education in Canada and
United Kingdom (Economics).
Vice-Chairperson: Brigitta Dahl (Sweden). Member of Parliament.
Member, Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party. Member,
Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs. Past posts include Minister of
Environment (1990-1991), Minister of Environment and Energy
(1986-1990), Minister of Energy (1982-1986). Received professional
education in Sweden (History and Political Science).
Rapporteur: Martin Holdgate (United Kingdom). President, Zoological
Society of London. Past posts include Director General, World
Conservation Union (IUCN) (1988-1994); Chief Environment Scientist and
Deputy Secretary, Environment Protection, Department of Environment
(United Kingdom) (1976-1988); President, Governing Council, UNEP
(1983-1984). Received professional education in the United Kingdom
(Zoology). Author of A Perspective of Environmental Pollution (1979)
and joint editor of two major UNEP volumes on the state of the world
environment, 1972-1982 and 1972-1992.
Members:
Jacques Yves Cousteau (France). Chairman, Council on the Rights of
Future Generations; President, the Cousteau Society. Past posts
include Director of the Musee oceanographique. Received professional
education in France (Naval Science and Ocean Ecology). Member,
Academie Francaise. Recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees
for work on the environment. Director of three feature films on
oceans. Author or co-author of more than 50 books, the most recent of
which is Jacques Cousteau/Whales (1988).
Saburo Kawai (Japan). Chairman and President, International
Development Centre of Japan. Member, Organizing Committee, Earth
Council. Past posts include President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation;
Board member, Stockholm Environment Institute; Vice-Chairman and
President, Keizai Doyukai. Received professional education in Japan
and the United States (Law and Economics).
Tommy Koh (Singapore). Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Past posts include Permanent Representative to the United
Nations; Ambassador to the United States and Mexico; High Commissioner
to Canada; Professor and Dean, Faculty of Law, Singapore University;
President, Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea;
Chairman, Preparatory Committee for and Main Committee of the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Received
professional education in Singapore, the United States (Law) and the
United Kingdom. Author of several articles on law of the sea,
international relations, environment and development, United Nations
and negotiations.
Valentin Koptyug (Russian Federation). Director, Institute of Organic
Chemistry (Novosibirsk). President, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy
of Sciences. Past posts include Rector, Novosibirsk State University;
Professor (Chair) of Organic Chemistry. Received professional
education in the former USSR (Chemistry). Author of numerous
scientific papers and monographs in the fields of organic chemistry
and general problems of the environment; founded the journal Chemistry
for Sustainable Development (1993).
Bola Kuforiji-Olubi (Nigeria). Honourable Secretary of Commerce and
Tourism, Federal Ministry of Commerce and Tourism; Chairperson,
Business Council for Sustainable Development, Nigeria.
Carlos Lafer (Brazil). Professor and Department Head, Public
International Law and Jurisprudence, University of S o Paulo. Board
member, Metal Leve S/A Industria e Comercio. Past posts include
Minister for Foreign Affairs; Head of Brazilian delegation to the
tenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Science and
Technology. Expert adviser in the area of science and technology.
Received professional education in Brazil and the United States (Law
and Political Science). Author of many books and articles in the area
of international economic law, international relations, jurisprudence
and political theory.
Rita Levi Montalcini (Italy). Super-expert, Institute of
Neurobiology, National Research Council (CNR). Past posts include
Director, Cellular Biology Laboratory (CNR). Professor of
Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Washington University. Received
professional education in Italy (neurobiology). Received Nobel Prize
in Medicine/Physiology and numerous honorary degrees. Author of
numerous monographs in the field of neurobiology.
Maria De Los Angeles Moreno (Mexico). Member of Congress. Past posts
include Subsecretary of Evaluation, Secretariat of Programming and
Budgeting; Subdirector of Planning, Division of Employment, UCECA;
Subdirector of Studies on Income Distribution, Secretariat of Labour.
Received professional education in Mexico and the Netherlands
(Socio-economic Planning). Author of Women in the Mexican Economy
(1966).
Laura Novoa (Chile). President, PARTICIPA. General Counsel and
member of Executive Committee, member of the law firm Philippi,
Yrarrazaval, Pulido and Brunner (banking, foreign investment, mining,
corporate law); member, Comision Verdad Reconciliation. Received
professional education in Chile and the United States (Law).
R. S. Pathak (India). Chairman, Indian National Steering Committee in
Leadership in Environment and Development Programmes; Editor-in-Chief,
Indian Journal of International Law. Past posts include Judge,
International Court of Justice at The Hague; Judge, Supreme Court of
India; Chief Justice, Supreme Court of India; Chief Justice, Himachal
Pradesh High Court. Received professional education (Law) in India.
Author of many research papers on international law, the law of the
sea and other subjects, including Environmental Change and
International Law: New Challenges and Dimension (1993).
Qu Geping (China). Chairman, Environmental Protection Committee,
National Peoples' Congress. Past posts include Vice-Chairman,
Environmental Protection Commission, State Council Administrator,
Environmental Protection Agency, China. Head of China's Mission to
UNEP. Received professional education (Engineering) in China and the
United Kingdom. Author of numerous publications on environmental
issues, including China's Environment and Development (1993); Studies
on Environmental Services in China.
Emil Salim (Indonesia). Minister of State for Population and the
Environment. Past posts include Minister of State for Development
Supervision and the Environment; President, Governing Council of UNEP;
Professor in Economics, University of Indonesia. Received
professional education in Indonesia and the United States (Economics).
J. Paul Getty award (United States World Wild Life Fund). Author of
Pemerataan Pendapatan and Perencanaan (1978); Pembangunan Berwawasan
(1986).
Edouard Saouma (Lebanon). Former Director-General, Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Past posts include
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestries (1970). Received
professional education in Lebanon and France (Agronomy). Recipient of
numerous awards and honorary degrees for his work in agriculture.
Stephan Schmidheiny (Switzerland). Chairman of the Board, ANOVA
Holding Ltd., UNOTEC Holding Ltd., NUEVA Holding Ltd. (a family-owned
multinational investment group); Board member, ABB Asea Brown Boveri,
SMH Swiss Corporation for Microelectronics and Watchmaking Industries,
Union Bank of Switzerland and Nestle. Founder and Chairman, Business
Council on Sustainable Development. Received professional education
in Switzerland and Italy (Law). Author of Changing Course: A Global
Business Perspective on Development and the Environment (1992).
Klaus Schwab (Germany). President of the Board, World Economic Forum
Foundation; Professor of Business, University of Geneva. Past posts
include General Manager, Escher WYSS, S. A.; Professor, International
Management Institute. Received professional education in Switzerland
(Engineering and Economics). Author of five books and numerous
articles on global competitiveness and other issues.
Adele Simmons (United States). President, the John D. and Catherine
T. MacArthur Foundation. Member of the President's Commission on
Environmental Quality; Member of the Boards of Directors, First
Chicago Corporation and the Marsh Mclennon Companies. Past posts
include President, Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts.
Received professional education in the United States and United
Kingdom (Political Science). Recipient of numerous honorary degrees.
Author and co-author of numerous articles on Africa, women, education
and public policy, including Modern Mauritius (1982) and Exploitation
from 9 to 5: the Twentieth Century Fund Task Force Report on Working
Women (1971).
Maurice Strong (Canada). Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
Ontario Hydro. Past posts include Secretary-General, United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development; Under-Secretary-General and
Executive Coordinator, the United Nations Office for Emergency
Operations in Africa; Director, United Nations Environment Programme;
President and Chief Executive Officer, Petro-Canada; Chairman, Board
of Governors, International Development Research Centre (IDRC),
Canada. Received professional education in Canada (Business).
Recipient of numerous awards and honorary doctorates.
Mostafa Tolba (Egypt). Professor, Faculty of Science, Cairo
University. President, ECOPAST, Centre for Environment and Cultural
Heritage, Washington, D.C.; President, International Centre for
Environment and Development. Past posts include
Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP); Head, Egyptian delegation to the
Stockholm Conference on Human Environment (1972). Received
professional education in Egypt and the United Kingdom (Botany).
Author of numerous papers on plant diseases, anti-fungal substances
and physiology of micro-organisms and on the environment, including
Sustainable Development: Constraints and Opportunities (1987).
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