| United Nations | E/CN.17/1997/2/Add.22 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
28 January 1997
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Fifth session
7-25 April 1997
Overall progress achieved since the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development
Report of the Secretary-General
Addendum
Role and contribution of major groups *
(Chapters 23-32 of Agenda 21)
(* The present report was prepared by the Department for Policy Coordination
and Sustainable Development of the United Nations Secretariat as task manager
for chapters 23-32 of Agenda 21, in accordance with arrangements agreed to by
the Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable Development (ED). It is the result
of consultation and information exchange between United Nations agencies,
international and national organizations, interested government agencies and a
range of other institutions, individuals and major group representatives.
The following supplementary materials related to major groups are also
available:
- Background paper presenting the results of the survey on local
Agenda 21s, prepared jointly by the International Council for
Local Environmental Initiatives and the secretariat of the
Commission on Sustainable Development, as requested by the
Commission at its fourth session;
- Background paper presenting the results of the survey on major
groups conducted by the secretariat of the Commission.)
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
I. CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND ................................ 1 - 5 3
II. REVIEW OF PROGRESS ................................... 6 - 99 4
A. Chapter 24: role of women ....................... 9 - 21 4
B. Chapter 25: role of children and youth .......... 22 - 30 8
C. Chapter 26: role of indigenous people ........... 31 - 42 11
D. Chapter 27: role of non-governmental
organizations .................................... 43 - 53 15
E. Chapter 28: role of local authorities ........... 54 - 63 18
F. Chapter 29: role of workers and trade unions .... 64 - 72 21
G. Chapter 30: role of business and industry ....... 73 - 84 24
H. Chapter 31: role of scientific and technological
communities ...................................... 85 - 90 27
I. Chapter 32: role of farmers ..................... 91 - 99 29
III. CONCLUSIONS .......................................... 100 - 108 31
IV. RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................... 109 - 113 33
I. CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND
1. The present report reviews progress made in the implementation of
the objectives set out in section III, chapters 23-32, of Agenda 21,
on the role of major groups, 1/ taking into account the decisions taken
by the Commission on Sustainable Development on that subject in 1994,
1995 and 1996 at its second, third, and fourth sessions. Section III
of Agenda 21 (Strengthening the role of major groups) includes nine
chapters focusing on the role of women, children and youth, indigenous
people, non-governmental organizations, local authorities, workers and
trade unions, business and industry, scientific and technological
communities, and farmers in the achievement of sustainable
development. The term "major groups" emerged from the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). By coining the
term, Governments at UNCED recognized both the unprecedented number
and diversity of social and economic actors that contributed to the
UNCED process and the significant role that they would continue to
play in the follow-up phase.
2. The major groups concept refers to the participation of economic
and social actors from outside the governmental and intergovernmental
spheres in the implementation and monitoring of sustainable
development activities. The concept establishes a tripartite
arrangement for sustainable development partnership in which major
groups, Governments and intergovernmental bodies need to work with
each other, be transparent and accountable to each other, and help
build each other's capacity.
3. Agenda 21 suggests that the decision-making processes in which
major group organizations participate should include all types of
activities, ranging from identifying problems, designing projects and
programmes to provide solutions, implementing such projects and
monitoring the impacts of implementation efforts. The general
framework of participation is presented in the preamble to section III
of Agenda 21 (chapter 23), which indicates that broad public
participation in decision-making is a prerequisite for achieving
sustainable development, and new forms of participation are necessary.
The kind of participation implied involves meaningful partnerships, in
which the views, actions and priorities of major group actors are not
only included but make an impact on sustainable development decision-
making.
4. Agenda 21 does not define the major groups concept itself, which
leads to several difficulties, including:
(a) Delineating the groups: memberships within the nine major
group categories overlap, which makes separating one major group from
another difficult. For example, women participate not only as
individual women and through their organizations but also through
non-governmental organizations that deal with women's issues, and also
as businesswomen, women farmers, indigenous women and young women;
(b) Participation arrangements: the existing framework of formal
arrangements (accreditation process) of the United Nations system for
the organizations of civil society are based on the arrangements
established by the Economic and Social Council. Those arrangements
recognize non-State actors collectively as non-governmental
organizations, regardless of whether they represent women, workers or
local authorities.
5. The lack of a clear definition of the major groups concept has
been an obstacle to universal adoption of the concept and its inherent
participatory spirit. For example, usage of non-governmental
organizations as a term to refer to all major groups continues among
United Nations agencies, Governments and major group actors
themselves. There is a need to better understand and recognize the
role and contribution of each major group, and - given its importance
in the Agenda 21 framework - to promote universal adoption of the
major groups concept.
II. REVIEW OF PROGRESS
6. Subsections A to I below contain an overview of progress under the
objectives of the nine chapters of Agenda 21 on major groups. The
objectives of those chapters primarily concern participation in
sustainable development decision-making. Major group contributions in
technical areas of Agenda 21 are covered in other chapters of Agenda
21, and information on progress achieved in those areas can be found
in the other sectoral and cross-sectoral reports before the
Commission. The purpose of the present report is to identify the
broad trends of change rather than provide detailed case studies.
Such detailed information is contained in the annual reports to the
Commission and in special collections of case studies prepared in 1995
and 1996. 2/
7. Given the lack of comprehensive data and variable quality of
available information, the present analysis depends in some measure on
anecdotal information, particularly for the tables, which are based on
observations, information and views collected during the last five
years rather than statistical analyses. Thus, the tables should be
used as a starting point for discussions, not as definitive statements
on the direction of change.
8. Each section below contains a "positive trends" segment that
starts with a major international meeting that was significant to that
major group, continues with information on areas where a forward
motion could be observed, and concludes with other general positive
trends that are applicable. Each section also contains an
"unfulfilled expectations" segment that provides information on
objectives for which no forward or else backward motion could be
observed, as well as other information related to negative trends
affecting progress on the chapter's objectives.
A. Chapter 24: role of women
9. Chapter 24 has eight objectives, two of which have time-bound
targets. The general thrust of the objectives is to enhance the role
of women at all levels of sustainable development decision-making.
Specific objectives concern the vehicles for achieving that goal, such
as Governments and international organizations giving a priority to
hire or appoint women for decision-making positions; developing
education materials that promote gender-relevant knowledge; and
formulating national frameworks or adopting national legislation that
protect and enhance women's rights to education, health or property.
Two time-bound targets are on developing a strategy to eliminate
obstacles to women's full participation by the year 2000, and
establishing mechanisms to assess impact of relevant policies and
programmes by 1995.
Table 1. Progress in achieving chapter 24 objectives
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Objective Direction Comments a/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Increase in number --> There is some increase at international
of women decision and national levels, however the rate
makers of change is small and further action
is necessary
Gender relevant --> Various United Nations agencies and
education and other international organizations have
materials developed such materials; their actual
use in curricula is unknown.
Frameworks: --> A framework to advance women exists in
formulation most countries
Frameworks: <-- Most frameworks that exist are not
implementation being implemented
Assessing impact of ..... Known impact assessments procedures do
projects on women not specifically require assessment of
impact on women.
Strategy to --> A strategy or an intent to formulate
eliminate obstacles one exists in most countries
(by year 2000)
Strategy ? Yet to be seen
implementation
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Key: --> forward; <-- backward; ..... unchanged; ? unclear.
a/ See text for more details.
1. Main positive trends
International meetings
10. The Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 4-15 September
1995) was a watershed event for women around the world. The
preparations and the event itself mobilized women at all levels. An
estimated 30,000 participants represented thousands of women's
organizations with millions of members. The preparation process
educated the world community, raised public awareness and mobilized
public concern regarding the difficulties that continue to face women.
11. Chapter IV K of the Beijing Platform for Action includes actions
and objectives that build on those of chapter 24 of Agenda 21. The
Platform for Action is an excellent framework through which, if
implemented, the objectives of Agenda 21 can be realized. Among other
things, it re-emphasizes the need to create a new development paradigm
that integrates environmental sustainability with gender equality and
justice within and between generations, and provides a framework for
integrating the roles, needs and priorities of women with other global
issues, such as health, urban and rural development, and nutrition.
Women in decision-making at the national level
12. Agenda 21 emphasizes the need to increase the numbers of women in
decision-making positions in general rather than in sustainable
development related areas alone. The basic premise is not that women
in decision-making positions will make different kinds of decisions
than men but that their access and impact on political and economic
decision-making will empower them politically, economically and
socially. The Beijing Platform for Action recognizes that national
machinery for the advancement of women has been established in almost
every United Nations Member State. Figures show increases in the
number of women in decision-making positions. In the public sector,
for example, the number of women ministers doubled between 1987 and
1996 (from 3.4 to 6.8 per cent). In some regions, the increase is
more than twofold. For example, in Latin America and the Caribbean,
the percentage of women ministers in the Government increased from
3.1 per cent in 1987 to 10 per cent in 1996. The breakdown by sectors
shows that, on the average, the largest increase in women appointed to
ministerial positions took place in the social sector (from 7.9 to
14 per cent) followed by the legal sector (from 4 to 9.4 per cent). 3/
United Nations efforts to increase women in decision-making positions
13. As mentioned above, placing women in decision-making positions in
international organizations is considered to be a part of the process
to empower women in general. An administrative decision taken in 1994
to improve gender equality in the staff tables of the United Nations
Secretariat is being implemented. The Secretariat's target is to
achieve 50/50 gender parity by year 2000. An interim target of the
strategy was 35 per cent in the lower Professional categories and
25 per cent in the higher (D-1 and above) levels by the end of 1995.
As of June 1996, the 35 per cent target has been achieved, although
the increase in the higher Professional categories remains below
target levels at 17.9 per cent (see A/51/304).
Gender-relevant education and training
14. United Nations and non-United Nations agencies continue to focus
on gender awareness within their workforce, as well as in their field
projects. During the 1992-1997 period, all United Nations agencies
and regional commissions reported on their efforts to conduct in-house
gender awareness training, and develop gender awareness education
materials for use in-house as well as in their projects. The
international organizations that run field projects are increasingly
convinced that women are significant agents for local change, and must
be increasingly involved in designing and managing projects. Some
agencies pursue that objective despite political and cultural
obstacles at the country level. Although those efforts are not taken
in response to Agenda 21, they have a direct impact on achieving its
objectives.
National adoption of international frameworks and strategies to
eliminate discrimination
15. According to information available from the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, as of October 1996, 154
countries have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women, 4/ and several countries have signed
but have not yet ratified the Convention. A universal ratification of
the Convention is hoped to take place by year 2000. The main
contribution of the Convention to sustainable development issues is
the recognition that the welfare of the world requires the maximum
participation of women on equal terms with men in all fields.
Facilitation by networks of women's organizations
16. The work of women's organizations to facilitate Agenda 21 follow-
up has been crucial. A women's caucus has been active in the
Commission process from its inception. The Women's Environment and
Development Organization has been facilitating links between women's
organizations and the Commission, as well as other United Nations
bodies. That organization and a number of national or local women's
groups, such as the Country Women's Association of Nigeria, have also
been instrumental in information dissemination and capacity-building
for Agenda 21 follow-up among local and national organizations of
women.
Evolution of the gender perspective
17. The approach to women's issues has moved from protecting
vulnerable groups to formulating demands for the full recognition of
women as partners in society. Today, many women's organizations find
the term "vulnerable" old-fashioned. They feel that as women's role
in the global economy changes, their political power, role and access
should change equally, and that references to the important role of
women in international documents and agreements are only words unless
they generate tangible action that helps women.
2. Unfulfilled expectations
18. Despite the above-mentioned positive trends, there is much to be
done to fulfil the goals of chapter 24. Implementation of chapter 24
objectives is particularly important given that it is usually women
who manage local-level resources, educate the young or care for family
health in a majority of the world's communities, particularly in the
developing countries. Hence, improving women's access to decision-
making processes is a prerequisite to achieving sustainability. 5/
19. According to the Beijing Platform for Action, women still
represent only 10 per cent of all elected legislators worldwide. They
remain underrepresented in most public and private administrative
structures at the national and international levels. Furthermore,
approximately 60 million girl children are without access to primary
schooling, and more than two thirds of the world's 960 million
illiterate adults are women. Current education materials, as well as
access of young women to education, remain gender-biased.
20. Despite ongoing efforts for change, gender balance in the staffing
tables of international organizations remains below the established
target levels. In fact, proposals have been made to revise those
targets to "more realistic" levels. 6/ But even revised targets are not
likely to be achieved without concerted effort by the United Nations
and its Member States.
21. A national and local-level priority in the next phase should be to
translate the language of the various national strategies on women
into tangible reality. At present, existing national mechanisms to
advance women are uneven in their effectiveness, and some are
declining in importance on the list of national priorities.
Implementation of such national strategies may assure a higher chance
of success if governmental institutions work in closer partnership
with national and local organizations of women, and if gender issues
are seen in the context of women's rights.
B. Chapter 25: role of children and youth
22. Chapter 25 objectives focus on (a) access of children and youth in
sustainable development decision-making processes, and (b) providing
the means to empower young people. Specific objectives include
establishing mechanisms for government-youth dialogue at the national
level; promoting youth involvement in United Nations processes; taking
the interests of children and youth fully into account in sustainable
development; launching initiatives to reduce youth unemployment; and
providing youth with legal protection, skills and opportunities to
fulfil their potential. One time-bound objective is to ensure access
to appropriate secondary education for half the youth in each country
by the year 2000.
Table 2. Progress in achieving chapter 25 objectives
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Objective Direction Comments a/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dialogue with --> Some effort exists to increase access of
children and youth and children to national
youth institutions; further action is still
needed.
Reducing youth <-- Figures for youth unemployment continue
unemployment to be in two digits in many developed and
developing countries.
Involvement in --> Special efforts made by the Commission on
United Nations Sustainable Development and other United
processes Nations bodies; there is a need to
make such efforts more consistent and
reliable.
Participation in ? It is not clear whether the views of
in decision- children and youth are included in
making decision making; some youth are included
in national sustainable development
coordination mechanisms.
Legal <-- Instances of child labour, child abuse
protection and violence against children and youth
appear to be increasing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Key: --> forward; <-- backward; ..... unchanged; ? unclear.
a/ See text for more details.
1. Main positive trends
Youth participation in international conferences
23. Youth groups participated actively and vocally in the World Summit
for Social Development, the International Conference on Population and
Development, the Fourth World Conference on Women and the United
Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II). Their
contributions to Habitat II received particular recognition for both
their quality and quantity. Among other contributions, youth
participants at the above-mentioned conferences effectively linked
sustainable development with specific conference agenda items, and
promoted Agenda 21 as the umbrella framework for all future
development efforts. The second World Youth Forum of the United
Nations System (Vienna, November 1996) was a recent youth meeting,
with a particular focus on enabling better partnerships between young
people and United Nations system organizations.
Special programming to increase access of children and youth to the
Commission
24. The Commission has played a role in increasing the role of youth
at the international level, with some effect at the national level.
Starting in 1994, the Commission provided several special occasions to
increase the participation of young people in its work. An important
step in that process was the Youth Inter-sessional (YI) project. 7/ The
project demonstrated the depth and sophistication of young people's
views, experiences and skills in furthering sustainable development,
and reinforced the opinion that for future success in achieving
Agenda 21 objectives an increasing level of youth access to decision-
making processes at all levels will be essential.
New cooperation and access mechanisms at the national and
international levels
25. The YI project, as well as other efforts to mobilize young people,
such as the second World Youth Forum, the Green Campus Programme of
the International Institute for Sustainable Development in
universities, the Voices of Youth project of the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF) on the Internet, youth participation in
Habitat II, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) global
youth forums and Global 500 Youth Environmental Awards programme, have
shown that young people can and should play a leading role in
sustainable development partnerships. Such projects not only help
link young people with each other and United Nations organizations but
also provide them with a mechanism that helps their activities to be
noted and even supported at the country level. For example, as a
result of the YI project, the Governments of Benin, Canada, Finland,
Gambia, Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone have appointed young people
from the Rescue Mission network to distribute the youth indicators
kits developed in the YI process and use them in preparing youth
evaluations of sustainable development progress.
Youth-led activities at the local, national and regional levels
26. Children and young people take on sustainable development
activities independent of United Nations organizations or national
bodies. Many of those efforts go unnoticed at the international level
due to insufficient flow of information between local or national
youth groups and the national or international institutions that
monitor sustainable development efforts. However, they make an impact
at the local and national level by raising awareness, educating people
of all ages and taking direct action on sustainable development
issues. Among such efforts are Children's Forests in Honduras, the
Environmental Watchers Association in Nigeria, Wildlife Clubs in
Kenya, Kids for Coral on the island of Guam and Global Kids in the
United States. Most of those efforts have an integrated outlook on
sustainability dealing with both local environmental conservation
issues and local social problems, such as poverty and homelessness.
2. Unfulfilled expectations
27. Although there are examples of improving youth access and
participation in sustainable development, the broader situation of the
world's children and youth is a disappointing scenario. A large
percentage of the world's youth and children do not have access to
adequate health, nutrition, education and shelter. According to
projections made by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), out-of-school youth between the ages
of 12 and 17 will increase in sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab States and
South Asia by 60, 15 and 70 million children, respectively, by the
year 2025. 8/ In many developing countries and in some developed
countries, large percentages of young people are poor. 9/ In large
cities in industrialized countries, many inner-city children attend
schools that lack teachers, sanitation facilities, and personal
security against gangs and drug use.
28. Although youth unemployment continues to be a problem in both
developed and developing countries, 10/ illegal child-labour is on the
increase, with children as young as 6 years old working full days.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), one child
out of every three in Africa is involved in some form of economic
activity. 11/ A 1994 survey by the ILO in Ghana, India, Indonesia and
Senegal showed that 25 per cent of children and youth between the ages
of 5 and 14 work; for one third of that number, work is a primary
activity. Monitoring illegal child-labour practices in both small and
large businesses will require governmental and intergovernmental
efforts to enforce international agreements and national legal
frameworks. The codes of conduct developed in that area by industry,
in cooperation with governmental institutions, do work when all
parties are committed to their implementation. 12/
29. Another unfavourable trend for protecting the rights of children
and youth is the increasing incidence of child abuse, including sexual
exploitation of children and young people, in both developed and
developing countries. Although there are few statistical studies,
numerous accounts have been published and observations made in dozens
of countries by government agencies, international organizations,
journalists and non-governmental organizations. 13/ The child sex trade
is a growing health threat to young people (through the spread of the
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other sexually
transmitted diseases), and it often involves physical and other forms
of violence against minors. Furthermore, such trade is contrary to
international law, is morally reprehensible and is a serious
impediment to building trust between generations.
30. The source of the problems mentioned above is not lack of global
consensus on the importance of providing adequately for today's
children and youth but lack of action. Numerous international and
national frameworks testify to the global political consensus on
protecting the health, education and other rights of children and
youth. Those frameworks, however, are not consistently implemented.
When young people and children are given access to decision-making and
support to build their own capacity, they are able to organize
themselves constructively under the most difficult circumstances.
However, for that creative potential to grow, governmental,
intergovernmental and non-governmental institutions at the national,
regional and international levels need to make an effort to become
accessible to young people and aim to serve their needs.
C. Chapter 26: role of indigenous people
31. The main objective of chapter 26 is to establish full partnerships
between Governments, international organizations and indigenous
people. 14/ Proposals to achieve the main objective include
establishing processes that empower indigenous people; strengthening
the active participation of indigenous people in the formulation of
national policies related to resource management; and involving
indigenous people at the national and local levels in programmes
related to sustainable development. The latter includes establishing
appropriate national policies and legal instruments; protection of
indigenous lands from environmentally unsound activities; recognition
of indigenous values, knowledge and resource management practices;
development of national dispute settlement arrangements; and
enhancement of capacity-building for indigenous communities.
Table 3. Progress in achieving chapter 26 objectives
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Objective Direction Comments a/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Empowering ..... Although efforts by major groups
indigenous organizations, United Nations
people Agencies and some governments exist,
overall efforts in this area appear
to be inadequate
Participation ..... The issue is directly linked with
in national legal rights of indigenous people,
decision- which remain unsatisfactory for the
making majority of indigenous people
National and ? It is not clear whether indigenous
local people are part of national
sustainable programmes; their independent efforts
development in this area are not well known due
programmes to the lack of regional/international
indigenous networks for disseminating
information.
National <-- The legal instruments that exist are
legal not adequately enforced to achieve
instruments their intended results; cases have
been cited of relevant national
legislation appearing to be ignored
in favor of economic or business
interests.
Protection of ..... The overall environmental state of
indigenous indigenous lands continues to be less
lands than desirable; there may even be
a negative trend in some regions.
Recognizing --> Values are recognized in
indigenous international and national documents
knowledge and and processes; however, the forward
values motion indicated here should be
viewed with caution since such
recognition has yet to prove its
impact.
National dispute ? Not clear whether they exist or work
settlement as intended
mechanisms
Capacity-building --> Programmes by United Nations agencies
and some Governments exist; greater
collaboration is needed with
indigenous peoples' organizations.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Key: --> forward; <-- backward; ..... unchanged; ? unclear
a/ See text for more details.
1. Main positive trends
Inter-sessional meeting of indigenous peoples
32. The Inter-sessional Workshop on Indigenous Peoples and Forests
(Leticia, Colombia, 9-13 December 1996) was an important government-
sponsored inter-sessional meeting with an exclusive focus on
indigenous people. 15/ The meeting adopted the Leticia Declaration,
which includes numerous recommendations to the fourth and final
session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests and its follow-up.
The Declaration focuses primarily on the full participation of
indigenous people in the assessment of underlying causes of
deforestation, in the development of forest and sustainable
development-related criteria and indicators, and in future
international mechanisms dealing with forests. In addition, the
meeting adopted several action-oriented proposals, including the
establishment of a world indigenous university staffed and
administered by indigenous people.
Empowerment through special focus in the United Nations system
33. The Decade of the Indigenous Peoples, launched in January 1996,
comprises a series of activities, ranging from special studies to
meetings and exhibitions, that aim to increase the access of
indigenous people to the United Nations and increase awareness about
issues facing them. The Decade's activities, focusing on the motto
"Towards new partnerships", are coordinated by the United Nations
Centre on Human Rights. The Decade is seen as a background to the
adoption of international frameworks that recognize rights of
indigenous peoples around the world, particularly the draft
declaration on the rights of the indigenous peoples, which is
currently being prepared by the Commission on Human Rights. 16/
Significant dimensions of the draft declaration are self-determination
and land rights, including the rights to manage natural resources, to
know the environmental impact of economic or other activities and to
receive compensation for mitigating the environmental impacts of
activities in indigenous territories. Several clauses of the draft
declaration, such as draft articles 29 to 31, are directly related to
Agenda 21 issues.
Empowering actions of indigenous people themselves
34. A model example of an indigenous community's self-organized effort
for sustainable development was the Haudenesaunee Strategy for
Sustainable Development, launched in 1994. The Strategy was developed
by indigenous people who live in the Great Lakes region spanning the
north-eastern United States of America and south-eastern Canada. The
effort was supported by UNEP and Indigenous Development International,
a non-governmental organization located in the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland. The Strategy is one of the few
developed by indigenous people exclusively in response to Agenda 21.
Another process that involves a high level of indigenous peoples'
participation is the discussion of the draft declaration in the Centre
for Human Rights of the United Nations Secretariat. More than 100
indigenous peoples' organizations have been actively involved in and
have influenced that process.
National and international efforts to build capacity
35. In some countries, national Governments have offices or programmes
that focus on indigenous issues. Agenda 21 requires that United
Nations bodies also appoint staff as focal points in order to better
service the world's indigenous communities. The United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), the ILO and the Centre for Human Rights
are among the United Nations bodies that have special programmes and
focal points assigned to work on indigenous peoples issues. The World
Bank and UNDP have internal guidelines that require local projects to
include indigenous people in implementation and monitoring.
Sectoral participation of indigenous people
36. Like many other major groups, indigenous people have limited
resources and hence prefer to focus their efforts on forums in which
practical issues are discussed. International processes dealing with
loss of biodiversity (Convention on Biological Diversity),
deforestation (Intergovernmental Panel on Forests) and desertification
(United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those
Countries Experiencing Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in
Africa) involve a higher level of indigenous peoples' participation,
partly due to higher expectations for tangible action under those
legally binding international instruments. The Convention on
Biodiversity, in particular, involves issues that are directly
relevant to indigenous communities, such as indigenous rights to their
genetic heritage.
2. Unfulfilled expectations
37. It is estimated that there are 300 to 500 million indigenous
peoples in the world. They live in both the developed and developing
countries, and have different economic, environmental and social
needs, depending on where they live. Many have adapted to the larger
society in which they live, and take part in its culture, education
systems and economic life. However, the need for legal rights to
their territories is a common thread running through this highly
diverse group of people. For many indigenous people, the resolution
of the territorial rights issue is the first and most crucial step
that must take place before they can play a meaningful role in
sustainable development.
38. A growing concern among indigenous people is related to genetic
research. For many scientific institutions and private companies, the
human as well as plant and animal genetic pool in indigenous
territories is a wealth of information. Many private-sector entities
are documenting, classifying and often patenting such information for
later commercial or scientific use. In many cases, those activities
are carried out without the consent of the indigenous people involved.
In most cases, no profit-sharing agreements are made to allow the
indigenous people to benefit from the commercial uses of the genetic
information collected from their community or their land.
39. To many indigenous peoples' organizations, the adoption of a
declaration on the rights of the indigenous peoples will be a start to
addressing those issues. If adopted, the draft declaration is
expected to recognize indigenous self-determination and land rights,
providing a solid basis for the increased role and contribution of
indigenous people in sustainable development. However, progress
towards the adoption of the draft declaration has been slow.
40. The lack of information that is accessible, relevant and useful is
a continuing problem that negatively affects the role and contribution
of indigenous people. Most indigenous people are interested in and
capable of making the local-national-international link if they have
adequate, timely and accessible information on international processes
and national programmes. A directly related problem is the lack of
information in languages spoken by indigenous people. Although the
role of intermediary non-governmental organizations is often proposed
as a solution, the growing distrust between indigenous people and
"conservation non-governmental organizations" is an obstacle that
needs attention.
41. There is also a continuing lack of self-organized networks that
can effectively mobilize indigenous people around national and
international sustainable development decision-making processes. In
the context of the Commission on Sustainable Development, special
efforts, such as organizing a day of the indigenous people at a future
Commission session, may help mobilize indigenous people as well as
Governments, international organizations and other major groups around
the objectives of chapter 26.
42. A draft proposal by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) contains
elements for addressing some of the above-mentioned issues. WWF
proposes that the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable
Development of the United Nations Secretariat coordinate an inter-
agency task force on indigenous people, composed of representatives
from the secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity, any
follow-up to the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests process, the
Centre for Human Rights and other relevant United Nations bodies. The
task force could oversee the respective processes in a coherent way,
harmonize existing and future mechanisms for the participation of
indigenous peoples in those forums, and liaise with indigenous and
other peoples' organizations. A consultative body made up of
indigenous peoples' representatives on a regionally and culturally
balanced basis could support the task force by being the liaison with
indigenous peoples' communities. That proposed mechanism has the
potential to provide a central coordination structure to deal with
indigenous issues in the holistic manner demanded by indigenous
peoples.
D. Chapter 27: role of non-governmental organizations
43. The four objectives of chapter 27 focus on developing mechanisms
that allow non-governmental organizations to play their partnership
role effectively; review by the United Nations system of formal
procedures and mechanisms for the involvement of non-governmental
organizations in policy and decision-making, as well as in
implementation; and the participation of non-governmental
organizations in the national and international review of Agenda 21
implementation. Chapter 27 has one time-bound objective, for
establishing a mutually productive dialogue for sustainable
development at the national level between Governments and
non-governmental organizations by 1995. 17/
Table 4. Progress in achieving chapter 27 objectives
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Objectives Direction Comments a/
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Partnership --> There are numerous examples of
mechanisms partnerships between Governments,
United Nations bodies and
non-governmental organizations,
as well as partnerships among
non-governmental organizations
including between international and
local non-governmental organizations
and between Northern and Southern
.
Review of formal --> The Economic and Social Council
arrangements completed such a review in 1996; the
review expanded the scope of formal
arrangements but did not reach
agreement to include the concept of
major groups in the revised text.
National --> Most national sustainable development
participation coordination mechanisms include
non-governmental organizations
more than any other major group;
however their impact on national
decision-making is not clear
Non-Governmental ? The partnerships that exist do not
organizations/ provide sufficient evidence that
Government meaningful dialogue is taking place
dialogue
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Key: --> forward; <-- backward; ..... unchanged; ? unclear
a/ See text for more details.
1. Main positive trends
Partnerships between northern and southern non-governmental
organizations
44. As bilateral and multilateral assistance decreases, partnerships
between southern and northern non-governmental organizations have a
more vital role in sustainable development efforts, including to
provide creative alternatives. Among the emerging alternatives are
funding through ethical investment sources and micro-credit schemes.
There is also a greater interest in the way North-South
non-governmental organization partnerships are established,
particularly under the topic of governance. Such partnerships are
also moving towards greater accountability and transparency among
partner organizations.
Partnerships through networks at the national and international levels
45. The clear focus, strong commitment and flexible institutional
arrangements that characterize non-governmental organizations enable
them to establish strategic alliances with groups and individuals
around the world on specific issues. In the last five years, numerous
non-governmental organization networking efforts have taken place in
the Commission on Sustainable Development process and related forums.
The Commission's Non-Governmental Organizations Steering Committee,
the Re'seau international des organisations non gouvernementales sur
la desertification (RIOD), and the Climate Action Network are
recognized as cases of good practice .
46. National network non-governmental organizations have been
particularly constructive in generating a broad-based participation
and high level of awareness on sustainable development issues at the
country level. The work of UNED-UK/United Nations Environment and
Development-United Kingdom Committee and Peoples' Forum 2001 in Japan
have been recognized by other non-governmental organizations and
international organizations. 18/ National networks, if supported and
strengthened, have the potential to be the best-placed mechanisms for
follow-up to international conferences. 19/ Support for national
network non-governmental organizations is particularly important in
the next phase of Agenda 21 follow-up, in which international
conferences, which have been the traditional mobilizing factor for
national networks, will be largely missing.
Partnerships in national Agenda 21 activities
47. Environment and development non-governmental organizations are the
most frequent participants relative to other major groups in the
national councils for sustainable development. Non-governmental
organizations are also increasingly working in partnership with
governmental and intergovernmental institutions to design and develop
projects, as well as implement and monitor them at the national level.
Some have also gained access to the preparation of national reports to
the Commission, and their inputs have been highlighted in national
presentations made to the Commission at its third and fourth sessions.
A growing number of international non-governmental organizations are
also functioning as development agencies at the national level through
bilateral arrangements made directly with countries or through United
Nations bodies.
Innovative partnerships under thematic issues
48. A model case of innovative action by non-governmental
organizations was the evolution of the "mountain agenda". The issue
actually became a chapter in Agenda 21, primarily as a result of
non-governmental organization action at UNCED, and evolution of the
issue has continued to benefit primarily from consultations organized
by non-governmental organizations. In the 1994-1996 period,
consultation meetings included a global meeting in Lima
(February 1995) and numerous national or subregional meetings. The
Mountain Forum coordinates activities through regional focal points,
and regional networks are being established. The focus of those
efforts is an emphasis on the participation of local populations and
community groups in identifying and planning mountain development
activities. In addition, links with mountain research and development
interests, intergovernmental bodies and scientific organizations
provide the basis for furthering broad-based partnerships on the
mountain agenda.
Reviewed formal arrangements
49. A review of formal arrangements for non-governmental organization
participation was completed in 1996 by the Committee on
Non-Governmental Organizations of the Economic and Social Council.
The revised arrangements, adopted as Council resolution 1996/31, have
opened applications for consultative status to national and regional
non-governmental organizations, which is particularly significant for
Agenda 21 follow-up given its emphasis on local, national and regional
action in sustainable development. The broader scope that is now
allowed for non-governmental organization accreditation applications
is likely to increase both the quantity and quality of non-
governmental inputs to the Commission and other forums reporting to
the Council.
2. Unfulfilled expectations
50. The lack of direct participation in the Commission process, in
other intergovernmental forums and at the national level has been a
concern expressed by some non-governmental organizations. At the
international level, most non-governmental organizations recognize the
openness and accessibility of the Commission itself but are
increasingly looking towards more meaningful forms of participation
that enable them to make a direct impact on sustainable development
decision-making.
51. Both national and international non-governmental organizations
also feel that their growing role and contribution in environmental
and other economic and social fields is not matched by equal growth in
financial, political and technical support from Governments and
international organizations. That concern is particularly acute for
national and local non-governmental organizations from developing
countries. Given the need for transparent and broad-based
participation in sustainable development and the potential of
non-governmental organizations for generating such processes, funding
for effective consultative mechanisms rather than project-driven
funding could be a useful approach.
52. Those non-governmental organizations that are active at the
international level, including in the Commission process, are seeking
information in a greater number of languages. Availability of
information in different languages is less a function of the
willingness to produce them than of a lack of financial resources.
Information in different languages is particularly crucial for
national non-governmental organizations and non-governmental
organizations in regions in which English is not a widely understood
language.
53. Building capacity within non-governmental organizations is also an
area of priority for both international and national partnerships and
for partnerships between non-governmental organizations and other
major groups. As non-governmental organization contributions become
increasingly recognized, expectations have risen for high-quality
non-governmental organization information and expertise. High-
quality, reliable and solution-oriented inputs from non-governmental
organizations are particularly necessary in the next phase of
Agenda 21 follow-up, in which focus is to be on action, implementation
and measuring successes. In that context, greater involvement of
local, national and international non-governmental organizations in
developing, testing and mastering the use of sustainable development
indicators will be essential.
E. Chapter 28: role of local authorities
54. The emphasis of chapter 28 of Agenda 21 includes (a) for local
authorities to undertake a consultative process towards achieving consensus on
a local Agenda 21 by 1996; (b) for the international community to initiate a
consultative process to increase cooperation between local authorities by
1993; (c) for the association of cities and other local authorities to
increase their cooperation and coordination by 1994; and (d) for all actors to
encourage local authorities to implement and monitor programmes that aim to
ensure the participation of women and youth in local decision-making.
Table 5. Progress in achieving chapter 28 objectives
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objectives Direction Comments a/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consultations --> The local Agenda 21 process has moved
on Local from being a project to a movement:
Agenda 21s over 1,500 local authorities are confirmed
to have a local Agenda 21 in progress, and
others are developing similar frameworks
Cooperation --> International associations of local
among local authorities help their members to link
authorities with and learn from each other. The United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat) and UNDP are among supporting
United Nations bodies. Some cooperative
efforts of cities focus on specific issues
such as Cities for Climate Change.
Cooperation among --> Positive cooperative arrangements among
local authority international organizations of local
associations authorities are ongoing.
formulation
Participation ? In some cases, local Agenda 21 design and
of women and implementation involve women and youth as
youth in Local well as other major groups; however, there
Agenda 21 are cases where this issue needs further
programs. effort.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Key: --> forward; <-- backward; ..... unchanged; ? unclear
a/ See text for more details.
1. Main positive trends
Local Agenda 21 movement
55. Between 1992 and 1996, local Agenda 21s 20/ have become a global
movement. The preliminary results of the first worldwide local Agenda 21
survey, carried out jointly by the International Council for Local
Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the secretariat of the Commission,
confirmed a total of 1,500 local Agenda 21s, with hundreds more in the making.
Local Agenda 21 cities exist throughout the world, in countries as diverse as
Canada, India, Peru and Sweden. The survey also showed that Agenda 21
follow-up by local authorities is most successful when a national association
of local authorities exists, when it has launched a national campaign
supporting local Agenda 21 efforts, 21/ and when those actions are supported
by the existence of a national Agenda 21 campaign launched by the national
Government. 22/ Those findings point to critical success factors that will
need to be promoted in the next phase of Agenda 21 follow-up.
Cooperation and consensus-building through local Agenda 21
56. Cooperative arrangements with other major groups, international
organizations and Governments differ in the local Agenda 21s movement. In
Sweden, for example, local authorities are supported by national Government
efforts in public education and information dissemination. 23/ In the United
Kingdom, widespread local Agenda 21s are supported by national
non-governmental organization networks and national networks of local
authorities. 24/ Community participation is a strategic element in most local
Agenda 21 programmes, such as the local Agenda 21 of Cajamarca, Peru. 25/ The
experience of partnerships between the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat) and the cities of Nakuru, Kenya, and Essaouira, Morocco,
among others, show similar results, revealing both the importance of local
Agenda 21s as a consensus-building tool at the local level and the strategic
importance of community participation.
Institutional changes at the local level
57. One great challenge posed by sustainable development to existing
institutions is in its demand for integrated approaches and institutional
mechanisms. The concept challenges local governments, which are traditionally
organized along departmental, statutory and procedural lines that are separate
and often competing. The greatest impact of the local Agenda 21s process on
local institutions has been in terms of the establishment of multisectoral
planning bodies, the creation of community consultation processes, the
formation of interdepartmental units for assessment and monitoring, and
statutory developments that are linked with the goals of local Agenda 21s.
That institutional preparation provides a strong basis for the next phase of
local action on Agenda 21, such as replication at the national level.
According to information received from Habitat, a number of cities, in Egypt,
the United Republic of Tanzania and Chile are in the process of transferring
their city-level experience - gained through their involvement in the joint
Habitat/UNEP Sustainable Cities Programme - to the national level.
Move towards implementation and measuring impact
58. The purpose of launching a local Agenda 21 for local authorities is not
to develop well-meaning documents but to make a significant change in the
sustainable development of the community. Regional consultations of local
authorities organized by ICLEI during 1996 showed that local authorities are
already focused on what needs to be done in the next phase of Agenda 21
implementation. Their future plans focus on (a) developing ways to measure
whether local Agenda 21s are having the impact they are designed to, and
(b) continued efforts to expand the local Agenda 21 effort throughout the
world. The work in the next phase of Agenda 21 follow-up is based on the
single but powerful question: "Has the Earth noticed?".
Impact on other related forums and issues
59. Local authority activities on Agenda 21 follow-up have also incorporated
local action and have contributed to the implementation of other global
frameworks, such as the Cities for Climate Change programme, which involves
local action in support of achieving the requirements of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change. The programme involves 150
municipalities, whose combined greenhouse gas emissions constitute as much as
5 to 10 per cent of the world total. Among the various projects of the
programme, the Urban Carbon Dioxide Reduction Project involves 14 cities that
have made a commitment to reduce their emissions by 10 to 20 per cent per year
over the next 10 years.
2. Unfulfilled expectations
60. The local Agenda 21 experience demonstrates what is possible at the
local level through the commitment of local authorities. Maintaining and
expanding that highly successful process will require not only political
support and incentives but also economic and technical support from national
Governments, particularly given the decentralization trends that reduce
resource-sharing possibilities between local and central governments.
61. If local action is the basis of sustainable development, future
decisions on political and economic resource allocation at the national level
will need to give priority to supporting local authorities. The next phase of
Agenda 21 follow-up will benefit from central government support for local
authorities through continued human resources development, the creation of
better employment conditions and equitable resource flows from higher levels
of government.
62. Support from other major groups, particularly from network
non-governmental organizations and the private sector, is also needed.
Although partnerships between private-sector actors and local authorities
exist, they are limited to a small number of cities and businesses. The
network non-governmental organizations, through their information
dissemination and awareness-raising efforts, provide an excellent educational
support structure to the efforts of local authorities by helping to increase
local awareness and readiness to tackle difficult sustainable development
decisions.
63. Associations of local authorities will also need support to disseminate
the lessons learned from their local Agenda 21 experiences around the world.
The Habitat II process and the best practices database it generated has helped
other local authorities to learn from their peers involved in local
sustainable development efforts. That database and other similar efforts,
such as the Urban Environment Forum, 26/ need to be supported to continue with
their information-sharing services.
F. Chapter 29: role of workers and trade unions
64. Chapter 29 has two main objectives that focus on the full participation
of workers in Agenda 21 implementation. Several targets are put forward,
including promoting the ratification of ILO conventions; establishing
bipartite and tripartite mechanisms on safety, health and sustainable
development; increasing the number of environmental collective agreements;
reducing occupational accidents and injuries; and increasing workers'
education and training efforts by the year 2000.
Table 6. Progress in achieving chapter 29 objectives
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objective Direction Comments a/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full ..... Workers and trade unions have taken action
participation at the workplace; however, it is not clear
of workers in whether they are fully included in
Agenda 21 governmental or enterprise-level decision-
implementation making processes.
Establishing ..... Some cases exist; however, further data is
partnership necessary to assess the existing
mechanisms partnership mechanisms.
Increasing ? There are some instances of environmental
number of clauses in collective agreements, but it
environmental is not clear whether sustainable development
collective is a significant part of such agreements
agreements
Reducing ? Where regulations and voluntary health and
occupational safety programmes have been established and
accidents and enforced, accidents and injuries tend to
injuries decrease; however, overall figures are not
readily available
Increasing --> Workers, as well as many businesses and
workers' relevant international organizations,
education and conduct education and training on
training sustainable development in the workplace.
efforts
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Key: --> forward; <-- backward; ..... unchanged; ? unclear
a/ See text for more details.
1. Main positive trends
Participation of workers and trade unions in the Commission through special
events
65. The Day of the Workplace, organized in connection with the fourth
session of the Commission, provided a forum for trade unions to discuss a
number of case studies of labour union efforts for Agenda 21 follow-up. The
Day was organized by a steering committee of several major group organizations
from business and trade unions, as well as two United Nations bodies (the ILO
and UNEP) and the Commission secretariat. The International Confederation of
Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) was the labour representative on the committee; it
organized the labour segment of the case studies, as well as the Day of the
Workplace Panel. For the Day, trade unions from Australia, Finland, Germany,
the Philippines, Sweden, the United States of America, and Zimbabwe prepared
case studies on a range of issues, from collective bargaining for
environmental protection to green jobs in industry.
Education programmes by trade unions
66. A number of examples exist of workers and trade unions running
sustainable development education and training programmes for themselves and
for their greater communities. ICFTU, as the largest international workers'
organization, has produced numerous packets of education materials in
accessible formats and multiple languages. 27/ Some national trade unions
have
sophisticated sustainable development training programmes that include
cost-sharing with employers and cooperation with national authorities. 28/
Participation of workers in Agenda 21 implementation
67. Trade unions have responded to the sustainable development challenge
within their workplace and their communities, despite the general view that
sustainable development efforts may mean unemployment for workers as unsound
production processes are phased out. Many trade unions see sustainable
development as an opportunity for creating jobs while protecting the social
and environmental fabric of life. 29/ In some cases, workers have identified
sustainable development as a rapidly growing industrial sector in which
workers should play a strategic and proactive role. 30/
Partnerships with employers
68. For workers, successful sustainable development actions should make an
impact on strategic business decisions. Including sustainable development
issues into agreements and collaborative efforts with employers is one of the
resulting strategies. The social partnership project carried out by the
German Chemical Workers' Union and the German Chemical Industry enabled
agreements that led to works councils, which involve workers in the
administration of company welfare. Consultation on such issues as
technological change within companies is mandatory, and employers meet with
the works council regularly.
2. Unfulfilled expectations
69. For workers and trade unions, employment generation, poverty
eradication, effective changes in consumption and production patterns with the
full involvement of workers, the education and training of workers for
sustainable development in the workplace, and effective partnerships in the
workplace are all fundamental to achieving sustainable development.
70. In a report submitted on behalf of the millions of its member workers,
ICFTU expressed concerns about those issues, particularly with respect to the
insufficient attention paid to them in the Commission. The ICFTU report
asserts that the process promoted by the Commission on Sustainable Development
is important and must continue, and recommends that Governments continue to
support the work of the Commission. However, it also recommends that the
future work of the Commission deal more effectively with the fundamental
issues of concern to workers.
71. Information received from ICFTU indicates that public participation,
which is encouraged and promoted by the Commission, is yet to become a reality
for many workers and trade unions around the world. The report lists
statistics of workers who have faced life-threatening consequences as a result
of their efforts to promote sustainable development in the workplace. 31/ To
enable the kind of workers' participation envisioned in Agenda 21, concrete
steps are necessary to strengthen workers' rights to assemble, participate and
take action.
72. Enabling meaningful workers' participation in the workplace is also seen
as a way to increase the effectiveness and accountability of voluntary
sustainable development efforts in the private sector. To workers and trade
unions, employment creation is the most effective means with which poverty and
unsustainable forms of development can be addressed. Promoting green jobs,
eliminating taxes that create disincentives to employment and paying special
attention to the needs of women, youth and disadvantaged groups should be
integral to future national strategies on Agenda 21 follow-up.
G. Chapter 30: role of business and industry
73. The three objectives of chapter 30 focus on the role of business and
industry in (a) cleaner production and (b) responsible entrepreneurship.
Under the first area, Governments, business and industry, including
transnational corporations, are asked to increase the efficiency of resource
use, including the reuse, recycling and reduction of waste per unit of
economic output. The second area involves encouraging the concept of
stewardship in management and the use of natural resources by entrepreneurs,
and increasing the number of enterprises that subscribe to and implement
sustainable development policies.
Table 7. Progress in achieving chapter 30 objectives
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Objective Direction Comments a/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Increasing --> Where environmentally management systems
efficiency of have been put in place, there is
resource use invariably a gain in resource
efficiency; the overall gain worldwide,
however, is below targets or
expectations
Encouraging the --> Several business organizations, as well
concept of as business schools, have taken steps to
stewardship encourage the environmental stewardship
concept.
Increasing --> The number of businesses that have
number of adopted the Business Charter for
enterprises that Sustainable Development has increased,
subscribe/implement and environmental management practices
sustainable at the enterprise level are increasing;
development policies the number of enterprises involved,
however, is still only a small
percentage of the world's businesses
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Key: --> forward; <-- backward; ..... unchanged; ? unclear
a/ See text for more details.
1. Main positive trends
Increasing efficiency of resource use
74. The case studies prepared for the Day of the Workplace programme
organized in connection with the fourth session of the Commission
contained several examples of resource-use efficiencies achieved by
individual companies. In most cases, resource use was reduced by half
and significant cost savings were achieved. 32/
Environmental stewardship
75. The most significant change that has taken place in the last
decade concerns the motivation of business and industry to change
towards achieving greater sustainability. Unlike previous decades, in
the 1990s businesses are moving towards sustainable development
because green business is good business. Being responsible for the
future makes business sense, an approach that leads companies to not
only comply with environmental regulation through pollution control
methods but also to move towards resource efficiency, new production
processes and partnerships with the greater community in which they
are located.
76. The efforts of some very large companies, such as 3M, are
receiving recognition from Governments and independent institutions.
3M was one of the 15 recipients of the 1996 United States Presidential
Award for Sustainable Development, and was ranked third in
eco-performance in a study of 50 largest companies carried out by the
Hamburg Institute of Germany. 33/ Its future strategy is to become a
sustainable development corporation whose products and processes
provide economic and social benefits with minimal impact on the
environment.
Enterprises subscribing to sustainable development
77. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) was
formed during the UNCED process to increase awareness and action for
sustainable development among large businesses. The original list of
member companies grew from 50 in 1992 to 137 in 1996. Dozens of
regional and national affiliates have also been established. National
and regional affiliates of WBCSD are making significant contributions
to local and national sustainable development efforts through field
projects, and national or regional discussion forums on business and
sustainable development issues. 34/ The Business Charter for
Sustainable Development, developed by the International Chamber of
Commerce (ICC) and launched in the UNCED preparation period, continues
to be adopted by companies around the world. According to information
provided by ICC, 2,150 enterprises currently support the Charter and
integrate its principles into their business practices. An
environmental management system training kit, developed by ICC, UNEP
and the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, assists the
efforts of the enterprises wishing to implement the Charter's
principles.
Growth in "green" business
78. The environmental goods and services industry is among the fastest
growing business sectors, and is expected to grow to a US$ 300 billion
industry by the year 2000. 35/ Such growth is attested throughout the
world. For example, according to the 1995 State of the Environment in
Asia and the Pacific, 36/ the regional environmental market is worth
$80 billion, and is expected to reach $120 billion by the year 2000.
Although a quarter of that market is held by companies in Japan, other
countries of the region also expect that sector to grow.
Environmental investments in the Republic of Korea, for example, are
expected to grow from $1.25 billion in 1992 to $4.75 billion in the
year 2000.
Business response to growing social and ethical concerns on the role
of the private sector
79. Companies making a commitment to ethical and responsible business
practices are also growing in number. The Ethical Business Directory
available on the Internet currently includes over 100 companies around
the world, including large multinational businesses. Corporate
responsibility is one of the priority areas of focus for the
Sustainable Ventures Network, whose members are companies that are
known as front-runners in the area of corporate social, ethical and
environmental responsibility. Non-governmental organizations
campaigns on a range of issues, from workers' rights to environmental
health and safety in the workplace, are also receiving positive
responses from a number of companies. 37/
2. Unfulfilled expectations
80. Although there are numerous examples of good practices by business
and industry, the number of companies that are making strides in
becoming sustainable development enterprises is small relative to the
global total, a disappointing trend given that business and industry
is the single most dominant factor influencing the direction of
investments and financial flows, as well as the type of products
produced and the processes with which they are made. The role of
business and industry in sustainable development needs to grow to
match the importance of its global role. Although some network
organizations support sustainable development efforts among small and
medium-sized enterprises, such at the International Network for
Environmental Management, further effort in that direction needs to be
among future priorities.
81. An important question is whether the positive business and
industry responses in this area are reactions to public pressures or
signs of an integrated approach to sustainable development by the
private sector. It appears that relatively few companies have
integrated sustainability requirements into their overall corporate
strategy with a commitment to follow it even in the absence of
stringent regulations. The behaviour of firms in free trade zones,
where environmental regulations are more lax, indicate that the
integration of sustainable development into corporate philosophy is
far from complete.
82. Some of those concerns were raised in an input made by the
Non-Governmental Organizations Caucus on Transnational Corporations,
composed of 27 non-governmental organizations with a wide membership
around the world, focusing on the growing dependence on voluntary
corporate environmental practices at the expense of the diminishing
role of Governments in overseeing and monitoring corporate
responsibility. While the Caucus acknowledges progress within the
business sector in cultivating greater eco-efficiency and sensitivity
to environmental concerns, it points out that many more companies
still need public and regulatory pressures, as well as governmental
incentives to change their behaviour. The Caucus calls for
assessments of corporate behaviour to see whether corporate actions
are "green without accountability" or involve demonstrable changes in
corporate strategies.
83. An input from ICC proposes that greater progress in the next phase
of Agenda 21 follow-up could be achieved by focusing on areas that
need urgent action rather than on unfulfilled expectations. According
to ICC, the private sector's priorities for the next phase include
increasing use of multilateral arrangements to resolve transboundary
environmental issues (instead of unilateral approaches); incentive-
based approaches, such as joint implementation; greater involvement of
business and industry in multilateral agreements and organizations
through innovative consultative mechanisms; and a more prominent role
for international environmental technical and management standards and
voluntary codes, as complements to regulatory frameworks.
84. To benefit more fully from the existing positive initiatives of
the private sector, its role and involvement in the next phase of
Agenda 21, follow-up needs to be supported with public awareness
campaigns, regulatory structures and enforcement, as well as
incentives that reward positive action by the private sector. A
greater focus by the Commission on the role of the private sector in
sustainable development appears necessary in the next phase.
H. Chapter 31: role of scientific and technological communities
85. Chapter 31 has three objectives, focusing on extending the
decision-making process and broadening the range of development and
environment issues in which cooperation between scientific and
technological communities and decision makers takes place; improving
the exchange of knowledge and concerns between the scientific and
technological community and the general public; and developing,
improving and promoting the international acceptance of codes of
practice and guidelines related to science and technology in
reconciling environment and development.
Table 8. Progress in achieving chapter 31 objectives
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Objective Direction Comments a/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cooperation --> Scientific communities, research institutes
with and technical centers have traditionally
decision worked closely with national decision-
makers making centers; however, further effort to
disseminate the available knowledge more
universally across countries seems
necessary.
Exchange of ? The science and technology world is not
knowledge well accessible to the general public;
with the Efforts to make scientific knowledge
general relevant to ordinary people are necessary.
public
Codes of ..... It is not clear whether such codes of
practice practice are being formulated and/or
implemented widely
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Key: --> forward; <-- backward; ..... unchanged; ? unclear
a/ See text for more details.
1. Main positive trends
Cooperation between scientists and governmental and intergovernmental
institutions
86. Substantive involvement of scientific centres and organizations of
scientists in sustainable development issues continues. Research
centres, academic institutions and education communities have provided
inputs to the annual Commission review process on issues ranging from
oceans to transportation. The large networks of scientific
communities, such as the International Union for Conservation of
Nature and Natural Resources-World Conservation Union, and the
International Council of Scientific Unions, include most sectoral
themes of Agenda 21 in their work and projects. Most national
councils for sustainable development include one or more national
scientific institutions in their membership, providing an opportunity
to base national policy-making on national scientific knowledge.
Numerous inter-agency programmes continue their work to improve the
scientific basis of sustainable development decision-making processes
(for additional information on the role of scientific and
technological communities, see E/CN.17/1997/2, Add.25).
Special programming to exchange information with other major groups
87. An innovative programme that links students with scientists for
global learning on sustainable development is the Global Learning and
Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) programme, initiated
by the Government of the United States of America. The programme
currently involves 43 countries and 3,000 schools. In addition to
scientists and students, teachers and parents of the students take
part in the activities. The GLOBE programme links scientific centres
and satellite observations of the world's environmental condition with
on-the-ground observations made by young people and schoolchildren.
The activities help young people understand scientific information
better, and increases their interest and knowledge by furthering their
understanding of sustainable development issues through first-hand
experience.
Impact of modern technologies
88. As electronic communications technologies advance and become more
widely available around the world, they are also increasing the access
of ordinary citizens to scientific information. Despite concerns that
Internet access may be creating a new social strata of haves and
have-nots, electronic communications have the potential to increase
the exchange of knowledge rapidly around the world in an open, easy
and relatively democratic manner, which is not only useful for linking
scientists and scientific centres with each other but also for opening
up available information to ordinary citizens instantly on demand,
reducing their intellectual distance from scientific information.
2. Unfulfilled expectations
89. There is still a considerable gap between the general public and
scientific institutions and their accumulated knowledge. Part of the
isolation of scientists is due to the highly specialized content of
their work and products, which are not easily comprehensible by the
general public or the decision makers. Further effort is necessary to
make scientific information available in formats useful to decision
makers as well as to the general public.
90. Scientific capacity in many countries is also lacking. Fewer
young people appear to be enrolling in scientific education
programmes, and the flight of trained scientists from the developing
to the developed world continues apace. There is a need to support
national scientific capacity by providing incentives that help to keep
skilled professionals in developing countries and programmes that
increase the interest of young people in scientific fields.
I. Chapter 32: role of farmers
91. Chapter 32 has six objectives, focusing on encouraging
decentralized decision-making at the local level; enhancing the legal
capacity of women and vulnerable groups to land tenure; promoting and
encouraging sustainable farming practices and technologies;
introducing policies that encourage sounder agricultural technologies
and pricing mechanisms; developing a policy framework that provides
incentives and motivation among farmers for sustainable and efficient
farming practices; and enhancing the participation of organizations of
farmers in the design and implementation of sustainable development
policies (for additional information on the role of farmers, see
E/CN.17/1997/2, Add.13).
Table 9. Progress in achieving chapter 32 objectives
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Objective Direction Comments a/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Decentralized ? Rural decentralization is taking place,
decision- although the change is not necessarily a
making function of agricultural or farmers'
related policy.
Legal rights ..... Women and vulnerable groups continue
to land to lack such rights.
Promoting --> Intergovernmental organizations and
sustainable networks of farmers' organizations are
farming conducting this type of activity;
practices measurement of their impact needs
further effort.
Sounder ..... Although intergovernmental
agricultural organizations have projects to enhance
technologies, sounder technology use in agriculture,
pricing economic policies have not significantly
mechanisms changed to establish a more favorable
pricing mechanism in this area.
Incentives for <-- Various subsidies in agriculture
farmers continue to counteract the need to
provide incentives for sustainable
farming
Full ..... Farmers'organizations continue to remain
participation outside the decision making loop; the
of farmers' lack of participation is most prominent
organizations in rural communities in the developing
world.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Key: --> forward; <-- backward; ..... unchanged; ? unclear
a/ See text for more details.
1. Main positive trends
Major meetings
92. The World Food Summit, held in Rome in November 1996, provided an
opportunity for a global review of the agricultural sector in the
context of long-term food security within environmental limitations.
A total of 1,200 non-governmental organizations, including those that
represent farmers' interests, participated in the Food Summit
Non-Governmental Organizations Forum, at which they worked on a
statement proposing alternative ideas to ensure food security. 38/
Promoting sustainable agriculture practices
93. Several large organizations of farmers or organizations working on
related issues, including the International Fund for Agricultural
Development, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements and the World Sustainable Agriculture Association, have been
active in the first phase of the Commission's work. Their inputs
contributed particularly to the review of the land cluster of
Agenda 21 chapters (chaps. 10-15) in 1995. Collections of case
studies submitted show how farmers and their organizations are taking
steps, independently or jointly with Governments or United Nations
bodies, to promote sustainable agricultural practices around the
world.
94. Examples drawn from the case studies presented in 1995 by the
World Sustainable Agriculture Association and the Women Food and
Agriculture Working Group demonstrate the commitment of farmers to
sustainable development. For example, the work of Seed of
Survival/Ethiopia and the Organization of Rural Associations for
Progress of Zimbabwe focus on, among other things, conserving local
seed varieties and educating farmers. Survival/Ethiopia works on
reducing the rate at which plant genetic resources are being eroded in
Africa by promoting and supporting farmer-based conservation,
enhancement and utilization of the plant genetic diversity of major
food crops in Ethiopia. The programme has been successful in
multiplying traditional seeds, working through partnerships among both
men and women farmers.
95. The Organization of Rural Associations for Progress works with
rural communities by empowering them to define their development
needs, and to develop and implement plans. Among other things, the
Organization builds seed banks to retain gene plasm within the
community, conducts participatory agricultural training and research
and helps households to build granaries to reduce food shortages. The
Community Alliance With Family Farmers Foundation in California
promotes non-chemical agricultural production through its Lighthouse
Farm Campaign. The Foundation aims to help farmers to reduce their
reliance on farm chemicals, demonstrates sustainable farm practices to
local farmers and applies grass-roots pressure for institutional
changes in favour of non-chemical agricultural production in
California, where the largest use of agricultural chemicals in the
world takes place.
96. Small rural groups have also been in direct contact with the
Commission secretariat through regular inputs. For example, the Sindh
Rural Women's Uplift Group in Pakistan reported on their efforts to
produce fruit crops without using artificial fertilizers or
pesticides. The Group uses natural fertilizers, including the compost
of agriculture waste. Group members conduct their own research on
improving the irrigation system to control soil moisture, soil
analysis and developing new fruit crops. The Group's fruit yields are
3 to 4 times higher than other producers in the country, and are
comparable to yields of large fruit growers in industrialized
countries.
2. Unfulfilled expectations
97. Land rights are integral to the land reform process that has been
part of international and national discussions as well as programmes
around the world during the last three decades. According to
documents prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations for the World Food Summit, the land reform process,
among other things, has so far failed to address the target
population, has subsidized services and inputs that do not benefit
agrarian reform and has lacked sufficient political support for land
redistribution. In future, agrarian reform processes need to target
landless groups, as well as to become an instrument for strengthening
the economic and productive potentials of agricultural producers.
98. Such processes need to place particular emphasis on removing
obstacles that inhibit farmers' investment in their land and on
assisting farmers in responding strategically and effectively to
changing conditions, opportunities and environmental constraints.
Such an approach will also need to keep in mind that political and
economic liberalization programmes have reduced the role of the State,
which in the agriculture sector means reductions in the governmental
provision of agricultural services. That trend in turn necessitates
greater effort on the part of the Governments and international
agencies to establish or consolidate strong alliances with farmers and
other major groups for building consensus around sustainable
agriculture policies and programmes.
99. Information and communications remain inadequate among farming
communities. Small farmers and their organizations are relatively
less connected with modern communications systems, and appear to be
rapidly becoming isolated from the electronically connected world.
Although grass-roots organizations and non-governmental organizations
are valuable links of information for many rural communities, those
links are not numerous or strong enough to help farmers keep up with
the rapidly changing world of information. Investments in
agricultural research, as well as in agricultural education for low-
income farmers, are declining globally. Given the technological
discoveries in the field of biotechnology that have great significance
for farmers, there is a growing need to enhance farmers' education
programmes.
III. CONCLUSIONS
100. Together with the Agenda 21 emphasis on partnership, the
concept of major groups provides sustainable development with a
fundamentally different background from the global action plans
adopted previously. Actions that are based on partnership and the
involvement of major groups open up a wider political space for a
broad list of social and economic actors, which puts the sustainable
development challenge in the hands of not only Governments and United
Nations bodies but also and equally of local communities, individuals,
professional societies, businesses of all sizes and the various
organizations of civil society at all levels. Hence, the emphasis on
major group participation and partnership constitutes one of the most
forward-looking elements of Agenda 21.
101. The five-year review shows that major group actors are
actively involved in Agenda 21 implementation and monitoring.
Activities are carried out at all levels, from the local to the
international. The degree of success of those activities is not
always clear, given that some are conducted by newly created
mechanisms or institutions, many are carried out with meagre financial
and technical resources, and most are not well linked with
international processes for regularly sharing and exchanging
information on their experiences.
102. The involvement of major groups as members, experts and
advisers in the national coordination mechanisms is a positive factor,
with potential long-term benefits at both the national and the
international levels. However, those mechanisms are not in place in
all countries, and those that are in place do not always involve the
full spectrum of major group sectors or benefit from their full
contributions as independent organizations. Furthermore, information
at the national level on partnerships with or support for major
groups, particularly from Governments, is scant.
103. International organizations both within and outside the
United Nations system appear to have a growing interest in and
commitment to working in partnership with non-governmental
organizations and other major groups relevant to the mandates of such
organizations. The trend towards developing guidelines, frameworks
and institutional structures that give priority to greater and more
effective involvement of major group actors in the project design,
implementation and monitoring activities of international bodies is
extremely promising for further success in the long term. However,
existing initiatives are unevenly implemented between the headquarters
and country or regional offices of United Nations bodies.
104. It is important to ensure that policies adopted at
headquarters regarding major group participation are consistently
disseminated and implemented at the field level, particularly since
the emerging dimension of the next phase of Agenda 21 follow-up is
action, implementation and measuring the impact of those actions. In
such an action-oriented framework, major groups need to have a clearer
picture of what types of partnerships with international organizations
are possible or available, and the processes by means of which they
may be established. Clear guidelines for the participation of major
groups in the operational activities of the United Nations, as well as
other multilateral bodies, are likely to be in growing demand in the
next phase.
105. Financial and other resource restrictions continue to limit
the role and contribution of some major groups and their long-term
viability as strong partners in sustainable development. A decline in
financial and technical assistance programmes, both bilateral and
multilateral, could become a serious obstacle in the next phase of
Agenda 21 follow-up if current trends continue. Given the more
action-oriented focus expected in the next phase, having the necessary
financial, technical and knowledge support systems will be essential
in order to bring on board the contributions and expertise of
non-governmental organizations, youth groups, indigenous people, women
and other major groups at all levels. The creation of special funds
at the national, regional or international levels that accept private-
sector contributions might be a useful mechanism, especially if such
funds were administered by third parties or by multi-stakeholder
committees.
106. The work of the Commission with major groups is seen as a
positive factor by both major groups and many Governments and
international organizations. The innovative approaches that have been
adopted to increase dialogue and exchange between major group actors
and member States in the Commission process have generated the
intended results by increasing linkages between those actors in terms
of information-sharing, joint undertakings and initiating consensus-
building opportunities. However, such success leads to higher
expectations for the next phase, which is expected to include more
special days highlighting the contributions of particular major group
sectors, as well as more formal and regular mechanisms through which
major groups can meaningfully contribute Commission decisions.
Similar expectations also exist for the quality and quantity of
information and contributions made by the major groups themselves: in
the next phase, their inputs will need to be more accurate, unique and
reliable, while their organizational structures will need to be
increasingly transparent and accountable.
107. Problems related to the lack of a clear definition of the
major group concept, mentioned at the beginning of the present report,
will continue to lead to practical problems in the area of
operationalizing participation by major groups at all levels. Given
that the major groups concept is one of the most innovative
contributions that emerged from UNCED, further understanding to make
it more operational at all levels should be on the agenda for the next
phase of Agenda 21 follow-up. Further discussions focusing on the
major group concept in informal settings, such as inter-sessional
workshops or seminars, may help to develop a better understanding of
the concept and how it can be further operationalized in the context
of local, national, regional and international institutions working on
sustainable development.
108. The thematic concerns of major group organizations and actors
also need to be better incorporated into local, national, regional and
international programmes, projects and other efforts. So long as work
done to achieve sustainable development does not significantly improve
the quality of life, many major group organizations feel that the
objectives of Agenda 21 will fail to be achieved.
IV. RECOMMENDATIONS
Further efforts to enhance the participation of major groups in
national sustainable development decision-making processes
109. Agenda 21 gives the highest priority to actions at the
national level, in which major groups are to be full partners. While
major group participation in national sustainable development
coordination mechanisms is considered a success, not all national
coordination mechanisms have full representation by all major group
sectors. Furthermore, participation in the national coordination
mechanism alone represents a limited response to the participatory
vision of Agenda 21. Further national efforts are necessary to enable
both broad-based participation at the national level and major group
involvement in all parts of national sustainable development
decision-making processes.
Formalized participation in the work of the Commission
110. Many major groups are positive about the level of openness
and transparency practised by the Commission but increasingly suggest
that the future work of the Commission should include mechanisms that
enable direct contributions to decision-making by major groups,
preferably through formalized mechanisms. It might be useful to
review the feasibility of existing proposals made by non-governmental
organizations and other major groups. In the context of discussions
for the next phase of Agenda 21 follow-up, the Commission may wish to
include such a review on its agenda in order to formulate feasible
options that would allow opportunities for a more direct interaction
between major group actors and the Commission.
Special days at Commission sessions
111. Experience with special days focusing on the role of a
particular major group sector has been positive, with long-term
multiplier effects. Future sessions would benefit from incorporating
similar events. A schedule should be developed in conjunction with
the Commission's work programme (for example, a day of women and day
of indigenous people in 1998; a day of farmers and day of scientific
and technological communities in 1999; and a day of non-governmental
organizations in the year 2000). Setting a tentative schedule of such
events ahead of time would help the major groups concerned to make
effective preparations.
Greater involvement of network organizations of major groups in the
reporting process
112. Establishing formal links between the task manager and a lead
network organization from each major group sector could improve the
reporting process in the next phase. As official partners of the task
manager for major groups, such lead network organizations could assist
with information collection and analysis, which would provide the
overall reporting process with a more solid footing for outreach,
analysis and information.
Making Agenda 21 a familiar text for the general public
113. More general awareness of Agenda 21 needs to exist for the
next phase of its follow-up to move towards action, implementation and
measurement of impact. Citizens need to be more familiar with
Agenda 21 objectives and related implementation and monitoring
processes in order to know the choices that exist and make informed
decisions at all levels. National efforts to translate and
disseminate Agenda 21 or nationwide Agenda 21 campaigns are good
practices that deserve replication. National offices of United
Nations bodies, such as UNDP and the United Nations information
centres, need to increase their efforts to build a well informed
global society, and should make themselves more accessible to
interested citizens' groups at the local and national levels.
Partnerships with non-governmental organizations to adapt information
material on Agenda 21 to local languages and local needs could be
pursued as an innovative way to increase the use of existing
information while enhancing partnership arrangements.
Notes
1/ See Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum),
resolution 1, annex II.
2/ Two special collections of case studies were prepared in 1995
and 1996. The first set of 14 local Agenda 21 cases was the joint
product of the International Council for Local Environment
Initiatives, the United Towns Development Agency, the United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements and the Commission secretariat, prepared
for the Day of Local Authorities. The second set of 12 cases were
prepared for the Day of the Workplace, jointly produced by the
International Chamber of Commerce, the International Confederation of
Free Trade Unions, the International Network for Environmental
Management, the United Nations Environment Programme/Industry and
Environment Programme Activity Centre, and the Commission secretariat.
3/ Information provided by the Division for the Advancement of
Women, Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development
of the United Nations Secretariat.
4/ See A/51/38; the Convention was adopted by the General
Assembly in its resolution 34/180 of 18 December 1979, was opened for
signature in March 1980, and entered into force in September 1981.
5/ That was one of the conclusions of the expert group meeting on
women, population and sustainable development (Santo Domingo, November
1996), jointly organized by the United Nations Population Fund, the
International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of
Women, and the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable
Development of the United Nations Secretariat.
6/ The report of the Secretary-General on the status of women in
the United Nations Secretariat (A/51/304) suggests levels of
37 per cent by 1997 and 41 per cent by 1999 as more realistic targets.
7/ The YI process involved hundreds of young people between the
ages of 13-28 around the world, and enabled the largest youth
participation in the work of the Commission, with 60 young people from
37 countries. The YI project was coordinated by a steering committee
composed of Rescue Mission; the Commission's Youth Working Group; the
Youth Program of the Earth Council; the United Nations Development
Programme; the United Nations Children's Fund; the United Nations
Population Fund; the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization; the United Nations Environment Programme; and
the Commission secretariat.
8/ Projected from a graph entitled "Out-of-school youth, by sex,
1960-2025"; available on the UNESCO World Wide Web site at:
www.education.unesco.org/educprog/stat/g161_yv.html.
9/ For example, 45 per cent of Colombia's young people live in
poverty, 18 per cent in "conditions of misery", according to a
statement made by the Vice-Minister for Youth of Colombia to the
General Assembly in October 1995; see United Nations press release
GA/8976.
10/ Increased levels of youth unemployment are reported for North
Africa and the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and the economies in
transition of Eastern Europe, and youth unemployment has been
disturbingly high in a number of Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development countries. The average duration of youth unemployment
is also on the increase; see A/CONF.166/PC/6.
11/ "Child Labour", report of the ILO to its Governing Body
(GB.264/ESP/1).
12/ A United States Department of Labor study indicates that codes
of conduct adopted by industry can be a positive factor, especially
when the companies involved are committed to their implementation; see
Cornell University International Child Labor Study Office, "The
apparel industry and codes of conduct: a solution to the
international child labor problem?", available on the Internet at
www.ilr.cornell.edu.
13/ See, for example, "Forced labor: the prostitution of
children", collection of papers, presented at a symposium on the
growing international problem of the forced prostitution of children,
Washington, D.C., September 1995, organized by the Department of State
of the United States Government.
14/ "Indigenous people" is the term used in Agenda 21. The plural
form "indigenous peoples" is the term adopted by Governments in the
Commission on Human Rights, and is preferred by indigenous peoples
themselves.
15/ Jointly sponsored by the Governments of Colombia and Denmark,
and co-organized by the International Alliance of Indigenous and
Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forest and the Coordinadora de
Organizaciones Indi'genas de la Cuenca Amazo'nica.
16/ The draft declaration is being drafted by the Working Group on
Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on Prevention of
Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.
17/ Several observations need to be kept in mind for the current
section. First, the realm of non-governmental organizations is large,
diverse and continues to grow. The non-governmental organizations are
increasingly at the centre of the dynamic between the trends towards
globalization (of the economy, universal mass media culture,
monolithic corporate formations, information revolution) and
localization (of governance and management systems, local cultural
diversity, local and regional identity, citizens as agents of global
change). Thus, the rapidly changing role of non-governmental
organizations and their effect on the world economy, society and
politics is difficult to reflect adequately in the limited confines of
the present report. Second, in United Nations usage the term
non-governmental organization often refers to all types of non-State
organization, and thus the observations made under the other major
group categories should be taken into account together with the
present section on non-governmental organizations.
18/ UNED-UK has been selected as a model by UNDP, and People's
Forum 2001 has been invited by non-governmental organizations in
South-East Asia to share its experiences on how to develop a national
network.
19/ See United Nations, Non-Governmental Organizations and Global
Governance: Challenges for the Twenty-first Century (Geneva, 1996),
p. 28.
20/ Local Agenda 21s were one of the first responses to Agenda 21.
The concept was launched at UNCED by the International Council for
Local Environmental Initiatives. Local Agenda 21s involve efforts of
cities and towns to adapt Agenda 21 goals to their needs, developing a
local framework for sustainable development.
21/ Survey results show this to be the case in Australia, Denmark,
Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
22/ This was the case in Japan and China.
23/ The Government of Sweden distributed Agenda 21 in Swedish to
all communities and schools, which prepared local communities to
undertake a local Agenda 21, resulting in the highest number of local
Agenda 21s in an individual country.
24/ Seventy per cent of local authorities have a local Agenda 21.
25/ The local Agenda 21 in Cajamarca involved community-based
committees working with the Mayor's office. The tangible results
include improved local transportation, a reduced deforestation rate
and employment creation in businesses that are environmentally sound
for local women. The case study of Cajamarca was provided by ICLEI
for the Day of Local Authorities held in connection with the third
session of the Commission.
26/ The Urban Environment Forum emerged from the series of
conferences organized by the joint Habitat/UNEP Sustainable Cities
Programme in Senegal, India and Turkey. The Forum will facilitate
documenting, analysis, dissemination and learning from the diverse
experiences of cities around the world.
27/ Themes range from how to achieve health and safety at work to
dealing with and preventing sexual discrimination in the workplace.
28/ For example, the Laborers' International Union of America has
a training programme to teach laborers state-of-the-art technical
know-how on clean-up operations. The process involves negotiating
contracts to share the cost of the training courses, as well as
collaboration with federal environmental authorities, such as the
Environment Protection Agency of the United States Government.
29/ Among the examples of action that harmonize employment with
"green" objectives is the green jobs strategy of the Australian
Council of Trade Unions, which increased green jobs by 81 per cent
between 1988 and 1993 during a period when the total national
employment level was shrinking.
30/ For example, the International Federation of Chemical, Energy,
Mine and General Workers' Union (ICEM) sees sustainable development as
the dynamic behind the new and rapidly growing environmental services
sector, which is expected to be increasingly important for jobs.
Future ICEM priorities include developing information services for the
use of environmental service industry workers, monitoring the best and
worst practices in the industry, and building strategic alliances with
the broader community.
31/ According to ICFTU statistics, in 1995 alone, 378 workers were
murdered, 1,900 were injured, 5,000 were arrested or detained, and
nearly 70,000 were improperly dismissed for taking the type of action
recommended in Agenda 21.
32/ Some examples of resource-efficiency programmes are a
partnership between a small Colombian leather-goods producer,
Curtigran Ltda, and a non-profit environmental management
organization, PROPEL, in 1994, which reduced pollution by 50 per cent
and decreased operational cost by 11 per cent within two years; a
medium-sized car battery producer in Hungary, PERION, which achieved a
50 per cent reduction in water use and earned 30 million forint
per year from recycling car batteries between 1992 and 1995; and a
large chemical company in South Africa, SASOL, which achieved savings
of 10 million litres of water per year, with over US$ 6 million saved
per year. For additional information, see E/CN.17/1997/2/Add.3
and 24.
33/ 3M, through its Pollution Prevention Pays programme, has
prevented 1.4 million pounds of waste and saved over US$ 750 million
since 1975 through 4,400 projects.
34/ For example, BCSD-Colombia, created in 1993, established an
internal committee in 1994 to assist members in incorporating
sustainable development in their approach and to implement eco-
efficient practices in the production processes of its member
companies. The organization has launched an information service in
1995 to give general public access to information about Council
members' investments, actions and programmes related to sustainable
development.
35/ OECD, The OECD Environment Industry: Situation, Prospects and
Government Policies (Paris, 1992).
36/ Asian Development Bank and the Economic and Social Commission
for Asia and the Pacific (ECU/OES/MCEA/PM/4).
37/ For example, OXFAM launched a campaign in mid-1996 to improve
working conditions in the garment industry. Several large companies,
including C&A, Marks and Spencers, the Burton Group, Next and Sears
have since held meetings with the campaigners. The first three
companies are working with the campaigners on improving their company
codes of conduct. See the OXFAM Web site at:
www.oneworld.org/oxfam/campaign/clothes/clocodh.htm.
38/ Some participating non-governmental actors have raised
concerns about Summit results, including the lack of strong language
on the role of transnational corporations in the agriculture sector
and of serious action to reduce poverty, overdependence on trade as a
solution, insufficient protection of farmers against dependence on
genetically altered seeds, and the continuing lack of effort to
establish land rights for women, indigenous people and the poor.
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