WSSD has to focus on the suffering of the vulnerable

WSSD has to focus on the suffering of the vulnerable

Iskandar Hadrianto
Fellowship Student
United Nations University
Leadership Academy
Jakarta
ndorois@hotmail.com

Contained in the opening principle of the 1992 Rio Declaration
is the assertion that: Human beings are at the center of concerns
for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and
productive life in harmony with nature.

Ten years ago, the international community gathered in the
beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to discuss the
intricacies ofenvironmental protection and development.

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED) in 1992, was a very significant global event --- better
known around the world as the Rio Earth Summit 1992.

The Summit successfully came up with the principles stipulated
in the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21 and the Statement of Forest
Principles.

However, the most important result of the Rio Earth Summit was
that the international community agreed within ten years to
implement the protocol on sustainable development through a
global partnership.

In sum, the Rio Summit's outcome should be the conceptual
framework for mankind to deal with programs on sustainable
development as stipulated by three major pillars: economic
development, social development and the environment.

A decade has passed. Now the international community will meet
again to review the implementation of Rio's commitments since
developing countries are not fully satisfied with the
implementation of the Rio Declaration on Environment and
Development and Agenda 21.

Developing countries want to express their frustration,
especially about the failure of the developed and rich nations to
achieve Rio's targets of allocating the a small amount of their
GDPs (0.7%) to help the vulnerable to sustain their development
activities.

Even though the principles stipulated in the said declaration
are "non-legally binding", it is indeed the responsible of all
peoples of the world to pay more attention to the discourse of
development and to place mankind in a harmonious relations with
nature.

Within this context, United Nations (UN) Resolution No.
A/RES/55/199 of 2000 ordered the Committee on Sustainable
Development (CSD) to convene a World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD) scheduled to be held in Johanessburg, South
Africa, in September of this year. During the WSSD deliberations,
the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 will be reviewed so as to bring
about better implementation and equal benefit from development
cooperation to all of the human race.

Indonesia was given the task of hosting one of the Preparatory
Committee (PrepCom) meetings.

Simultaneously following the April 2001 CSD-9 meeting, the
other three PrepCom meetings were convened at the UN headquarters
in New York. Meanwhile the Fourth Ministerial Level PrepCom WSSD
meeting will be convened in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, and will
run from May 24, 2002 until June 7, 2002.

From one beautiful tourist resort to another tourist resort,
the international community is going to discuss the very basic
needs of the peoples: sustainable development for a better life
for all human beings.

Even though climate change and energy issues certainly will be
the focus of discussions during the PrepCom meeting, it is high
time that the deliberation of WSSD pays greater attention to the
very essential philosophy of sustainable development itself ---
the security and prosperity of all the human race.

The three major pillars comprising sustainable economic
development, social development and environmental preservation
have to be reflected in action programs formulated through
synergy among multi-stakeholders and government sectors under the
formula of global partnership.

Topical issues such as human security as it clearly mentioned
in the 24th Special Session of the UN General Assembly meeting in
Geneva, June 2001, should be translated into concrete action
programs.

Ample opportunities for the poor and marginalized elements of
society to fully participate in the development process must also
be given.

From the anthropological point of view, human beings,
especially marginalized and vulnerable ones, want things to be
the way they should be.

However, from the sociological perception that portrays
reality, they receive what it is available (which sometimes does
not exactly reflect a just and equitable distribution of
development yields).

A mathematical calculation between what it is available and
what should be available results in a gap between ideas and
reality.

This is the core problem with human aspirations that must be
solved through concrete action based on the Political Declaration
of the WSSD meetings.

In conformity with its foreign policy and commitment to
eradicating poverty and conserving nature, as the host country,
Indonesia should put on the table proposals reflecting the
concerns of the developing world.

There is a dire need that the gathering in Bali come up with a
proposals to create sustainable livelihoods via a synergy of
multi-stakeholder participation during the PrepCom deliberations.

In addition, action programs on economic development, social
development and environmental preservation have to be refocused
on the vulnerable with a view to eradicating poverty and
establishing a better standard of living for the poor and
marginalized in society.