23 January, 2012 To the Bureau of the UNCSD Prepcom c/o Department of Economic and Social Affairs The United Nations Secretariat New York, NY 10017 While I am intending to give later this week my comments on the Zero Draft’s treatment on ESD, green economy (GE) in the context of sustainable development (SD) and poverty reduction and the institutional framework for SD in Section 3, 4 and 5, let me say in the outset that: 1. The Zero Draft is quite comprehensive in its coverage of various major issues of SD in the context of poverty reduction, including the GE. However, the draft does not give any definitive interpretation of both SD and GE. The lack of clear definition of these two central subjects of the Rio+20 in the Zero Draft has to be dealt with prior to the Rio+20 meeting, although it is understandable for the Bureau to hesitate to give clear-cut definition of SD and GE at this point of time in the preparatory process, given the heated discussion and lack of consensus on the subjects concerned among the delegates to the CSD in the past preparatory sessions. 2. On the other hand, the Zero draft is quite clear in presenting its recommendations on the reorganization of UNEP to strengthen the institutional framework for SD under the United Nations system. The reasons for advancing this recommendation, however, are still quite weak, and it is important for the Draft to note more in detail in the revised Zero Draft a variety of views, pros and cons, on this issue among national delegations to be fair to all. Following are my comments at this point on Section 1 and 2 of the Zero Draft made public by the Bureau on 10th January this year. 1. It seems that the Bureau is still thinking of the global community in the second decade of the 21st century which has been under the increasing pressures of economic, social and political globalization for some decades as if it has not changed from the 20 th century. By focusing their discussion along the line of the traditional two-dichotomy framework of Developed vs Developing Countries, the Bureau is missing the most important issue of the current century, i.e.,
the rapidly growing income and non-income disparities
between the Rich and the Poor, what that is entailing in terms of social and political
instability in both developed (e.g. Occupy the Wall Street) and developing countries (e.g., North African and Middle East Countries) and what the global community ought to be doing to reduce these economic, social and environmental inequities in all countries hitting hard particularly on the poor, as exemplified in the rising and high rates of unemployment and uncertainties among them and in particular among the youth. Unlike the 20th century when efficiency in the use of material, financial and human resources was given the exclusive priority, the global community in the 21 st century must give equal and heavy weight to 3Es, efficiency, equity and environment and the preservation and diversity of culture, or the four dimensions of sustainability and sustainable development in all countries, developing and developed. Freedom from fear, ignorance, want and hunger particularly among the working poor and the youth has to be emphasized and ensured not only in developing countries but also in all countries of the global community. It goes without saying that “freedom from ecological destruction” due to human conduct and man-made disasters such as nuclear power plant explosion has to be added to the Preamble of the Zero Draft for the 21st century, since that concept was absent in the Preamble of the United Nations Charter formulated in the mid-20th century. 2. Also, there has been a growing diversity both among developed and developing countries under the pressures of economic and social globalization. As shown in recent years, several developed countries of Western Europe are finding their economic fundamentals rapidly deteriorating, while several developing countries named as emerging economies are finding their economic fundamentals steadily getting stronger. We can no longer lump these countries simply into the traditional two-dichotomy framework of either developed or developing. In dealing with many global issues such as poverty, food security, climate change and loss of biodiversity, and in promoting green economy and sustainable development in the protection of the life-supporting system of the Earth, the global community must now begin to think in terms of its member states having “Common Responsibilities” and all the states and, for that matter, all the stakeholders have to contribute to the solution of these global issues on the basis of their “Respective Capabilities.” On the other hand, the global community must enhance more than ever its international cooperation through trade, investment and ODA to assist those developing countries in need of help such as least developed, landlocked and small island developing countries. The Zero Draft is rather weak in recognizing the critical importance of such new framework of the “Common Responsibilities” and “Respective Capabilities” in expressing the Political Commitment of the global community gathering together in the 21st century.
3. The Political Commitment of the Zero Draft has also to emphasize much more clearly and strongly those basic principles of transparency, accountability and participation of all stakeholders and major groups in the local, national and international decision-making processes that the global community has already accepted fortunately toward the end of the last century as the most critical in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of local, national and international policies, laws and agreements on all aspects of human conduct. Since many developing countries and in particular the least developed, landlocked and small island developing countries are unfortunately not in the position of participating in all critical decision-making processes not only of inter-governmental but civil society nature, the global community must be determined to assist them by incorporating in the universal procedures of international negotiation and conferences some global scheme to make it possible for, and guarantee, the active and effective participation of those national (government and civil society) delegations prior to, during and after those negotiating conferences, working group meetings and workshops. Thanking you in advance for your kind cooperation as usual, and with best wishes for the coming meeting for the Rio+20 Zero Draft consultation on 25-27 this month, Ryokichi HIRONO, Professor Emeritus of Seikei University, Tokyo and former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the Committee on Development Policy of the Economic and Social Council Cc: to Ms Pam Puntenney [mailto:pjpunt@umich.edu] Co-Chair, Education Caucus, CSD Cell: (734) 330-0238 Voice/Fax: (734) 994-3612