World Summit on Sustainable Development

Johannesburg 2002 and Next Steps

Ira Feldmangreentrack strategies

WSSD - Overview• Rio + 10• Prep Coms (e.g., Prep Com 4 at Bali)• Major Groups (Youth, Women, Local

Governments, Indigenous People, Business & Industry, NGO’s); Issues Caucuses; Regional Roundtables

• Pre-Summit concerns– Lack of focus– Lowered expectations– Anti-US sentiment

WSSD - Key Substantive Areas

“WEHAB” framework and plenaries

• Water

• Energy

• Health

• Agricultural productivity

• Biodiversity/ecosystem managementhttp://www.johannesburgsummit.org/html/documents/wehab_papers.html

Understanding the WSSD Structure

• “Type One” (consensus) outcomes

- Johannesburg Political Declaration

- Plan of Implementation

• “Type Two” outcomes

- Government, NGO, business partnerships

• “Everything else”

- Side events, parallel events, capacity building, etc

WSSD - Plan of Implementation

Key to contents:• Johannesburg, Monterrey, and Doha• International Conventions*• Timelines and Commitments• Corporate responsibility language• Public participation language

*Kyoto Protocol

Plan of Implementation - Commitments & Initiatives

Water & Sanitation:• Commitment to halve the proportion of

people without access to sanitation by 2015; this matches the goal of halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015.

• US announced $970 million in investments over next three years on water and sanitation projects.

Plan of Implementation - Commitments & Initiatives

Energy:• Commitment to increase access to modern

energy services, increase energy efficiency, and to increase the use of renewable energy.

• EU announced $700 million partnership initiative on energy; US announced it would invest up to $43 million in 2003; UN received 32 partnership submissions with $26 million in resources.

Plan of Implementation - Commitments & Initiatives

Health:• Commitment that by 2020, chemicals

should be used and produced in ways that do not harm human health and environment; to improve developing countries’ access to alternatives to ozone depleting chemicals by 2010

• US announced commitment to spend $2.3 billion through 2003 on health (some previously earmarked)

Plan of Implementation - Commitments & Initiatives

Agriculture:

• GEF will consider inclusion of Desertification Convention as focal area for funding; pledge to develop food security strategies in Africa by 2005.

• US will invest $90 million in 2003 for sustainable agriculture programs.

Plan of Implementation - Commitments & Initiatives

Biodiversity & Ecosystem Management:Commitment to reduce biodiversity loss by

2010; to reverse current trend in natural resource degradation; to restore fisheries to maximum sustainable yields by 2015; to establish a network of marine protected areas by 2012.

UN received 32 partnership initiatives with $100 million in resources; US has committed $53 million for forests 2002-05.

WSSD - US GovernmentUS Delegation included:• Secretary Powell• Undersecretary Dobriansky• Assistant Secretary Turner• EPA Administrator Whitman (EPA)• Administrator Natsios (USAID) • CEQ Chairman Connaughton• OPIC CEO Watson• Deputy Secretary Allen (HHS)• Deputy Secretary Moseley (USDA)• Undersecretary Card (DoE)• Undersecretary Lautenbacher (Commerce)

WSSD - US GovernmentKey themes for US negotiators:• “Good governance”• “Results-oriented partnerships”• Strong linkage to Doha and Monterrey• “Signature” initiatives“…both private capital and official assistance are only effective in producing

lasting development results when they go to countries where governments rule justly, invest in their people, and encourage economic freedom.”

*see US “caveats” or carve-outs to the WSSD Plan of Implementation

WSSD - US Government

US Government Partnerships Announced: • Water for the Poor Initiative

• Clean Energy Initiative

• Initiative to Cut Hunger in Africa

• Congo Basin Forest Partnership

• Health Initiative

WSSD - Business Perspectives

• Business Action for Sustainable Development (ICC + WBCSD = BASD)

• BASD position papers developed for Bali Prep Com; Voluntary partnerships a key theme

• LEGOTKA Business Day drew capacity crowds; WBCSD initiatives most visible

• Corporate responsibility and accountability language caused most angst

WSSD Stakeholder Perspectives• US NGO’s poorly organized; Powell protest;

Congressional interest• Activist organizations v. capacity-building

organizations (e.g. Ford Foundation, Boll Foundation)

• Public participation language• NGO-led “Implementation Conference” for Type

2 partnerships• Friends of the Earth announcement re: corporate

accountability

Beyond Johannesburg

• Reaffirmation of Rio’s Agenda 21• Plan of Implementation targets and

timelines• Partnership activities -- Type 2 and others• Stakeholder engagement• UN General Assembly and Commission for

Sustainable Development (CSD)• Johannesburg-Doha-Monterrey linkage

CSD 11 -- New York (4/28-5/9)

• Direct follow-up to WSSD

• Restructuring CSD for future rounds

• Discussion of reporting guidelines for Type Two partnerships

• Partnership Fair

• Environmental Law in the Sustainability Context

Further information• http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/divisions/public/wssd.html (ABA documents re:

WSSD)

• www.un.org/esa/sustdev/partnerships/partnerships.htm

• http://partnershipscentral.org

• www.stakeholderforum.org (Network 2015)

• http://www.state.gov/g/oes/sus/csd (US Government discussion papers re: CSD)

• http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/2002/wssd (Earth Negotiations Bulletin)

Ira Feldmangreentrack strategies

ira@greentrack.comwww.greentrack.com