OPINION: 5/9/02
JOHANNESBURG (WSSD) SUMMIT: RIO -10?
The WSSD concluded yesterday with the adoption of the so-called
"action plan" for sustainable development. A misnomer,
it seems, as it becomes clear this document is all about inaction
and unsustainability.
Friends of the Earth (FOEI) reports that of the whole Plan
of Implementation document (65 pages in all), only 2 targets
were found to be new: one relating to access to sanitation
(para7) and the other to marine protection (para31c). In every
other case, "existing commitments are simply reaffirmed,
watered down, or trashed altogether." FOEI calls the
result a "betrayal". Oxfam is a bit more direct
in dubbing it a "triumph of greed and self-interest,
a tragedy for the poor and the environment."
But there may be other equally serious implications. For
example, is the UN's mandate in promoting multilateralism
and strengthening national sovereignty for the public good
being "whittled away", as the Third World Network
claimed is a possibility? Is the role of NGOs in these Summits
illusory? Where does cooperation end and cooptation begin?
Some groups staged a walk out on the last day of the Summit
to illustrate their disillusionment with the process. But
others like Greenpeace preferred to remain inside (both literally
and figuratively). These are certainly very interesting issues
to follow as the NGO delegates fly home and the significance
of the event sinks in.
Some references:
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