World Summit on Sustainable Development: Findings and Objectives
From August 26th to September 5th, over 100 countries gathered to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. Although 60,000 people were scheduled to attend the summit, only 24,000 were present. The delegates included heads of states, members of the business community, NGOs, farmers and representatives from trade unions. The United Nations summit, Rio + 10, notes the 10 year reunion of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where the environment first became an international political concern.
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The top developmental objective according to Detroit News was poverty reduction.2 The five major topics discussed included water resource/sanitation management, health, biodiversity, energy and agricultural productivity.In an interview with Andris Salter, Executive Secretary for Environmental Justice for the United Methodist Women’s Public Policy Forum, Salter discussed topics of the summit such as genetically modified foods, the AIDS epidemic, and the role of multinational corporations in development. In regards to the AIDS crisis in Africa, Salter discussed how Africans can be treated in clinics with antiviral drugs. However, the inherent problem is that many HIV infected Africans do not have a means of transportation to the clinics. Instead, Salter says, "clinical workers must be trained to travel to the sick."
AIDS is also becoming a tremendous problem in China where many children are left in poverty as parents succumb to the virus. AIDS is causing many children to become orphans in the rural areas of China and is leading to the impoverishment of families who are unable to take care of or educate their offspring.
3 Blood transfusions in the early 90’s greatly spread the HIV virus. "Some Chinese experts estimate that selling blood was common in dozens of Henan Province’s counties before it was banned in the mid-90’s, leaving at least a million people infected with HIV. In some places, selling blood served as a source of emergency income-fast cash to fix a roof or pay off a debt…"4 In, China many people did not become aware of the AIDS epidemic and the means of contracting it until it was too late.Water sanitation was Salter’s favorite topic discussed at the summit. The World Summit set a goal for 2015 to make clean water accessible to one half of the world’s population. However, Salter claimed that if water becomes privatized, this goal may be too lofty because it may be too expensive for average citizens to afford. Salter found the Water Sanitation Hygiene advertisements to be especially important in influencing people to have proper hygiene. Salter also talked about the living conditions in Africa where in many rural communities, bathing,
cooking and drinking water are obtained from the same area. Women are responsible for fetching the water.
5 These women possibly walk six hours a day.6 Another finding estimated that women walk five miles at a stretch to retrieve the water equaling a distance of ten miles in a day7. Women’s role in Africa plays a vital role to the countries’ development and their efforts must be appreciated.Salter stated that all countries, both rich and poor, should be held accountable for their actions and should live by the same rules. To Salter, "sustainable" development encompasses economic justice, a sense of responsibility, and an environment that provides a healthy living space for both the wealthy and the poor. Salter claims that the summit in Rio lacked measures of accountability. This World Summit did provide a timeline to complete the different development goals. Nevertheless, plans are also needed to monitor specific outcomes. Conversely, some delegates of the Summit argue than no clear timeline was provided.
Many countries’ representatives were disappointed that United States President George W. Bush did not attend the summit and that the US has not ratified the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, a treaty legally binding countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This treaty, according to the United States, would hurt corporate profits. Secretary of State Colin Powell attended the summit, but only at its end where members of the audience revealed their disapproval by heckling. In turn, the United States expressed its concern that countries receiving foreign aid have not been more proactive in combating corruption. "In exchange for foreign aid accountability, (World Wildlife Fund Vice President, Yeager Brooks) Yeager Brookes said, the United States should follow the lead of other nations and make real strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and recycling. Such policies would pay geopolitical dividends beyond the environment, he said."
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Although some countries were disappointed with the United States, it will contribute a large donation of $3.6 billion to programs dealing with access to clean water, health care, agriculture and forestry.9Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, conveyed an extremely important message about the World Summit. "If there is one word that should be on everyone’s lips at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg … [it] is responsibility-responsibility for each other, for our planet and most of all, for the future security and well-being of succeeding generations. … Development that does not sensibly manage the environment will prove short-lived."
Some Outcomes From the World Summit:
To make water accessible to ½ of the world’s population by 2015
By 2020 only chemicals that are unharmful to humans and the environment will be produced
The US will provide $970 million for 3 years to water sanitation programs
The US will invest $43 million in energy by 2003
The US will provide $2.3 billion until 2003 to ameliorate health conditions
The US will make a donation of $90 million in 2003 to sustain agricultural projects
10Action Items:
Reuse plastic items and use newspaper for wrapping gifts–everyone is responsible for the environment’s care!
Read about Water Sanitation Hygiene at www.wsscc.org or for a hard copy write to the SECRETARIAT FOR THE WSSCC, International Environment House, Chemin des Anémones 9, 1219 Châtelaine, Geneva – Switzerland.
Learn about your congressional representative’s stance on sustainable development and support those working towards protecting the environment.
Contact Andris Salter, Executive Secretary for Environmental Justice at (202) 488-5668, Extension 104.