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We,
Ministers of Environment and heads of delegation meeting in
Malmö, Sweden from 29 to 31 May 2000, on the occasion
of the First
Global Ministerial Environment Forum, held in pursuance
of UN General
Assembly resolution 53/242 of 28 July 1999 to enable the
world’s environment ministers to gather to review important
and emerging environmental issues and to chart the course
for the future,
Recalling the Stockholm
Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human
Environment and the Rio
Declaration of the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development, the Barbados
Declaration on the Sustainable Development of Small Island
Developing States as well as the Nairobi
Declaration on the Role and Mandate of the United Nations
Environment Programme,
Deeply concerned that, despite the many successful
and continuing efforts of the international community since
the Stockholm Conference, and some progress having been achieved,
the environment and the natural resource base that supports
life on Earth continue to deteriorate at an alarming rate,
Reaffirming the importance of the speedy implementation
of the political and legal commitments entered into by the
international community, in particular at the Rio Conference,
Convinced that urgent and renewed efforts are required
to be undertaken by all countries in a spirit of international
solidarity, and recognizing, inter alia, the principle of
common but differentiated responsibility as contained in the
Rio Principles to manage the environment so as to promote
sustainable development for the benefit of present and future
generations,
Conscious
that the root causes of global environmental degradation are
embedded in social and economic problems such as pervasive
poverty, unsustainable production and consumption patterns,
inequity in distribution of wealth, and the debt burden,
Also
conscious that success in combating environmental degradation
is dependent on the full participation of all actors in society,
an aware and educated population, respect for ethical and
spiritual values and cultural diversity, and protection of
indigenous knowledge
Aware
that the 10-year review and appraisal of the implementation
of Agenda 21 to be
conducted in 2002 will provide a further opportunity for the
international community to take action to implement its commitments
and to strengthen international cooperation urgently required
to address the challenges of sustainable development in the
twenty-first century,
Convinced
that the Millennium
Summit of the fifty-fifth session of the United Nations General
Assembly provides a unique opportunity to address at the
highest level the role of the United
Nations in the field of sustainable development, and noting
in this regard the proposals of the Secretary-General of the
United Nations as contained in his Report
"We the peoples: the role of the United Nations in the
twenty-first century”, which will serve as the basis
of discussion at the Summit,
Determined
to contribute to this historic endeavour from an environmental
perspective, and having requested the President of the Governing
Council to bring the following matters to the attention of
the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly, the Millennium
Assembly,
Declare
that:
Major environmental challenges of the twenty-first century
1. The year 2000 marks a defining moment in the efforts of
the international community to ensure that the growing trends
of environmental degradation that threaten the sustainability
of the planet are arrested and reversed. Hence there is an
urgent need for reinvigorated international cooperation based
on common concerns and a spirit of international partnership
and solidarity.
2. There is an alarming discrepancy between commitments and
action. Goals and targets agreed by the international community
in relation to sustainable development, such as the adoption
of national sustainable development strategies and increased
support to developing countries, must be implemented in a
timely fashion. The mobilization of domestic and international
resources, including development assistance, far beyond current
levels is vital to the success of this endeavour.
3. The evolving framework of international environmental law
and the development of national law provide a sound basis
for addressing the major environmental threats of the day.
It must be underpinned by a more coherent and coordinated
approach among international environmental instruments. We
must also recognize the central importance of environmental
compliance, enforcement and liability, and promote the observation
of the precautionary approach as contained in the Rio Principles,
and other important policy tools, as well as capacity-building.
4. The Global
Environment Outlook 2000 of the United Nations Environment
Programme provides a compelling assessment of the serious
nature of the environmental threats faced by the international
community. Special attention should be paid to unsustainable
consumption patterns among the richer segments in all countries,
particularly developed countries. Environmental stewardship
is lagging behind economic and social development, and a rapidly
growing population is placing increased pressures on the environment.
5. Environmental threats resulting from the accelerating trends
of urbanization and the development of megacities, the tremendous
risk of climate change, the freshwater crisis and its consequences
for food security and the environment, the unsustainable exploitation
and depletion of biological resources, drought and desertification,
and uncontrolled deforestation, increasing environmental emergencies,
the risk to human health and the environment from hazardous
chemicals, and land-based sources of pollution, are all issues
that need to be addressed.
6. Opportunities however exist that can redress this situation.
Technological innovation and the emergence of new resource-efficient
technologies, in which the private sector plays a major role,
provide a source of great hope and increased opportunities
to avoid the environmentally destructive practices of the
past including through clean technologies.
7. To confront the underlying causes of environmental degradation
and poverty, we must integrate environmental considerations
in the mainstream of decision-making. We must also intensify
our efforts in developing preventive action and a concerted
response, including national environmental governance and
the international rule of law, awareness-raising and education,
and harness the power of information technology to this end.
All actors involved must work together in the interest of
a sustainable future.
8. It is necessary that the environmental perspective is taken
into account in both the design and the assessment of macro-economic
policy-making, as well as practices of government and multilateral
lending and credit institutions such as export credit agencies.
9. The trends of globalization in the world economy, with
the attendant environmental risks and opportunities, require
international institutions to adopt new approaches and to
engage the major actors involved in globalization in new ways.
We should encourage a balanced and integrated approach to
trade and environment policies in pursuit of sustainable development,
in accordance with the decision of the Commission on Sustainable
Development at its eighth session.
10. The role and responsibility of nations based on the Rio
Principles, as well as the role and responsibility of the
main actors including Governments, the private sector and
civil society, must be emphasized in addressing the environmental
challenges of the twenty-first century. Governments are the
primary agents in this process, whose actions are vital in
implementing United Nations environment-related instruments
since Stockholm, institutional capacity-building and strengthened
international cooperation.
The
private sector and the environment
11. The private sector has emerged as a global actor that
has a significant impact on environmental trends through its
investment and technology decisions. In this regard, Governments
have a crucial role in creating an enabling environment. The
institutional and regulatory capacities of Governments to
interact with the private sector should be enhanced. A greater
commitment by the private sector should be pursued to engender
a new culture of environmental accountability through the
application of the polluter-pays principle, environmental
performance indicators and reporting, and the establishment
of a precautionary approach in investment and technology decisions.
This approach must be linked to the development of cleaner
and more resource efficient technologies for a life-cycle
economy and efforts to facilitate the transfer of environmentally
sound technologies.
12. The potential of the new economy to contribute to sustainable
development should be further pursued, particularly in the
areas of information technology, biology and biotechnology.
The ethical and social implications must be carefully considered.
There must be recognition of the public interest in knowledge
related to biodiversity, including the interest of indigenous
and local communities. A corporate ethic guided by public
interest should be promoted.
13. The Global Compact established by the Secretary-General
of the United Nations with the private sector provides an
excellent vehicle for the development of a constructive engagement
with the private sector. UNEP should continue to enhance its
engagement and collaboration with the private sector and consider
the relation between foreign direct investment and the environment,
with a view to minimizing negative environmental implications.
Civil
society and the environment
14. Civil society plays a critically important role in addressing
environmental issues. The role, capabilities and involvement
of civil society organizations has seen a substantial increase
over recent years, which highlights the need for national
Governments and for UNEP
and international organizations to enhance the engagement
of these organizations in their work on environmental matters.
15. Civil society has found new and effective modes of expression
of popular sentiments and concerns. It provides a powerful
agent for promoting shared environmental purpose and values.
Civil society plays an important role in bringing emerging
environmental issues to the attention of policy makers, raising
public awareness, promoting innovative ideas and approaches,
and promoting transparency as well as non-corrupt activities
in environmental decision-making.
16. The role of civil society at all levels should be strengthened
through freedom of access to environmental information to
all, broad participation in environmental decision-making,
as well as access to justice on environmental issues. Governments
should promote conditions to facilitate the ability of all
parts of society to have a voice and to play an active role
in creating a sustainable future.
17. Science provides the basis for environmental decision-making.
There is a need for intensified research, fuller engagement
of the scientific community and increased scientific cooperation
on emerging environmental issues, as well as improved avenues
for communication between the scientific community, decision
makers and other stakeholders.
18. We must pay special attention to threats to cultural diversity
and traditional knowledge, in particular of indigenous and
local communities, which may be posed by globalization. In
this context we welcome the proclamation by the United Nations
General Assembly of the year 2001 as the International Year
of Dialogue among Civilizations.
19. Greater emphasis must be given to the gender perspective
in decision-making concerning the management of the environment
and natural resources.
20. There is a need for independent and objective media at
all levels in enhancing awareness and developing shared environmental
values in global society. The media can serve the cause of
sustainable development by identifying emerging issues, awareness-raising
and promoting appropriate action.
The
2002 review of UNCED
21. The 2002 review of the implementation of the outcome of
the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
should be undertaken by an international conference at the
summit level. The objective should not be to renegotiate Agenda
21, which remains valid, but to inject a new spirit of cooperation
and urgency based on agreed actions in the common quest for
sustainable development. In this regard, the ratification
of all environmental conventions and protocols, in particular
those related to climate, desertification, biosafety and chemicals,
should be urgently pursued by Governments.
22. Governments and UNEP have to play a major role in the
preparation for the 2002 review of UNCED at the regional and
global levels and ensure that the environmental dimension
of sustainable development is fully considered on the basis
of a broad assessment of the state of the global environment.
The preparations for the conference should be accelerated.
23. The 2002 conference should aim at addressing the major
challenges to sustainable development, and in particular the
pervasive effects of the burden of poverty on a large proportion
of the Earth’s inhabitants, counterposed against excessive
and wasteful consumption and inefficient resource use that
perpetuate the vicious circle of environmental degradation
and increasing poverty.
24. The 2002 conference should review the requirements for
a greatly strengthened institutional structure for international
environmental governance based on an assessment of future
needs for an institutional architecture that has the capacity
to effectively address wide-ranging environmental threats
in a globalizing world. UNEP’s role in this regard should
be strengthened and its financial base broadened and made
more predictable.
Conclusion
25. At the dawn of this new century, we have at our disposal
the human and material resources to achieve sustainable development,
not as an abstract concept but as a concrete reality. The
unprecedented developments in production and information technologies,
the emergence of a younger generation with a clear sense of
optimism, solidarity and values, women increasingly aware
and with an enhanced and active role in society - all point
to the emergence of a new consciousness. We can decrease poverty
by half by 2015 without degrading the environment, we can
ensure environmental security through early warning, we can
better integrate environmental consideration in economic policy,
we can better coordinate legal instruments and we can realize
a vision of a world without slums. We commit ourselves to
realizing this common vision
Adopted
by the Global Ministerial Environment Forum -
Sixth
Special Session of the Governing Council of the
United
Nations Environment Programme
Fifth
plenary meeting
31
May 2000
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