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The Earth Council will actively promote
world-wide awareness
Understanding and resolution of major
planetary
problems:
Poverty, under development, environment
deterioration....
The
Earth Summit produced agreement on basic principles,
incorporated in the Rio Declaration, and a comprehensive and
far-ranging programme of action in Agenda 21 designed to
launch the world community onto a new pathway towards a more
secure, sustainable and equitable future in environmental,
economic and social terms. But the ultimate impact of these
agreements will depend on the degree to which they are
followed up the implemented by Governments, by UN agencies
and organizations and other inter-governmental and
non-governmental actors, and most importantly, by people at
the grassroots level. Therefore, effective arrangements for
monitoring, reviewing and facilitating the follow-up and
implementation of these decisions will be crucial
importance.
The unprecedented level of “people’s”
involvement in the Earth Summit and ‘92 Global Forum and the
preparations for it made an indispensable contribution to
the substantive work of the Conference as well as to
development of high degree of interests and awareness which
was the key to its political success. There is a need to
maintain this global effort and momentum and broaden the
opportunities for an expended role of independent
organization, particularly those of a “grass roots” nature.
Both the Earth Summit and the ‘92 Global Forum called for
substantially increased efforts to ensure transparency,
accountability and broad public participation in dealing
with the issues addressed by UNCED. Also “Caring for the
Earth”, the global strategy sponsored by IUCN, WWF and UNEP
calls for the establishment of a body “to monitor
implementation of the world ethic for living
sustainability”. This coincides with growing interests of
people to participate more actively and commit themselves in
a responsible way.
This will require that people and
organization have full access to objective, credible
information and knowledge concerning the issues addressed at
Rio, particularly in areas of special interest and concern
to them. Related to this is the need to provide similarly
objective knowledge and information as well as assessments
and guidance to the public and policy makers in respect of
evolving environment and development issues of major current
or potential significance.
It is to help meet these needs that the Earth
Council is being established. The Earth Council is
envisaged as a non-governmental entity, independent of
governments but recognised by them, by the United Nations
and the international community s an important counterpart
of the people and the civil society in ensuring follow-up
and implementation of the decisions taken at the Rio
Conference. As an independent standing commission it will
consist of 15 to 25 distinguished
Citizens and scientists serving in their
personal capacities. The Secretariat has already been
established in San Jose with headquarters provided by the
Government of Costa Rica.
The Earth Council will actively promote
world-wide awareness, understanding and resolution of major
planetary problems: poverty, underdevelopment, and
environmental deterioration, unsustainable patterns of
production and consumption and population growth. By
providing objective information, fear and unbiased
evaluations, public dialogue and constructive suggestions,
the Council will encourage international organizations,
governments, the private sector and other groups and
individuals to respond in a vigorous and timely manner to
these challenges. In particular, The Council will seek to
provide a new strong and independent support for action
based on momentum developed and the commitments made at the
Earth Summit. It will provide a global focal point for
gathering, evaluating and disseminating information on
public and private progress in achieving sustainable
development and an international citizen’s network of
monitoring and interchange based on the capacities and
expertise of many existing networks.
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The Indian Response |
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During the NGO Consultation on UNCED
Follow-up, time was set aside to obtain the views of
the participants on the Earth Council. The general
reaction of the NGOs present was positive.
However, a number of question were
raised regarding the objectives, functions a structure
of the proposed Council. NGOs felt that the Earth
Council would remain an ineffective and toothless
Government decisions that would otherwise go against
the interests of the people or of nature. The earth
Council, they felt, must act as an adjudicator, or
tribunal, or ombudsman between different bodies in
disputes on environment or development issues.
Since it would not be possible for the
Earth Council to monitor, review national policies on
a global scale, Ajoy Bagchi of the Peoples Commission
on Environment and Development expressed concern on
whether it would be part of the Earth Council’s
charter to promote national councils which could be
more effective. On the other hand, Duleep Matthai
felt that there was possibility that these structures
might become hierarchical and bureaucratic and this
has to be guarded against. |
The purpose of the Earth Council must
be to protect the environmental resource access rights
of the poor and bring my violation to the notice of
the decision makers so that corrective measures could
be taken. For this purpose, it is important that
national or state-level courts be set up for resolving
local issues, public interest litigation cases, which
are not only environment but could be to do with human
rights too.
Kartikeya Sarabhai of Centre for
Environment Education, Ahmedbad felt that the strength
of NGOs comes form their ability international body
like the Earth Council should be result of, rather
than an agent to create, local action. National level
NGOs must take the responsibility of influencing
decisions. The role of the Earth Council should,
therefore, include house functions to facilitate
information exchange.
Nalini Jayal of INTACH and
representatives of several other NGOs felt that the
Earth Council would be completely sterile body if it
does not take up major issues which affect large
number of poor people in the country. The Amnesty
International has played a very significant role in
safeguarding human rights and there must be an
organisation that can support the kinds of objectives
which Rio stood for. |
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The Objective |
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The Activities |
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Promote the realization of a world
ethic and build a sense of urgency worldwide on the
need to respond vigorously to the challenges of
sustainable development; |
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Development partnership relationship
with other associated and cooperating non-governmental
organizations to undertake monitoring and review of
particular elements of the Rio agreements and related
issues; |
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Provide objective information and
analysis to facilitate negotiation and resolution of
international environment / development disputes or
conflicts; |
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Facilitate access by people and NGOs to
information sources and establish links with all
principal information networks relevant to sustainable
development; |
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Strengthen and facilitate non
government and grassroots citizen involvement and
participation in the policy process, and amplify the
voice of the people in this process; |
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Conduct public hearing focused on a
country, agency, or sect oral performance and on
particular issue; |
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provide early warning of emerging
risks, challenges and opportunities in environment and
development |
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Develop close and supportive links and
working relationships with the Untied National System
particularly through the Commission on Sustainable
Development; |
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Provide periodic public hearings on the
Rio agreements and other key international
undertakings, pointing out areas requiring greater
priority, revision or re-orientation and promoting
national and international actions needed to carry out
these agreements; |
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Propose alternative process to provide
resolution of disputes involving environment and
development. |
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Prepare public reviews of the process
of national governments in achieving sustainable
development and on the success of inter-governmental
bodies, including the Commission on Sustainable
Development, in supporting these national efforts; |
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Build a global constituency of
sustainable development by providing for membership
and participation by people and their organization
throughout the world |
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Evaluate the process of national and
transitional corporations in promoting and achieving
sustainable development; |
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Review and act on particular problems
and opportunities on the initiative of NGOs and
others; |
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Work closely with other organizations
to provide assessments containing accurate information
on international conditions, trends, risks and
opportunities as well as recommendations for policy
changes in environment and development issues of major
current or potential significance; |
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Cooperate closely with other
organization, such as the UN System-wide Earth watch
programme coordinated by UNEP, or UNDP’s Sustainable
Development Networ |
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Recognize exemplary performance by
governments, intergovernmental bodies, and others and
calling attention to imminent breaches in responsible
conduct. |
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As a member of
the Earth Council,
we at Development
Alternatives
would be grateful for your invaluable inputs on
how the Earth Council could be an effective body.
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