Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the "Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Towards a global partnership for sustainable development" (COM(2002) 82 final)
Date: 2002-05-30
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: developing countries, environmental policy, financing, globalisation, governance, international cooperation, natural resources, poverty, sustainable development

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Point 4.4, 3rd indent

Add the following:

‘... more polluting vehicles; by way of example, the ecopoint system could be confined to vehicles belonging to
categories EURO 0, I and II, whilst vehicles belonging to categories EURO III and above could be exempted from the
system in order to encourage their use.’

Result of the vote

For: 45, against: 59, abstentions: 8.

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Communication from the Commission
to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee
of the Regions — Towards a global partnership for sustainable development’

(COM(2002) 82 final)

(2002/C 221/20)

On 14 February 2002 the Commission decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned communication.

The Sub-committee on Towards a global partnership for sustainable development, which was responsible
for preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 15 May 2002. The rapporteur
was Mr Ehnmark.

At its 391st plenary session of 29 and 30 May 2002 (meeting of 30 May 2002) the Committee adopted
the following opinion by 85 votes, with 1 abstention.

Summary

Two years later, however, it is necessary to recognize that the
Declaration so far mainly has been a success verbally. The calls
for solidarity have not materialized in action for develop-
ment (1).

1)
The Earth Summit in 1992 raised high expectations that
a new global coordinated effort was under way in support
of
the developing countries and regions. With elaborate
preparatory work and the emergence of broad consensus in its
resolutions and recommendations, the Earth Summit gave
every sign of being a milestone in the global pursuit of
progress, welfare and safety. Ten years later, however, it is
necessary to recognize that the Earth Summit was a success
verbally but not operationally. The calls for solidarity in action
for development have not materialized.

2)
The United Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted in
September 2000, set out a new global platform for progress
and welfare with eight fundamental goals (see footnote). An
ambitious timetable was set
for seven of the goals. The
Millennium Declaration raised new and high expectations that
now a new global effort was under way in support of
development and welfare.

(1) The 8 Millennium Goals are the following:

— Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; halve between
1990 and 2015, the proportion of people with incomes
below US dollar 1 per day;

— Attain universal primary education by 2015;
— Promote gender equality and empower women;
— Reduce child mortality;
— Improve maternal health;
— Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases;
— Ensure environmental sustainability;
— Develop a global partnership for development.

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in September 2002,

The World Summit on Sustainable Development
3)
(WSSD),
is a new opportunity. High
expectations have been built up. The preparatory work,
however, gives more reason for worries than for hopes. WSSD
should perhaps best be seen as one more step in a long process
— but a step that has to produce tangible results and
agreements on concrete action. There is no need for more
solemn declarations. WSSD should focus on global partner-
ships and firm commitments launching global sustainable
development, with priority to poverty eradication. The Euro-
pean Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls on the
participating governments and organisations not to lose this
focus. WSSD must be the occasion for all nations and peoples
to shoulder responsibility for the well-being through solidarity
of this generation and those to come.

4)
Specifically, it is of paramount importance that WSSD
give a strong signal to the peoples of the World that there is
from then on firm commitment from both developed and
developing countries to join in a new and major effort for
global welfare and progress. It is vitally important that WSSD
sweep aside the clouds of uncertainty and disappointment left
over from the Earth Summit. This is no time for another time-
out in the joint efforts for global development. Steadily our
globe is moving towards a situation with severe limits for
mankind to exist. There must be a start with a major effort for
our common welfare and future. WSSD’s job is not
to
renegotiate the recommendations from the Earth Summit, or
the Millennium Goals, but to agree on action to implement
them. Let it not be said in two or ten years’ time that the
WSDD was yet another disappointment! No, take the positive
results from the Food World Summit, and the Monterrey
Conference on Development Financing as pointing the way to
success at WSSD!

5)
The basic agenda for the World Summit stands, as
formulated by the Earth Summit and the Millennium Declar-
ation. The launch at Doha of a new agenda for development
and trade must be followed up, as well as the Monterrey
agreement on development finance. Poverty reduction and
management of natural resources are key issues: the reversal
overall of the trend towards environmental degradation is of
overarching importance. Sustainable development must very
clearly include economic, social and environmental objectives.

6)
Since the Earth Summit, some features have grown in
importance. The signs of imminent environmental crisis is one
such. The vicious circle of poverty, diseases and illiteracy is
another. A third is the emergence of a global knowledge-
based economy, which creates new challenges for developing

countries. As a recent UNCTAD report makes clear, there is a
real risk that developing countries stay confined to relatively
low-skill inputs to products and services in this new global
economy. Human resources development will be all the more
essential. The EESC proposes that education and training be
given an overarching priority at WSSD.

7)
Sustainable development is essentially a matter of soli-
darity, between generations and between peoples and nations.
The European Union has shown responsibility by taking the
lead in deciding a strategy and programme for sustainable
development. The global impact of this decision should not be
underestimated. The EESC fully supports the Council and the
Commission in their endeavours to take forward the decisions
of the European Summit in Gothenburg 2001. With these
decisions on sustainable development the European Union has
been able to project a new platform in international cooper-
ation and a leading role for itself. This is a unique opportunity.
The European Union should take the lead in forging a concrete
WSSD action programme and in giving shape to partnerships
needed to ensure the real work gets done.

8)
The EESC fully accepts the importance of the eight
Millennium Development Goals, decided in 1999. The Com-
mittee particularly emphasises the importance of the first three
of these: — cutting by half over 15 years the proportion of
people whose incomes are below one US$ a day, — achieving
universal primary education by 2015, and — eliminating
gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005,
and in other levels of education by 2015. In total, the eight
goals represent an extremely ambitious agenda for shaping a
better world. To achieve this, we need more research directed
towards the key development issues, and particularly in energy,
climate change and transport.

9)
The EESC emphasises the need for achieving at WSSD a
coherent policy and action mix that sets the eight Millennium
goals within a context of the three pillars of sustainable
development — economic, social and environmental. It would
be disastrous if WSSD brought deadlock between environmen-
tal protection and economic and social development. To help
avoid that, strong emphasis must be laid on the close links
between certain major factors effecting sustainability, such as
population growth, environmental degradation, poverty and
economic stagnation.

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10)
The EESC has taken note of the positive outcome of
the Monterrey Conference on financing development. This can
be taken as a break-through in the field of mutual commit-
ments for development. At the same time, it must be empha-
sised that aid does not alone solve the problems. With radically
better trade options for developing countries, there will be less
pressure for development aid. With constructive debt relief,
there will be better options for the developing countries to
embark on new efforts. However, flat debt relief may not
always yield the expected results. The EESC recommends that
debt relief be conditioned on measurable progress leading to
sustainable development, including increased environmental
protection. The EESC recommends the EU to examine further
the scope for renewed efforts to expand debt relief for
developing countries.

15)
If developing countries are to benefit from globalisa-
tion, good government and effective administration are most
important. The WSSD should launch partnerships for the
training of administrators in the developing countries.

Foreign Direct Investment by business constitutes the
16)
major part of the financial flow to developing countries. An
objective of WSSD should be to establish partnerships for
investment between business and governments. This could be
part of endeavours similar to the United Nation’s Global
compact
initiative. As shown in many studies, business
investments are directed increasingly to places with highly
competent labour.

Progressive elimination of trade barriers is an essential
11)
tool for promoting development. The European Union has
taken a forward-looking step with its decision to abolish tariffs
on all parts of trade (‘everything but arms’) with the 48 poorest
countries. The EESC calls on other developed countries to take
similar steps. It also calls on the European Commission to
explore the possibilities of extending the ‘everything but arms’
deal to more developing countries.

12)
The creation of new jobs is a key feature in any plan
for reducing poverty. In the past job creation has too often
been at the expense of the environment. This has to be
changed. WSSD should insist on the positive linkages between
environmental good practice and job creation.
It should
moreover establish job creation as one of the basic pathways
for reaching the Millennium goals. Job creation should go
hand in hand with promotion of core labour rights.

13) WSSD should highlight the importance of women in
the development process, particularly in the least-developed
countries. New partnerships should be established with the
objective of providing education and training particularly for
women, and covering both basic issues such as food safety and
health and economic ones such as development of cooperatives
and business techniques.

17)
Sustainable development on a national, regional and
global scale presupposes advanced knowledge generated in
research and development. Sustainable development is in itself
for strengthening the knowledge factor. The EESC
a call
proposes the launching of new global scientific networks
working on the long-term issues of sustainable development,
particularly in the fields of energy, water supply and food
safety.

18)
Organised civil society, including the social partners,
have an important mission in promoting sustainable develop-
ment, on a national, regional and global scale. In the whole
development process, organized civil society must be closely
involved, contributing to social, economic and environment
programmes. Organized civil society also has a key role in
raising understanding. The EESC proposes the setting up, as
the EU is doing, of national, regional or global biennial
stakeholder fora, as a means of public involvement in promot-
ing and monitoring sustainable development.

19)
The EESC calls on the governments participating in
WSSD to do their utmost to steer the Summit to a constructive,
concrete and clear result, launching new efforts for economic,
social and environmental progress on the global level, and
presenting action for reaching the eight Millennium develop-
ment goals. High expectations for this have been built up.
NGOs and other active bodies in society are heavily committed
and supportive. It is indeed a unique opportunity.

1. The road to Johannesburg

14)
Agriculture output has to be raised radically in the
developing countries if the objective of cutting by half the
proportion of those in extreme poverty is to be met. Helping
their farm sector to be viable and self-sustaining is a delicate
but essential part of any global sustainable development
strategy.

1.1.
The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro launched sustain-
able development as a global objective, with the three pillars
of economic, social and environmental development as equally
important and mutually interlinked. The key word for this
global objective was and is solidarity, between generations and
between peoples and countries.

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Sustainable development is essentially a total picture of action
with the aim of shaping a good life for the present generations
without jeopardizing the options for the next generations.

1.6. Within the European Commission, preparatory work
started in essence with a communication on experience after
Rio, issued in the Spring of 2001.

The Summit emphasised that in practical terms, sustainable
development had to be build on participation, ultimately at
local and provincial level. Under the headline of Agenda 21 a
vast array of initiatives was welcomed.

1.7.
The European Commission suggested four strategic
objectives that the EU should seek to obtain through the
Summit:

In general terms, however, it is an obvious truth that

1.2.
the expectations of Rio have not been met.

— increased global equity and an effective partnership for

sustainable development;

— better integration and coherency at the international level;

On a global scale, a number of set-backs have been registered,
notably the difficulties in the adoption of the Kyoto protocol
on greenhouse gas emissions.

— adoption of environment and development targets to
revitalise and sharpen the political commitment; and

The delays in meeting the Rio objectives with concrete action
can also partly be seen as an effect of the global economic
downturn during the 1990s. It is, however, a very obvious
observation that countries have found the Rio objectives to be
more difficult to implement than expected.

From one group of countries, however, a concrete and

1.3.
challenging answer has been given to the Rio expectations.

For the European Union the Council endorsed in June 2001 a
far-reaching strategy and action plan for sustainable develop-
ment, and emphasised that all future initiatives and actions
should be assessed in terms of impact on sustainable develop-
ment.

The EU is thus setting itself a profile as a global leader in
transforming the objectives from Rio into concrete political
actions.

1.4.
Of particular importance in the EU strategy is the
commitment by member countries to develop national stra-
tegies for sustainable development, and to deliver annual
reports on what is being done. This gives a valuable oppor-
tunity to compare actions and results.

1.5.
The preparatory work for WSSD has lasted for a
number of years, with a vast number of policy studies,
seminars and conferences. One key recent event was the
international conference on the financing of development in
Monterrey. By most standards, the Monterrey signal to the
developing world was positive: the developed countries agreed
to make substantial increases in development assistance over
the next few years, reaching the overall level of 0,7 percent of
GNI within 8 years (which means an additional US dollar 200
billion in development aid).

— more effective action at national level with international

monitoring.

In February, 2002, the Commission adopted a new

1.8.
communication in respect of WSSD.

In this Communication, the Commission sets out the case for
a new global partnership for sustainable development and
identifies issues on which attention should be focused at the
World Summit — and which can be addressed in concrete
terms. Because of the difficulties in the preparatory work at
the United Nations level, the priorities of the EU for the WSSD
are under review with a view to making them more operational
focussing on education, health, fisheries, forests, water, energy,
funding, governance and policy coherence.

2. Shaping a global strategy for sustainable development

The preparatory work for WSSD at the United Nations

2.1.
reveals similar planning issues as those treated by the EU.

Sustainable development

is by definition a pro-
2.1.1.
gramme based on parallel and interacting considerations
concerning economic, social and environmental issues. Right-
ly, it has been stated that the most important aspect of the SD
strategy is to have elevated environmental issues to the same
high importance as economic and social ones. However, the
interaction between the three pillars has proved difficult to
illustrate and concretise. Which are, to take an example, the
links between environment objectives and job creation? Or to
put it another way, how to avoid conflict between environment
on one side and economic and employment development on
the other?

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The experiences from the EU demonstrate that the theories
behind the interacting three pillars require a new, modular
way of planning.

Against this background, one of the very crucial challenges for
the World Summit in 2002 will be to agree on how to define
these
priorities and modalities in the implementation of
Millennium goals.

The European Summit in Gothenburg in June 2001,
2.1.2.
solemnly declared that SD should be the new overriding
objective for the Union and that all proposed new actions and
programmes should be subjected to SD impact assessments.
to
In reality,
reach. Policy coherence between a wide and disparate set of
organizations is most difficult to achieve. Ultimately, it will
probably necessitate policy coordination at a very high govern-
ment level. Otherwise, the objectives of SD can be cut back to
a vision with no real impact.

this high ambition has been very difficult

2.1.3.
Sustainable development will in a longer perspective
have profound effects on issues such as transport and energy
consumption, and will influence policies for food safety and
agricultural output. Counteracting climate change is a key
case; reducing waste of natural resources another. The list can
be much longer. The point is that all policies which affect and
change every-day life of citizens must ultimately be based on
active and full support from the citizens themselves. Strategies
for SD cannot be built only top down, even if they may have
to be started that way. A parallel process from bottom-up is
necessary.

Active consultation with organized civil society, including the
social partners, and active participation from their side in
monitoring and implementation of actions for SD is a necessity
and in reality the only way to reach a successful result.

2.1.4.
SD strategies are most often seen as dealing exclus-
ively with economic, social and environmental issues. How-
ever, since SD strategies are by nature inter-national, there are
also other dimensions that deserve attention. Understanding
why another country has taken a specific SD decision means
trying to understand some of the history or value systems of
another country. The consequence is that SD strategies must
provide for communication and cultural awareness with regard
to other, neighbouring countries.

Obviously, key issues at WSSD will be How and When
2.3.
and with Which resources, rather than setting new objectives.

2.3.1.

Of particular importance will be issues such as the:

— improvement of the terms on which the poorest countries
participate in the global economy and in particular
adoption of an improved trade regime for them;

— adoption internationally by business of high corporate
standards for engagement as reliable and consistent
partners in the development process, and a

— substantial transfer of additional resources from the
richest to the poorest countries in the form of investments
for development.

The list is in fact an illustration of the effects of
2.3.2.
globalisation and the challenges it sets for both developed and
developing countries. Governments have to take note of
the intensively competitive climate in the globalised world
economy. Efficient administration is more important than
ever. Shaping an attractive investment climate requires political
leadership, good management and capacity for forming part-
nerships. Trade is more and more becoming a key issue in the
development process. Official development assistance and
direct investments add to the resources but trade is for most
countries the heart of the matter.

The task of the World Summit is indeed multiple: it
2.4.
has to address at global level long-term issues for achieving
sustainable development, while at the same time reconciling
popular fears of globalisation with proposals for standards in
fields such as health, consumer protection and the environ-
ment, and ensuring that fundamental labour standards are
maintained.

3. A platform for the EU in Johannesburg

2.2.
The Millennium declaration on key development goals
to be achieved within a limited time represents a break-
through in the global attempts to shape a long-term and
concrete policy for global development. The decision to adopt
the eight objectives was taken by the UN, IMF, World Bank,
OECD, G7, G20 and all major developed and developing
countries.

3.1.
The Commission Communication of February 2002,
lists some 39 EU actions grouped under six headlines: trade,
fighting poverty and promoting social development, sustain-
able management of natural and environmental resources,
improving the coherence of EU policies, better governance at
all levels, and financing sustainable development.

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The EESC supports this more focused way of defining the
priority issues as actions for the WSSD.

The EESC comments as follows on the Commission communi-
cation.

4.7.
The Committee has taken note and strongly endorses
the Commission proposed action to encourage European
companies’ commitment to corporate social responsibility by
supporting adherence to the OECD guidelines for foreign
investors, and by developing initiatives as a follow-up to the
Commission’s Green Paper promoting a European Framework
for Corporate Social Responsibility.

4. Harnessing globalisation: trade for sustainable devel-

opment

4.1.
The Doha Development Agenda is the basis for the
agreement at the World Summit on trade issues. The task of
the World Summit should be to identify measures that support
and complement the DDA and Monterrey processes. This is an
area of incentives for environmentally and socially sustainable
production and trade.

4.2.
The Commission is proposing eight more specific
issues for further EU work and action, including promoting
the participation of the developing countries in the inter-
national trade system, by way of pressing ahead within the
WTO. The Commission would like to reinforce the role of
the Generalised system of preferences (GSP) for sustainable
development by introducing in 2004 a more modulated
system; the Commission advocates in more general terms a
strengthening of the sustainability dimension of bilateral and
regional trade agreements.

The EESC supports the outline of the proposal for an
is

4.3.
EU position on trade and development. The proposal
congenial with the EU positions at the Doha WTO meeting.

4.4.
However, the Committee would add a few comments.
The WTO, being the key instrument for promoting trade,
should itself find reason to develop its stance and profile and
give its programmes and actions a more human face. The
Committee is planning to work on an opinion with exactly
this in view.

4.5.
There is scope for further initiatives to promote trade
between developing and industrialised countries. Recently, it
has been suggested from one EU country that an expert
assistance centre (a kind of ‘ombudsman’) be established to
help developing countries find their way past administrative
hurdles facing their exports to the developed countries. The
Committee finds such an initiative worth examining also in
the context of WSSD.

Trade stimulates direct investment in particular for
4.8.
production facilities. The shaping of a positive climate for such
direct investments by business is crucial. The development
agenda from Doha provides for steps in this direction. The
Monterrey conference added more. The UN Global Compact
including OXFAM, and
constitutes another. Some NGOs,
Think-tanks have added more in recent times. The World Bank
is pursuing an ambitious programme aimed at raising human
resource levels by way of skills teaching, education and
training. The ILO has added an important dimension with its
Decent Work programme.

4.9.
The EESC finds it urgent and essential that WSSD
agree, in its follow-up to Doha and Monterrey in particular, on
a platform of measures for stimulating greater FDI in LDCs.

4.10.
At the same time WSSD must take account of the
need to fashion an overall policy covering aid, investment and
debt relief. For many developing countries debt relief continues
to be a key issue to be resolved if they are to become more
self-reliant and able to make better use of resources from
abroad.

The EESC calls on the EU to examine further the scope for
renewed efforts to expand debt relief for developing countries.

5.

Fighting poverty and promoting social development

4.6.
One issue that would have been expected in the
Commission communication is the ‘everything but arms’-
initiative and the question of how to motivate other countries
to follow suit. The initiative applied to the 48 least-developed
countries. Now is the opportunity to look into the possibility
of extending this initiative further.

5.1.
The Commission focuses on actions for poverty
reduction and eradication of hunger, in line with the Millen-
nium development objectives. Specifically,
it proposes to
further focus EU development policy on the central objective
of poverty reduction, to be reflected in tighter concentration
of resources on LDCs and on the poorest groups in developing
countries.

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5.2.
The EESC supports the proposed actions. It is essential
that they, as the Commission emphasises, include measures
for water supply and sanitation, and in a wider sense measures
for health services with access to — and tiered pricing of
medicines.

5.3.
The Commission proposes to integrate further the
gender perspective in relevant EU policies. The Committee
would have appreciated fuller analysis of this aspect, even
bearing in mind that the Commission last year published a
communication on gender issues in development policies (1).
An EU platform for the World Summit presents a major
opportunity for communicating on these issues.

5.4.
The role of women in changing life-style patterns and
for promoting acceptance of new ways is essential and cannot
be overestimated. Educational efforts in this regard should
therefore give priority to reaching out to women, as should
actions to assist in changing food, health and sanitation habits.

In this context, the decision taken by the United
5.5.
Nation’s Conference on Population and Development (UNCPD)
in 1994 should be recalled. The UNCPD agreed that access to
family planning services and acceptance of reproductive rights
of women are prerequisites to improving the situation of
women.

5.6.
The Committee has noted the proposal to promote
research on issues related to sustainable development and
strongly supports it. The Committee has,
inter alia, taken
note of new research projects on modalities for changes in
production and consumption patterns. This is obviously an
is urgently necessary to have more basic
area where it
information — and a wider basis for dialogue.

6. Sustainable management of natural and environmen-

tal resources

6.1.
The first priority is to reverse by 2015, both nationally
and on the global scale, existing trends in the loss of
environmental resources. A second priority objective is to
develop sectoral and intermediate objectives in some key
sectors — water, land and soil, energy and bio-diversity.

6.2. More specifically, the Commission plans to launch an
initiative at the World Summit for a global partnership to
promote sustainable water resources.

( 1) COM(2001) 295 final.

6.3.
The EESC supports the Commission proposals under
this important sector headline. The proposals for water and
in particular provision of renewable sources of
for energy,
energy, are highly relevant and should be given very high
priority at the World Summit. Some countries and regions
may well lead the way but for global solutions to be sustainable,
best practice and latest technology has to be updated and
spread far and wide across the globe, not kept as a privilege of
the few.

6.4.
In this context, further development of the EU SD
strategy is in itself one of the best contributions that can be
made both to the World Summit and to work thereafter. Plans
for an EU action programme on forest law enforcement,
governance and trade is an important contribution, as well as
initiatives at an international level to address violations of
forest law and forest crime. Developing an EU strategy for
distant water fisheries is another good instance.

6.5.
Ratification of the Kyoto protocol is a key step in long-
term efforts to halt climate changes. However, even as the
Kyoto protocol is being ratified, there is need to start looking
ahead, at further and future steps. Here, the EU could take an
initiative with respect to new commitments to higher emission
reduction targets.

6.6.
One proposal notes the need to encourage investments
in affordable, sustainable and environmentally friendly modes
of transport. The Committee would have welcomed further
extrapolation of this point.

6.7.
Transport is becoming a major item in all SD strategies,
be it in developed or developing countries. It is closely related
to both urban and rural development and to the way
societies organise their work and living. It is closely geared to
developments in transport technologies. The Committee would
appreciate if the Commission could address this problem area
in a vigorous way.

6.8.
The Commission suggests that the EU attach particular
attention to promoting regional and sub-regional responses to
environmental and social as well as economic challenges,
within the overall objective of creating sustainable develop-
ment. Such an approach could be used as part of the Euromed
cooperation.

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6.9.
The Committee strongly supports this, as it is in line
with the experiences of the Committee in cooperation within
the Mediterranean area. The Candidate countries represent
another challenge; as Members, they will automatically be part
of the overall EU strategy, but they will need considerable
support before accession and after to catch up with the present
Member countries.

7.

Improving the coherence of European Union policies

7.1.
In line with the structure and direction of the EU
SD strategy, the Commission emphasises the need for new
initiatives to review policy coherence across all policies related
to sustainable development.

The Committee has had the occasion to underline the

7.2.
key importance of this a number of times.

It reiterates its firm opinion that the institutions of the
European Union must take more vigorous steps in order to
achieve the degree of policy coherence needed to implement a
coherent policy for sustainable development — be it within
the European borders, or as part of a global effort resulting
from the World Summit.

8. Better governance at all levels

8.1.
A priority is to ensure good governance at all levels
and within all countries so as to achieve common sustainable
development objectives.

The Committee noted the Commission’s observations on the
need for efficient and communicative governance at all levels,
actively involving organised civil society including the social
partners in both planning and implementation.

The Committee has had occasion to comment on this in
previous opinions on sustainable development (1).

8.2.
The role of business in promoting development should
be promoted. The UN has launched the Global Compact
initiative as one mechanism for promoting active business
involvement in the development processes, and in reaching
the Millennium objectives.

( 1) ESC opinion on ‘The preparation of a European Union strategy

for sustainable development’ — OJ C 221, 7.8.2001;
ESC opinion on ‘A sustainable Europe for a Better World’ — OJ
C 48, 21.2.2002;
ESC opinion on ‘Sustainable Development Strategy’ — OJ C 94,
18.4.2002.

8.3.
The EESC strongly supports this initiative, and would
like to express its hope that parallel initiatives can be taken at
national or European level.

9.

Financing sustainable development

The Monterrey UN conference in March 2002, reached
9.1.
an agreement on slow but steady increases in the amount
of financial resources to be made available for sustainable
development. On the whole, the outcome of the conference
should be taken as a success.

Obviously, these resources will not be enough. On the other
hand, they represent an important change of trend.

9.2.
One key issue for further consideration will be how to
stimulate a further increase in direct investment in developing
countries. Here again, the heart of the matter lies in the criteria
which determine where investment is made. And again, the
importance of human capital is at the centre.

in supporting the Monterrey agreement

The EESC,
that
industrialised countries should increase their ODA levels to
app. 0,7 % of GNP, calls for further initiatives to stimulate
direct private sector investment.

10. Additional issues for a global strategy for sustainable

development

10.1.
The European Commission has presented a well-
focused platform for the negotiations before the Johannesburg
World Summit. The EESC has commented on this above.

In addition to these considerations, the Committee would like
to propose the inclusion of
the following issues in the
negotiating platform for the World Summit.

10.2.
The Millennium objective of primary school for all
children by the year 2015 must be seen as the first step in a
major global investment in human capital. Vocational training
partly included in primary school, partly beyond, should be
the next strategic step in shaping a Global Knowledge Society.
A recent UNCTAD report has underscored the risks for
developing countries of not investing more in education and
training: the high-skill components of products remain import
items, and only low-skill parts are located to a developing
country.

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10.3.
The EESC proposes that the World Summit should
consider setting up a special committee with the twin task of
monitoring implementation of the Millennium objective and
setting out plans for a major vocational training effort. The
emergence of a global knowledge-based economy necessitates
a new urgency in the investments in education and training.

sharply falling birth rates, to or under the level of two children
per woman. The obvious cause is that increasing numbers of
women seek to enter the labour market.

The role of women in shaping sustained development
10.4.
can easily be underestimated, due to traditional and/or cultural
patterns.
In the least-developed countries, women have a
particular role in changing food, health and sanitary habits.

The EESC proposes that the World Summit highlight
10.5.
the importance of women in the development process and
initiate a joint new effort for supporting women who try to
become economically active as entrepreneurs, by way of
training, micro-level capital, administrative support, sharing
of experiences. The European Union should take special
responsibility for initiating such an effort, by way of partner-
ships with social partners, industry, training bodies, commer-
cial institutions and international bodies.

The Millennium objective to halve the numbers living
10.6.
at or below US dollar 1 per day by 2015 requires a vast
number of interacting initiatives. Job creation is one of the
obviously most important. Job creation relies on production
possibilities,
the availability of
investment capital and education and training options, to
mention but those. It also depends to some extent on needs
and available financing of public utilities. Above all, there must
be consumers and markets for products and services.

the existence of markets,

10.9.
The EESC, in recognition of the significance of new
statistical trends, suggests that on the subject of population
growth the World Summit could conclude that a new global
study is needed on current trends for birth rates, and in the
light of that on strategies for achieving balance between
economic, social and environmental development on the one
hand and population development on the other. The study
should also take into account the ageing of populations
all over the Globe, and the demographic and economic
consequences of this.

10.10.
The large urban conglomerations in developing
countries offer particular challenges for sustained develop-
ment. In an often extreme way, some rural areas do the same.
In both cases, the current situation is the result of many years
of incapacity to understand and act on the complex factors
causing overpopulation in urban areas and underpopulation
— and often extreme underdevelopment — in rural areas. At
the same time, the very large conglomerations constitute major
problem-areas for food, health, housing, sanitation, pollution,
education, law and order, transport, etc.

10.11.
The EESC is convinced that global measures for
sustainable development must include special efforts to correct
unsustainable trends in urban and rural areas, both in
developing and also in a number of industrialised countries.
The Committee proposes that the World Summit notes the
situation in urban and rural areas in many developing countries
and calls on the countries to share experiences and solutions.
Preparations should start for a global programme on Sustain-
able Megalopolis.

The EESC calls on the World Summit to focus on the
10.7.
importance of job creation as a tool for reaching a number of
development objectives. The Committee proposes that a
special International Task Force be set up with the purpose of
identifying strategies and measures for job creation, in the
light of the results of the Monterrey Conference and the World
Summit itself.

10.12.
In line with the Rio Conference ten years ago,
countries should elaborate national strategies for sustainable
development. In the European Union, a number of countries
have done so, at the request of the European Council at
Gothenburg in June 2001.

10.8.
The population issue has an obvious and integral
importance in all consideration of sustainable development.
Some new trends in population statistics may indicate that
previous trends are not so irreversible as many had thought.
Some 13 of the most populous countries have indicated

Although such national action plans are at a first stage of
development,
information
they constitute a rich well of
and experience. The Committee proposes that the European
Commission in cooperation with relevant international insti-
tutions establish new and easily-accessible data and infor-
mation services make this information open for all.

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10.13.
Energy and transport are inevitably placed in the
forefront of all deliberations on sustainable development. The
Economic and Social Committee has presented its views on
these issues on a number of occasions.

Given the importance of these issues and the existence of a
considerable amount of research and analysis on them, the
European Economic and Social Committee proposes that a
joint stock-taking be initiated by the World Summit. The
purpose would be not so much to find new solutions but to
establish a broad state-of-the-art survey, as a basis for new
measures.

10.14.
Industry has an obvious and essential role in devel-
opment efforts. A number of new initiatives have been taken
to involve industry more in projects and to invest more in
production in developing countries.

It

is a fact

10.15.
The EESC has noted the various initiatives taken to
involve business and industry in the processes of economic,
social and environmental development.
that
their greatest effort has been made under the first pillar of
sustainable development. The Committee, convinced that
industry at large will understand and appreciate the benefits of
active involvement in social and environmental development
as well as economic, proposes that the World Summit express
its support for full involvement of industry in the process of
sustainable development and give due weight to the OECD
guidelines for multi-national corporations.

The Committee welcomes initiatives such as the Global
Compact, and expresses its hope that this specific initiative
will be spread more widely.

10.16.
The Social Partners and organised civil society at
large have a crucial role to play in global sustainable develop-
ment, on all sides. The European Commission has recognised

Brussels, 30 May 2002.

this, as has the UN preparatory committee — although the
latter has so far failed in its efforts to agree on a text.

10.17.
The EESC emphasises its own position that the
social partners, and organised civil society at large, have an
essential role in the full cycle of these processes, from an
early planning stage through monitoring, implementation and
finally evaluation and follow-up.

10.18.
The Committee reiterates its position that represen-
tatives of social partners and of organised civil society at large
in broad
should be given the opportunity to take part
stock-taking exercises, biennially or every third year. Such
stakeholder fora should constitute an essential opportunity for
democratic participation, transparency and accountability.

11. The Role of the European Union

11.1.
The difficulties in reaching an agreed platform for
WSSD — and preliminary agreements in line with that —
suggest that the Summit may end up with more limited results
than expected. This would be most sad and regrettable. In such
a situation it must be of the first importance for the EU to take
on a leading role in trying to forge a platform and an action
programme that could find broad agreement in Johannesburg.

11.2.
Global sustainable development is an area for which
the EU can furnish a very particular contribution based on
experience within the Union itself. The EU must be prepared
and ready to play a very leading role in the lead up to
Johannesburg. It must furthermore be ready to assume an
active role in the follow-up to WSSD.

In this long process of global development the next
11.3.
station after Johannesburg should not be ten years ahead. The
conclusions of WSSD should include a full and vigorous
agenda for the follow-on.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Göke FRERICHS