Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 1 • Number 2 • 6th December 2001

Asia-Pacific Regional Prep Meeting Adopts Platform On Sustainable Development


Asia-Pacific Regional Prep Meeting Adopts Platform On Sustainable Development

In what some described as perhaps the best outcome yet of the five regional preparatory meetings for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), government officials at the High-level Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (27-29 November) adopted the "Platform on Sustainable Development for Asia and the Pacific". Overall, the meeting — which was one of a series of regional preparatory meetings for the WSSD, due to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2002 — aimed to review progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 in the regions, and to identify policy issues, priorities, goals, constraints and actions in preparation of the WSSD.

The Platform consists of five sections: regional assessment of the implementation of Agenda 21; key issues and priorities for sustainable development; follow-up actions; financing sustainable development; and final statements. The second part, on key issues and priorities, deals with several economic issues including the impacts of globalisation on sustainable agriculture and food security. It notes that globalisation has both positive and negative impacts on sustainable development, and cites trade-related loss of natural resources as an example of the latter. The Platform acknowledges that least-developed countries (LDCs) are especially vulnerable to negative impacts. Developing countries, LDCs and economies in transition must be better integrated into the world economic and trade system. This requires capacity-building, technical assistance, improved market access, and the promotion of trade and investment.

The Platform also mentions that the reduction of trade distortions is essential to pursue sustainable agriculture and rural development. The second part of the Platform furthermore recognises regional priorities in relation to environmental and natural resource issues. It points out "the need to address in a holistic manner the issue of illegal logging, illegal trade in timber, non-timber forest products, genetic resources and its underlying causes". One of the key cross-cutting issues covered is that of technology transfer. The Platform expresses concern that the commitment to further promote the transfer of environmentally-sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, as provided in Agenda 21, "has largely been unfulfilled".

WSSD To Be Rescheduled?

The UN World Summit on Sustainable Development, the follow-up to the 1992 Earth Summit, is scheduled to take place from 2 - 11 September in Johannesburg, South Africa. However, because the closing day is the one- year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, the United Nations is considering the possibility of bringing the event forward by a week. For logistical reasons, any change will have to be agreed by the U.N. General Assembly in the next two weeks.

Additional Resources

A summary and analysis of the WSSD Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting can be found on the IISD web site. The "Phnom Penh Regional Platform on Sustainable Development for Asia and the Pacific" is available online.

"UN may shift Earth Summit date to avoid September 11," REUTERS, 3 December 2001; "Earth Summit in S.Africa hit by Sept 11 events," REUTERS, 30 November 2001; ICTSD Internal Files.