Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development
The Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, adopted during the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, South Africa, serves as a pivotal statement of principles aimed at fostering sustainable and equitable development on a global scale. This summit aimed to unite both developed and developing nations, building on earlier environmental conferences such as the 1972 Stockholm Conference and the 1992 Rio Summit. The declaration emphasizes key commitments, including reducing inequalities between rich and poor, protecting fragile ecosystems, and promoting cultural dialogue and women's empowerment. It also reaffirms support for existing international frameworks like Agenda 21 from the Rio Summit. However, the declaration faced criticism for its lack of specific programs or funding mechanisms, and its adoption was marred by the absence of the United States and controversies surrounding the lavish treatment of delegates amidst discussions of poverty. Despite these challenges, the declaration continues to resonate, with recent commitments from global leaders to uphold its principles, particularly in environmental protection. Overall, the Johannesburg Declaration represents a significant, if controversial, step in the ongoing international discourse on sustainable development.
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Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development
IDENTIFICATION: Statement of principles for international action and debate regarding sustainable development
DATE: Adopted on September 4, 2002
The goal of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development was to find ways to bring together developed and developing nations in the pursuit of sustainable and equitable development. Most observers agree that the resulting Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development made only small steps toward reaching that goal.
In Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, which became known as the first Earth Summit, provided a forum for the first international discussions of development and the environment. In June 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), commonly known as the Rio Summit, was convened in Rio de Janeiro with representatives from 172 nations. The purpose was to draw up binding agreements for reducing and fossil-fuel emissions and for ensuring adequate access to clean water for all people. Ten years later, the World Summit on Sustainable Development, or Earth Summit 2002, was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, to further international discussion of sustainable development. The summit, which ran from August 26 through September 4, was attended by government representatives as well as by nongovernmental groups and individuals, including women and children, scientists and environmentalists, business leaders, and agriculturalists. The United States, however, under President George W. Bush, did not participate. The gathering resulted in several international agreements, the most significant of which was the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development.
Under the terms of the declaration, signers agreed to work toward “a humane, equitable and caring global society cognizant of the need for human dignity for all.” The declaration did not create any specific programs or include provisions for the funding for such programs; rather, it served as a statement of principles for further action and debate. It articulated commitments to decreasing the gap between rich and poor people, protecting and fragile ecosystems, addressing and the added pressures of increased and globalization, promoting dialogue between people of different ethnicities and cultures, supporting women’s empowerment and equality, combating war and crime, and using the tools of sustainable development to achieve these goals. The declaration also confirmed a commitment to support existing international documents, including Agenda 21, a plan created at the 1992 Rio Summit. Alongside the declaration, delegates to the World Summit on Sustainable Development agreed to carry out the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, a lengthy and specific action plan produced in conjunction with the declaration.
Although the declaration was high-minded and beautifully worded, its adoption was met with controversy. Because the United States did not participate in drafting the declaration and did not sign it, many delegates to the summit saw it as toothless. Before full agreement on the declaration could be reached, the original draft’s sixty-nine articles had been reduced to thirty-seven, with several of the more specific and restrictive articles removed. Protesters outside the Johannesburg convention center in which the summit was held created a circuslike atmosphere that drew media attention away from the serious issues being discussed inside. Additionally, delegates to the summit were criticized when it was learned that they had been treated to expensive catered food and luxurious housing while they discussed the world’s need for better distribution of food, water, and other basics of life to the poor.
On August 22 to 24, 2023, leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South America met at the BRICS Summit, which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the first time since the COVID-19 global pandemic. They decided to continue to follow the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, focusing on environmental protection. They also discussed South Africa's most important needs in terms of economics, technology and security, and trade.
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