The EU causes major disappointment in access issues
The recent Communication from the European Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/un_2012.htm) lays out the initial views and potential outcomes of the upcoming Rio+20 Summit in June 2012. As stated in the introductory material, Rio+20 will be centered on two themes: a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and the institutional framework for sustainable development.
Despite the EU’s commitment to an economic plan centered on sustainable development, the Communication fails to adequately address the need to strengthen civil society’s voice in ensuring government accountability. In fact, the Communication does not even specifically mention the words “access rights,” nor does it mention P10 or the Aarhus Convention. Regarding access rights, there is but one sentence on page three that mentions the increases made in public awareness of environmental issues and participation of civil society in global policy-making. What’s more upsetting is that the majority of this increased awareness is in the area of climate change, which is a topic that has received significant media attention, as well as the fact that the increase in civil society participation is largely the result of increased internet access - not necessarily improvements in environmental governance itself. It appears that while the EU has a focus on Green Economy and sustainable development, its commitment is still centered on providing business with economic incentives rather than improving environmental governance.
Neil Saunders
3 Comments
Whose interests Are Reflected in the EU Draft?
I was totally surprised and utterly disappointed in this draft from the EU. When the world (including the EU) has recognized that the biggest problem in alleviating poverty is the lack of voice of the poor in decision-making that affects them, this statement speaks loud by its silence on that issue. The document has included policy statements supportive of the business community but has abandoned the public interest by failing to highlight the importance of transparency, inclusiveness and accountability in government.
The UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) Poverty Report 2000 underscores that “a major source of poverty is people’s powerlessness- not just their distance from government.” When people organise and are informed they are empowered and can challenge poverty and human rights violations all around them. The UNDP, for example, found that the vast majority of 119 countries recently identified capacity development in governance related issues as their top priority for sustainable development improvements. http://thegef.org/gef/sites/thegef.org/files/publication/NCSA–‐SR–‐web–‐100913.pdf
When the EU has led the way in implementing Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration that speaks of these rights, it is beyond anyone’s imagination as to why this statement from the EU omits to mention the rights of people all around. The statement is so focused on International Environmental Governance (IEG) which matters so little to people on the ground and badly neglects to place the focus where it should be - on National Environmental Governance.
No matter how perfectly Rio+20 might come up with a Roadmap for the Green Economy - that roadmap will remain a dead letter until issues of political economy are dealt with. In the end it is national governments that will have to walk along that road - and to do so, they will need to be pushed by the popular will. To ensure the involvement of people and to enshrine their rights is essential to achieving a green economy.
The EU has missed the woods for the trees, the sea for the drops of water and the universe for the sky!!
Link to the EU document
For those that would like to read the EU document in full: http://bit.ly/mryUQF
Link to the EU document
For those that would like to read the EU document in full: http://bit.ly/mryUQF
Post new comment