Développement durable:
Highest Importance for the World
UN Special: How important is sustainable development for UNEP ?
Klaus Töpfer:
It is of the highest importance for the world. The whole Millennium Declaration
is based on the famous “We, the people…” of the UN Charter. If
we want to have for these people a peaceful future we have to stick to sustainable
development. All the decision makers in the field of environment, in the social
field, justice and economics have to stick to sustainable development. UNEP being
the major institution within the UN system to be responsible for environment matters,
sustainable development is key to us.
What do
you think of that fact that when the World Commission on Environment and Development
chaired by Mrs Brundtland defined sustainable development the environmental concern
was the key element. Now two other pillars have been added on. Does it weaken
the environmental component ?
It is interesting to follow
the development of the title of the world summits. In 1972 in Stockholm, the first
one was on Human Environment. This was really an environment summit. One of the
major conclusions was that environment problems do not know any frontiers making
it obvious that regional and international cooperation was indispensable. The
second one in Rio in 1992 was no more on human environment but on environment
and development. In those days I was still a minister it was then clear that environment
should be in line with development needs, with the needs of the poorest of the
world. Therefore the concept of sustainable development was clear: one should
not aim at development at the cost of the environment – yes to development
but with environment in mind. The title of the forthcoming Johannesburg summit
is also clear: it is the summit on sustainable development making it obvious that
this development is the necessity to direct our activity, our technology and our
behaviour, mainly in developed countries because they are largely exporting their
ecological problems to the rest of the world. They are exporting their ecological
catastrophe to the rest of the world. I like very much what Koffi Annan said:
“We want to go towards a responsible prosperity” the aim is to change
the production and consumption patterns of the rich and to improve the living
conditions of the poor. In line with social justice and environmental caution.
When I was asked to head UNEP my friends in Germany questioned the fact that I
would be dealing with environment problems back in Nairobi. One year latter I
told them that in fact it was very important to be in Nairobi because there you
could really see the link between environment and development. That is why I am
not at all concerned by a weakening of the environmental part of sustainable development.
On the contrary if somebody is concerned with social justice and development it
should be in line with nature.
What will be the impact
of the outcome of Johannesburg on the mandate of UNEP ?
This question is high on the agenda of many people. UNEP was the outcome of the
first world conference in 1972. It was very logical that the outcome of this environment
summit was an environmental programme. As an outcome of the Rio summit it was
also logical to have a Commission on sustainable development. Now ten years latter
the question is whether this commission has fulfilled its expectations and the
question is also to know whether the mandate of UNEP has to be enlarged? There
was an open ended ministerial working group which reported to our governing body
and in Cartagena last year we got a strong backing of environmental ministers
to have a much more active role in policy making. We have a clear mandate we have
a strong backing. I believe that our stake-holders are interested to increase
the mandate of UNEP. Up to the point that some ask for a world environment organization
something similar to the world trade organization.
Are
you in favour of this WEO, world environment organization ?
Yes, indeed, but it is an evolutionary process and this evolution will take time.
What
are the priorities of UNEP ?
UNEP must be the organization for
environment and sustainable development assessment, monitoring and early warning.
Major problems may occur in the field of water, climate change, and bio diversity,
we should be able to warn the international community well in advance. We
should be able to advise member states on the need for new global instruments
to deal with these problems. We just finished the preparation of a Convention
on Persistent Organic Pollutants, now our constituency wants us to prepare something
on persistent non organic pollutants, especially those related to chemical substances.
Furthermore, we have a lot of tasks related to global agreements, in particular
because their implementation is not what it should be. As you can see the agenda
of UNEP is very heavy and we will do our best to fulfil it.
Interview by Jean Michel Jakobowicz.