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Harmony with Nature Report of the Secretary-General General Assembly Distr.: Limited Date: 29 August 2019 Original: English First Session Agenda item 7 Harmony with Nature Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present Secretary-General report addresses international discussions on the environmental impacts of human activity. Humankind has treated the planet as a means to an end. To rectify the environmental damages caused by decades of exploitation and commodification, the role of ‘Harmony with Nature’ is to promote Earth’s primal right to life. The United Nations’ Harmony with Nature agenda seeks to share best practices in environmental conservation and spread awareness about anthropogenic effects. In April 2009, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 63/278, proclaiming the 22nd of April to be International Mother Earth Day. This UNGA resolution commemorates the Earth as humankind’s only home and source of human life. To redefine humankind’s relationship with Nature and coexist sustainably with the planet, the General Assembly has adopted 10 resolutions on Harmony with Nature to promote Earth Jurisprudence. Specifically, a resolution entitled “The Future We Want,” adopted at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012, emphasized the need for common ground between Member States to pursue a healthier relationship with Nature. This resolution further highlighted the importance of Harmony with Nature for the 2030 Agenda, or the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To engage the public, the UNGA has also made a series of efforts to raise awareness about Harmony with Nature and share progress about the agenda’s implementation. Online resources, such as the UN Harmony with Nature Knowledge Network, disseminate learnings about respect for and protection of the natural environment. The purpose of the Harmony with Nature agenda is to promote the preservation of Nature and highlight the environment’s intrinsic value regardless of its practical utility to humankind. Such international discussions seek to WFUNA International Model United Nations A(WIMUN Geneva)/1/7 convey a new understanding of ecological protection, in which the purpose of technological development is to protect the planet and ensure its sustainability. Through annual interactive dialogues on Harmony with Nature to commemorate International Mother Earth Day, the UNGA has also promoted sustainable models of production and consumption in line with SDG 12. Overall, the UN’s efforts have shown significant progress. Different branches of governments in an increasing number of Member States have adopted legislation or put forward policies on the rights of nature and the planet. I. Context and Concept 1. In April 2009, by adopting A/RES/63/278, the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed April 22nd as International Mother Earth Day. This resolution invited all Member States to reflect upon the environmental damages inflicted on planet Earth and pay tribute to our home and source of life. Building upon the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), this UNGA resolution pledges the UN’s commitment to harmonious coexistence between humankind and Earth. The UN expressed its dedication to balancing the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations.1 Growing concern over the environmental impacts of human activity, stemming from the increasing scarcity of resources and the ensuing socio-economic implications, was first recognized in the 1982 World Charter for Nature.2 2. Launched in September 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development recognized the need for an action plan to achieve sustainable development. To effectively address the implementation of the Agenda 21 Action Plan, which was adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, this action plan culminated in 1 “A/CONF.151/26 (Vol. I) REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT.” United Nations. www.un.org/documents/ga/conf151/aconf15126-1annex1.htm. 2 “A/RES/37/7. World Charter for Nature.” United Nations. www.un.org/documents/ga/res/37/a37r007.htm. 2 WFUNA International Model United Nations A(WIMUN Geneva)/1/7 the development of Harmony with Nature. 3 4 In December 2009, the UNGA adopted its first resolution on Harmony with Nature at its 64th session, recognizing the degradation of Earth’s bounties and establishing the importance of Earth to humankind’s existence.5 This resolution marked a significant shift in thinking from a human-centered paradigm to an Earth-centered paradigm. 3. On International Mother Earth Day in 2011, the UNGA held its first interactive dialogue between Member States and stakeholders on the topic of Harmony with Nature. A panel was dedicated to a holistic discussion about sustainable development, where Member States shared national experiences on key indicators to measure sustainable development and Harmony with Nature. The panel also resulted in the creation of a website regarding Harmony with Nature and the continuation of discussions leading up to the Rio +20 Conference. 4. Through discussing Harmony with Nature, the UNGA recognized the depletion of the planet as the direct result of unsustainable consumption and production patterns, especially over the past fifty years. Documented scientific evidence reflected the alarming realization that mankind’s unsustainable socio-economic systems are causing irreversible damage to the planet. Adopted in 2015, “responsible consumption and production” is listed as Sustainable Development Goal 12. 5. As part of the holistic approach to sustainable development undertaken by Member States in 2015, the SDGs recognized that the international community must manage scarce resources and take care of the environment to provide for future generations. Over the past decade, progress achieved on Harmony with Nature has emphasized the need to achieve peace and sustainable co-existence with the planet, and to live in harmony with the Earth rather than at her expense. 6. The basic principles of Harmony with Nature recognize that the international community must devise a new model of sustainable production, consumption and economic growth to meet the needs of present and future generations. Earth’s bounties are finite, which calls for the development of different and ecologically- conscious economic models. The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals approach environmental concerns through a new lens by linking development to sustainability. 3 “Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.” United Nations. www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/131302_wssd_report_reissued.pdf. 4 “United Nations Conference on Environment & Development Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992. Agenda 21.” United Nations Sustainable Development. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf. 5 “A/RES/64/196. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 21 December 2009.” United Nations General Assembly. www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A%2FRES%2F64%2F196. 3 WFUNA International Model United Nations A(WIMUN Geneva)/1/7 The SDGs and Harmony with Nature mark the shift from a human-centered approach to one where the Earth takes the main role. Furthermore, among the indicators and monitoring framework used to keep track of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, an important indicator to consider is Indicator 12.8. This indicator ensures that by 2030, people everywhere will have relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in Harmony with Nature.6 7. Adopted in 2000, the Millennium Development Goals addressed global challenges such as poverty and development, setting goals to provide access to clean water and sanitation, prevent the spread of deadly diseases and ensure access to primary education.7 Adopted in January 2015 and officially brought to action on 1 January 2016, the Sustainable Development Goals expanded upon the Millennium Development Agenda, including therein the growing need for action concerning environmental degradation.8 Harmony with Nature emphasizes the importance of co- existence with the Earth. 8. Rapid loss of biodiversity, climate change and depletion of the ozone layer are several examples of the effects caused by mankind’s disregard for nature. Since the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century, mankind has not perceived the opportunity cost of exploiting the Earth’s resources as threatening the survival of mankind itself. Harmony with Nature aims to shift this focus such that the industrial and technological development of mankind can be achieved without costing human life its existence. To meet the needs of the rapidly growing world population and ensure the prosperity of human life, mankind must understand the imminent threat of resource scarcity and depletion, and subsequently act on the need to preserve the planet and its natural resources. 9. The ten resolutions adopted by the General Assembly on Harmony with Nature to date aspire to change humankind’s relationship with Nature and with its own existence. The central aim of the interactive dialogues and the establishment of the Harmony with Nature agenda is to raise awareness worldwide and mobilize respect for Earth. This new relationship with Earth would redefine the foundation of human action, which will no longer be solely based on human concerns, rather
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