Priorities of Sustainable Development Chapter 3 Juridical Framework
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ROMANIA National Sustainable Development Strategy “Doing more with less” This document was finalized and promoted by the Working Group established by the Governmental Decision no. 305/15.04. 1999, with the participation of civil society and the support of: 3 CONTENT Part I : Objectives and priorities Chapter 1 The International context, Principles and Objectives of Sustainable Development Chapter 2 Priorities of Sustainable Development Chapter 3 Juridical Framework Part II Evaluation of Romania’s Potential for Sustainable Development Chapter 4 Evaluation and conservation of the Natural Capital 4.1 The Atmosphere 4.2 Water Resources 4.3 Mineral Resources 4.4 Land Resources 4.5 Biological Diversity 4.6 Forests and Forestry Chapter 5 Evaluation and development of the Anthropic Capital 5.1 Agriculture and Food Supply Security 5.2 Energy 5.3 Industry 5.4 Transport 5.5 Communications 5.6 Information Technology 5.7 Tourism 5.8 Trade 5.9 Science and Technology 5.10 Waste Management 5.11 Financial Services Chapter 6 Evaluation and Development of the Social Capital 6.1 Population and Human Development 6.2 The State of Public Health 6.3 Education 6.4 Population Consumption 6.5 Society and the Role of Different Social Categories 6.6 Human Settlements Part III Scenarios and Policies of Sustainable Development Chapter 7 Scenarios and the Co-ordinates of the Model for Sustainable Development Chapter 8 Economic Policies for Sustainable Development Chapter 9 Social Policies Chapter 10 The Institutional Framework Chapter 11 Territorial Planning Chapter 12 External Policy and National Security Chapter 13 Development of Infrastructure Chapter 14 Monitoring and Evaluation 4 The Prime Minister of Romania Romania is still going through a challenging period in which it has to complete the transition from a centrally planned economic system to a market economy. At the same time, Romania must reduce the gap that still separates it from European Union, in order to be integrated into the great family of nations. This process, motivated mostly by the desire to improve our quality of life, is difficult, and busy coping with the dimensions and complexity of changes, we have sometimes not noticed that the target itself is moving. The world, and especially the West, is experiencing a profound transformation in its effort to ensure the long-term survival of mankind, and it is aware that this can be achieved only if the environment is protected on a global scale. In 1992, at the Rio Conference, also known as the "Earth Summit", all countries, including Romania, agreed unanimously that there was an urgent need to adopt a global strategy for the next century, entitled "Agenda 21", the option of which was to be the implementation of sustainable development principles. The key to this is reconciling two objectives of mankind: the need to continue social and economic development, but also the improvement of the state of our environment as the only way of achieving the well being of current and future generations. In order to accomplish this, it has been decided that each country must assume responsibility to implement sustainable development as soon as possible. The imperative of the international context, which Romania cannot ignore in the current process of globalisation, is not the only reason for Romania's decision to subscribe to sustainable development. The fact that we care for our own environment and resources, our desire to protect and conserve them so that we, as well as our children, can live a healthy life at civilised standards of living, are another reason for our option. The National Strategy for Sustainable Development was developed, for the first time in our country, by a working group established by the government, which made sure that all partners in society were represented. The working group was assisted by the UNDP project called "National Center for Sustainable Development" under the patronage of the Romanian Academy. This document was created due to the general desire and need to increase the well being and prosperity of every Romanian and of society overall. We have thus defined our goal as "doing more with less". The government, as well as society in general, must put into practice the National Strategy for Sustainable Development by elaborating a National Action Plan, which will define our goals concretely. We will be able to ensure harmonious development of our economy, society, and environment only if we adopt this kind of attitude. Radu Vasile 5 The Minister of Foreign Affairs I am pleased that after a long and laborious effort the National Strategy for Sustainable Development of Romania has finally gained shape and substance and passed from the stage of academic debate to one of pragmatic political action. The project, initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was generously supported by the UN Development Program, and in its final stages governmental institutions, as well as parliamentary political parties, trade unions, employers' associations, the academic world, and civil organisations united in a working group established by governmental decree contributed significantly to this project. The way, in which this project was elaborated - sketched, debated, edited, improved, completed, amended and re-written - sends an encouraging and possibly exemplary long-term signal. The paper is clearly structured and offers strong arguments. Although it could be improved - flaws can be found whenever something truly new is created - the proposed Strategy looks beyond the circumstances of the moment and projects for the target year 2020 definite and, hopefully, realistic goals. Sustainable development is more than a fashionable axiom. It postulates continuous re-evaluation of the dialogue between man and nature and solidarity among the generations in the process of pluri- dimensional evolution of human society. Setting the plan for Romania's development over the next decades on this noble concept clearly in dicates its direction as well as the phases we have to go through in order to join the stable fundamental trends of the system of values, institutions, procedures and working methods that make up the substance of Western civilisation. Not only the former Communist countries, but also the entire system of international relations as we have known it, are in a period of transition. The speed and extent of changes that are taking place in the world force us to be increasingly creative and flexible. The present paper increases my confidence in the intellectual capability of the Romanian people, in their ability to come up with solutions appropriate for the challenges of today's changing world. Andrei Gabriel Plesu 6 The President of the Romanian Academy Being part of a wider programme of the Romanian Academy, which, in conjunction with the UN Development Programme tries to structure and define Romania's path for the next decades, the Strate gy for Sustainable Development of Romania follows the project "Romania 2020". A new Strategy? Another one? There are many sceptics who believe that development strategies should be a thing of the past. They support their claim by pointing out the numerous plans proposed by Romanian experts, mainly economists, which were ignored by the governments after 1989. Why encourage further initiatives of the same kind? The answer is that a strategy for development must be achieved because no society is able to evolve in our world of today without a programme and an order of priorities. It must be mentioned that this concept was stated for the first time ten years ago in a collective work (Our Common Future ) known in specialist literature under the name of the "Brundtland Report". It’s main claim is that decisions and actions taken today must consider the fact that future generations have the right to enjoy what our planet has to offer. In a report related to this topic, I found the following quote by Joseph Bruchac: "We don't leave the Earth to our children, but we lend it to future generations." Superbly said. Experts in the field place the concept of sustainable development among the five most important principles of scientific ethics, at the same level as the principles of equity, precaution, deontology of scientific activities, organisation of debates and decision making. If this is not adhered to, society risks embarking upon a process of permanent and damaging transformation. But is such a strategy of sustainable development not a return to the old centralised system, to the five-year plans, to a planned economic system and other phantoms of the totalitarian system? Such a thought is completely unfounded for reasons I will not go into here. I would simply like to say that true democracy can oppose to a stifling, dictatorial centralism in economy and in culture as well not with chaos but with a national programme established in accordance with priorities, possibilities and circumstances. The Strategy for Sustainable Development is part of the globalisation process; it is an approach that is defined, measured, and described in terms of developing socio-economic systems that do not ignore environmental matters. Sustainable development is a task for the whole of mankind, an essential principle of this world. No democratic country can conceive strategies without taking into account the dimensions of socio-economic systems and capital resources, as this combination leads to sustainable development. At a recent conference in Budapest, the "World Conference for the 21st century: A New Commitment"(June 26th - July 1st, 1999), organised by UNESCO in co-operation with other international scientific bodies, one of the topics mentioned by many scientists and by those responsible for organising research was a more resolute involvement of the science sector in the development of human society, especially in the field of sustainable development. The creative minds of a generation should propose solutions for development (feasible solutions, acceptable solutions, solutions that can be improved) in order to avoid letting chance decide the destiny of a human community.