TheThe RoadRoad toto Rio+20Rio+20 andand beyondbeyond SustainableSustainable developmentdevelopment :: AA blueprintblueprint forfor overcomingovercoming povertypoverty andand attainingattaining sustainablesustainable growthgrowth withwith equityequity

XII ICP Maria Teresa Mesquita Pessôa Minister Plenipotentiary Mission of Brazil to the United Nations OVERVIEW:OVERVIEW: MILESTONESMILESTONES && KEYKEY DOCUMENTSDOCUMENTS  19721972:: UNEPUNEP establishedestablished byby GAGA resolutionresolution 29972997 (XXVII)(XXVII)

 1980s1980s:: OzoneOzone treatiestreaties (Vienna(Vienna ConventionConvention && MontrealMontreal Protocol)Protocol) adopted,adopted, startstart implementationimplementation

 19871987:: BrundtlandBrundtland CommissionCommission ReportReport ““OurOur CommonCommon FutureFuture””,, writtenwritten byby TheThe WorldWorld CommissionCommission onon EnvironmentEnvironment andand DevelopmentDevelopment ; ; Agenda 21 Agenda 21 : UNCED, Rio : UNCED, Rio ; ;

1992 1992 Adopted: Rio Declaration on Environment and Development Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, UNCBD, UNCCD) & GEF established Commission on Sustainable Development, ECOSOC, NY Adopted: Rio Declaration on Environment and Development Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, UNCBD, UNCCD) & GEF established Commission on Sustainable Development, ECOSOC, NY         OVERVIEW:OVERVIEW: MILESTONESMILESTONES && KEYKEY DOCUMENTSDOCUMENTS

20022002:: WSSD,WSSD, JohannesburgJohannesburg:: adoptsadopts thethe JPOIJPOI

20052005:: WorldWorld Summit,Summit, paragraphparagraph 169169 (system(system widewide coherence,coherence, environment)environment)

20092009:: UNGAUNGA adoptsadopts ResolutionResolution 64/23664/236 :: RIO+20RIO+20 toto bebe heldheld inin 20122012 SustainableSustainable DevelopmentDevelopment

 ConceptConcept introducedintroduced byby thethe BruntlandBruntland Report:Report: intergenerationalintergenerational approachapproach  AA goalgoal thatthat requiresrequires equilibriumequilibrium amongamong ““threethree pillarspillars””:: economic,economic, socialsocial andand environmentalenvironmental  TheThe RioRio 19921992 Conference(UNConference(UNCED)CED) consolidatedconsolidated thethe conceptconcept  UNCEDUNCED adoptedadopted aa setset ofof principlesprinciples onon thethe relationrelation betweenbetween environmentenvironment andand development:development: ““TheThe RioRio DeclarationDeclaration onon EnvironmentEnvironment andand DevelopmentDevelopment”” whichwhich remainremain centralcentral  UNCEDUNCED alsoalso recognizedrecognized thatthat developingdeveloping countriescountries needneed toto receivereceive financialfinancial andand technologicaltechnological supportsupport inin orderorder toto achieveachieve sustainablesustainable developmentdevelopment AgendaAgenda 2121

 AdoptedAdopted atat UNCEDUNCED inin 19921992  AnAn internationalinternational actionaction planplan toto bebe adoptedadopted globally,globally, nationallynationally andand locallylocally asas wellwell asas byby thethe UnitedUnited NationsNations system,system, governmentsgovernments andand civilcivil societysociety  ItIt constitutesconstitutes aa comprehensivecomprehensive frameworkframework toto guideguide aa newnew developmentdevelopment patternpattern forfor thethe currentcurrent century,century, stronglystrongly rootedrooted onon thethe integrationintegration ofof thethe economic,economic, socialsocial andand environmentalenvironmental pillarspillars TheThe WorldWorld SummitSummit onon SustainableSustainable DevelopmentDevelopment

 The Johannesburg summit (2002) was convened with the goal of establishing a plan of implementation that would accelerate and strenghten the enforcement of the principles approved in Rio  WSSD confirmed the diagnosis reached in 1992 and the difficulty of implementing UNCED’s recommendations  It also revealed the increasingly close relations between the global trade, financial and environmental agendas  The fact that the Summit was held after the IV World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (Doha) and the United Nations Conference on Financing for Development (Monterrey) enabled that perception and allowed the three conferences to be viewed as important stages in the strenghtening of cooperation between States Rio+20Rio+20

 In 2009 the UNGA decided, in Resolution 64/236 to hold a Conference on sustainable development in 2012, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  The conference will be instrumental in mobilizing the activism required to motivate the structural changes that are needed and to renew political commitment to sustainable development  There is a need to engage UN agencies, national governments, civil society, stakeholders and the public in general in aa renewrenewed partnership for sustainable development  To respond to the challenge of contributing to the structural transformations required, the new summit should focus on actions leading to an enabling environment for access to and transfer of technologies as well as financing for sustainable development Rio+20Rio+20

 In recent years, the food and energy crises have had global impact. The international financial crisis threatened the stability of the world economic system  In this context, the failure to integrate environmental, social and development priorities into global economic policies has reached its limits and has to be addressed as a matter of priority  The role of the State as regulator has to be reasserted, thus reverting a tendency that may very well have been at the core of the failure to integrate environmental and social concerns into public policies in many parts of the world.  The multiple crises we are facing offer the opportunity to make the case for sustainable development ever more compelling.  Climate change requires wide mobilization and sustained awareness of the need to engage globally to enable the wide-scale adoption and integration of the sustainable development principles enshrined in Agenda 21; act within the UNFCCC intergovernmental process RIO+20RIO+20

 ObjectivesObjectives :: 1. To renew political commitment to sustainable development 2. To review progress and gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major conferences on sustainable development 3. To identify new and emerging challanges: many relate to the sustainability of our Oceans  Themes:Themes: 1. A green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication 2. The institutional framework for sustainable development BringingBringing OceansOceans intointo focusfocus inin RioRio  61%61% ofof thethe worldworld’’ss totaltotal economiceconomic outputoutput comescomes fromfrom areasareas withinwithin 100100 kilometerskilometers fromfrom thethe coastcoast  MarineMarine tourism,tourism, marinemarine fisheries,fisheries, andand acquacultureacquaculture areare estimatedestimated toto provideprovide globalglobal economiceconomic benefitsbenefits worthworth $161$161 billion,billion, $80$80 billionbillion andand $57$57 billion,billion, respectivelyrespectively  NumberNumber ofof peoplepeople whowho relyrely onon fisheriesfisheries forfor directdirect employment,employment, ofof whichwhich 87%87% areare inin AsiaAsia andand thethe Pacific:Pacific: 3838 millionmillion  ProjectedProjected coastalcoastal populationpopulation byby 20252025 :: 66 billionbillion TheThe UNCLOSUNCLOS frameworkframework OCEANSOCEANS inin ChapterChapter 1717 ofof AGENDAAGENDA 2121

 Integrated management and sustainable development of coastal areas, including exclusive economic zones;  Marine environmental protection;  Sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources of the high seas;  Sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources under national jurisdiction;  Addressing critical uncertainties for the management of the marine environment and climate change;  Strengthening international, including regional, cooperation and coordination;  Sustainable development of small islands. OCEANSOCEANS inin thethe JPOIJPOI

 ““EncourageEncourage thethe applicationapplication byby 20102010 ofof thethe ecosystemecosystem approachapproach””  ““BuildBuild capacitycapacity inin marinemarine science,science, informationinformation andand management,management, through,through, interinter alia,alia, promotingpromoting thethe useuse ofof environmentalenvironmental impactimpact assessmentsassessments andand environmentalenvironmental evaluationevaluation andand reportingreporting techniques,techniques, forfor projectsprojects oror activitiesactivities thatthat areare potentiallpotentiallyy harmfulharmful toto thethe coastalcoastal andand marinemarine environmentsenvironments andand theirtheir livingliving andand nonnon -- livingliving resources;resources; TheThe RegularRegular ProcessProcess

 ““EstablishEstablish byby 20042004 aa regularregular processprocess underunder thethe UnitedUnited NationsNations forfor globalglobal reportingreporting andand ssessmentssessment ofof thethe statestate ofof thethe marinemarine environment,environment, includingincluding sociosocio--economiceconomic aspects,aspects, bothboth currentcurrent andand foreseeable,foreseeable, buildingbuilding onon existingexisting regionalregional assessments;assessments;”” JPOIJPOI PersistingPersisting ChallengesChallenges

 OverfishingOverfishing isis thethe #1#1 challengechallenge toto thethe healthhealth ofof thethe marinemarine ecosystem;ecosystem; species,species, asas wellwell asas entireentire ecosystemsecosystems areare beingbeing lostlost  TheThe exploitationexploitation byby distantdistant waterswaters fishingfishing fleetsfleets betweenbetween 1960s1960s andand 1990s1990s ofof WestWest AfricaAfrica’’ss fishfish resourcesresources increasedincreased sixfoldsixfold UnsustainableUnsustainable FisheriesFisheries

 OvercapacityOvercapacity:: oversizedoversized fishingfishing fleetfleet taketake moremore thanthan ourour oceansoceans cancan sustainablysustainably support.support.  UnsustainableUnsustainable fishingfishing methodsmethods impactimpact onon thethe basicbasic functioningfunctioning ofof ourour marinemarine ecosystems.ecosystems.  UnselectiveUnselective fishingfishing practicespractices andand geargear causecause destructiondestruction onon nonnon targettarget species.species.  BycatchBycatch // discardsdiscards andand bottombottom trawlingtrawling areare examplesexamples ofof thosethose practices.practices. WhatWhat wewe shouldshould AttainAttain byby 20152015……

 ““MaintainMaintain andand restorerestore depleteddepleted fishfish stocksstocks toto levelslevels thatthat cancan produceproduce theirtheir maximummaximum sustainablesustainable yieldyield onon aa urgenturgent basisbasis andand wherewhere possiblepossible nono laterlater thanthan 20152015”” FromFrom thethe JPOIJPOI WhatWhat thethe JPOIJPOI calledcalled forfor

 ThatThat goalgoal willwill notnot bebe attainableattainable withoutwithout ourour addressingaddressing thethe issueissue ofof harmfulharmful subsidies:subsidies: ““EliminateEliminate subsidiessubsidies thatthat contributecontribute toto illegal,illegal, unreportedunreported andand unregulatedunregulated fishingfishing andand toto overover--capacity,capacity, whilewhile completingcompleting thethe effortsefforts undertakenundertaken atat thethe WorldWorld TradeTrade OrganizationOrganization toto clarifyclarify andand improveimprove itsits disciplinesdisciplines onon fisheriesfisheries subsidies,subsidies, takingtaking intointo accountaccount thethe importanceimportance ofof thisthis sectorsector toto developingdeveloping countries;countries;”” ConservingConserving HabitatsHabitats

 LossLoss ofof habitathabitat :: MarineMarine ecosystemsecosystems areare experiencingexperiencing highhigh ratesrates ofof habitathabitat lossloss andand degradation,degradation, andand thesethese processesprocesses areare consideredconsidered asas aa criticalcritical threatthreat toto marinemarine biodiversity,biodiversity, secondsecond onlyonly toto overfishing.overfishing.  ApproximatelyApproximately 20%20% ofof thethe worldworld’’ss coralcoral reefsreefs werewere lostlost andand anan additionaladditional 20%20% degradeddegraded inin thethe lastlast severalseveral decadesdecades ofof thethe twentiethtwentieth century,century, asas wellwell asas approximatelyapproximately 35%35% ofof mangrovemangrove areaarea CoralCoral ReefsReefs andand MangroveMangrove AreasAreas

 ApproximatelyApproximately 20%20% ofof thethe worldworld’’ss coralcoral reefsreefs werewere lostlost andand anan additionaladditional 20%20% degradeddegraded inin thethe lastlast severalseveral decadesdecades ofof thethe twentiethtwentieth century,century, asas wellwell asas approximatelyapproximately 35%35% ofof mangrovemangrove areaarea EnvironmentalEnvironmental ImpactImpact AssessmentsAssessments

 Principle 17: “Environmental impact assessment, as a national instrument, shall be undertaken for proposed activities that are likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment and are subject to a decision of a competent national authority.”

 GA in Resolutions 61/105: “Calls upon States to take action immediately, individually and through regional fisheries management organizations and arrangements, and consistent with the precautionary approach and ecosystem approaches, to sustainably manage fish stocks and protect vulnerable marine ecosystems, including seamounts, hydrothermal vents and cold water corals, from destructive fishing practices, recognizing the immense importance and value of deep sea ecosystems and the biodiversity they contain;” DevelopingDeveloping CapacitiesCapacities forfor thethe sustainablesustainable useuse ofof fisheriesfisheries  ““StrengthenStrengthen donordonor coordinationcoordination andand partnershipspartnerships betweenbetween internationalinternational financialfinancial institutions,institutions, bilateralbilateral agenciesagencies andand otherother relevantrelevant stakeholdersstakeholders toto enableenable developingdeveloping countries,countries, inin paparticularrticular thethe leastleast developeddeveloped countriescountries andand smallsmall islandisland developingdeveloping StatesStates andand countriescountries withwith economieseconomies inin transition,transition, toto developdevelop theirtheir national,national, regionalregional andand subregionalsubregional capacitiescapacities forfor infrastructureinfrastructure andand integintegratedrated managementmanagement andand thethe sustainablesustainable useuse ofof fisheries;fisheries;”” InvasiveInvasive SpeciesSpecies

 ““AccelerateAccelerate thethe developmentdevelopment ofof measuresmeasures toto addressaddress invasiveinvasive alienalien speciesspecies inin ballastballast water.water. UrgeUrge thethe InternationalInternational MaritimeMaritime OrganizationOrganization toto finalizefinalize itsits draftdraft InternationalInternational ConventionConvention onon thethe ControlControl andand ManagementManagement ofof ShipsShips’’ BallastBallast WaterWater andand Sediments.Sediments.”” NuclearNuclear WasteWaste

 “Governments, taking into account their national circumstances, are encouraged, recalling paragraph 8 of resolution GC (44)/RES/17 of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and taking into account the very serious potential for environment and human health impacts of radioactive wastes, to make efforts to examine and further improve measures and internationally agreed regulations regarding safety, while stressing the importance of having effective liability mechanisms in place, relevant to international maritime transportation and other transboundary movement of radioactive material, radioactive waste and spent fuel, including, inter alia, arrangements for prior notification and consultations done in accordance with relevant international instruments.” OceanOcean AcidificationAcidification andand SeaSea LevelLevel RiseRise  Caused by the ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO2 from the atmosphere  Stringent CO2 mitigation measures would limit ocean acidification and global warming.  The increase in acidity in the surface waters of the ocean is a consequence of the CO2 emissions may severely threaten the existence of various marine species.  Most of the world’s coastal cities were established during the last few millennia, a period when global sea level has been near constant. Since the mid-19th century, sea level has been rising, primarily as a result of human-induced climate change. SmallSmall IslandIsland DevelopingDeveloping StatesStates

Mauritius+5Mauritius+5 reviewreview byby thethe GAGA inin 20102010  environmentalenvironmental vulnerabilitiesvulnerabilities toto smallsmall economieseconomies  remotenessremoteness fromfrom worldworld marketsmarkets  highhigh energyenergy costscosts  wastewaste managementmanagement problemsproblems BiodiversityBiodiversity ABNJABNJ

 The JPOI called for maintaining “the productivity and biodiversity of important and vulnerable marine and coastal areas, including in areas within and beyond national jurisdiction”;  The protection of biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction constitutes an implementation gap ; the need to clarify the legal regime applicable to those resources is thus an issue that needs to be addressed .  UNCLOS provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction.  The role of the International Seabed Authority, established by UNCLOS, relating to marine biological diversity, including environmental protection and marine scientific research, is reflected in the Codes which have been developed to regulate mining in the AREA AnAn ImplementingImplementing agreementagreement

 Although the Convention on Biological Diversity has a complementary role, its jurisdictional scope applies only in the case of processes and activities undertaken by its Parties, regardless of where their effects occur  The symbiotic relationship that genetic resources have with non- living marine resources and other living resources in the surrounding water column should be noted  A regulatory mechanism, including the adoption of improved existing norms and an implementing agreement to the Convention, may become necessary to clarify matters such as the relationship between marine scientific research and bioprospecting HowHow wouldwould regulatingregulating biodiversitybiodiversity inin abnjabnj benefitbenefit sustainablesustainable development?development?

 The definition of a regime applicable, under UNCLOS, to biodiversity in abnj would enable the application of area based tools for the conservation and management of such resources.  A regulatory mechanism could also address the question of access to those resources and legal options for benefit-sharing, including non-monetary benefits, international cooperation in marine scientific research through the exchange, sharing and dissemination of information on research programs, their objectives and results, and cooperation in the transfer of marine technology. InstitutionalInstitutional FrameworkFramework

 Role of the General Assembly and its processes  JPOI: “Establish an effective, transparent and regular inter- agency coordination mechanism on ocean and coastal issues within the United Nations system;”  “Strengthen the ability of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other relevant international and regional and subregional organizations to build national and local capacity in marine science and the sustainable management of oceans and their resources.” SomeSome generalgeneral conclusions:conclusions: implementationimplementation oror paradigmparadigm shift?shift?

 The balance between environmental protection, economic development and social well-being is the basis of sustainable development.  The challenges of sustainable development, however, remain evident.  Unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, particularly in industrialized countries, are the major cause of the deterioration of the environment, while exacerbating poverty and social inequity.  The issue still, or maybe increasingly, deserves greater attention in sustainable development policy making. FinallyFinally

 TheThe deepdeep transformationtransformation ofof thethe productiveproductive sectorssectors inin developingdeveloping countriescountries willwill requirerequire investments,investments, technologytechnology andand capacities,capacities, whichwhich areare currentlycurrently underprovidedunderprovided inin manymany ofof them,them, soso asas toto enableenable themthem toto progressprogress inin nationallynationally appropriateappropriate pathspaths toto sustainablesustainable development.development.

Thank you! SeeSee youyou inin Rio!Rio!