International Development Research Centre ISSUES, DEBATES AND CANADIAN INITIATIVES A GUIDE TO AGENDA 21 International Development Research Centre Ottawa Cairo . Dakar . Johannesburg Montevideo . Nairobi New Delhi . Singapore ISSUES, DEBATES AND CANADIAN INITIATIVES Edited by Theodoia Carroll-Foster Published by IDRC Books, P0 Box 8500, Ottawa ON KIG 31-19 © 1993, International Development Research Centre All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo- copying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Carroll-Foster, T. A Guide to Agenda 21 Issues, Debates and Canadian Initiatives. Ottawa, ON, IDRC, 1993. 124 p. /Sustainable development!, !environmental management!, /environmental policy!, !international cooperation! — !economic aspects!, /social aspects!, !resources conservation!, !resources management!, !social participation!, !institutional framework!, references. UDC: 574 ISBN: 0-88936-687-X Distributed in Canada by Code International, 323 Chapel St., Ottawa Ontario KIN 7Z2 Also available in French under the title Guide 21 questions, dibats et initiatives canadiennes 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 6 INTRODUCTION S E C T I 0 N I I CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPMENT 35 S E C T I 0 N I SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS 11 CHAPTER 9 PROTECTION OF THE ATMOSPHERE 36 CHAPTER 1 PREAMBLE TO AGENDA 21 12 CHAPTER 10 INTEGRATED APPROACH TO THE PLANNING AND CHAPTER 2 INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT OF LAND COOPERATION TO RESOURCES 40 ACCELERATE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN CHAPTER 11 COMBATTING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 14 DEFORESTATION 42 CHAPTER 3 COMBATTING POVERTY 17 CHAPTER 12 MANAGING FRAGILE CHAPTER 4 CHANGING ECOSYSTEMS: CONSUMPTION COMBAUING DESERTIFICATION PATTERNS 20 AND DROUGHT 45 CHAPTER 5 DEMOGRAPHIC DYNAMICS 13 MANAGING FRAGILE AND SUSTAINABILITY 23 CHAPTER ECOSYSTEMS: SUSTAINABLE CHAPTER 6 PROTECTION AND MOUNTAIN PROMOTION Of DEVELOPMENT 47 HUMAN HEALTH 26 CHAPTER 14 PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL CHAPTER 7 PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 49 HUMAN SETTLEMENT DEVELOPMENT 29 CHAPTER 15 CONSERVATION OF CHAPTER 8 INTEGRATING BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY 52 ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTALLY DEVELOPMENT INTO CHAPTER 16 SOUND MANAGEMENT DECISION-MAKING 32 OF BIOTECHNOLOGY 55 3 CHAPTER 17 PROTECTION OF THE OCEANS, ALL KINDS OF SEAS INCLUDING ENCLOSED S E C T I 0 N I I I STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF AND STAL AREAS AND MAJOR GROUPS 73 THE PROTECTION RATIONAL USE, AND DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR LIVING CHAPTER 23 PREAMBLE TO RESOURCES 57 SECTION III 74 CHAPTER 18 PROTECTION OF THE CHAPTER 24 GLOBAL ACTION FOR QUALITY AND SUPPLY WOMEN TOWARD OF FRESHWATER SUSTAINABLE AND RESOURCES 60 EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT 75 CHAPTER 19 ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND MANAGEMENT OF CHAPTER 25 CHILDREN AND YOUTH TOXIC CHEMICALS, IN SUSTAINABLE INCLUDING PREVENTION DEVELOPMENT 78 OF ILLEGAL INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN TOXIC AND CHAPTER 26 RECOGNIZING AND DANGEROUS PRODUCTS 63 STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF INDIGENOUS CHAPTER 20 ENVIRONMENTALLY PEOPLE AND THEIR SOUND MANAGEMENT COMMUNITIES 80 OF HAZARDOUS WASTES, INCLUDING PREVENTION CHAPTER 27 STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF ILLEGAL INTERNATIONAL OF NONGOVERNMENTAL TRAFFIC IN HAZARDOUS ORGANIZATIONS: WASTES 66 PARTNERS FOR SUSTAINABLE CHAPTER 21 ENVIRONMENTALLY DEVELOPMENT 82 SOUND MANAGEMENT OF SOLID WASTES AND SEWAGE- CHAPTER 28 LOCAL AUTHORITIES' RELATED ISSUES 68 INITIATIVES IN SUPPORT OF AGENDA 21 84 CHAPTER 22 SAFE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND MANAGEMENT OF CHAPTER 29 STRENGTHENING THE RADIOACTIVE WASTES 70 ROLE OF WORKERS AND THEIR TRADE UNIONS 86 4 CHAPTER 30 STRENGTHENING THE CHAPTER 35 SCIENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ROLE OF BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT 101 INDUSTRY 88 CHAPTER 36 PROMOTING EDUCATION, CHAPTER 31 SCIENTIFIC AND PUBLIC AWARENESS, AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRAINING 103 COMMUNITY 91 CHAPTER 37 NATIONAL MECHANISMS CHAPTER 32 STRENGTHENING THE AND INTERNATIONAL ROLE OF FARMERS 93 COOPERATION FOR CAPACITY-BUILDING 106 CHAPTER 38 INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS 108 S E C T 1 0 N I V CHAPTER 39 INTERNATIONAL LEGAL MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION 95 MECHANISMS 110 CHAPTER 33 FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND MECHANISMS 96 CHAPTER 40 INFORMATION FOR DECISION-MAKING 112 CHAPTER 34 TRANSFER OF ENVIRONMENTALLY APPENDICES SOUND TECHNOLOGY, A ACRONYMS 114 COOPERATION, AND B CONTACTS 117 CAPACITY-BUILDING 99 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In putting together any document for publication, many In addition, IDRC is fortunate in being able to draw upon people, their ideas, thoughts, and efforts are inevitably the expertise and experience of many of its friends in involved. This Guide to Agenda 21 is no exception. Many CJDA, Environment Canada, External Affairs, and Health people contributed to it in their own unique, inimitable, and Welfare Canada. and enthusiastic ways. The following in IDRC have con- tributed their expertise, insights and skills to the making of It can truly be said that each person who has contributed in this Guide: some way to The Guide is demonstrably a link in the expand- ing global partnership for sustainable development. Ron Ayling, Johanna Bernstein, Keith Bezanson, Claire Brière, David Brooks, Robert Charbonneau, Eileen To each person my sincere thanks and appreciation for Conway, Sheryl Davidson, Brian Davy, Renaud DePlean, your assistance, advice, and cooperation. Sylvain Dufour, Bill Edwardson, Philip English, François Farah, GiBes Forget, John Hardie, Jim Hea, Brent Herbert- Theodora Carroll-Foster Copley, Saidou Koala, Hartmut Krugmann, Brenda Editor Lalonde, Yianna Lambrou, Sam Landon, Dana Leahman, Paul McConnell, Daniel Morales-Gomez, Luc Mougeot, Coordinator Vic Nishi, Karen Spierkel, Claire Thompson, Stephen Agenda 21 Unit Tyler, Robert Valentin, Javier Verastegui, Anne Whyte, Miriam Wyman, and Pierre Zaya. 6 - I • A INTRODUCTION Agenda 21 is many things. It is a document of UNCED and the four Preparatory over 600 pages; an Action Plan and Strategy Committee conferences (PrepComs) lead- for the world's governments and citizens; and a ing up to Rio. compendium of environmental and economic problems and proposed solutions to these To understand Agenda 21 it is useful to problems. It is one outcome of the Earth Summit or the know why and how it came about, through the UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and process. UNCED was a successor to the landmark Development (UNCED) that was held in Rio de Janeiro, Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment Brazil, during 1—12 June 1992, Agenda 21 is not the end (1972), which first put environment on the international result of UNCED, but the beginning of a process between agenda. The idea of holding a conference on environment global partners to move toward achieving environmentally and development arose from the World Commission on sustainable development. It is a constructive initiative, or Environment and Development (or Brundtland greenprint, to help the Earth and its peoples survive by tak- Commission, named after Norway's Prime Minister, Gro ing an integrated and holistic approach to environment and Harlem Brundtland) held in 1986. At that time, the development. It is an attempt to reconcile the differences Commission advocated the need for the world to move between the North and the South, the industrialized and toward sustainable development," which is defined as: developing countries. Ultimately, Agenda 21 is a direction, or a vision of what might be, if we all governments, non- - development that meets the needs of the present governmental organizations, women's associations, indige- without compromising the ability of future genera- nous groups, business and industry communities and tions to meet their own needs. constituencies, youth and seniors all work together to overcome confrontation and to foster genuine cooperation On 22 December 1989, the United Nations General and a new cooperative global partnership. Assembly passed resolution 44/228 that called for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Agenda 21 emerged as a consensus from the Earth Development and on the need for the nations of the world Summit. This largest intergovernmental conference ever to take a balanced and integrated approach to environment held saw 105 Heads of State and Government agreeing and development questions. By the same resolution, a formally to the principles and programs outlined in five Preparatory Committee was established to identify com- key documents Agenda 21, the Conventions on the mon objectives and concrete actions appropriate for Atmosphere and on Biodiversity, the Earth Charter, and endorsement by heads of governments. This Committee the Forests' Principles. These were negotiated during met four times before UNCED: in Nairobi, in August 1990; in Geneva, in March and August 1991; and in New York, in 7 INJTRODUGTION March 1992. At each of the month-long meetings, dele- based on the premise that environmentally sustainable gates considered numerous issue papers prepared by the development is no longer an option but an imperative. Conference Secretariat, under the direction of UNCED's Hence its implementation will depend upon the political Secretary General, Maurice Strong. As a Canadian who commitment and will of countries, their leaders and their has long espoused the need for dealing with environmental peoples, their capacity, and their resources to implement and developmental issues as a whole, Mr Strong acted as a the document's recommendations completely or partly.