Introduction to Global Environmental Governance

World Environment Organization

World Summit on Sustainable Development

UN Commission on Sustainable Development

Global Convention on Rio Principle 10

World Summit on Sustainable Development

As an active participant at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (UNCED) and the co-chair of INTGLIM, WFM was seriously engaged in the 10 year review of the Earth Summit at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in 2002.

In the preparatory process for WSSD, an unprecedented awareness and focus on the variety and severity of the governance problems and challenges of sustainable development arose. In calling for more effective international environmental regimes on climate, change, space, forest etc., WFM and INTGLIM put forward significant proposals about fundamental strengthening of Sustainable Development Governance (SDG) and International Environmental Governance (IEG).

Applauding the inclusion of SDG and IEG as primary issues within the WSSD process, WFM was however greatly disillusioned with the regression of the debate as the preparatory process progressed. Consequently, the WSSD Plan of Action document suffered from a lowest common denominator negotiation process resulting in a painstakingly negotiated 54-page text that is, in general, ambiguous and insufficient. In fact, much of the text has been reduced to reiterating previous commitments made in other forums and, as in the cases of agriculture and biodiversity, the WSSD text is even weaker than previous agreements.

The WSSD, however, did serve the important purpose of focusing the world’s attention on critical environmental issues; specifically noting that 104 heads of states participated, generating worldwide media attention. And even though WFM is seriously disappointed with the WSSD outcome, it is important to note that related summit side events and symposium discussions as well as France’s President Chirac mentioned the need for a World Environment Organization – an indication that these critical issues of global environmental governance are ripe to be taken up in other forums.

Disappointed with the lack of progressions on issues of SDG and IEG within WSSD, WFM is now focusing our efforts for global environmental governance in other forums such as the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and the Governing Council of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Simultaneously, we monitor the political debate on these issues in spheres outside of the UN organization and are continously following related international environmental governance processes.