23 January 2012

To the Bureau of the UNCSD Prepcom

co Department of Economic and Social Affairs

The United Nations Secretariat

New York NY 10017

While I am intending to give later this week my comments on the Zero Draftrsquos treatment on

ESD green economy (GE) in the context of sustainable development (SD) and poverty

reduction and the institutional framework for SD in Section 3 4 and 5 let me say in the

outset that

1 The Zero Draft is quite comprehensive in its coverage of various major issues of SD in

the context of poverty reduction including the GE However the draft does not give any

definitive interpretation of both SD and GE The lack of clear definition of these two

central subjects of the Rio+20 in the Zero Draft has to be dealt with prior to the Rio+20

meeting although it is understandable for the Bureau to hesitate to give clear-cut

definition of SD and GE at this point of time in the preparatory process given the

heated discussion and lack of consensus on the subjects concerned among the delegates

to the CSD in the past preparatory sessions

2 On the other hand the Zero draft is quite clear in presenting its recommendations on

the reorganization of UNEP to strengthen the institutional framework for SD under the

United Nations system The reasons for advancing this recommendation however are

still quite weak and it is important for the Draft to note more in detail in the revised

Zero Draft a variety of views pros and cons on this issue among national delegations to

be fair to all

Following are my comments at this point on Section 1 and 2 of the Zero Draft made public by

the Bureau on 10th January this year

1 It seems that the Bureau is still thinking of the global community in the second decade

of the 21st century which has been under the increasing pressures of economic social

and political globalization for some decades as if it has not changed from the 20th century

By focusing their discussion along the line of the traditional two-dichotomy framework

of Developed vs Developing Countries the Bureau is missing the most important issue

of the current century ie the rapidly growing income and non-income disparities

between the Rich and the Poor what that is entailing in terms of social and political

instability in both developed (eg Occupy the Wall Street) and developing countries (eg

North African and Middle East Countries) and what the global community ought to be

doing to reduce these economic social and environmental inequities in all countries

hitting hard particularly on the poor as exemplified in the rising and high rates of

unemployment and uncertainties among them and in particular among the youth

Unlike the 20th century when efficiency in the use of material financial and human

resources was given the exclusive priority the global community in the 21st century

must give equal and heavy weight to 3Es efficiency equity and environment and the

preservation and diversity of culture or the four dimensions of sustainability and

sustainable development in all countries developing and developed Freedom from fear

ignorance want and hunger particularly among the working poor and the youth has to

be emphasized and ensured not only in developing countries but also in all countries of

the global community It goes without saying that ldquofreedom from ecological destructionrdquo

due to human conduct and man-made disasters such as nuclear power plant explosion

has to be added to the Preamble of the Zero Draft for the 21st century since that concept

was absent in the Preamble of the United Nations Charter formulated in the mid-20th

century

2 Also there has been a growing diversity both among developed and developing countries

under the pressures of economic and social globalization As shown in recent years

several developed countries of Western Europe are finding their economic fundamentals

rapidly deteriorating while several developing countries named as emerging economies

are finding their economic fundamentals steadily getting stronger We can no longer

lump these countries simply into the traditional two-dichotomy framework of either

developed or developing In dealing with many global issues such as poverty food

security climate change and loss of biodiversity and in promoting green economy and

sustainable development in the protection of the life-supporting system of the Earth the

global community must now begin to think in terms of its member states having

ldquoCommon Responsibilitiesrdquo and all the states and for that matter all the stakeholders

have to contribute to the solution of these global issues on the basis of their ldquoRespective

Capabilitiesrdquo On the other hand the global community must enhance more than ever

its international cooperation through trade investment and ODA to assist those

developing countries in need of help such as least developed landlocked and small

island developing countries The Zero Draft is rather weak in recognizing the critical

importance of such new framework of the ldquoCommon Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoRespective

Capabilitiesrdquo in expressing the Political Commitment of the global community gathering

together in the 21st century

3 The Political Commitment of the Zero Draft has also to emphasize much more clearly

and strongly those basic principles of transparency accountability and participation of

all stakeholders and major groups in the local national and international

decision-making processes that the global community has already accepted fortunately

toward the end of the last century as the most critical in the formulation

implementation monitoring and evaluation of local national and international policies

laws and agreements on all aspects of human conduct Since many developing countries

and in particular the least developed landlocked and small island developing countries

are unfortunately not in the position of participating in all critical decision-making

processes not only of inter-governmental but civil society nature the global community

must be determined to assist them by incorporating in the universal procedures of

international negotiation and conferences some global scheme to make it possible for

and guarantee the active and effective participation of those national (government and

civil society) delegations prior to during and after those negotiating conferences

working group meetings and workshops

Thanking you in advance for your kind cooperation as usual and with best wishes for

the coming meeting for the Rio+20 Zero Draft consultation on 25-27 this month

Ryokichi HIRONO Professor Emeritus of Seikei University Tokyo and former Assistant

Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the Committee on Development

Policy of the Economic and Social Council

Cc to Ms Pam Puntenney [mailtopjpuntumichedu]

Co-Chair Education Caucus CSD

Cell (734) 330-0238

VoiceFax (734) 994-3612

instability in both developed (eg Occupy the Wall Street) and developing countries (eg

North African and Middle East Countries) and what the global community ought to be

doing to reduce these economic social and environmental inequities in all countries

hitting hard particularly on the poor as exemplified in the rising and high rates of

unemployment and uncertainties among them and in particular among the youth

Unlike the 20th century when efficiency in the use of material financial and human

resources was given the exclusive priority the global community in the 21st century

must give equal and heavy weight to 3Es efficiency equity and environment and the

preservation and diversity of culture or the four dimensions of sustainability and

sustainable development in all countries developing and developed Freedom from fear

ignorance want and hunger particularly among the working poor and the youth has to

be emphasized and ensured not only in developing countries but also in all countries of

the global community It goes without saying that ldquofreedom from ecological destructionrdquo

due to human conduct and man-made disasters such as nuclear power plant explosion

has to be added to the Preamble of the Zero Draft for the 21st century since that concept

was absent in the Preamble of the United Nations Charter formulated in the mid-20th

century

2 Also there has been a growing diversity both among developed and developing countries

under the pressures of economic and social globalization As shown in recent years

several developed countries of Western Europe are finding their economic fundamentals

rapidly deteriorating while several developing countries named as emerging economies

are finding their economic fundamentals steadily getting stronger We can no longer

lump these countries simply into the traditional two-dichotomy framework of either

developed or developing In dealing with many global issues such as poverty food

security climate change and loss of biodiversity and in promoting green economy and

sustainable development in the protection of the life-supporting system of the Earth the

global community must now begin to think in terms of its member states having

ldquoCommon Responsibilitiesrdquo and all the states and for that matter all the stakeholders

have to contribute to the solution of these global issues on the basis of their ldquoRespective

Capabilitiesrdquo On the other hand the global community must enhance more than ever

its international cooperation through trade investment and ODA to assist those

developing countries in need of help such as least developed landlocked and small

island developing countries The Zero Draft is rather weak in recognizing the critical

importance of such new framework of the ldquoCommon Responsibilitiesrdquo and ldquoRespective

Capabilitiesrdquo in expressing the Political Commitment of the global community gathering

together in the 21st century

3 The Political Commitment of the Zero Draft has also to emphasize much more clearly

and strongly those basic principles of transparency accountability and participation of

all stakeholders and major groups in the local national and international

decision-making processes that the global community has already accepted fortunately

toward the end of the last century as the most critical in the formulation

implementation monitoring and evaluation of local national and international policies

laws and agreements on all aspects of human conduct Since many developing countries

and in particular the least developed landlocked and small island developing countries

are unfortunately not in the position of participating in all critical decision-making

processes not only of inter-governmental but civil society nature the global community

must be determined to assist them by incorporating in the universal procedures of

international negotiation and conferences some global scheme to make it possible for

and guarantee the active and effective participation of those national (government and

civil society) delegations prior to during and after those negotiating conferences

working group meetings and workshops

Thanking you in advance for your kind cooperation as usual and with best wishes for

the coming meeting for the Rio+20 Zero Draft consultation on 25-27 this month

Ryokichi HIRONO Professor Emeritus of Seikei University Tokyo and former Assistant

Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the Committee on Development

Policy of the Economic and Social Council

Cc to Ms Pam Puntenney [mailtopjpuntumichedu]

Co-Chair Education Caucus CSD

Cell (734) 330-0238

VoiceFax (734) 994-3612

3 The Political Commitment of the Zero Draft has also to emphasize much more clearly

and strongly those basic principles of transparency accountability and participation of

all stakeholders and major groups in the local national and international

decision-making processes that the global community has already accepted fortunately

toward the end of the last century as the most critical in the formulation

implementation monitoring and evaluation of local national and international policies

laws and agreements on all aspects of human conduct Since many developing countries

and in particular the least developed landlocked and small island developing countries

are unfortunately not in the position of participating in all critical decision-making

processes not only of inter-governmental but civil society nature the global community

must be determined to assist them by incorporating in the universal procedures of

international negotiation and conferences some global scheme to make it possible for

and guarantee the active and effective participation of those national (government and

civil society) delegations prior to during and after those negotiating conferences

working group meetings and workshops

Thanking you in advance for your kind cooperation as usual and with best wishes for

the coming meeting for the Rio+20 Zero Draft consultation on 25-27 this month

Ryokichi HIRONO Professor Emeritus of Seikei University Tokyo and former Assistant

Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the Committee on Development

Policy of the Economic and Social Council

Cc to Ms Pam Puntenney [mailtopjpuntumichedu]

Co-Chair Education Caucus CSD

Cell (734) 330-0238

VoiceFax (734) 994-3612