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UNITED NATIONS
2nd International Expert Meeting on a 10-Year Framework of Programmes for Sustainable Consumption and Production:
As contained in Chapter III of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
5 - 8 September 2005 | San José, Costa Rica
DESA/DSD
Daily Web Coverage
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Summary report HTML PDF TEXT
11 September 2005

Highlights from Monday, 5 September 2005

On Monday, 5 September, Allan Flores, Vice-Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica, opened the meeting and welcomed participants.

JoAnne DiSano, Director, Division for Sustainable Development, UN DESA, noted that the Marrakech Process is one of the follow-ups from the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI). She stressed how population growth and increasing living standards will put tremendous pressure on the environment, and highlighted the need to ensure the production of necessary goods and services, while reducing and reversing environmental degradation. DiSano said switching to more sustainable patterns is not easy, but it can generate environmental, social, and economic benefits with very modest capital investments. She emphasized the importance of innovation, and of addressing SCP at national and local levels.
 

From left to right: JoAnne DiSano, Director, Division for Sustainable Development, UN DESA, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez Echandi, Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica, Allan Flores, Vice-Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica, Viveka Bohn, Ambassador, Ministry of Sustainable Development, Sweden, and Monique Barbut, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, UNEP
 
Allan Flores, Vice-Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica
 
 
JoAnne DiSano, Director, Division for Sustainable Development, UN DESA
 
 
Monique Barbut, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, UNEP
         
Carlos Manuel Rodríguez Echandi, Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica



 
 
Viveka Bohn, Ambassador, Ministry of Sustainable Development, Sweden




 
 
Cleophas L.C.Migiro, Cleaner Production Centre, Tanzania, reported on the five regional meetings held since 2004 and their outcomes, including the African 10 Year Framework Programme and the Dakar Declaration
         

Monique Barbut, Director, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, UNEP, said after two years of regional consultations, it was time to move towards action by focusing on priorities and developing concrete initiatives such as training courses and more informal, practical working groups. She drew links between poverty reduction and SCP, and said new programmes could benefit the environment, economy and society all at once, providing the wider development community can be engaged. She highlighted new approaches in China, Japan’s 3R Initiative (reduce, reuse, recycle), and Africa’s potential to leapfrog to sustainable development patterns.

Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica, said that sustainable development cannot be achieved if individuals, nations, and the global community continue to use goods and services as they have for the last decade. He highlighted Costa Rica’s elaboration of a National Environment Strategy, and said a major challenge is the issue of land planning, and the implementation of land planning policies based on the wise and sustainable use of natural resources. He underscored the importance of cross-sectoral coordination and policy harmonization, and, stating that SCP was not yet fully integrated into political agendas of developing countries, he called for more international cooperation. He called for all relevant stakeholders to be involved in policy planning and implementation processes.

Viveka Bohn, Ambassador, Ministry of Sustainable Development, Sweden, emphasized that SCP is a prerequisite for sustainable development and poverty eradication and said society should strive for more equality in consumption and production. She highlighted some of the issues to be addressed at this meeting, including use of task forces, improving international cooperation and assistance to developing countries, and providing input to the CSD. She highlighted the importance of the Marrakech Process in achieving the MDGs and sustainable development. Participants then adopted the agenda.
 

Rae kwon Chung, Environment and Sustainable Development Division UNESCAP, outlined challenges in Asia and the Pacific as income increases rapidly, society encourages conspicuous consumption, and environmental sustainability decreases
 
Natacha Zuinen, Federal Bureau of Planning, Belgium, outlined recent EU initiatives including pilot and research programmes, public-private partnerships, and a proposal for an international panel on natural resources
 
Gunilla Blomquist, Chair of the Nordic Ad hoc Group on SCP, reported on the Group’s work on SCP



 
         
Marjo Nummelin, European Commission, reported on the EC/UNEP European Stakeholder Meeting on SCP held 25-26 November 2004 in Belgium, which called for a strategic framework linked to other processes, involvement of the financial sector and producers, and for international financial institutions to promote SCP through national development strategies
 
Diego Masera, UNEP ROLAC, reported on the Latin America and the Caribbean regional process, and reviewed the regional meetings leading up to this meeting

 
     
 
         

Afternoon Session

         

From left to right: Maria del Pilar Lopez, ECOPLAN, Colombia, Thomas Bergmark, Social & Environmental Affairs, IKEA Group, David O'Connor, UN DESA, Allan Flores, Vice-Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica, Nadia Haiama-Neurohr, Greenpeace, and Sherif Arif, World Bank
 
Ralph Chipman, UN DESA, presented the Discussion Paper prepared by UN DESA and the UNEP/Wuppertal Institute Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production
 
Sherif Arif, Regional Environmental and Safeguard Advisor, Urban Planning and Waste Management, World Bank, discussed the cost of inaction in the Middle East and North Africa
 
Nadia Haiama-Neurohr, Senior Policy Officer, Greenpeace, discussed the role of NGOs in promoting SCP

 
 
Thomas Bergmark, Manager, Social and Environmental Affairs, IKEA Group, outlined IKEA’s longstanding commitment to sustainable production, particularly through self-imposed codes of conduct based on ILO and UN declarations
 
 
Maria del Pilar Lopez, ECOPLAN, Colombia, outlined the work of YouthXchange in SCP education in Colombia. She stressed the significance of youth as a fast-growing consumer group highly influenced by foreign media promoting unsustainable mass consumption
 
Christopher Baker, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom, introduced the task force on sustainable products, noting that its first meeting would aim to begin improving international cooperation in raising product performance
 
Ulf Jaeckel, Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany, reported on the task force on cooperation and partnership with Africa
 
Philip Kristensen, Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape, reported on the task force on sustainable public procurement
 
 
James Riordan, Environment Canada, introduced the co-operation dialogues, saying they aim to fill a gap in the Marrakech process by linking SCP and development aid agencies
 
 

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Cooperation dialogue sessions

Cooperation dialogue sessions were held on Monday afternoon, September 5. After hearing presentations elaborating their various cooperation projects and initiatives, participants engaged in dialogue with representatives from the World Bank, Finland, CIDA, JICA, UN DESA, AECI, SIDA and the Netherlands.
 

Lasse Krantz, Sweden
 


A representative from Finland outlined her government's long-term, selective and recipient-driven approach to development. A representative from Sweden said the Marrakech process should encourage governments to incorporate SCP in their national plans and linked this to bilateral support. 
 

Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI), Spain
 
 
Sherif Arif, World Bank
 


A World bank representative explained the procedure for obtaining loans, including loans to the private sector, and reviewing projects. During the discussion, participants raised issues related to the length of time it takes to obtain a loan, the Bank's incorporation of sustainable development into its work, long-term community sustainability plans, the Bank's attitude to long-term evaluation of projects, and its role in supporting regional initiatives.
 

 
     

Around the meeting

 
   

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Daily web coverage: 5 September - 6 September - 7 September - 8 September
 
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