Media Room Speeches and Statements

Speaking Notes for
the Honourable David Anderson, P.C., M.P.
President, Governing Council United Nations Environment Program and
Minister of the Environment, Government of Canada

to the plenary of the World Summit on Sustainable Development

Johannesburg
August 29 2002

Check Against Delivery

Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates

On behalf of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Program, I am pleased to contribute the views of UNEP to this plenary. I am mindful of the limited time we have. Therefore, I will focus on a few key points.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of UNEP's creation — 30 years since the UN recognized the importance of a healthy environment to peace, prosperity and the quality of life of people around the world.

Since then, UNEP has become the voice of science, and the voice for our air, water, lands and all that depend on them. That voice echoes through UNEP's Global Environmental Outlook — GEO3 report. It speaks to the important progress to date — and to the fundamental challenges if we are to ensure a healthy future for our planet.

UNEP has evolved considerably over its history, just as our understanding of the environment and sustainable development has evolved. Beyond its efforts that have led to a range of conventions and agreements, the work of the Program has become more focused and takes more integrated approaches to issues. It has become better at supporting efforts at the national and regional level.

Perhaps most importantly, UNEP is a full partner in international teamwork for sustainable development. For example, UNEP is working with WHO and UNICEF to build a shared agenda around health and environment — an agenda that emphasizes our most vulnerable citizens, children.

That commitment to teamwork extends beyond partners in the UN system. UNEP is proud of its contribution to the process through which African leaders developed the New Partnership for Africa's Development. NEPAD explicitly recognizes the importance of environmental protection to long-term development. In addition, UNEP is working with leaders and innovators from the private sector who recognize their responsibility for action on sustainable development.

UNEP has also come to this conference with the views and aspirations of its civil society partners. We have supported efforts to build the capacity of groups, such as children and youth, to come together and articulate their views for today — and for the future. They have come here to Johannesburg with their challenges to delegates, to governments and to the people of the world.

Over the past two years, UNEP supported a process to examine the state of international environmental governance at this Summit. We are bringing to world leaders an understanding that the governance status quo is not good enough. It must be replaced with a sound framework capable of evolution.

Let me briefly highlight the elements of the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Group of Ministers — recommendations adopted by consensus by the UNEP Governing Council in February of this year.

• First, there should be universal participation of member states in the UNEP Governing Council.
• Second, there should be an indicative scale of voluntary contributions set out for the UNEP Environment Fund that would enable biennial budget-making.

And consistent with that, I am pleased to point out that just this morning I announced that Canada is more than doubling its contribution to the UNEP Environment Fund.

• Third, steps should be determined to improve the effectiveness of MEAs.
• Fourth, a greater focus on capacity-building and technology transfer to support regional and sub-regional work is needed, as is increased collaboration between UNEP and the GEF.
• Fifth, the UN inter-agency Environmental Management Group should be strengthened, within its existing mandate.

Some believe that in the longer term we must elevate the status of UNEP within the UN system. And various approaches have been suggested. This debate on structures will no doubt continue. But it must not deter us from action and results. It must not deter us from ensuring that the environment and sustainable development become fully part of the mainstream of the global affairs agenda.

We must move quickly to implementation of the recommendations I have outlined. We can then add to the UNEP revitalization of the past few years and build on the serious debates on the International Environmental Governance process.

Of course, this can only happen if governments do their part by providing the necessary resources for UNEP's success — and they are. Like Canada today, Italy, France, the Netherlands and others increased their contributions to UNEP's Environment Fund. Just as significant is the increasing number of developing countries — including least developed countries -- contributing for the first time to the Environment Fund. Taken together, there is renewed confidence and ownership in UNEP and our collective commitment to the global environmental agenda.

Understanding is growing that improved governance, while not the stuff of breathless headlines, is fundamental to our action plans. Effective governance will facilitate our achievement of environmental goals and will help ensure other beneficial impacts on economies, on societies, and on the health of people. Effective governance will contribute to lasting improvements to the quality of life of people around the world — and that is the goal of WSSD.

The United Nations Environment Program is committed to playing its part to implement the actions that will emerge from WSSD. For our part, the UNEP Governing Council awaits the outcomes of the political decision, the plan of action and the new Type II partnerships. We look forward to using them to define our priorities and partnerships for the decade to come when we meet in Nairobi in early 2003.

Thank you.