World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD)
15.08.06

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LATEST NEWS

Unions assess the WSSD

UN: Key Outcomes of the Summit

ICFTU: Good intentions, but a
lack of concrete commitments

Summit's failed hopes

Statement by Mr. Juan Somavia,
Director-General of the ILO to the World Summit on Sustainable Development

Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi underlines WTO'S contribution to sustainable development
En    Es   Fr

Youth Statement for the WSSD Multi-Stakeholder Event 4 September 2002

Unions defend women's rights
at WSSD

ICFTU: Grounding sustainability
in reality

Greenwash Academy Awards Announced at Earth Summit

ICFTU: Making sustainability work: decent jobs at the heart of sustainable development

Johannesburg, August 26 - September 4, 2002

The Johannesburg Summit - the World Summit on Sustainable Development - will be one of the largest and most important international meetings ever held. It will focus on the interface between human society and the environment. This United Nations event will bring together thousands of participants - including Heads of State and Government, other government delegates, business leaders and representatives of civil society - to promote concrete commitments to implement sustainable development.

The Summit will build on the results of many previous conferences, but the difference in Johannesburg will be the emphasis on action and partnership initiatives that can, for example, bring water and energy to those who lack it, conserve biodiversity, alleviate poverty and protect the environment, in order to build a more secure future.

The direct involvement of representatives from civil society and business is also a departure from standard UN conferences which focus on decisions made by governments alone.

The Summit will take place from 26 August to 4 September at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Summit will be attended by Heads of State and Government, other government delegates and representatives from the Major Groups identified in Agenda 21 (the action plan agreed at the Rio Earth Summit): women, local authorities, farmers, the science and technology community, business, youth, workers and indigenous people and NGOs.

There are expected to be three main outcomes from the Summit:

  • A political declaration, where Heads of State and Government commit to taking the action needed to make sustainable development a reality

  • A plan of implementation, negotiated by governments, which sets out in more detail the action that needs to be taken in specific areas

  • Commitments by governments and all other stakeholders to a broad range of partnership activities that will implement sustainable development at the national, regional and international level

It is expected that the outcomes of the Summit will include specific time-bound criteria and reporting measures to ensure that the actions that governments promise are implemented.

MORE NEWS

Trade unions urge World Summit leaders to strengthen social & employment dimensions of new text
       for World Summit on Sustainable Development
Fashioning A New Deal: Workers and Trade Unions at the World Summit for Sustainable Development
ILO Launches WSSD Agenda at Prepcom III Side Event in New York
Swedish Prime Minister's employment statements confirm key trade union priorities for positive WSSD
       outcomes
From Rio to Johannesburg: The Globalization Decade
 Trade Unions set up WSSD Headquarters and announce provisional programme for Workers' summit in
      Johannesburg
 Trade Unions Call on summit to Refocus GEF Funds
 Round table seeks ways to harness trade and investment for sustainable development
Company bosses prepare for Earth Summit
 Global Unions to have strong presence at the World Summit on Sustainable Development
World Bank Releases WDR on Sustainable Development
Banque mondiale lance rapport sur le développement durable
Marching to Johannesburg - the Corporate Takeover of Sustainable Development
World Bank defends business role
EDUCATION NOW TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE - Global Campaign for Education Briefing Paper for The
      Johannesburg World Summit
 Employment and the social dimension will be key issues for the unions

Contact
Alke Boessiger or Neil Anderson

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