Speeches and Transcripts Archive

Check Against Delivery

Honourable Ministers, Mr. Executive Director, Colleagues and Friends,

Let me offer a few remarks by way of introduction to our next dialogue session focussed on governance and Rio+10.

Following on our successes in Malmo, this 2nd meeting of the Global Ministerial Environmental Forum is of special significance. The world is looking ahead to Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002 and the World Summit on Sustainable Development. As Ministers and decision-makers, we must use this time to set out markers for the Summit and beyond.

Our goal at the Summit must be to capture the attention of leaders, the hearts and minds of citizens, the energy of youth, the ingenuity and creativity of the private sector and the will of governments and stakeholders. To the greatest extent possible it must be a People’s Summit.

At the heart of our goals should be bold steps toward a new architecture for international environmental governance. This must serve as the foundation for the achievement of sustainable development goals – a clean, healthy and productive future – one that integrates economic, social and environmental objectives for the benefit of all. And one that empowers all parts of the world to participate, influence and benefit.

No one can deny the results that the international community has achieved over the past three decades in the environmental area. No one can deny the central role of UNEP in realizing many of those results and the unique contribution it makes by being located here in Nairobi. We are confronted with governance challenges today because of this impressive set of accomplishments and an expanding body of international environmental law.

Today, the totality of international environmental agreements and institutions is scattered among autonomous institutions, with sometimes vague or overlapping mandates. Policy and program coherence is rare. Institutions find themselves competing for political profile and resources. Their fortunes are subject to the vagaries of politics and international public opinion, not meaningful strategic choices.

And yet, we expect this fragmented and under-resourced system to manage an increasingly complex global environmental agenda. We expect it to ensure that information is shared, negotiations are conducted, conventions are implemented, common action plans are pursued, and clear results reported; and of course, that the political level is engaged.

In the face of growing environmental challenges and new expectations from the international community, the ability of institutions, like UNEP, to meet expectations and respond effectively is limited. The ability of countries, particularly developing countries, to keep pace and effectively participate, is being stretched beyond capacity.

Even developed countries are finding too many of their resources are devoted to process rather than action on the ground.

So where do we go from here? This is the debate we need to have this morning.

We need to continue the work already begun to map out possible directions and options. The combined efforts of ministers gathered here in Nairobi this week, the commitment of our Executive Director and other actors and the opportunity presented by Johannesburg in 2002 demands that we move forward decisively.

But as we proceed, our process has to be a shared success, one that involves the widest range of interested parties.

Ultimately the end result must have high level support, both at the international and national levels. That means all countries must have a voice. It means an innovative inter-governmental process. It means transparency and no hidden agendas.

It means engaging all international bodies with a stake in environment and sustainable development in order to accommodate their needs, and ensure a commitment to shared results. And it means drawing on the important and diverse perspectives of society -- the business community, think tanks academics and non-governmental organizations.

I am the first to confess that international environmental governance may not be the stuff that photo-ops are made of. Tackling this issue is more a matter of responsibility and stewardship. It is because of the blood, sweat and sleepless nights that we have all spent negotiating agreements and treaties, that we must put concepts like implementation, coherence, compliance and capacity building at the top of our environmental agenda. If we don’t, our agreements could well become hollow shells of unmet promises rather than pathways for sustainable development. We will have done a collective disservice to our publics.

Looking back on the 1990s, it was a time for new ideas and concepts, perhaps a "decade of design". Our challenge now and in the years ahead is to not forget those Rio promises and to commit ourselves, as Environment Ministers, to a new decade of progress – one that I might call "a decade of getting things done".

Good environmental governance will help us get things done more effectively, more efficiently and more democratically.

Now with those remarks, I would like to begin the dialogue on environmental governance and the broader matter of UNEP preparations for Rio+10.

As you know, I circulated a revised President’s text earlier this morning. I would ask delegations to make specific suggestions on this during the dialogue so that we can move, based on consultations and this morning’s dialogue, toward finalizing a draft decision for presentation later today.

Mr. Executive Director, I would offer you a chance to make some introductory remarks as well.

Thank you.

Related documents:

• Canada at UNEP Website [information collection]