Geneva, 7 July 1999
ECE/GEN/99/14
A MORE
PRO-ACTIVE ECONOMIC UNITED NATIONS
The
European Regional Hearing for the United Nations
Millennium
Assembly Takes up Sustainable Development
During the afternoon session of the
European Regional Hearing for the UN Millennium Assembly
organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UN/ECE), participants discussed the possible role of the United
Nations in promoting sustainable development in the 21st century.
For this segment of the hearings, Mr.
Yves Berthelot, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for
Europe, acted as moderator while H.E. Birgitta Dahl, Speaker of
Parliament, Stockholm, Sweden; Ms. Marina Ponti, Mani Tese,
Milan; Ms. Vlasta Stepova, Vice-President, Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe, Prague; Ms. Lena Kolarska-Bobinska,
Director, Institute of Public Affairs, Warsaw; and Ms. Victoria
Elias, ECO-ACCORD, Moscow, acted as panellists.
The discussion focussed on the fact that
while the United Nations had been at the forefront in the field
of environment and poverty alleviation, it had failed to provide
a strong leadership to the international community in the field
of macro- economics. In the mind of many, the United Nations' role
was mainly restricted to human rights, humanitarian affairs and
peace-keeping. Its role as economic adviser was totally unknown.
Most of the economic thinking and ruling had been left to the
Bretton Woods organizations, WTO or the OECD. There was a wide
consensus on the fact that the United Nations should strengthen
its economic analysis and thinking capacity to avoid that certain
countries or certain groups on the fringe of the society, become
marginalised in the current process of globalization. On the
other hand it was also stressed that governments should take due
account of these analyses.
It was mentioned that the Tobin type of
tax on financial flows could enhance the transparency of
international financial markets and create resources for
governments and international institutions to address global
challenges such as poverty eradication, the protection of the
environment, peace and security.
It was also underlined that the United
Nations and the diplomats attending its meetings had lost all
contacts with their main constituency, namely the People. There
was a need to include "the People"
and their concerns in the work of the United Nations, through the
participation of civil society in the economic discussions and to
give a more formal status to NGOs within the UN system.
It was mentioned that the United Nations
should stop considering poverty alleviation as a charity act but
as an investment which would profit all countries and all
segments of the society.
Some participants stressed the need to
put macro-economic issues on the agenda of the Millennium
Assembly and thought that the debate on the "new
financial architecture" should take place within the United Nations.
While the macro-economic approach to world economy was indeed
useful, the United Nations should deal with specific
problems, in particular the problem of energy and energy
efficiency. The forthcoming Conference on sustainable energy due
to take place in 2001 would be an example of what could be done.
As far as the environment is concerned
speakers stressed the importance of the Aarhus Convention on
Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making
and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters which should be
globalized. Such a convention which gives to NGOs, not only
international ones, but national and local ones, the possibility
to speak up was indeed a step forward in the field of democracy.
For further information,
please contact:
Information Unit
United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UN/ECE)
Palais des Nations, Room
356
CH - 1211 Geneva 10,
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 917 44 44
Fax: +41 22 917 05 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.unece.org/press/press_h.htm