1/3
051/2005-02362/13/05/08/12/02/K465-2081
Second Intersessional Meeting of the PrepCom, New York, 15‐16 December 2011
Swiss Speaking points on agenda item “Discussion on the
compilation document: comments and guidance for the zero draft
outcome document”
Delivered by Mr. Daniel Ziegerer, Head of Section Global Affairs, International Affairs
Division, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (check against delivery)
GE in the context of Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication
· The world faces major environmental and social challenges. The growing world
population and changing consumption and production patterns increase the pressure on
natural resources and the environment. Furthermore, there are growing social
disparities.
· The current economic structures, rules and activities are not able to respond to these
challenges in a way that leads the world into a sustainable future. Since we have only
one planet to live on, a green economy that takes into account the earth’ limits while
facilitating pro poor development is essential for our common future.
· Green economy should not be understood as a substitution for sustainable development,
but as a practical and concrete instrument for its implementation at the international, the
regional and the national level.
· Rio+20 should amplify the implementation of sustainable development by accelerating
the transition to a green economy by addressing several key topics as well as the
necessary enabling conditions.
· The Zero Draft should address the following eight critical areas for making progress
towards a Green Economy:
1. Sustainable agro-food systems with increased resilience, that ensure food security
for all, maintain availability of natural resources, provide decent livelihoods and
income for farmers and rural populations.
2. Public procurement on national as well as on sub-national level that respects
sustainability criteria (sustainable public procurement);
3. Transformation of the global energy system to ensure access to affordable, clean
and sustainable energy resources for all;
4. Secure water supply by ensuring sustainable water management and use;
Referenz/Aktenzeichen: K465-2081
2/3
051/2005-02362/13/05/08/12/02/K465-2081
5. Sustainable management of fragile ecosystems such as mountains, drylands, and
forests in order to secure livelihood for their population, avoid environmental
degradation and strengthen the potential to provide ecosystem services;
6. Improve resource productivity and environmental performance of economic activities
over their whole life cycle in particular through the promotion of successful
approaches such as Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production;
7. Trade in sustainable biodiversity products and services should help specifically the
developing countries rich in biodiversity as a tool to greening their economies;
8. Green economy skills and innovations should be promoted through specific
education programmes.
· In addition to integrating these key topics, the following four enabling conditions should
also be addressed in the outcome of Rio+20:
1. development national green economy action plans,
2. measurement of the total environmental impact of production and consumption,
3. ecological market transparency and trade,
4. fossil fuel subsidies reforms.
· Switzerland is of the opinion that a Green Economy Roadmap that contains specific
goals and targets for these priority areas is the most promising why to advance
implementation. Such a Roadmap would facilitate the transitions towards green
economy at the global level, while respecting different needs and situations of low-,
middle and high-income countries and leaving room for specific national measures.
· The Green Economy Roadmap would thus enable us to make a giant step towards a
more sustainable future.
Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development
· It is Switzerland’s view that the Rio+20 conference should agree upon comprehensive
reform measures for improving the institutional framework for sustainable development.
· The Zero Draft should therefore contain measures in particular in three areas: Firstly,
governance for sustainable development in a holistic manner, secondly, governance in
the environmental pillar, and thirdly, governance on the national and local level.
· Regarding the international level, there is agreement that the CSD has not succeeded in
playing the role it was meant to play. The Zero Draft needs to address the need for
stronger global governance for sustainable development.
· We propose to include reform measures such as establishing a peer review mechanism,
more effective involvement of civil society, presentation of national commitments for
sustainable development in support of candidacies, and regular high-level segments.
· We have come to the conclusion that such reforms are best put in practice by replacing
the CSD with a Global Sustainability Council as a subsidiary organ of the UN General
Assembly. This option needs to be included in the Zero Draft.
· The Zero Draft should also include the idea of universal Sustainable Development
Goals. Such goals have to address all dimensions of sustainable development and their
interconnectedness. They should build on the experience of the MDGs as well as the
numerous international goals that have been agreed upon by the international
community over the last decades in particular in the environmental field. The goals
should not be negotiated. They should be elaborated through a process led by the UN
secretariat.
Referenz/Aktenzeichen: K465-2081
3/3
051/2005-02362/13/05/08/12/02/K465-2081
· We further consider it crucial for the Rio+20 conference to settle on an ambitious reform
package for strengthening international environmental governance. The Zero Draft
should therefore include reform measures which are based on the Nairobi-Helsinki
Outcome. It should include elements such as universal membership of the IEG anchor
institution, reinforced relationship between a strengthened IEG anchor institution and the
MEAs and enhanced synergies within thematic clusters.
· The Zero Draft should be formulated in a way that leaves it open - for the time being -
whether the necessary reforms are best implemented through a strengthened UNEP or
a specialized agency. This organization aspect can be addressed once the negotiations
on the substantive reform measures have advanced further. We therefore propose that
the Zero Draft uses a neutral term such as “strengthened IEG anchor institution”.
· Finally, Switzerland considers it important for the Zero Draft to include measures for
renewing the political commitment for national and local sustainable development
governance. This could include measures such as the development or renewal of
sustainable development strategies or the participation of civil society in decision
making.
