Statement by Indonesia at the First Meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the World Summit on Sustainable Development

Mr. Chairman,

Let me begin by adding my delegation's and my personal congratulations to you and your distinguished colleagues on the Bureau on your respective elections. I am convinced that given your proven skills and able leadership, this preparatory process will be brought to a successful conclusion. I can assure you that my delegation will do its utmost in helping you and the Bureau in your demanding tasks of seeking to achieve the objectives of the Preparatory Committee in the lead up to the World Summit. Allow me also to associate my delegation

with the Chairman of the Group of 77 and China.

Mr. Chairman,

As we retuned home almost ten years ago from the landmark United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development in Rio, I well remember the sense of euphoria that the various delegations enjoyed. Major documents had been adopted and high expectations had been raised that the momentum generated would be carried forward and that the concept of sustainable development with its mutually reinforcing components would be integrated into economic and other relevant human activities. Over the years since that time, progress has been indeed registered, particularly in the field of national, regional and global institutions and regulatory frameworks. In addition, awareness of the vulnerability of ecosystems has become widespread and, as stated by the Secretary-General, stakeholders including civil society and the private sector have broadly embraced sustainable development as a new development paradigm.

However, despite the heightened awareness of the dangers of environmental degradation and the indisputable promise of Rio, results fell far short of expectations and the much vaunted momentum of the Conference was sharply eroded. Deterioration of the environment continued at an alarming rate, poverty increases and negative the impact of globalization has marginalized the developing countries. At the same time, the overall ODA levels necessary for successful implementation have dropped below their levels in 1992. What happened is certainly grist for our future discussions and negotiations. In my view, multilateral cooperation and the unprecedented partnership forged at Rio were overtaken by the new emphasis on globalization and trade liberalization. As a result, the implementation of the Agenda 21 became less focused and the paradigm of sustainable development became overshadowed and has not yet taken hold.

Against this backdrop, the World Summit on Sustainable Development presents us with an opportunity to identify achievements and failures in implementing Agenda 21 and the other relevant outcomes of U!\ICED. It also gives us a good second chance to reinvigorate the commitment pledged in UNCED. The overarching goal of the forthcoming World Summit, as stipulated in the GA Resolution 55/199, is to reinvigorate at the highest level the global commitment to sustainable development and to promote the partnerships necessary to restore multilateral cooperation for the implementation Agenda 21 and the other outcomes of UNCED. Furthermore, the early, effective and high-quality preparations for the World Summit will help to ensure a comprehensive assessment and to produce new action-oriented and doable programme of action based on partnership to achieve our common goals on sustainable development.

For this purpose, and in keeping with the thrust of GA resolution 55/199, Indonesia embarked on a number of 1nitiatives at the local and national levies designed to assess the implementation of the Indonesian Agenda 21. The launching of Indonesia's Agenda 2; in march 1997 was followed by the launching of Indonesia's Sectors.1 agenda 21. Its National Agenda 21 focuses mainly on social and economic dimensions, conservation and the management 'of resources for development, as will as on strengthening the role of the major groups and the means of implementation. Moreover, the sectoral national agenda focuses on 5 major areas including as forestry and energy

Subsequently, in order to ensure effective implementation of its national agenda 21 and to coordinate its effective and efficient implementation, Indonesia established National Council on Sustainable Development, which would cover all relevant governmental departments and major stakeholders, under the auspices of the Vice President.. The new council is to serve, among other things, to better integrate and coordinate the implementation of national programmers on sustainable development. As to Indonesia's local and national preparations, we have identified constraints including the lack of financial and human resources as well as weakness in institutional capabilities, which undermined the effective implementation of sustainable development. Moreover, in the process of decentralization that was undertaken, new challenges emerged of an institutional, human and financial nature.

In addition, the national preparatory committee has undertaken to coordinate the preparations for hosting the final substantive preparatory meeting at the ministerial level in 1Vjay 2002 as well JS to prepare for Indonesia's participation in preparatory meetings 3t all levels. In this connection, a series of inter-departmental coordination meetings are being organized so as to provide inputs and to identify progress made and constraints faced in the implementation of national Agenda 21 .The local and national preparations and multi-stakeholder meetings leading up to the regional and global preparatory meetings have been jointly organized by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of the Environment. These preparations included the participation of a broad spectrum of stakeholders and they have also aimed at broadening the outreach and participation of the public at large.

Mr. Chairman,

I should like to underscore the importance we attach to the role played by the international community, including the relevant international organizations in assisting governments in their preparation at the local, national, regional,. sub-regional and international levels. In this context, the national and regional preparatory processes should be in a position to provide action-oriented and double inputs as well as lessons and best prdc:ic2s !earned together with concrete proposals for the global preparatory' process. Through this bottom-up approach" it is our belief that the World Summit on Sustainable Development will be able to produce practical solutions, or addressing the constraints facing the achievement of the common goals of humanity. although my delegation see the need to consider the themes and agenda of the summit at this time, we believe we should not begin the process until most of the regional meetings have been completed.

Mr. Chairman, 

My delegation would like to underline the pivotal role of the Bureau during the intergovernmental preparatory processes by spearheading the intergovernmental negotiations at the global level. We fully support the Bureau in their endeavor to provide direction and guidance to help bring about the successful outcome of the preparatory work. In this context! it is also crucial that the Chairman and the Bureau members seek to mobilize political support at the highest possible level in both the developed and developing countries together with pursuing the support of all the heads of international organizations within the United Nations system.

T o conclude, Mr. Chairman, I would just 1ike to add that Indonesia is committed to doing its best to ensure successful preparations for the Summit. I trust and hope that through the preparatory processes .we will be able, in a spirit of partnership, to ensure that the summit serves as a turning point not only for renewing our political commitments but also for implementing all our commitments in concrete terms so as to achieve the objectives of sustainable development. While seeking to reclaim the momentum generated in UNCED is indeed a formidable one, the early beginning of the preparatory process, should greatly help to resuscitate our collective political commitments for reaching our common and ultimate goals. In this way, as stated in the Millennium Report, we should be able ~o "meet the economic needs of the present without compromising the ability of the planet to 9rovide for the needs of future generations".

Thank you.