Statement
By
H.E. Dr. MAKARIM WIBISONO
Permanent Representative of the Indonesian Mission to
the United Nations
For
The General Segment of The Substantive Session of ECOSOC
On
Sustainable Development  (Agenda Item 13.a)

New York, July 26, 2000

Mr. Chairman,

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

 Let me begin by commending the Secretary-General for his informative and comprehensive reports under agenda item 13.a, particularly on the measures taken in the United Nations system to accelerate the implementation of both Agenda 21 and the Programme for further Implementation of Agenda 21 as well as the report of the Commission on Sustainable Development on its eight session. In particular, I would also like to express my deep appreciation to him for his efforts to ensure that the preparations for the ten-year review of progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 are effective. We also commend the Secretariat’s endeavors working in close cooperation with relevant UN Agencies, Regional Commissions and the Secretariat of UNCED-related conventions in its support of the preparatory activities.

Each year a series of reviews and assessments have been organized through the Commission on Sustainable Development on the progress made in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the Agenda 21. In 2002, the ten-year review conference will take place and in this regard, it is expected that the tenth session of the Commission for Sustainable Development will serve as a preparatory committee for the ten-year review conference. It will present the international community with an excellent opportunity to mobilize the necessary political commitment at the highest level to ensure the implementation of our common objectives,  which regretfully have fallen a short of expectations.

That challenge of seeking to reclaim the momentum generated at RIO is a formidable one and like anything worth fighting for, the success of Rio + 10 in reinvigorating the sprint of Rio will largely depend on our diligent preparations.  Thus, I sincerely welcome the high quality of the preparations already underway which are augmented by the excellence reports together with further efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General in this regard. Not only has the Secretary-General identified the formidable impediments in the path of progress, he also proposed recommendations to overcome such obstacles.  For this reason, I would like to encourage ECOSOC to endorse the recommendations from the Commission on Sustainable Development during its eight session which, I believe, would help to identify further steps to be taken at all levels so as to ensure high quality inputs to the ten-year review process in the year 2002.  Some of these recommendations include, among other, the need to carry out early and effective preparations at the local, national, regional and global levels by governments, the international community and the United Nations system. There is also an urgent need for the review conference to focus on areas that require further efforts to implement the outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. 

As to my country Indonesia, it has been endowed by nature with an abundance of bio-diversity including both flora and fauna. At the same time, it is also experiencing poverty together with modern industry.  Thus, we are very much aware of the critical need for balance and sustainability.  This awareness underlies our full respect for the indivisibility of environmental protection and the development process and thus our strong commitment to the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Programme of Action for the further implementation at the national level. For this reason, Indonesia launched its own national Agenda 21 in March 1997 with its main focus on social and economic dimensions, conservation and the management of resources for development, as well as strengthening the role of the major groups, and the means of implementation.  Indonesia has also, in close collaboration with the United Nations, particularly the United Nations Development Programme, conducted preliminary evaluations of its Local Agenda in some Indonesian provinces. In addition to such actions at the national level, Indonesia is also preparing to establish a National Committee so that it can better integrate and coordinate the follow-up of major UN Conferences and Summits, including the establishment of a National Committee on Sustainable Development.

I would also like to add that Indonesia is one of the developing countries that has always supported the international efforts to fully implement the Agenda 21 as well as the Programme of Action for the Further implementation of the Agenda 21. However, we are also aware that  full implementation has not materialized and that as a result the global environment continues to deteriorate. Therefore, we consider it crucial to consistently support the efforts of the international community to translate all such political commitments into concrete actions. In this regard, Indonesia believes that the occasion of the ten-year review conference should be used as a turning point in seeking a renewed political commitment and support for sustainable development and the full implementation of Agenda 21 through positive partnerships.

With these considerations in mind  and our strong commitment to the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Programme of Action for the Further implementation of the Agenda 21, the Indonesian government is offering to host the ten-year review conference in 2002. The Indonesian government and its people firmly believes that the ten-year review offers the best opportunity  for the international community not only to review the progress achieve in implementing their commitments to-date but also for mobilizing new political support at the highest level to ensure the full implementation of all agreed programme of actions.

The offer extended by the Indonesian government is supported by the fact that the three previous international conferences on environment have been organized basically on the geographical rotational basis. The first United Nations Conference on Human Environment was held in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972, the ten-year review of the UN Conference on Human Environment was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 1982 and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development at the Heads of States level was organized in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. In this regard, I believe that the Asian region should also be given the opportunity and honour of hosting a similar conference, particularly the ten-year review conference.

The recommendations of the eight session of the Commission on Sustainable Development underline that the ten-year review summit in 2002 should be held in a developing country. In that spirit, Indonesia, as a developing country and as a member of Asia and the Pacific region is pleased to offer to host the ten-year review conference in 2002. In the same vein, I should also underline the importance of the question of ownership of the environment and development programmes and processes by all  countries and regions.  This is particularly true for the Asia and Pacific Region since it represents more than half the world population. While its bio-diversity resources are vast, they are also fragile and vulnerable to the threat posed by unsustainable patterns of development and management. 

To conclude, I would like to request the support of the member countries of the United Nations for Indonesia’s offer to host the ten year review conference on Environment and Development in Indonesia in 2002, while at the same time, I would also like to ensure that this conference would bring benefit for all people and for both the present and future generations.

Thank you