EU: Use partnerships to implement WSSD commitments, not avoid them

The European Union (EU) today set out its position on multi-stakeholder partnerships between governments, business and civil society at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. The so-called "Type II" partnerships are a useful instrument for taking action to promote sustainable development but cannot substitute for government commitments. The EU will be launching major partnership initiatives on water and energy in Johannesburg next week to support the summit's goals of reducing developing world poverty and environmental degradation.

Danish Environment Minister and current EU president Hans Christian Schmidt told a press conference in Johannesburg: "We need firm commitments from all governments to implement the decisions the Summit takes through concrete action. We need action at all levels - local, national, regional and international - to promote sustainable development. It is clear that partnerships can provide such action. The EU is therefore committed to the development and use of partnerships. However, partnerships should never be an excuse for avoiding governmental commitments. Partnerships are a complement to such commitments, not a substitute for them."

Minister Schmidt continued: "In the light of the criticism that NGOs, in particular, have leveled against partnerships, I think it is important that all groups are able to take part in the follow-up process to the partnerships. This is the only way we can secure transparency on the role of partnerships. The EU would therefore like to see a robust and credible follow-up mechanism established to provide us in the future with information on how partnerships, collectively, are helping to deliver on the results of Johannesburg."

Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, told the news conference that the EU's partnerships initiatives on water and energy would be driven by the needs of developing countries themselves. Workshops on both initiatives are being held today in Johannesburg, ahead of their formal launches next week, to bring together all interested stakeholders.

Commissioner Nielson said: "Our Water Initiative will help to deliver the target, which we hope the Summit will agree on, of halving by 2015 the number of people without access to clean drinking water and sanitation. Called "Water for Life," the initiative provides a platform for strategic partnerships between the EU and regions in the developing world, bringing together public and private funding, stakeholders and experts. The aim is to provide long term, sustainable solutions to the problems of water management in these countries. Collectively, the EU is already the largest donor in the field of water with funding averaging around 1.4 billion Euros a year. We are ready to increase this amount in the coming years."

He continued: "As regards our Energy Initiative, the key aim here is to improve the access of people in the developing world to adequate, affordable and sustainable energy. There are more than two billion "energy poor" who do not have this. The Energy Initiative will develop partnerships with interested developing countries to identify their energy needs and ways to meet these. Collectively the EU already provides up to 700 million Euros a year for energy in developing countries. This amount could increase in the coming years as increased awareness of the role of energy services in poverty eradication leads to more requests for assistance from these countries."

Commissioner Nielson added: "On a smaller scale, tomorrow the EU will also be launching a partnership initiative to promote sustainable urban development outside Europe. Building on Europe's experience with Local Agenda 21 (LA21) projects, this initiative aims to assist towns and cities outside the EU to take practical steps towards sustainable urban development, for example by preparing and implementing LA21 plans."

Greek Environment Minister Vasso Papandreou, whose country will hold the EU Presidency for the first half of 2003, said: "EU Member States all have a long-standing tradition in the field of development. The WSSD, and in particular partnerships, offers a unique opportunity to continue that tradition and promote a demand-driven approach to development as well as more effective ways of channeling aid. This can contribute to a successful outcome of the Summit."

Minister Papandreou added: "Greece would also underline that Member States, besides their contributions at EU level, are devoting great energy and money to many partnerships covering the five WEHAB areas water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity as well as others such as education."

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