THURSDAY, 15 MARCH 2001: South Africa and Africa is privileged to host the 2002 Johannesburg Earth Summit in Gauteng. The UN General Assembly called for the 10-year review of progress achieved in the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 2002 (Agenda 21 and UN Conventions) at the Summit level, to reinvigorate, at the highest political level, the global commitment to sustainable development. This Summit will be one of the most important events for the next decade that will shape the future of a globally defined, sustainable development agenda and, therefore, South Africa's hosting of the Summit in 2002 is an undertaking of major global significance.

The Summit will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, with satellite conference venues in and around Gauteng for major groups' participation.

The agenda of the summit

Some of the themes that are already emerging which will shape the broad direction of the Summit include: the inter linkages between poverty, environment and development; financing mechanisms; technology transfer; trade and the environment; water; energy; environmental health and land degradation.

The need for public mobilization on these themes is very important. Emerging from the recent session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environmental Programme in Nairobi, were elements which would guide discussions on governance and institutional arrangements including defining workable institutional arrangements; addressing finances, including looking into the decision-making of international financial institutions; and instituting a system that empowers small and developing countries to participate meaningfully.

Preparations for the summit

The United Nations preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002 will be coordinated by a UN Task Force under the chair of the Deputy Secretary General of the UN; Ms Louise Frechette. As host country, an official seconded by the South African government to the UN Task Force will provide regular liaison between South Africa's national structures for coordination and the UN Task Force as well as provide broad political direction in the build up to the Summit.

South Africa has commenced with national preparations for the Summit involving all levels of government. The hosting of the conference will be a joint partnership between national government, the Gauteng Province and Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council.

Structures for coordination

The South African Government has set up the following structures for coordination:

• National Logistics Committee to coordinate all logistical arrangements.
• National Substance Committee to coordinate the preparation of discussion papers and the review of Agenda 21 and the national strategy for sustainable development.
• A multi-stakeholder committee, involving all major groups, will be established shortly.

National logistics preparation

South Africa's National Logistics Committee, led by the departments of Foreign Affairs and Environmental Affairs on the WSSD will interact with the Secretariat of the UN Task Force on logistical arrangements via National Key Contact Points on Summit Preparations.

In order to strengthen the horizontal management capabilities of the National Task Force Executive on Logistics for the WSSD particularly in planning, coordination and programme management, the Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism has established a Section 21 company referred to as the Johannesburg Earth Summit 2002 Company, and is currently finalizing the appointment of a chief executive officer.

This company will strenthen governemnt capacity to run the Summit effeciently. The CEO of this company will be supported by a Director: Operations And Logistics; a Director: Finance and a Director: Media And Marketing. The Company will coordinate the roles and functions of National; Provincial and Metro levels of government.

National substance committee

The departments of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and Foreign Affairs are jointly leading South Africa's preparations on substance for the WSSD. The Cabinet Cluster on International Relations, Peace and Security will give political direction. A National Substance Committee has been established drawing on representation from national, provincial and local government.

A policy unit for the WSSD will be established as technical expertise to back up the substance preparations. Key activities of the unit will be to conduct a national review of Agenda 21 in South Africa; prepare South Africa's framework for its national strategy for sustainable development; support SADC and regional preparations for the Summit; and prepare South African delegations to the UN preparatory meetings leading up to the Summit itself.

Regional preparations (Africa and the SADC)

According to the UN, the regional preparatory process will include a regional assessment of progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 taking into account national reports and country profiles. This would include:

• Common and specific constraints faced by countries in the region.
• Constraints resulting from global developments and changing conditions.
• New initiatives and commitments within regions and its sub-regions towards overcoming constraints and fostering further progress.
• Preparing regional "platforms", which would outline key policy issues, priorities and follow-up actions based on regional assessments. Such platforms could form the basis of a contribution to the global intergovernmental preparatory process.
  

The main areas of focus would include:

• Key sustainable development issues, which, in view of the region, require priority attention and action at the global level.
• Issues, which, in view of the region, could be more effectively addressed at the regional/sub-regional levels.
• Specific proposals from the region regarding strengthening or raising the effectiveness of international cooperation, including proposals regarding regional and international institutions.