ASIA PACIFIC PEOPLES’ DECLARATION ON RIO+20

The Declaration is the outcome document of the Asia-Pacific Research Network (APRN) Biennial Conference “Rio for People: Strengthening People’s Capacity for Genuine Sustainable Development” on June 4-7, 2012. It was co-organized with IBON International as part of the global Rights for Sustainability (R4S) campaign. It was held in Hanoi, Vietnam with the assistance of local members SRD, S-CODE, and MSD. Organizations interested to endorse or become signatory to the Declaration may contact APRN at secretariat@aprnet.org
We, 83 representatives of civil society organizations from 18 countries in Asia Pacific gathered twenty years after the first Earth Summit in 1992 fully aware that the world is farther than ever from reaching the goals of sustainable development.
Our world today is locked in environmental, social, political, economic, and environmental crises. Resource depletion and biodiversity loss continue at very rapid rates. Air and water pollution from agro-chemical and industrial processes continue to cause serious economic, social, and health problems. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, causing dangerous climate change. The world’s richest 10 per cent soak up over half of the world’s income, while 2.5 billion people in the South live on less than $2 a day. People in wealthy countries consume as much as ten times more natural resources than those in poorer countries, while in the South, 1 billion are hungry, 1.6 billion have no access to electricity, and over 1 billion have no access to clean water.
Clearly, worst affected are the poor in the South who did little in causing them. This is not the world Rio envisioned.
Rio+20 should learn from the failure of the prevailing system of development multiple crises that our planet finds itself in. We know this system to be one where economic and natural resources are used to accumulate wealth for the few who control them rather than serve the common good of society; a system based on the unrestricted exploitation of the poor, women and the environment for corporate profits; a system where a few powerful countries write the rules of global trade, finance, and environmental action in the interest of their corporations and banks, harming the environment and peoples in the South. We know it to be a failed system from which we need to break. We need system change.
We believe, however, that the Green Economy agenda will not allow us to break from this failed system as it follows primarily the profit-oriented logic of corporate and financial interest. It assumes that solutions to unsustainable development are in the hands of corporations – the main agents of unsustainable development – through their “green” investments, innovations and technologies, systems and policies, and mechanisms such as trading of carbon, forests and biodiversity, and water. Numerous experiences prove that these corporate “solutions” do not solve the problems they purport to address but worsen them. They trample on people’s rights
through further privatization, commodification and financialization of nature and ecosystem functions, which lead to the further concentration of control over nature, land-grabs, bio- piracy, displacement and marginalization of communities most dependent on access to these resources, and loss of cultural identities, languages, and traditional systems, values, and principles. It also gives rise to violent oppression of people’s resistance.
The promise of green jobs in the green economy and corporate social responsibility are being used to deceive workers anew into accepting wage exploitation in new “green” industries, obscuring the truth that many of these so-called green businesses are neither ecologically sound nor socially just such as the production of biofuels, nuclear plants, construction of large-scale dams, etc. The promotion of green cities takes away the emphasis of equitable development between rural and urban areas and further exacerbates urban drift.
We decry attempts by powerful States, especially the North, to whittle down human rights obligations and equity principles in the Rio+20 outcome document in order to avoid concrete commitments to meaningful reforms in social, economic, and environmental policies. On the other hand, they are pushing for corporate-led investments and initiatives to fill the gap left by government inaction. We assert that States should not backtrack, but instead uphold and build upon the Rio principles and internationally agreed human rights norms and standards, most importantly, the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, the polluters pay principles, the precautionary principle, and the principle on access to information, public participation and justice.
Agenda 21 should be brought up to a binding form of agreement, with strengthened institutions for implementation, monitoring and evaluation that ensure democratic ownership of the process at all levels. National reports have to be made available to the public to allow for informed multi-stakeholder decision-making. There should be a special clause on ecological-economic crimes to assure economic, social and ecological justice.
We assert that sustainable development must be based on the observance and fulfillment of human rights norms and standards, including the rights to development, to self- determination, to food, health and water, to education, the rights of women and children, and the right of people to participate in decision-making. We pledge to struggle for genuine sustainable development beyond Rio+20.

ANNEX

Adressing specific issues:
On poverty eradication
Poverty is the result of the unequal distribution of power, assets and opportunities within and between countries. Thus poverty eradication is about the empowerment of the poor to claim their rights. They must take ownership and control of their natural resources and productive assets and use them to gear their economies to fulfill their needs and development aspirations. Decision making for sustainable development should be bottom up, decentralized process owned by people. Active participation of people, communities particularly marginalized sector including women and indigenous peoples in decision making and consultative processes should be promoted at all levels. Equal participation of women and men should be ensured through institutionalizing in law and implementation mechanisms. Institutions of global governance must be radically reformed or replaced so that poor countries are equitably represented. Unequal agreements on trade and investment must be renegotiated or abrogated.
Food sovereignty
All people have the right to safe, nutritious, and adequate food. Countries and communities also have the right to access, control, and protect the means of food production and its outcomes, the right to determine their food and agricultural policies at all levels, and the right to develop and maintain systems of food production and distribution that are ecologically sustainable, socially just and culturally appropriate. Agrarian reform must be carried out in order to secure peasants and rural people’s democratic ownership and utilization of land, water resources and seeds, as well as access to finance and infrastructure, and environmentally sound technological support. Food production and trade policies must prioritize domestic food self-sufficiency and the livelihoods of small farmers, fisherfolk, women, peasants, and indigenous people. Trade policies and commercial/business practices must be modified and designed to further such prioritization. Public institutions must also help develop and encourage the adoption of sustainable methods of agriculture which rely on local ecosystems and locally-based knowledge as well as appropriate technologies. Food sovereignty will not be successful without land reform.
Water
Water is not a commodity but a vital need to human survival. All people have the right to sufficient, safe, accessible, and affordable water and sanitation services. Countries and communities are also entitled to develop and maintain water resources, management systems, and facilities to satisfy human and development needs and safeguard their sustainability. The management of water resources must be in public and community control. Water use must be primarily for fulfilling human needs and food production. The right to water and sanitation further requires an explicit focus on the most disadvantaged and marginalized, as well as an emphasis on participation, empowerment, accountability and transparency.
Protection of biodiversity
Biodiversity is essential to the proper functioning of ecosystems and is thus crucial to the right of people to health, food, and a safe and clean environment. The livelihoods of small farmers, fishers, indigenous people, and women also directly depend on biodiversity and their access to genetic resources. They have developed local resource management systems and conserve most of the world’s biodiversity. Biodiversity protection must be based on protecting people’s access to land, water and seeds. The extent of biodiversity’s importance is, however, very poorly understood, and the adverse impacts of changes are thus not properly mitigated. The rapid loss of biodiversity is due mainly to the growing control of corporations over genetic resources as well as over land, water, and forests for industrial agriculture, logging and mining. Thus biodiversity protection must be based on protecting people’s access to land, water and seeds. Biodiversity is a vital part of human nature. It is also an integral part of the heritage of indigenous people and thus their right to self- determination must be recognized, including their right to free and prior informed consent and right to develop their own social and economic systems and retain control of their ancestral lands, traditional knowledge and genetic resources. These rights must be restored equally to women and men. Natural resources and conservation should be taken care of through community knowledge-based decision making and decentralized eco-system based local systems.
Climate change
Climate change is worsening environmental damage and is exacerbating the negative effects of poor current practice. It undermines a wide range of human rights both of present and future generations, and threatens to push people deeper into poverty and underdevelopment. The world has to transition away from the fossil-fuel based profit driven economy and abandon unsustainable patterns of manufacture, energy, agriculture and transportation that are behind ever-rising greenhouse gas emissions. But there is a need to expose not just the economic, social, and environmental impacts of oil and gas exploration and extraction, but also that of alleged alternatives such as large-scale hydropower, nuclear, agro-fuels, clean coal, geo-engineering, and so on. The precautionary principle must be applied and international financing institutions, multilateral and bilateral agencies must remove subsidies and policy support for these projects. In the case of hydropower, Rio+20 must make a strong stipulation that dams should show full compliance to the standards set by the World Commission on Dams, and that large dams should absolutely be kept out of the CDM.
The Global North has to take the lead in mitigation efforts by making rapid and drastic emissions cuts, and assist poorer countries pay for the costs of their own transition through finance and technology transfer.
Youth and Children
Youth and children are agents of change, and not simply vulnerable victims of social injustices or merely recipients of government welfare. They are the future caretakers of the Earth and the inheritors of the problems we are creating today. But despite being part of the main agenda in the UNCSD 20 years ago, youth and children continue to be marginalized by the unsustainable dominant profit-driven economic system. Lack of access to basic needs and services, such as food, health, education, access to water and sanitation still remain rampant.
Although successful advocacies and campaigns on youth and children are already happening in some parts of Asia, there is still a need for their voices to be heard and given greater importance especially with regard to the climate crisis, if we are to realize genuine sustainable development. To increase the influence and impact that the world’s young people can make to the overall goal of changing the current model that the global economy is hinged on, these efforts must be consolidated and supported through continuous education and mobilization.
Indigenous People
Indigenous peoples of the Asia Pacific reject the corporate green economy and demand the protection and respect of indigenous peoples rights including the affirmation and implementation of the UN declaration of the rights of Indigenous Peoples; the recognition of cultural pillar as the fourth pillar of sustainable development; and the recognition of the distinct contribution of traditional knowledge and diverse local economies to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable development. Sustainable development should support the indigenous peoples’ integrated and holistic framework to sustainable development.
Labor and Social Protection
Every country should commit to foster the national and local production and enterprises supporting small-scale business and producers for sustainable development. Governments should create equal employment opportunities and ensure decent work for all, gender
equality, and participation particularly of marginalized groups. States must be obliged to the international human rights standards and principles to protect the rights of migrant workers and their families.
Just and lasting peace
Ensuring social justice is a precondition for peace. Just and lasting peace and security of women is a precondition for sustainable development. Systemic military-industry complex should be dismantled. We call for moratorium / fade-out of military expenditure and shift the budget to health and education.

SIGNATORIES/PARTICIPANTS
A63, Vietnam
All Together in Dignity-Asia
Arab NGO Network for Development
Asia Monitor Resource Center
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants
Asia Pacific Research Network
Cat Ba Archipelago Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam
CCRD, Vietnam
Center for Development of Community Initiative and Environment, Vietnam
Center for Development Programs in the Cordilleras, Philippines
Center for Environment and Development, Sri Lanka Center For Human Rights and Development, Mongolia Center for Women’s Resources, Philippines
Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants, India
Centre for Sustainable Community Development (S-CODE), Vietnam
Centre for Sustainable Development in Mountainous Areas (CSDM), Vietnam
Centre for Sustainable Development Policy Studies, Vietnam Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD), Vietnam CERDA, Vietnam
China Association for NGO Cooperation Climate Change Resilience Centre, Vietnam Coastal Development Partnership, Bangladesh
Consumers International/ CUTS International
Consumers International/ VINASTAS Deccan Development Society, India
Department for International Cooperation, Vietnam
Department of Modeling and Database in Environment, Vietnam Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research, Philippines EquityBD, Bangladesh
Farmer Union, Vietnam
Forestry Project, Vietnam
Forum of Women NGOs of Kyrgyzstan
Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID), Vietnam
IBON Foundation, Philippines
IBON International
Institute for Agriculture Environment (IAE), Vietnam
Institute for Motivating Self-Employment, Mongolia
Institute for Reproductive and Family Health – RaFH, Vietnam
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
Korean Civil Society Forum for International Development
LDC Watch, Nepal
Live and Learn, Vietnam Nepal Policy Institute NGO Jahon, Tajikistan
Pacific Islands Association of Non-governmental Organizations
PACT, Vietnam
PanNature - People and Nature Reconciliation, Vietnam
Peoples’ Coalition for Food Sovereignty-Asia Peoples’ Movement on Climate Change Reality of Aid Asia Pacific
Roots for Equity, Pakistan
SAHANIVASA, India
Sustainable Development Foundation, Thailand
Tebtebba Foundation, Philippines
The Institute for National and Democratic Studies (INDIES), Indonesia
The Institute for Social Studies (ISS), Vietnam theIDLgroup (East Asia)
Third World Network, Malaysia
UBINIG Policy Advocacy for Development, Bangladesh
Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment, Bangladesh
Water for the People Network

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