Buenos Aires, Argentina - IUCN

Annex 7
Opening Address by the Director General of
WWF International, Dr Claude Martin
I highly appreciate the opportunity to address a few
words to you, as a representative of the three partner
organizations in Caring for the Earth (CFE) and as the
new Director General of WWF-International.
This General Assembly is the first after the launch
of Caring for the Earth and UNCED—events that left
the world with useful agendas, but at the same time
with considerable doubts about the commitment to
necessary change. When crises in parts of Africa,
Bosnia and Eastern Europe and the recession in many
countries are occupying the minds of people and the
attention of political leaders, it is crucially important
to maintain momentum.
In such times the danger prevails that social and
economic developments are disconnected from the
resource base and environmental contexts. It is critical
that the commitment by governments to integrate
sustainability into socio-economic decision-making
through Agenda 21, the Conventions on Biological
Diversity and Climate Change soon materialize and it
is unacceptable that in some cases commitments have
simply resulted in relabelling existing development
aid without increasing levels.
In late December the conclusion of the Uruguay
Round made headline news. Yet little was written
about the failure of the GATT negotiators to incorporate
an Environment Committee into the new and
powerful World Trade Organization. This omission is
a sad commentary on the international community's
commitment to implement the Rio Agreements and a
challenge to the whole environmental movement to
rectify the situation before the Round is formally
signed in April.
The preparatory process for UNCED echoed CFE
in pointing out to the world what needs to be done in
order to achieve sustainable development in terms of
"improving the quality of human life while living
within the carrying capacity of the ecosystems which
support life". But maybe CFE's modern and practical
98
definition of "sustainable development" was published
rather too late to become the accepted, official basis
for the UNCED process—a process which remained
largely based on the earlier definition of the Brundtland
Commission, with its obvious limitations.
It is reassuring, on the other hand, that both the
European Parliament and the Joint Assembly of EEC-
ACP States have already officially adopted the CFE
definition of sustainable development as their central
policy guideline. The President of the European Commission,
Jacques Delors, has also acknowledged that
"the current model of development is exhausted" and
that social and ecological components need to be integrated
into economic planning. For the time being
these remain declarations of intent.
Few people have realized that conservation is not
a technical, but a social problem. World societies are
losing their ethical and cultural roots, replacing them
fast with consumptive ambitions and ultimately lifestyles.
Conservation must therefore become, and be
seen, as a people affair—as CFE pointed out—and not
just a concern of experts. Their job—our job—is to
make conservation issues transparent as a social problem,
to let people participate in finding solutions and
make conservation far more relevant to those who
cause the problems and to those that suffer under
them.
Thus, the recommendations of CFE are still highly
topical and relevant, but the basic message, especially
in terms of its ethical approach and its definition of
sustainable development, needs forceful reaffirmation.
On the basis of an analysis of CFE, the WWF Family
has undertaken a review of its own programme
priorities and defined the areas in which the organization
can make the greatest contribution to conservation
worldwide. WWF's Global Priorities to the Year
2000 are now being translated into concrete
programmes at a national and international level. We