REPORT OF UNESCO EXPERT MEETING ON - APCEIU

The Chapters 9 through 22 describes the conservation and management of resources for development, just
as the environmental perspective as follows:
(9) Protection of the atmosphere;
(10) Integrated approach to the planning and management of land resources;
(11) Combating deforestration;
(12) Managing fragile ecosystems: combating desertification and drought;
(13) Managing fragile ecosystems: sustainable mountain development;
(14) Promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development:
(15) Conservation of biological diversity;
(16) Environmentally sound management of biotechnology;
(17) Protection of the oceans, all kinds of seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed
seas, and coastal area and the protection, rational use and development of their
living resources;
(18) Protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources: application of
integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources;
(19) Environmentally sound management of toxic chemicals, including prevention of
illegal international traffic in toxic and dangerous produces;
(20) Environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes, in hazardous wastes.
(21) Environmentally sound management of solid wastes and sewage-related issues;
(22) Safe and environmentally sound management of radioactive wastes.
One of the major events among states and governments after the Earth Summit was the creation of the
Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) and the implementation of National Action Plan of
Sustainable Development in many governments of the world. At the same time the national environment
protection act was also implemented among many countries. However, the world community had found that
the progress of achievement of the national action plan had remained with a very disappointed level in many
countries under the worldwide economic depression in 1990s. It was the major cause that the ESD
(Education for Sustainable Developed) was proposed at the WSSD in Johannesburg in 2002.
5. World Summit for Sustainable Development (2002)
- Upholding of ESD to the United Nations’ Decade -
After 10 years from The Rio de Janeiro UN Conference on Environment and Development, the WSSD was
held for 2 through 4 September 2002 in Johannesburg. As already known to all, the WSSD produced two
basic documents, namely (1) Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, and (2) WSSD Plan of
Implementation. The declaration has 37 chapters, but surprisingly the Plan of Implementation has 150
chapters with huge number of specific proposals in it. The Plan of Implementation seems to be more action
oriented rather than describing the abstract of ideas as compared with the Agenda 21. Chapter 2 of
Introduction of the Plan of Implementation states that “we commit ourselves to undertaking concrete actions
and measures at all levels and to enhancing international cooperation. These efforts will also promote the
integration of the three components of sustainable development- economic development, social
development and environmental protection- as interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars. ”
(http//:www.johannesburgsummit.org/html/documents/summit docs/2309 planfinal.htm)
It was the WSSD that the ESD was proposed by the Japanese government together with NGOs. Many
concerned people were razing questions at many stages how did the Education for Sustainable Development
(ESD) come out to the UN Decade at WSSD. Rokichi Hirono ((2003: p.293) mentioned in his article that
the back ground of proposing ESD at the Johannesburg WSSD by the Japanese government and NGOs had
based on the statements after two international conferences. The first one was the idea of DESD discussed
by the Sokagakkai based on the activities by UNCSD (UN Commission on Sustainable Development)
which have been considered the ESD after the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The second was the statement “a
recommendation of education for a sustainable future” by the International Conference on Earth Ethics
organized jointly by the OISCA International, a Japan based NGO and a UN Agency held in October 2001.
There was a common understanding in these two statements that the immediate requirement for the world
community is to tackle with the development strategy is the international cooperation and support for the
intensified development policy and capacity building which are consistent in poverty reduction and
environmental protection. A proposal of the UNDESD from Japan was warmly received by many
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