Socialist International Council meeting

Dear friends,

The world is at a crucial juncture. The time has come to make the change. As true internationalists we know that environmental challenges can only be solved internationally, finding solutions together. And, I will add, only based on the social democratic approach to globalisation, with international political connections to the growing market forces.

As chair of the Working Group on the Kyoto protocol and related global environmental issues, I have the honour of presenting the memorandum called " Towards Sustainable development " to the Council. The menorandum is prepared by the Working Group, and circulated to member parties before this meeting.

We could have put a question mark behind the title " Towards Sustainable development", but we didn`t. Instead the title imply a clear change of course. This is not a wake up call, but rather a platform for change that the SI could draw upon as an important stakeholder and driving force for sustainable development in a globalized community.

The Socialist International is the largest party organisation and network in the world, with more than one hundred Socialist and Social Democratic member parties in all corners of the world. We must be aware of our responsibility for achieving sustainable development as well as of opportunities. As I see it, The Socialist International should be an active and constructive participant and give substantial input to global environmental processes.

Therefore I am very pleased that the Socialist International have put environment and sustainable development high on its agenda, at this Council meeting where we also celebrate the 50`th anniversary of the Socialist International.

In the following I would like to highlight some of the key messages from the

Memorandum which I hope will be a call for action!

Global warming is the greatest threat to the environment. Scientists are now more explicit than ever before; the climate is affected by human activities and results in changes in the climate. Poor countries suffer the most from global warming, due to the fact that the consequences hit them the hardest, and because they lack both the technology and the financial resources to meet the challenge.

This is why rich countries should take the main responsibility in bringing the international climate efforts from words to action. The Kyoto Protocol is a first step in the efforts to reduce climate gas emissions, and it is crucial that its not watered down and weakened. But the Kyoto Protocol is not the end of the process; New steps are needed to ensure the survival of future generations on earth.

Early in the spring of 2001, disturbing new signals on the climate change issue came from the Bush administration in the United States. On this background, The Socialist International at the 3 ^rd> of April 2001 issued a Press release stating that "For the Socialist International, the abrupt decision by the Bush administration to withdraw the United States from the historic Kyoto Protocol on climate change is unacceptable. The unilateral abandonment of the treaty by Washington, after so many years of productive negotiations between nations, is short-sighted and self-serving, which is why it has sparked dismay and frustration throughout the world, including within the United States itself." The Press release concluded with the words "Now more than ever is the time for revitalising and sustaining the global environmental effort."

Many of us will probably meet again in a few weeks; In the important climate consultations in Bonn. Let me use this opportunity to thank Jan Pronk of the Netherlands’ party, who has the extremely difficult job as president of the negotiations. Jan, we will do our best to support your efforts. Governments from all over the world will there continue the work being done last year in the Hague, where the world did not come to a conclusion on the Kyoto agreement.

I hereby welcome all member parties in the Socialist International present at the Bonn meeting to a SI working lunch hosted by the SI Working group on Kyoto and related environmental issues during the high-level segment of the Bonn meeting. This way we can use our global network to give input to the climate process.

We call on all countries to work towards ratifying the Kyoto protocol before the World Summit on Sustainable Development meeting in Johannesburg in 2002. This is necessary to ensure the implementation of the Kyoto protocol, and important as a follow up to Rio in 1992. Because the United States of America alone is responsible for 25 per cent of the total climate gas emissions of the world, we urge the USA to play a constructive role.

In the statement put forward by the SI Working group on Kyoto to this Council meeting, we say that "The Socialist International is determined to work to keep the Kyoto treaty alive, and calls upon all other signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, as well as all concerned non-governmental organisations and social partners, to make every possible endeavour to ensure that the objectives of the treaty are achieved. Now, more than ever, is the time for revitalising and sustaining the global environmental effort." I hope the Council will agree on this, and firmly support the difficult climate process.

In parallell with the ongoing climate process there is another international process of common interest taking place; The world summit of sustainable development to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa with the aim of bringing the principles of sustainable development to new action and reviewing what has happened since the Rio Conference in 1992, evaluating the work that has been done thus far, and determing strategies for following up.

The SI has a clear platform for global progress to bring into the summit. This was adopted in our meeting in Maputo last November where it was stated that " The Socialist International call on the international community in all its forms – public, private and civic – to work towards a "Rio + 10" anniversary that will culminate in a major global gathering, to ensure that the momentum of the international environmental effort can be maintained."

I’m looking forward to working together with all of you and especially our South African friends towards the summit.

Dear friends, the world is at a crossroad. The diagnosis is getting clearer every year. Long term indicators are steadily pointing downwards. The present strategy of business as usual is not a sustainable option and is not enough to turn global unsustainable trends into more equity within countries and between North and South, and more sustainable production and consumption patterns in the rich world.

If we fail, the stage is set for more and widespread environmental degradation and spread of poverty. The global village is already here. We are all on the same planet and it is the only one we got. So we have to take decisions now to change the direction towards sustainable development.

Climate change is not only a challenge for the environment. It will affect health and human welfare and life quality in the whole world in the future. As I see it, it is a test case for international solidarity. The Socialist International has been an international forerunner and bridge builder on several fields in the last century; on conflict resolution, human rights, equality between north and south, peace and international governance.

My hope is that we – the Socialist International - this century also can be a driving force towards sustainable development.

Because by the end of the day; Protecting the earth and the environment is a matter of solidarity.

- Thank you for your attention!