THE AGENDA 21

What is Agenda 21?What is Agenda 21?

Agenda 21 is a program of action into 21st centuryfor bringing the Earth into a sustainable future. It was adopted by the participating government of the world in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), otherwise known as the Earth Summit, in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil in June 1992.

THE AGENDA 21Introduction

Introduction

Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development

It focuses on improving the quality of life for all of the Earth’s citizens without increasing the use of natural resources beyond the capacity of the environment to supply them indefinitely. It requires an understanding that inaction has consequences and that we must find innovative ways to change institutional structures and influence individual behavior. It’s about taking action, changing policy and practice at all levels, from the individual to the international.

THE AGENDA 21

Introduction

Economic, Social and Environmental processes are interlinked. Public and private agents alike cannot be permitted to act one-dimensionally and isolation. Instead, their actions must take into account the interplay between the three dimensions

Schematically using three circles for the target dimensions of Environment, Economy and Society

Sustainable development goes beyond environmental conservation. In order to satisfy our material and immaterial needs, we require economic prosperity and solidarity in our society.

The sustainable development calls for long-term structural change in our economic and social systems, with the aim of reducing the consumption of the environment and resources to permanently affordable level while maintaining economic output potential and social cohesion.

THE AGENDA 21

The Philippine Agenda 21

PA 21 is our own national agenda for sustainable development. It is basically made up of:

The Principles of unityThe Action AgendaThe Implementation Strategies

THE AGENDA 21

The PA 21 envisions a better quality of life for all through the

development of a just, moral, creative, spiritual, economically-vibrant,

caring, diverse yet cohesive society characterized by appropriate

productivity, participatory and democratic process and living in

harmony within the limits of the carrying capacity of nature and the integrity of creation.

The Vision of PA 21The Vision of PA 21

The Philippine Agenda 21

THE AGENDA 21

The Philippine Agenda 21

1. Poverty Reduction: Poverty is a central concern of sustainable development. Consistent with this, the various consultations for the updating of PA 21 have yielded poverty reduction agenda that includes measures to create and enabling economic environment for sustained and broad-based growth; improve employment, productivity and income; and attain food security.

The Enhanced PA 21 has five (5) goal elements as follows:

2. Social Equity: Social equity should mean allocation of resources on the bases of efficiency and equity to achieve balanced development.

3. Empowerment and Good Governance: Empowerment is a precondition of informal choices. Good governance is a necessary precondition to empowerment, as empowerment is to good governance.

THE AGENDA 21

The Philippine Agenda 21

4. Peace and Solidarity: The cycle of poverty and conflict goes on as the cost of war escalate in terms of various kinds of destruction while withholding funds for basic services, resulting in more poverty and underdevelopment.

The Enhanced PA 21 has five (5) goal elements as follows:

5. Ecological Integrity: in general, the path towards enhancing the integrity of the country’s ecological domain will have to involve heightened and sustained implementation of environmental laws, as well as the continued pursuit of resource conservation, and environmental restoration/enhancement programs.

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The Philippine Agenda 21

1. Business, the key actor in economy, which is mainly concerned with producing goods and services for people.

The three (3) Key Actors in Sustainable Development Work:

2. Government, the key actor in polity, which is concerned with democratic governance and security of human rights.

3. Civil Society, the key actor in culture, which is concerned with the development of the social and spiritual capacities of human beings.

THE AGENDA 21

The Philippine Agenda 21

1. Jobless Growth results when economic output increases amidst high unemployment and underemployment.

Five forms of growth are identified as leading to unsustainable development.

2. Ruthless Growth is forcing millions of Filipinos to live in poverty constraining them from developing as full beings. Meanwhile, few individual billionaires/millionaires enjoy an income level equivalent to the combined income of the millions in poverty.

3. Futureless Growth results from the destruction of nature through improper mining practices, use of pesticides, insufficient and improper environmental planning for the construction of dams and a range of other ecologically unsound development projects.

THE AGENDA 21

The Philippine Agenda 21

4. Rootless Growth refers to the cultural decay and loss of meaning and identity which often accompany economic growth fueled by globalization and the entrance of materialistic lifestyles of industrialized countries.

Five forms of growth are identified as leading to unsustainable development.

5. Voiceless Growth is economic growth racing ahead of direct human rights and democratic processes and participatory governance essential to modern societies.

To these five undesirable forms of growth can be added a sixth. Meaningless Growth results when come combination of the other five forms of undesirable growth blocks the creativity of the human spirit. The resulting loss in creativity, perspective, meaning, hope, and morality necessarily expresses itself in suicide, violence, drug addiction, crime, corruption and other social ills.

THE AGENDA 21

The Philippine Agenda 21

PA 21 is part of the country’s response to fulfill its commitments in the historic Earth Summit in 1992 where government and key sectors of society agreed to implement an action agenda for sustainable development known as Agenda 21. PA 21 seeks to answer four (4) questions: 

Where are we now? What is sustainable development?

Where do we want to go?How do we get there?

The Executive SummaryThe Executive Summary

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The Philippine Agenda 21

Where are we now? The current and Emerging Landscape for Sustainable Development Achieving sustainable development is a formidable task. Hence, the journey towards sustainable development must be grounded on a clear understanding of the challenges trends and opportunities that lie ahead. 

Demographic TrendsCultural TrendsScience and Technology TrendsEconomic TrendsUrbanization TrendsHuman Development TrendsEnvironmental TrendsInstitutional TrendsPolitical Trends

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The Philippine Agenda 21

What is Sustainable Development? A Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Development The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), in its report “Our Common Future” published in 1987, defines sustainable development as “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs” Thus, the essence of sustainable development is in the harmonious integration of a sound and viable economy, responsible governance, social cohesion/harmony and ecological integrity to ensure that development is a life-enhancing process. The ultimate aim of development is human development now and through future generations.

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The Philippine Agenda 21

Where do we want to go? Elements of a Shared Vision In concretizing the vision, PA 21 describes a path of images for individuals, families, households and communities; for each ecosystem and across ecosystems in consideration of the interaction of the various life capes and landscapes found therein. The PA 21 adheres to the following principles of sustainable development. 

- Primary of Developing Human Potential- Holistic Science and Appropriate Technology- Cultural, Moral and Spiritual Sensitivity- Self Determination- National Sovereignty- Gender Sensitivity- Peace, Order and National Unity

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The Philippine Agenda 21

- Social Justice and Inter-,Intra- generational and Spatial Equity- Participatory Democracy- Institutional Viability- Viable, Sound and Broad based Economic Development- Sustainable Population- Ecological Soundness- Biogeographical equity and Community Based Resource Management- Global Cooperation

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The Philippine Agenda 21

How do we get there? Operational Framework and Action Agenda The Operational Framework of Philippine Agenda 21 consists of a multilevel guide for decision-making consisting of sustainable development criteria, parameters and descriptors.

Operationally, sustainable development is development that draws out full human potential across ages and generations. It is, at the same time, ecologically friendly, economically sound, politically empowering, socially just, spiritually liberating, gender sensitive, based on holistic science, technologically appropriate, builds upon Filipino values, history, culture and excellence and

THE AGENDA 21

The Philippine Agenda 21

PA 21 advocates a fundamental shift in development thinking and approach. It departs from traditional conceptual frameworks that emphasize sector based and macro-concerns. PA 21 promotes harmony and achieves sustainability by emphasizing:

- A scale of intervention that primarily are-based. The national and global policy environment builds upon and support area-based initiatives.- Integrated island development approaches where applicable.- People and the integrity of nature at the saltier of development initiatives.

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The Action Agenda

The Action Agenda at the level of ecosystems consists of strategic and catalytic interventions covering the following ecosystems and critical resources. 

EcosystemsForest/upland ecosystemCoastal and marine ecosystemUrban ecosystem freshwater ecosystemLowland/Agricultural ecosystem

 Critical Resources

MineralsBiodiversity

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The Action Agenda

Operationalizing sustainable development involves the interlocking components of an ecosystem and how these interrelate towards defining specific roles and addressing specific needs of individual sectors. The identification of key players and their interaction provide a basis for deepening our analysis and treatment of the ecosystem, as well as the definition of the varying roles that various stakeholders are expected to play for achieving sustainable development.

Categories of major Stakeholders 

Basic Sectors – comprise the major poverty groups; Farmers, Landless rural workers, fisherfolk, Indigenous people and the urban poor.

Strengthening the Role of Major Groups

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The Action Agenda

Intermediaries – serve as the fulcrum upon which socio-economic, cultural and political interventions towards sustainable development depend. These are the Formal institutions that include Government Organization, Church-based Organization, civic groups and professional associations; mass media; and the international community.

 Roles of the Major Groups in Sustainable Development

The roles of the major stakeholders in sustainable development are defined according to sectoral needs, motivation, or interest and perspectives. But there are basic key holders that are considered “common” among the basic sectors and the intermediaries. In the performance of this role, its interventions must go beyond the protection of the environment. It implies a responsibility to effect a balance between development and ecological dimensions. Equity and social justice are primary goals that should also be achieved.

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The Local Agenda 21

The PA 21 emphasizes the importance of localization as a strategy for its implementation. It defines as a process that involves the formulation of local sustainable development action agenda, and the establishment of local SD councils to implement the said agenda. PA 21 sees that localization will ensure that SD takes root in each region, province, city and municipality. On the 25th day of January 1999, M.O. No. 47 was issued by the Office of the President to strengthen the operationalization and localization of PA 21 and to monitor its implementation. A number of regions have already formulated their own Local Agenda 21, serving as the region’s guide and springboard for the formulation by the local governments, regional line agencies, and all other entities of their respective Sustainable Development Agenda.

THE AGENDA 21

THE AGENDA 21