Agenda 21 - The road to the Earth Summit In
1972 the Earth Summit in Rio took
place in response to growing concerns
about environmental problems.
70 Governments met in Stockholm
to establish the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) with
the purpose of alerting and advising
governments of global environmental
problems. UNEP has subsequently
developed and working in cooperation
with the United Nations Education,
Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), is involved in educating
and increasing awareness of global
environmental problems.
In 1984 a forerunner to Agenda
21 was published, followed by
the stablishment of the World
Commission on Environment and
Development (WCED) that looked
into the growing incompatibility
between human development and
the possibility of Nature to withstand
it. A report titled "Our Common
Future" was published which first
developed the idea of sustainable
development, then defined as "development
that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet
their needs."
The United Nations decided to
call a conference on the human
impact on the environment and
in 1992 environmental experts,
NGOs and 178 Governments adopted
Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan
of action to be taken globally,
nationally and locally in every
area where man impacts on the
environment.
The
Olympic movement and Agenda 21
In
1999 the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) adopted the IOC
Agenda 21 that proposed way for
individuals and groups in sports
to develop sustainable societies.
1. Improving socio-economic conditions:
Sustainable development implies
satisfying the essential cultural
and material needs of every individual
to enable him or her to live with
dignity and play a positive role
in society. As a result, Agenda
21 pays particular attention to
the lives of the most disadvantaged
and to minorities. This includes
helping to combat social exclusion,
promoting a new approach to consumption,
playing a more active role in
health protection, promoting sports
facilities which better meet social
needs and better integrating development
and environmental concepts into
sports policies.
Promoting the socio-economic dimension
of Agenda 21 matches the goal
of Olympism, as set out in the
Fundamental Principles of the
Olympic Charter, which is "everywhere
to place sport at the service
of the harmonious development
of man, with a view to encouraging
the establishment of a peaceful
society concerned with the preservation
of human dignity".
2. Conservation and management
of resources for sustainable development:
The Olympic Movement's environmental
protection policy should come
within the wider framework of
sustainable development. Thus
the environmental work of the
Olympic Movement is now focused
on the conservation and anagement
of resources and the natural environment
necessary to improve socio-economic
conditions. These should encourage
education about the environment
and specific action to help preserve
it. This is the most visible aspect
of the IOC's environmental work,
especially at the Olympic games.
3. Strengthening the role of the
main groups: To ensure the success
of sustainable development, it
is helpful if all of the groups
that make up society are active
and respected players in the process
set in motion. To this end, the
Olympic Movement can make a meaningful
contribution to strengthening
the roles of two groups, women
and young people.
In
1972 the Earth Summit in Rio took
place in response to growing concerns
about environmental problems.
70 Governments met in Stockholm
to establish the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) with
the purpose of alerting and advising
governments of global environmental
problems. UNEP has subsequently
developed and working in cooperation
with the United Nations Education,
Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), is involved in educating
and increasing awareness of global
environmental problems.
