Chapter 1 - Preamble

Section 1 - Social & Economic Dimensions
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

Section 2 - Conservation and Management of Resources

Section 3 - Strengthening the Role of Major Groups

Section 4 - Means of Implementation

Chapter 2: International Cooperation

A partnership of the world’s nations is essential for an efficient and equitable global economy that can help all countries to achieve sustainable development.

A trading system that favours the optimal distribution of global production can contribute to sustainable development as long as this is done under sound environmental policies.

The world trading system should allow efficient producers, especially those in developing countries, to market their products successfully. If poorer nations can earn more from exports, they would have more resources to invest in sustainable forms of development.

The export earnings of many developing countries dropped substantially during the 1980s, due to very low and declining prices for most commodities on international markets. In some cases, competition came from subsidized products. There is a need for agreements between producers and consumers that establishes fair prices for commodities, including those such as cocoa, coffee, sugar and tropical timber.

This drop in revenues, combined with heavy foreign debts, left many developing nations with little to invest in sustainable development.

Developing countries critically need investments to stimulate economic growth and meet their basic needs of their people in a sustainable manner. They should diversify exports and cooperate more among each other in economic development plans.

During the past decade, many developing countries paid themselves out more in debt repayments to developed nations than the total amount they received from exports and development assistance. These developing nations had to reduce imports, investment and consumption, and they were less able to fight poverty at home. In some cases the financial drain resulted in cuts in health care, education and environmental protection. As a result, some developing countries are in a state of economic stalemate, and face increasing social and environmental problems.

An international strategy is needed to reverse these trends. Countries need to:

• Halt and reverse protectionism, including unilateral trade barriers that harm developing nations, and promote trade liberalization.
• Reduce subsidies that lead to unequal forms of competition.
• Ensure that environment and trade policies support sustainable types of development.
• See that environmental regulations, including those related to health and safety standards, do not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination, or a disguised restriction on trade.
• Ensure public input in the formation, negotiation and implementation of trade policies.

The strategy should involve both additional investment from abroad, the return of flight capital that left poor nations, and efficient utilization of resources. The world needs to provide financial assistance and find ways of reducing the foreign debt of many developing nations, particularly of the poorest countries.

The world also needs to offer assistance to developing nations in managing and diversifying their economies, and in managing natural resources for sustainability. Market forces such as interest and foreign exchange rates need to be stable. The prices of commodities in all nations need to reflect the environmental and social costs of their production.

In order to encourage investment, nations need to eradicate corruption and ensure effective, efficient, honest, equitable and accountable public administrations, along with individual rights and opportunities. They need to provide price stability, realistic foreign exchange rates and efficient tax systems, and to foster the development of private business.

For more information on this subject, please see Chapter 33: Financing Sustainable Development

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