Canada and Agenda
21Canada and Agenda
21
CHAPTER 27
Strengthening the Role of Non-Governmental Organizations: Partners for Sustainable Development
-- Theodora Carroll-Foster --
Theodora Carroll-Foster is the Coordinator/Advisor of the Agenda 21 Unit at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The views expressed in this chapter are those of the author, with input from other stakeholders, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IDRC or the Projet de Société.
THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have played and continue to play a vital role in the shaping and implementation of participatory democracy. Due to their wide range of experience over many decades, NGOs are increasingly well positioned to play an important role in helping society move away from unsustainable development patterns. A major attribute of NGOs has been their independent and autonomous nature, which is also a precondition of real participation. But a problem is arising, as NGOs become increasingly dependent on governments for funding, their independence may be eroded and their voices may be checked. In recent years, the NGO community has developed a global network, that could be tapped, enabled, and strengthened in support of both government and private sector efforts to achieve the common goals of sustainability.
NGOs and environmental NGOs (ENGOs) combined, possess well-established and diverse experience, expertise and capacity which could be useful in mobilizing support and deriving solutions for sustainability efforts. With their expertise and abilities in such areas as education, poverty alleviation and environmental protection, NGOs and ENGOs could be more greatly involved in both United Nations' and national governments' mechanisms for making policies and decisions on sustainable development and for reviewing and evaluating how Agenda 21 is implemented. But they continue to meet with resistance, albeit somewhat diminished, on the part of both governments and UN agencies. In Canada, over 150 development NGOs are formally registered with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and hundreds of ENGOs (large and small) exist across Canada. Many have developed links with NGOs in developing countries, such as with the Third World Network based in Penang, Malaysia.
A number of regional networks such as the South Asia Partnership have been established to handle regional or transboundary issues and to share information. The scope and strength of the NGO movement, which encompasses over and above the development and environmental NGOs, women's organizations, business associations, civil society groups, and not-for-profit agencies, was demonstrated at the Global Forum, the NGO event that was held in parallel with UNCED at Rio in June 1992.
PROGRAM AREAS AND OBJECTIVES
In order to ensure that the full potential contribution of NGOs is realized, the Chapter recommends four specific objectives which governments and international bodies should undertake within the areas of communication and cooperation:
(1)mechanisms to allow NGOs to play their partnership role responsibly and effectively in the process of environmentally sound and sustainable development should be developed by governments and international bodies;
(2)a process to review formal procedures and mechanisms to involve NGOs at all levels (policy-making, decision-making, implementation) should be initiated by the UN system and governments;
(3)a "mutually productive dialogue" should be established at the national level between all governments and NGOs regarding their respective roles in environmentally sound and socially responsible sustainable development by 1995; and,
(4)NGOs should be promoted and allowed to participate in the conception, establishment, evaluation of official mechanisms and procedures to review Agenda 21 implementation.
In order to achieve the above, the United Nations system was called upon to enhance NGO participation in inter-agency meetings and UN conferences, especially in Agenda 21 follow-up. Governments were urged to involve NGOs in national measures to implement and monitor Agenda 21; expand NGOs' involvement in formal and informal education, and public awareness; and to provide NGOs with all necessary data and information for their effective contribution.
CANADIAN POSITIONS AT RIO
1.Official Canadian Position
The official Canadian position involved four key objectives:
(1)to seek support internationally for the principle of NGO involvement as social partners and for the review of official procedures and mechanisms for the substantive involvement of NGOs at all levels, from policy and decision-making to implementation both nationally and internationally (including within UN institutions);
(2)to seek to strengthen the commitment of governments to develop productive dialogue with independent, self-organized groups of NGOs and to recognize and empower them in implementing environmentally sound and sustainable development;
(3)to seek to strengthen support for NGO funding at the international level so as to continue the networking of NGOs internationally, especially for monitoring and reporting on the state of the global environment; and,
(4)to avoid approval of new institutions for achieving these objectives.
Overall Canada preferred to work with existing institutions at the international level and with its own mechanisms internally within the country. It did not see the need for new institutions, but rather envisaged existing institutions becoming more inclusive of and responsive to NGOs.
2.Non-Governmental Organizations
The two primary objectives of NGOs were:
that UNCED recognize that the term NGO can not effectively be used as a generic word which encompasses all non-government groups, especially given their diverse interests, roles and abilities; and,
that there be consistent multi-sectoral participation, including NGOs, in policy making, management, and all other program areas addressed within Agenda 21. Specifically, NGOs wanted their expertise, experience, and capacities, to be recognized and have a significant active role in the global movement towards sustainability.
In the past, under United Nations terminology, the definition of NGO has meant any independent non-government group - including profit, non-profit, indigenous, labour and other groups. Canadian NGOs were actively supportive and involve with the international NGO lobbying of UNCED which strongly advocated for the need to recognize and address different types of NGOs. Indeed, as a result of this international lobbying, NGOs were successful in adding to the originally proposed list of Agenda 21 issues an additional 10 chapters (numbers 23-32) which focused on the roles of nine specific major groups of society in the global movement toward sustainability. As such, it can be said that the two main objectives of Canadian NGOs were met.
Regarding the content of Chapter 27, NGOs were pleased with terminology such as:
recognizing that NGOs play "a vital role in the shaping and implementation of participatory democracy";
NGO credibility arises from the "responsible and constructive role they play in society"
NGOs possess "well-established and diverse experience, expertise and capacity" which is " important to the review and implementation of environmentally sound and socially responsible sustainable development"; and,
NGOs are/have a "global network, that should be tapped, enabled, and strengthened in support of the efforts to achieve the common goals (of sustainability).
However, Canadian NGOs were, in general, disappointed in the lack of specific concrete programs and resources which would enable active participation of NGOs in post-UNCED follow-up.
Many of the NGOs' concerns and agreements on specific sustainability issues were encapsulated in the NGO Treaties (also known as Citizen's Commitments, or Protocols), which were agreements between north and south NGOs on actions which they indicated they were prepared to carry out. These were developed at the NGO Global Forum at Rio, which parallelled the UNCED meeting.
3.Business and Industry
Business concerns were related to the recommendations for strengthening the role of NGOs, because it seemed that the granting of new rights to such groups (i.e. to participate in decision-making processes) would not be available to others in society. Such proposals were viewed as risky to the democratic process, unless properly framed. Business thought that it was questionable whether significantly enhancing the ability of NGOs to access legal action, except in specific instances of a clear failure by government to act to protect the environment, would bring about corresponding environmental improvements. Moreover, business believed that the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations should be a job for governments, which are politically accountable for their actions, and which have the responsibility to make decisions which are simultaneously good for the environment and the economy. NGOs, by contrast, are not seen as being accountable or responsible to the larger community, but only to themselves or their immediate constituencies.
4.Indigenous
While Canadian indigenous representatives supported the need for a strong role for NGOs, it should be noted that indigenous organizations in Canada, in general, do not consider themselves to non-governmental organizations - rather they view themselves as the legitimate representatives of their constituents - and as such, focused their attention on Chapter 26 The Role of Indigenous People and their Communities
COMMITMENTS MADE BY CANADIANS
1.Legally-binding Documents
None.
2.Political Pronouncements
Although specific political pronouncements about the inclusion of NGOs were not made, in practice and in generally accepted principle NGOs are increasingly being included in a systematic and systemic way. This was evidenced in the support of NGOs during the UNCED process.
3.Alternative NGO Treaties and Kari-Oca
NGO Treaties
At the same time as UNCED, two major international events were also held at Rio: the Global Forum and the Kari-Oca Conference. At the International Non-Governmental Organization Forum (Global Forum), 3,100 NGOs discussed a number of matters related to environment and development and produced a parallel set of documents: an NGO Earth Charter and 38 Alternative NGO Treaties. Of these treaties, four addressed the issues discussed in Chapter 27.
Code of Conduct for NGOs
The NGO Code of Conduct outlines ethical and accountability agreements NGOs could sign in order to build up constituency bases and truly serve the people within their communities. For groups working together on various campaigns, their treaty's overriding principle is that there be consultation among NGOs before anyone takes a position that might affect another. In the case of an NGO working outside it own country, Northern and Southern groups should collaborate on the basis of equal partnership and a recognition that each group has the major responsibility for activities within its own country.
Treaty for NGO Cooperation and Sharing of Resources
NGOs commit in this treaty to certain action, including responding to specific requests of other NGO signatories of the treaty, such as conducting research and advocacy. NGOs also suggest that they participate in two or more of the following activities annually: personnel exchange programs with other NGOs; workshops or skills and resources training sessions; raising public awareness in respective countries about specific activities; assisting NGO partners in their fund raising. NGOs assert hat they will strive to share the equivalent of at least one percent of their annual budgets with other NGOs. No new global mechanisms will be formed to administer the treaty.
Rio Framework Treaty on NGO Global Decision-Making
Within the Rio Framework Treaty on NGO Global Decision-Making, certain objectives were outlined by NGOs, which relate directly to strengthening the role of NGOs as partners in sustainable development (the subject of Chapter 27). The three general objectives of the Treaty are:
To strengthen existing networks and global alliances to promote and further the recognition of NGOs, as well as participatory democracy and the empowerment of all oppressed peoples;
To reinforce the recognition of all NGOs as one of the key elements of sustainable development; and
To strengthen NGO's rights and means of influencing the decision-making processes by using existing legal instruments and international commitments, as well as by promoting new and more progressive ones.
Overall the alternative NGO treaties cover many aspects of the North and South NGOs' concerns and are far-reaching.
International Treaty Between NGOs and Indigenous Peoples
The Proposed International Treaty - Northern Non-Government Organizations and Indigenous Peoples Development, June 1992, directly addressed the need for recognizing and strengthening the role of indigenous peoples and their communities in the sustainable development process. The treaty states the following areas must be recognized and addressed by northern NGO's entering into development activities:
transfer of values - must minimize the damage done by the imposition of western values
community control, management and ownership - development must be under their control in accordance with their values and institutions
community-based planning - pre-planning must be conducted with community participation
Indigenous knowledge - development should be based on Indigenous knowledge
spirituality - development should recognize it
respect - development should note respect for community, Mother Earth, other peoples
sharing - reciprocity at all levels
technology - ensure culturally appropriate technologies are controlled by Indigenous Peoples and intellectual property rights are protected
sustainable development - Indigenous knowledge in this area should be shared
capacity building - to allow indigenous peoples to develop on their own
destabilizing indigenous societies - discontinuation of disruptive practices such as westernized schools, religions, etc.
western models - will not be used
indigenous non-government organizations - northern NGO's will support their creation through funding and training
new indigenous institutions - northern NGO's support the development of new regional and international development organizations which will include the research and collection of Indigenous knowledge for the improvement of resource management systems and for educational purposes
indigenous financial institutions - managed and controlled by Indigenous Peoples and which have the power to deal with international agencies to obtain more financing and support
northern NGO accountability - must establish greater accountability measures to Indigenous Peoples
consultations and harmonization - northern NGO's must develop policies which provide consultative mechanisms with Indigenous Peoples and to harmonize their policies with Indigenous Peoples priorities, values and culture and with Indigenous Peoples consent
Kari-Oca
The second alternative forum at Rio was the International Conference on Territory, Environment and Development (the Kari-Oca Conference). The Kari-Oca Conference was held immediately prior to UNCED by and for the world's indigenous peoples. More than 650 indigenous representatives participated in meetings and cultural events during the conference. They developed and adopted a 109-point Indigenous Peoples Earth Charter.
DEFICIENCIES, GAPS AND CONSTRAINTS WITHIN THIS CHAPTER 27
The most obvious gap within Chapter 27 is that the chapter does not provide suggestions as to how to effectively implement the strengthening of the roles of NGOs. No real agreements, processes, or mechanisms were put in place to ensure that the general objectives of what governments should do are actualized. In addition, the need for substantial new financial resources for NGOs is largely ignored.
The chapter's statement that governments need to "strengthen legislative measures necessary to enable the establishment of consultative groups by NGOs" and "ensure NGOs the right to protect the public interest through legal action" does not address or consider that these two principles assume that countries are all given to democracy or at least democratic participation by their citizens and communities. As such, the chapter side-steps the issue that many governments are very suspicious of NGOs and peoples' movements, and that these governments often put up road blocks, including persecution, to halt the momentum and action of NGOs.
The chapter also does not address the nature of some NGOs who may prefer to work on (and often feel that their role is) monitoring and challenging the governments. Such NGOs often feel that working with governments would be a form of coercion and control. Other NGOs prefer to work with governments in a participatory, consensus building approach. Indeed, one of the main deficiencies of the chapter is that it still treats NGOs in a monolithic way, assuming that NGOs have a common cause, agenda and approach. Given the huge diversity of NGOs this is usually not the case. Even "non-profit NGOs" are tremendously diverse. They have different foci and range - form local to national to international foci. They represent different sectors of society, not only those already noted as different major groups with Agenda 21 (women, youth, labour, etcetera) but also religion, disabled, environmental, developmental, academic, media etcetera. They have varied approaches, plans, interests, outlooks, and actions.
Finally the chapter does not adequately define many of the words, such as NGO or partnership, on which the whole thrust of the text hinges. As such much of the chapter is wide open to interpretation.
COMPARISON BETWEEN CURRENT CANADIAN GOVERNMENT POLICY AND COMMITMENTS MADE
The Canadian government has consistently made efforts to integrate NGOs and their perspectives in the UNCED process. Specifically, Canada supported NGO involvement and participation by:
providing a set grant for NGO consultation, coordination, participation and travel during the UNCED preparatory process which was channel true the Canadian participatory committee for UNCED
seeking NGO input during the government's development and preparation of positions on the UNCED issues
providing seats on its delegations to the Preparatory Committees as well as to UNCED itself for NGO, business and indigenous representative
Canada has continued to seek NGO participation in post UNCED international fora such, as the United nations commission for sustainable development.
In Canada the Canadian government is supportive of an active and multisectoral initiative at the national provincial and municipal levels example include the Projet de soci‚t‚, the National Round Table on the Environment and the economy; provincial Round Tables, etc. However, many NGOs are concerned with the minimal financial support provided by government for such NGO's input and involvement.
CANADIAN ACTIVITIES EVOLVING THROUGH THE SUSTAINABILITY PROCESS
Canadian NGOs at the local, regional, national and international level continue to be actively involved in all of the sustainability issues, including those issues not addressed by UNCED. Some focus on one or two issues, some focus on the inter-relationships between specific issues, and others take holistic approaches. NGOs are involved in education, lobbying for change, networking, research, consensus building, etcetera - a hug range of programs and initiatives.
Some NGOs are responding to either, or both, UNCED and the Global Forum in a variety of ways. Some NGOs promote the products, others critique the products, others use them as educational tools or as a basis for new and/or continued discussions. Other NGOs have not responded in any way to either conference but continue to work on sustainability issues in the manner that they have done over the past decades. Some NGOs prefer to work alone, other are continuing to build partnerships with other NGOs, and others are building partnerships with institutions and/or business and/or governments.
During the UNCED process, the Canadian Participatory Committee for UNCED (CPCU) was formed to facilitate and coordinate the active involvement of Canadian NGOS in the prepatory process leading up to and including UNCED. It was comprised of may existing umbrella networks representing environmental, developmental, public policy, indigenous, labour, women, youth, peace and interfaith groups. Some of its activities included communication to and among its member networks; national review and strategy session in preparation for PrepCom IV and Rio; facilitating input to the government's process of developing positions for UNCED; preparing and distributing reports in the status of the UNCED Process; and developing a cross-Canada pubic mobilization program.
Post-UNCED Canadian NGOs are establishing an NGO Forum for Sustainability, a new organizational coalition , to continue the multisectoral policy dialogue undertaken through the CPCU. The purpose of the Forum is to continue to provide a forum for NGOs from different social change sectors in Canada to work together to promote a sustainable future locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
Regarding the NGO Global Forum and its NGO treaties, the Canadian Council for International Cooperation has taken the lead in promoting and distributing the treatises as well as promoting and continuing the north-south NGO dialogue.
A large number of initiatives are being undertaken by business and industry to move towards more public consultation; including by NGOs/ENGOs, and towards more consensus-building models instead of conflictual negotiations. One example is the Mining Association of Canada's Whitehorse Mining Initiative which has developed multi-stakeholder processes using the greater involvement of NGOs.
In September 1992, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) proposed that Mines' Ministers initiate a process of multi-stakeholder study and consultation on the development of a "Whitehorse Chapter" and a coordinated strategy for the minerals and metals section. The Mines Ministers agreed to a process to work towards the "Whitehorse Mining Initiative" (WMI), using a planning group of industry, government, labour, environment and aboriginal representatives.
A Progress Report on the WMI was made to the meeting of Mines Ministers during the Prospectors and Developers Conference in March 1993. The input from labour, aboriginal and environmental interests, among others, were seen as vital to the results of the Initiative.
The WMI intends to take the results of its analysis and find a way whereby the respective goals and objectives of the multi-stakeholders affected by the mining industry can be brought together, as well as showing the mining industry's contribution to economic prosperity in Canada is important.
Overall the strengthening of the role of NGOs as partners in and for sustainable development is occurring throughout Canada through a diverse array of organizations including: the Alberta Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, The Bruce Trail Association, the Canadian, the Clean Nova Scotia Foundation, Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre, Micah Institute of Southern Alberta, Nova Scotia Teachers' Union, Saskatchewan Eco Network, Women for a Just and Healthy Planet and the Canadian Environmental Network to name of few.
Canada's support for, and funding of, NGOs is not new. Among industrialized nations, Canada has been one of the most supportive. CIDA, IDRC and the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) have long recognized the importance of involving NGOs in a fully participatory way in their programming. Both CIDA and IDRC have established extensive policies for ensuring NGO consultation and participation, and over the last two decades allocated considerable financial resources to NGO support and development. For example, IDRC supported the Third World Network and its initiatives, including the production of research papers on key Agenda 21 topics from a southern perspective. The NRTEE has several NGO representatives sitting as full members of the round table.
The Green Plan committed the Federal Government to consult actively with the public on environmental issues and to provide funding to NGOs/ENGOs to enable them to expand their public participation activities. As a consequence, the level of participation in government decision-making by and partnership with NGOs/ENGOs has risen dramatically and is among the most participatory in the world. This has been aided by such umbrella groups as the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC), various provincial councils, and the Canadian Environmental Network (CEN).
The involvement and building of partnerships with NGOs goes beyond NGOs and Governments; NGOs and indigenous, NGOs and NGOs; and NGOs and business. Institutions such as the International Development Research Centre and the International Institute for Sustainable Development have also developed partnerships with NGOs.
As well, there are increasing numbers of fora where all of these sectors of society work together in partnership on sustainability issues. Examples include the national and provincial round ambles on environment and economy; multi-sectoral consultations around government positions a to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and the Projet de Soci‚t‚.
OTHER RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY-RELATED FORA
Many NGOs have observer status at the United Nations and with various UN agencies. They have established liaison with the World Bank, the Commission on Sustainable Development, the Earth Council, etc., and have developed many regional and global networks.
Global Forum 1994
SUGGESTED READINGS AND INFORMATION SOURCES
Association of Community Colleges of Canada (ACCC) and the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE). Green Guide - A User's Guide to Sustainable Development for Canadian Colleges, (Ottawa: National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, 1992).
Cooper, Andrew Fenton and J. Stefan Fritz. "Bringing the NGOs Into UNCED and Canada's International Policy" in International Journal, (Toronto: Canadian Institute of International Affairs, Autumn, 1992).
Cumming, Lawrence. "Between Recession and Redefinition: A Case Study of Canadian Voluntary International Development Organizations", (Ottawa: Department of Multiculturalism and Citizenship Canada, September 1992).
Khor, Martin. "The Earth Summit Ends with Disappointment, Concern and Hope: A Brief Analysis", (Malaysia: Third World Network, June 1992).
Government of Canada. Canada's Green Plan, (Ottawa: Environment Canada, 1990).
. Canada's Green Plan and the Earth Summit, (Ottawa: Environment Canada, 1992).
. Canada's National Report: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development Brazil, June 1992, (Ottawa: Environment Canada, 1991).
. "Consultations and Partnerships: Working Together with Canadians", (Ottawa: Environment Canada, 12 June 1992).
Government of Pakistan and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), "The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy", Karachi, International Development Research Centre. Agenda 21: Abstracts, Reviews, and Commentaries, (Theodora Carroll-Foster, ed), (Ottawa: IDRC, 1993).
. Agenda 21: Green Paths to the Future, (D. Spurgeon), (Ottawa: 1993).
. A Guide to Agenda 21: Issues, Debates, and Canadian Initiatives, (Theodora Carroll-Foster, ed), (Ottawa: IDRC, 1993).
S‚coma Ltd and EDPRA Consulting Inc. "An Evaluation of CIDA's Non-Governmental Organization Department's (NGOD) Program", (Ottawa: Canadian International Development Agency, Spring 1992).
Yap, Nonita. "NGOs and Sustainable Development", International Journal, 45 (1), 1990.
Information Sources:
The Centre for Our Common Future (Publishers of The Network, a monthly newsletter which monitors and reports on follow-up activities to the Earth Summit and The Bulletin, a comprehensive quarterly journal of sustainable development initiatives throughout the world), Palais Wilson, 52 rue des Paquis, CH-1201, Geneva, Switzerland, tel (022) 732 71 17, fax (022) 738 50 46.
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (successor to the Earth Summit Bulletin) is available on E-mail in the APC computer conference on unced.news.
NOG Forum for Sustainability, 63 Sparks Street, Room 603, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5A6, tel (613) 238-3811, fax (613) 594-2948.
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, Department of Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, Room S-3060, United Nations, New York, N.Y., 10017, USA, tel (212) 963-5959.
Cite as: Projet de société: Canada and Agenda 21.Winnipeg: IISD, 1995. Online. Internet. http://iisd.ca/worldsd/canada/projet/c27.htm.
