Private AreaPSC Thematic Areas Background
› Global challenges for sustainable development
The development challenges and goals for the Programme for South-South Cooperation are determined by the global issues discussed on the:
- UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992);
- The implementation of the Agenda 21
- The follow-up World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002),
- The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD, Johannesburg, 2002) identified the following broadly defined priority themes, in order to make progress on the way to more sustainable development patterns: (1) water; (2) energy; (3) health; (4) agriculture; and (5) biodiversity.
- The UN Declaration of the World Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (September 2005).
- The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) are defined as follows: (1) eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; (2) achieve universal primary education; (3) promote gender equity and empower women; (4) reduce child mortality; (5) improve maternal health; (6) combat HIV / AIDS, malaria and other diseases; (7) ensure environmental sustainability; (8) develop a global partnership for development.
› PSC concept of Sustainable development
The PSC adopts the Brundtland definition of sustainable development, which emphasises the close relation and interaction among the economic, social and ecological dimensions of development (1998): “Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Sustainable development 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 mankind must find innovative ways to change institutional structures and influence individual behaviour. It is about taking action, changing policy and practice at all levels, from the individual to the international. Sustainable development is not a new idea. Many cultures over the course of human history have recognised the need for harmony among the environment, society and economy.
› PSC Main Thematic Areas
The definition of sustainable development adopted by the PSC emphasises on economic and social development and environmental protection. The UN Declaration of the 2005 World Summit on September 13th stresses these three components particularly when referring to sustainable development. The PSC addresses, directly or in an indirect manner, the prioritised sustainable development themes (especially water, energy, agriculture and biodiversity) and the Millennium Development Goals (especially poverty reduction, gender, environmental sustainability and partnership for development).
Advanced analysis and strategy statements on the main thematic areas were elaborated in the first draft of the Annual Plan 2005-2006, as result of consultations of stakeholders in a series of workshops, between 14 and 16 of November 2005 in Thimphu, Bhutan.
By means of joint collaboration between the PSC partner countries, and in order to contribute to the development goal of contributing to sustainable development patterns, and to facilitate policy dialogue (both within as between the partner countries), six PSC thematic areas, were defined as priority:
- sustainable tourism;
- sustainable chains of production and consumption;
- sustainable use of biodiversity;
- and sustainable energy and efficient energy use.
- Enhancing gender equity is a cross-cutting fifth theme in the four main thematic areas and in the conceptual sixth theme of promoting South-South Cooperation.
- Finally, in order to contribute to the sustainability of the South-South partnership, one sixth conceptual theme is added: promote South-South Cooperation for Sustainable Development.
The four thematic areas, the cross-cutting fifth theme, and the conceptual sixth theme, are translated into six immediate objectives of the PSC. All activities of the PSC are oriented towards achieving significant and verifiable outcomes in these themes; which also constitute the basic themes for project eligibility in rounds of “calls for proposals”.
