Social and Environmental

Justice

THE CHALLENGE
In the world today, many enjoy unprecedented material
wealth. Economic reforms and trade liberalization have
opened borders to the freer flow of capital and goods,
allowing economies to diversify and international
commerce to flourish. Yet this wealth creation comes at
high human and environmental costs largely borne by the
poor and the marginalized.
The human costs are evident in the persistence of poverty and
the growing inequalities between North and South, as well in
the unequal distribution of wealth and opportunities within
most countries. Fully a third of the world’s population
survives on less than two US dollars a day. A fifth of the
population – 1.2 billion people – live in extreme poverty on
half that amount. Low income is just one result of the denial of
basic rights including access to productive assets, social
services and cultural opportunities.
Meanwhile, the world’s economic growth and the Photo: WWF-MPO, Dawn Montanye
accompanying communications revolution foster production
and consumption patterns in wealthy countries that are But progress is possible. The international community has
ecologically unsustainable. Unless corrected, all of humanity affirmed that all peoples have human and environmental
will ultimately shoulder the costs of environmental rights. These are rights that should guide the distribution
degradation. It is the poor, however, who currently pay a of the material benefits and limit the environmental costs
disproportionate share of these costs, through the of economic growth.
contamination and loss of the ecosystems and natural
resources upon which their livelihoods depend. Over the past 60 years, the world community has endorsed
international conventions that expanded the scope of human
Social and Environmental Justice is the equitable rights to include civil, political, social and economic rights and
achievement of human and environmental rights. protections to which all people are entitled. If respected, these
international covenants would significantly reduce, if not
International human rights are outlined in the Universal eliminate, poverty and human indignity. Moreover, during the
Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions, the past 30 years the international community has also affirmed
International Covenants on Economic, Social, and Cultural the right of all people to enjoy a healthy and sustainable
Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political environment. As with human rights, these environmental
Rights, and various other conventions that address the rights are not static; they expand with society’s will and
rights of refugees, children and women, and prohibit capacity.
torture, discrimination and genocide.
Unfortunately, basic human and environmental rights—
International environmental rights were first spelled out including the right to work, food, adequate living standards,
in the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the education, and a safe, healthy and sustainable environment—
Human Environment in 1972, later expanded by the 1982 have not been extended to a major portion of humanity. Under
World Charter for Nature, the 1992 Declaration of the current economic policies and the associated process of
United Nations Conference on Environment and globalisation, there may be little immediate prospect of
Development, and several other international improvement. Within current globalisation trends, some 2
environmental agreements. billion people in over 120 countries will remain on the
margins of economic prosperity, social development and
Human rights and environmental rights are not static; they environmental sustainability*.
expand with society’s will and capacity.
The fulfilment of human and environmental rights is the
responsibility of all who have it within their means to act.
OUR RESPONSE
While we all share these responsibilities, they fall heavily
on those government and non-government participants
who have the political mandate and the economic CARE International and WWF believe that civil society,
resources to deliver. both in the North and in the South, has an important role
to play in advocating the rights of all people to a secure
Ensuring the fulfilment of internationally accepted human and livelihood and a safe and healthy environment.
environmental rights is primarily the responsibility of national
governments and intergovernmental organisations. While each Today’s stark imbalance in rights fulfilment has become the
government is accountable, first, to its own citizens, rich focus of civil society’s mobilisation and action. Individuals
countries have additional responsibilities towards developing and communities are not prepared to accept the current
countries. These include reforming current policies governing inequities as inevitable. Increasingly, there is a willingness
international trade, investment and development, to allow to hold both governments and the private sector accountable
poorer countries access to the resources needed to move more for their social and environmental responsibilities. Civil
decisively towards fulfilment of human and environmental society organisations have a key role to promote and monitor
rights. accountability.
The desire to promote responsibility and accountability
Beyond governments, economic trends over the last thirty guides this initiative. To reverse current trends that
years have tended to diminish the role of the state and increase concentrate wealth, marginalize the poor and degrade the
the influence of businesses, notably large multinational environment, social and environmental NGOs must work
corporations. This transfer of power and initiative should together.
have gone hand in hand with new regulatory frameworks,
binding agreements and commitments to ensure that the By coming together, we pledge to reach beyond our
private sector also assumes a larger share of responsibilities traditional fields of concern and ensure that our field work,
towards the fulfilment of human and environmental rights. Yet policy work, advocacy and campaigning effectively address
advances in that direction have been, at best, modest. both social and environmental concerns, so that the outcome
of our actions is greater than the sum of the parts.
Specifically we commit to:
Strengthen our own activities. We aim to understand
better and address the common causes of poverty,
environmental degradation and denial of human rights.
Without relinquishing our organizations’ individual
objectives, we will look for opportunities to undertake joint
programme and policy initiatives to address environmental
conservation and poverty eradication together.
Reach out to potential partners South and North. We
will bring this proposal to the 2002 World Summit on
Sustainable Development, to invite other participants to join
our efforts. As well, we express our interest in supporting a
coalition for social and environmental justice.
Campaign to encourage governments to apply the highest
standards of social and environmental justice. We will also
promote the accountability of international institutions and
the private sector to ensure they contribute to the
Photo: WWF-MPO, Cristiana Saracuza achievement of social and environmental justice.
Call all participants to action to increase social and
We believe that civil society, both in the North environmental justice in priority areas, including rural
and in the South, has an important role to poverty and conservation; climate change and natural
disasters; urban poverty and environment; international
play in advocating the rights of all people to a trade, investments, and international governance.
secure livelihood and a safe and healthy
environment. Through these actions and the reorientation of our work we
hope to benefit and empower the poor, enhance
environmental conservation efforts at national and
For more information: international levels, and increase the influence of civil
www.care-international.org/wssd society in shaping tomorrow’s world. We recognise that we
will have to continue our process of change and adaptation
www.panda.org/mpo/wssd as the world society, economy and environment change
around us.