Get the Business reaction

JOHANNESBURG, 3 September 2002 – Business reacts to the latest version of the political declaration from the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Making it happen

The heads of government and their ministers have arrived at a political and implementation agreement with a number of priorities for action and targets on sustainable development – and business and industry is now determined to play its part in making it happen.

Much of the follow-up will fall to business which has the capacity, technology and resources to get the job done.
So we are rolling up our sleeves for action.

Creating an enabling environment for development

This Summit follows Doha and Monterey. Business is committed to uniting those aspects of all the conferences which will make a new deal for development.

We believe that poorer countries need free trade, and an end to subsidies and protectionism in the North so they can export their products to the rich world. They need an enabling framework of good governance at home to reassure private investment just as they need also to see ODA working synergistically with FDI on capacity and infrastructure creation so that they can begin to realize their economic potential.

Gearing up through partnerships

One of the clear successes of this Summit is the recognition that partnerships involving business with other partners, from government, civil society, NGOs and local communities is the way to create a multiplier for sustainable development.

Thousands of practical on-the-ground partnerships already exist. Some new initiatives will end up as Type 2, UN approved, but, whether they do or not, business is determined to extend the partnership concept as its way of contributing to the Johannesburg and the Millennium goals.

All the supporting organizations of Business Action for Sustainable Development, WBCSD, ICC and over 100 other national, sectoral and regional business bodies represent the capacity to turn the idea of sustainable development through practical partnerships into a growing reality on the ground.

Reporting back transparently and responsibly

Business recognizes the obligation to account for its actions and impacts in an open way. This is best done in a context of good local regulation and strong global and sectoral norms of acceptable conduct, in the development of which we are fully engaged with other stakeholders, e.g. GRI.

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