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“The World Summit on Sustainable Development” was
held in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 26 to September 4 in 2002. Premiers,
government representatives, NGOs, etc. participated from various countries to
discuss topics such as poverty in developing countries and the increasing problem
of global warming. An official delegation from Sendai led by the Deputy Mayor
and the Sendai Forum for Johannesburg 2002, which was established by local NPOs
and the city administration in order to propose ideas at the summit, participated.
The delegations successfully appealed for the importance of public-private partnerships
and what each person should practice, through the Local Government Session, NGO
Forum, and an event jointly organized by administration and the Sendai Forum.
The Local Government Session, hosted by ICLEI, began at Sandton
on August 27. Approximately 200 local governments from 71 countries convened for
three days, discussing themes such as climate, water, and financial assistance.
Sendai was one of the seven local governments that participated from Japan, which
also included Kyoto City, Kobe City, and Kitakyushu City. On the closing day,
the session launched Local Action 21, which further advanced Local Agenda 21,
the local-level implementation of Agenda 21, which was adopted at the UN Conference
on Environment and Development 1992 (the Rio Summit).
Sendai also participated in a roundtable discussion held on August 29 (themed
“Using the Market for Sustainable Development”). The city delegation
reported its efforts that arose from its spike tire movement in the 80’s
and that developed into its green purchasing policy, which aims to purchase environment-friendly
products whenever applicable. Sendai confirmed the necessity for worldwide cities
to cooperate in the implementation of green purchasing, and proposed to hold an
international conference for worldwide corporations, researchers, NPOs, and local
governments to discuss the promotion of market expansion and environmental technology
development.
The NGO Forum, hosted by the Civil Society Global Forum, was
held from August 23 to September 4 in the Nasrec area, located approximately 30
km from the main venue. The venue’s abundant space was utilized for events,
exhibitions, and demonstrations by NGOs throughout the world.
Sendai City and the Sendai Forum for Johannesburg 2002 opened an exhibition booth
for five days, from August 27 to 31, displaying photos and pamphlets that explain
the City’s environmental measures, along with recycling efforts that took
place during the Sendai Tanabata Festival.
The Sendai Forum for Johannesburg 2002 hosted a workshop called “Youth Conference
on our Environment” on August 30, exchanging opinions with members of NGOs
from various countries. The forum also held a workshop called “Sendai Vesper”
on the same day. Approximately 80 members of NGOs from various countries gathered
and held a lively discussion centered around the role of agriculture.
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