The South and Sustainable Development: South Centre participates in EcoLomics International Roundtable

Vice Yu, Coordinator - Global Governance for Development Programme, was a panelist at the EcoLomics International Roundtable on “Brundtland Report plus 20, EcoLomics International plus 5 : Quo vadis Sustainable Development?”

According to Mr. Yu, the development of developing countries underpins the very concept of sustainable development, with its three pillars of environmental protection, poverty eradication, and the elimination of unsustainable production and consumption patterns. In trying to achieve sustainable development, the global community will need to understand that developing countries are not going to give up on their right to development. This fact should be clearly recognized.

He stated that the failure of the current global system, and the role played by developed countries due to their own economic and political policies in such failure, underlies the deep skepticism displayed by developing countries and the lack of credibility that developed countries have among many developing countries over initiatives backed or pushed by developed countries relating to sustainable development and reforms of global environmental institutions.

The roundtable was organized by the University of Geneva on 18 October 2007.