PRESENTATION OF SHADOW REPORTS

Presentation at the People's Forum during PrepComm IV
Date: Monday, June 3, 2002
Time: 14.00-18.00
Venue: Amphitheater/Candraloka, Nusa Dua
Details to be announced

June 3, 2002 -- Bali, Indonesia, during the People's Forum. The Heinrich Boell Foundation sponsored the presentation of alternative reports made by NGOs in various countries as a critique of national government's assessments of their implementation of Agenda 21 since Rio 1992. Friends of the Earth Middle East, Friends of the Earth Indonesia and the Canadian Environmental Network had collected these Shadow Reports from a broad coalition of international and regional NGOs. On June 3, during the Indonesian Peoples Forum, these reports were jointly presented to the public. The making of some of these shadow reports were actually also supported by the Heinrich Boell Foundation, e.g. Thailand, Israel or Ethiopia.

Independent reports came from

Belarus - With the support of the Earth Council NGOs in Belarus were involved in a consultation process for Rio+10 in 2000. They produced a report that originally was designed to be integrated into the government process but was rejected by the government. This network is very interested in presenting its work in Bali and Johannesburg.

Canada - Civil society NGOs created the Canadian Environmental Forum on the WSSD. The Forum commissioned civil society 'experts' to write two pages per topic to cover different issues of Agenda 21. Choosing an indicator, they look at the trend over time and strategies and targets for 2012. The report will be officially released at the Sierra Club's "People and the Planet" conference in June; however the Forum is interested in presenting a preview of their findings in Bali.

Costa Rica - Indigenous peoples reports - The Earth Council has supported indigenous peoples who felt excluded from official multi-stakeholder processes to create their own independent assessments of the impact of government policies on their people and prospects for sustainable development.

Ethiopia - Two parallel processes occurred in Ethiopia - an NGO one and a government one. The NGO's Forum for the Environment is responsible for the Rio+10 process. 200 groups identified and prioritized 30 issues. Monthly consultation meetings are held on the different issues. One book has been published (for download here) and two more will be now produced of approximately 180pps each. These publications are alternative reports that include recommendations and can be used beyond WSSD.

Indonesia - A civil society network established 9 Major Groups (6 from Agenda 21 with the addition of Children, Fishers and the Working Poor). There are now 75 NGOs involved; they've held 4 regional consultations for input into the shadow report (written from the eyes of the major groups).

Israel - a coalition of 16 civil society groups are working together to prepare 15 chapters (approx 150 pps) on different Agenda 21 issues as a shadow report to the official government report. On Earth Day public lectures in Israel will be held on the findings of the shadow report, round tables with the government and industry, student conferences and a hearing in the Knesset are all planned. Now available for download.

Jordan - A network of NGOs have launched an independent review of Agenda 21 implementation. A shadow report is being prepared as a critique of the official government report using the same table of contents. They will be ready to release the report in Jordan before Bali.

Thailand - Thai NGOs Coordination on Development (NGO-COD) consisted of 17 networks of NGOs and POs (people organizations) including their alliances have produced an alternative report to challenge their governments into action. The final version is in the process of being translated and will be ready for Prep.Com.4. The first draft of the paper was presented in the Asian Pacific People's Forum, the parallel meeting of regional PrepComm, last year.

United States - The Environmental Law Institute has commissioned experts to write independent assessments on various Agenda 21 issues. The Institute will publish a book based on these expert reports to evaluate progress made on sustainable development issues in the United States over the last decade.