WHO WAS WHO AND WHAT WERE THEY UP TO?

There were many players involved in the run up to the World Summit -- each with specific perspectives, priorities and ideas how the summit would further sustainable development best. The different stakeholders were all working on their own blueprints for the summit. Several government strategies were becoming more and more visible in the run up to the summit. The major blocks (EU, USA, and G77/China) followed their own agenda in influencing the Chairman's Paper, and hence the future outcome of Johannesburg.

Explore more on the positions of

South Africa as the host country;
European Union;
USA; and
G77/China;

Business and Industry; and
Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations

There are a number of interngovernmental bodies that are also of key importance for sustainable development. Some of them are:

World Trade Organisation;
United Nations Environment Programme;
United Nations Development Programme;
Global Environment Facility;
Commission for Sustainable Development; and the
Bretton Woods Institutions