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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 2563 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to present the Earth Charter. The Earth Charter is a declaration of interdependence and responsibility, and will serve as a universal code of conduct to guide people and nations towards sustainable development. The basic premise of the Earth Charter is that our environmental, social, and economic problems are interconnected, and demand integrated solutions.

The Earth Charter was drafted as a layered document, with a preamble, 16 main principles, various supporting statements, and a conclusion. The principles themselves are divided into four groups: respect and care for the community of life; ecological integrity; social and economic justice; and democracy, non-violence and peace.

On a global scale, the Earth Charter encourages respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Locally, it encourages community participation in government decision-making, respect for other cultures, and the promotion of lifelong learning.

The concept of an international Earth Charter was first discussed at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. It was taken up by a group of non-government organisations, and a worldwide consultation process was initiated to ensure broad consensus and wide support for the charter. It is anticipated that the Earth Charter will be presented to the United Nations in 2002.

Dr Brendan Mackey from the ANU is the president of the Australian National Committee for the Earth Charter. The committee was established to provide opportunities for Australians to participate in the Earth Charter consultation process. The committee gathered and documented community views, including those of the ACT, and has channelled them into the international consultation process. Three consultation forums were held in the ACT during 1999, each of which was sponsored by this government.

The first component of the consultation was the Earth Charter forum held in February 1999. The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Gary Humphries, Ms Kerrie Tucker and I participated in the forum, which was attended by business and non-government organisations. The objective of the forum was to explore the full potential significance and relevance of the draft Earth Charter for Australia.

Then the Australian Capital Region Earth Charter Consultation Forum was held in August 1999, hosted by the Conservation Council of the South East Region and Canberra. This forum explained how the Earth Charter deals with the three dimensions of sustainable development: environmental protection, economic goals and social aspirations.

The third and final consultation forum was held on 3 December 1999. Ms Tucker, Mr Simon Corbell and I were invited to respond to the forum proceedings. It was at this forum that we agreed to take the Earth Charter to this Assembly, when it was finalised by the international secretariat.

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