Dialog between the NGOs and the Government
June 5th 2002 14:00 ~17:00
Hosted by Japan Forum for Johannesburg
The purpose of the workshop that was held on June 5th was to confirm between the NGOs and the government of what we have reached at two previous workshops, "Decade of Environmental Learning & Education for a Sustainable Future" and "ODA and Sustainable Development." (Co-hosted by Indonesia Peoples' Forum (IPF) and Japan Forum for Johannesburg (JFJ)), and to build up more concrete framework by exchanging and sharing our ideas and thoughts that will bring us further from where we have reached.
We had participants from Japan, Indonesia, Russia, UK, Kenya, Finland, and others counting approximately 35. The workshop had two sessions. The theme of the first session was about the "UN decade of education for a sustainable future" and the later session was "ODA and Sustainable Development". Emeritus Ryoukichi HIRONO served as a chairman for this workshop and he connected the both workshop by showing the need to shift the ration of expenditure of global ODA to especially the area of education for sustainable future
First Session : "UN decade of education for a sustainable future"
-First, Yuko OGURI, a member of JFJ environmental education sub-group, made a brief report about the workshop.
-Next, Toshiro KOJIMA from the Ministry of the Environment of Japan announced that Japanese government is willing to accept this idea "UN decade of education for sustainable development" initiated by JFJ and has submitted this proposal to Prepcom 3 held in NY. He mentioned that next 3 efforts are needed to proceed the endorsement of the proposal in the UN General Assembly in autumn 2004. ¡Ê£±¡ËClose relationship, partnership between the governments and civil society. ¡Ê£²¡ËStrong engine is needed not only from Japan but also other countries to push forward with this project in NGO, civil society side. Need of lobby to UN organizations and also to national governments ¡Ê£³¡ËNeed f the study and research what we have to do during this decade
-Ryoukichi HIRONO asked for opinions especially on concern of next 3 points. ¡Ê£±¡ËIn order to bring environmental education something that really will be meaningful to the people living in the community.¡Ê£²¡ËAbout finance¡Ê£³¡ËRole of NGO¡Çs
-From the participants, there was a strategic proposal given by UK as addressing the need of üñ. task group for the WSSD üò. task group for the implementation after 2005 üó. wide collaboration to put much contents in Type ¶. There were also comments from Russia stressing the significance of the usage of the satellite and from Kenya was the message to inform the importance of the local knowledge.
Second Session "ODA and Sustainable development"
-There was a report from director of JFJ, Fumiaki KITSUKI, about the workshop.
-Following was the outline of history and transition of Japanese ODA explained by Kaoru Ishikawa from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japanese
-After Ishikawa's speech was an explanation given by chairman about the recent change in ODA share of expenditure. He introduced how the share of the education is increasing by looking at the statistics made by UNICEF. He also pointed out that education for sustainable development, which includes not only direct educational fee, but also fee for such as health, drinking water and sanitation are increasing especially in Asian Pacific region.
-After were the comments from the floor. There was opinion discussing the need to understand the importance of education and the knowledge of women within the context of economic structure. The importance of the self-governance in the grass root level was stressed. From Japan, Takashi KOSUGE, former ministry of education of Japan introduced the situation in Japan how the constituency do not necessarily welcome the expenditure in ODA.
-For conclusion we come to agree on ¡Ê£±¡Ëthe need to increase the expenditure of ODA in the educational area¡Ê£²¡Ëespecially to increase the share of education for sustainable development¡Ê£³¡Ëthe importance to take high respect toward the local knowledge for the improvement of the quality of ODA.