Plenary Address of Alexander Bessmertnykh
Chairman of the World Council of Former Foreign Ministers
At The Earth Dialogues Forum
Opening Plenary Session
February 21, 2002
Lyon, France
 
 
 
Mr. Chairman and Mr. President,
Mr. Prime Minister and Mr. Mayor of Lyon,
Excellencies, and noble and distinguished participants,
 
The World Council of Former Foreign Ministers is honoured and privileged to be a co-organiser of this unique event, which in itself is a first intellectual opening to the 21st century.  On behalf of 100 top diplomats from all continents who are united in the world council, I want to salute in the first place the two leaders who together came to the same brilliant idea of initiating Earth Dialogues, President Mikhail Gorbachev and honourable Maurice Strong. 
I also wish to praise all the participants of the Dialogues who represent minds, hearts and souls of the peoples’ faiths, cultures and civilisations.  Some of us are from governments, some from civil societies and together we reflect the fantastic mosaic of the earth life.  All multi-faceted humanity will live and vibrate only if it is not replaced with a single colour civilization.  The task is not to dull the differences, historical and traditional values, but try rather to harmonize them with universal values.  They are many, but there are two basic ones:  survival of earth, survival of life.  The threat to both of them hides in secret arsenals of various weapons of mass destruction, in the widening gap between poor and rich nations, in flames of hatred, jealousy and vengeance and in the off-handedness of state decision makers. 
 
Today many of us feel disillusioned and even frustrated because the goals of Rio de Janeiro have not been achieved, that the optimism sparked by the end of the Cold War is waning.  Why did things go that way? The fact is that many leaders in governments do not really believe that continued deterioration of the environment constitutes a very serious threat, potentially much more lethal than military conflicts or international terrorist attacks.  If unattended, the intricate system of life may suddenly lose a critical part, and we may not even know which one, and the whole structure of nature would crumble down.  And the catastrophe would happen quickly and suddenly, like the eruption of Vesuvius, only a million times more powerful.  And the world would disappear like global Pompeii with nobody to discover it ever. 
There is another reason.  It so happens that protection of environment and sustainable development have slowly developed themselves into a separate field of activity with its own scientific and even linguistic particularities.  In a sense, they isolated themselves.   The problem has branched out of the concept of international security, which is the matter of everyone’s concern and thus was moved to the outskirts of global preoccupations. 
 
My last point today: we shall not achieve our goal if we continue to stay at the verbal and plenary level of fighting for earth.  There should be a grand strategy of actions.  Wisdom and eloquence should be supported by actual deeds.  We need a program, a project, a business plan of executing that strategy.  
First, if we accept that any destruction of sustainable development and protection of environment constitutes a threat to peace and international security then the United Nations should be strongly re-oriented to that.  The United Nations widely spread network of institutions have to be re-analysed: obsolete and ineffective structures created fifty years ago ought to be cut down; saved money and experienced peace personnel re-dedicated to the task of survival.  The existing United Nations Environment Program and similar ones, although they do a very good job, are just not enough.  The Security Council, which continues to deal mostly with 20th century type military threats, has to face a new model of danger, real threats to human survival.  Security council membership should reflect that change.  New sorts of sanctions are to be devised and applied to violators of new norms of international behaviour.  A strict verification system should be installed.  The UN Secretary General, now that we have a great one, has to become a principal mover in that direction, supported by governments and NGOs. 
Civil societies in each country have to play an increasing role in influencing the election of their national leaders.  Only those who commit themselves to new principles of survival will be supported and elected.  Those in power who reduce their commitments to traditional lip servicing have to be expelled and never elected to any public office.  The positive side of globalisation including media, mass media, has no other choice but to fight the negative side.  Industries and enterprises undermining sustainable development and the environment - environment safety - would know that powerful punishment is inevitable.  The short span of time left before the Johannesburg Conference could be used for mobilisation of creative minds to produce a workable strategy of actions.  If it is done, then the uncertain future transforms into an acceptable present, and it is still not too late.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish that Earth Dialogues will have a successful start on the fertile soil of France and then develop into a major global effort of keeping our planet alive and prosperous.  Thank you very much.