Plenary Address of Mikhail Gorbachev (Closing Plenary Session)
President of Green Cross International
At The Earth Dialogues Forum

February 23, 2002
Lyon, France
(Note: Translated from the original speech given in Russian)


Dear Forum participants,

Here we are at the end of this forum, of this unique meeting. My impression is that this forum is a success and this success is above all due to the forum participants themselves and the discussions that took place in workshops and in groups. These discussions showed the participants’ deep level of understanding of what is happening to our planet, and thanks to these Earth Dialogues, we have advanced our understanding a little. I would therefore like to thank you for the enormous work that you have done here. Everything was organized, of course, but without the quality of discussion, we would have had difficulty in reaching the results that were presented today. That is the first element and I thank you for it.

Secondly, we must find a way to put into practice the results we have obtained. We have conducted an exchange of views and we feel that this is a good prelude to the meeting of the Heads of State in Johannesburg on the theme of sustainable development. I think that if, on the basis of the discussions that took place in Lyon, we can prepare a report to send to Johannesburg, and perhaps first to the Heads of State, this will be an important contribution. It is therefore an obligation that we are undertaking.

We stated that the Lyon forum has shown that its partners support the Earth Charter. This is the first time that support for this document, the product of so many years’ work, is articulated before so large an auditorium. This work has been done with the help of Mr. Strong, under the patronage of the Netherlands, with input from scientific and cultural representatives. This is an extremely important document that proved very challenging to elaborate, and if you, the participants of this forum, give us your support, we will be able to take the following step: I am going to write a letter - or will perhaps write it with Maurice Strong – so we will write a letter that we will send to the Heads of State who will be present in Johannesburg with their delegations.

We will send it right away so that they may reflect beforehand on the content and the imperatives that figure in this unique document concerning our earth and the world community. I think that this will be useful during the time that remains before the end of August, when this meeting in South Africa will take place. We intend to hold a number of meetings and press conferences where the world press will be represented, and we count on your support. I will be frank; because of the press, and perhaps because of us, the theme of ecology is not presented to the world as it should be. We do not intend to put any kind of pressure on the press, however, although we are ready to cooperate. This will be our contribution to the preparation of the Johannesburg summit.

I think that we should concentrate all our activities so that this meeting in South Africa fulfils peoples’ hopes. We are very worried that all that was said in 1992 at Rio de Janeiro - the ideas that were launched - seem to have been put on hold, even though sustainable development was the essential point of the 21st century’s order of the day.

We must do everything to make this meeting in Johannesburg a success and we will speak of this “Bush,” which Maurice Strong mentioned, with Green Cross USA. We will work together, and we will have the possibility of holding in the United States a new meeting in the days to come, on the subject of ecology and on the problems of this great people and its government. We will ask the questions as they should be asked, and in such a way that they lead to a constructive reaction from the United States.

If the Johannesburg meeting ends with clear declarations that are not, however, followed up with practical measures creating a work base for nations, for business, for international organizations and for the majority of citizens, this meeting will have been in vain. Therefore, we do not have the intention to simply announce our concerns, we will not content ourselves with criticizing; we want this meeting in South Africa to be a success. And when we achieve this goal, we will be able to begin concrete work corresponding to different projects. Yet if our activities are not based on an ethical approach, if we do not use ethical criteria to evaluate our activities in the area of ecology, we will not uncover the real problem. It is not about a private or isolated problem, it is rather a choice: the choice of world civilisation for the hundred thousand years to come. We should stick to our principles, and we should be constructive. If we do not manage to adopt documents that build a solid base in the areas of law and of ecology, we will have difficulty in resolving ecological problems because we will have no foundation. We need ethics. We need law in the area of ecology, and we must emphasize the necessity of adopting documents like the Earth Charter.

We must admit that without peace and without stability, we will not be able to face the challenges of the 21st century. In order to do this, we must eradicate poverty. If the situation of billions of people- with whom it is difficult to speak because they are hard pressed to simply survive- if we are not able to resolve this problem, a rather dark future awaits the whole planet.

This is why the need to overcome poverty is the Problem among problems. Maintaining peace - stabilising peace - is also a Problem among problems.

Without addressing these preliminary situations, we will not resolve other problems. I think that whatever happens, we are capable of achieving many things. I am more optimistic than before this forum took place, and I would like to extend to the French government, to the Mayor, to all the citizens of Lyon who have provided us with excellent working conditions, I would like to extend to all of you, as well as to the members of Green Cross International, a big thank you. I would also like to thank Prime Minister Lionel Jospin for his speech. I think that we will try, if it is not published here, to circulate it throughout the world. It is in effect a constructive speech that proves that France will hold an important position in Johannesburg, which is essential for each of us. This will be a useful example to others. I declare therefore that this forum is ended - on a wave of hope for the success of the Johannesburg Summit. I declare this forum officially closed. Thank you.