Rights to Development and Community Democracy

John Gray

What does international law say about economic and environmental sustainability

Principle 27 of the Rio Declaration, proclaims that

"States and people shall cooperate in good faith and in a spirit of partnership in the fulfillment of the principles embodied in this Declaration and in the further development of international law in the field of sustainable development." [emphasis supplied]

Our Community and Council will work together as they stand by the international intention to sustain the quality of life for all people inside, surrounding, and beyond town limits.

The Hague Declaration of 1989 declared that environmental harm threatens "the right to live in dignity in a viable global environment.”

Ensure Responsible Development in San Leandro - City Council Meeting

1. diverse and mixed-income housing

2. good-paying, union jobs with benefits

3. safe, walkable and bikeable streets

4. access to parks, schools, transit and other important social services

5. green building and energy efficiency to reduce global warming

c. Chapter 2 of Our Common Future (the report of the Brundtland Commission) begins:

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

The 1986 United Nations General Assembly "Declaration on the Right to Development."

“Recognizing that development is a comprehensive economic, social, cultural and political process, which aims at the constant improvement of the well-being of the entire population and of all individuals on the basis of their active, free and meaningful participation in development and in the fair distribution of benefits arising therefrom..."

"The right to development is an inalienable human right by virtue of which every human person and all peoples are entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized."

1994 Draft Principles on Human Rights and the Environment. It avers that

"All persons have the right to active, free and meaningful participation in planning and decision- making and processes that may have an impact on the environment and development. This includes a right to a prior assessment of the environmental, developmental and human rights consequences of proposed actions."

The 1996 Human Development Report issued by the UNDP listed what sustainable development is NOT:

Jobless and ruthless -- development where there are losers such as unemployed people (socio-economic dimension)

Voiceless -- development where the people had no say or participation (political dimension)

Rootless -- development which does violence on communities and their cultures (socio-cultural dimension)

Futureless -- development which is at the expense of future generations such as irreversible destruction of natural life support systems (ecological dimension)