EMG was actively involved in various preparatory activities for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), with our primary focus being to act as a resource for broader civil society. Our aim was to provide relevant information and analysis on 3 key areas, namely freshwater, trade and food security. In addition, EMG acted as the Southern African focal point for the Danish 92- Group Project aimed at increasing participation of Southern Africa NGOs.

Is is over or has it just begun? Did it achieve anything? Was it was worth all that money and CO2 emission?

The debate is endless. Click here for a few of our own perspectives on the Summit and list of related publications....

Links to more post-Summit information and analysis

• Official UN WSSD site - of course now somewhat out of date
• Sustainability Watch (formerly Rio+10 network) - learn more about civil society WSSD activities around the world, and the stories behind the stories from back-copies of Eco-Equity, a daily bulletin produced jointly by GreenPeace, 92-Group and WWF during the WSSD
• Heinrich Boll Stiftung’s Summit site - The is a very useful source of commentary on various WSSD issues
• The South African Civil Society Secretariat
• South Africa Department of Environmental Affairs
• Previously known as the UNED Forum but now called Stakeholder Forum for Our Common Future.
• A professional and comprehensive account of the negotiations called Earth Negotiations Bulletin can be accessed from the International Institute for Environment and Development. They also provide a useful discussion papers on various topics, easily downloadable from www.iied.org/wssd If you want a blow-by-blow of account of governmental negotiations at the Summit and various UN PrepComs, and something of a critical assessment, visit the site of the International Institute for Sustainable Development at

Preparation for the summit

We prepared a document that explains the origins of the WSSD.

Rio + 10

This network looks at the involvement of the South in the WSSD and we had a post-summit workshop.

Trade and the WSSD

• As preparation for the WSSD, the Trade Strategy Group met in June '02 in Cape Town and produced a manifesto
• EMG was one of the convenors of the Trade and Sustainable Development Commission at the Global People's Forum at Nasrec Johannesburg, 27 August 2002. Commission report.
• Draft paper written by EMG for the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism as part of the South African Government's pre-WSSD National Agenda 21 Review Process.