Progress since the Earth Summit
The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 had clearly spelled out these challenges and provided a road map for countries to follow in the new century. The Earth Summit had driven home the message that we could not continue treating the planet like a business in liquidation and that development that undermined the very basis of our existence was not a sustainable model. Only development processes that protected our natural heritage and cared for the welfare of human beings could ensure that current and future generations could enjoy the fruits of economic prosperity.

Some progress had been made on sustainable development since 1992, especially in the area of building international consensus, the signature and ratification of key international agreements, institutional improvements, greater public participation and accelerated private sector initiatives.

One area where real success could be reported was at the local level among cities and municipalities where over 3000 local Agenda 21 plans were currently in effect. Hong Kong could make a significant contribution by adopting a local Agenda 21 plan to promote sustainable living at the city level.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development
The aim of the World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg in August 2002 was to re-invigorate political commitment to full implementation of the agreements reached at the Earth Summit in 1992. The summit's success would be measured by how far governments, business and civil society could accelerate implementation of Agenda 21 through concrete action, measures and collaborative efforts. The United Nations had learned that progress in sustainable development depended on building strong partnerships.

The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) had proven to be an effective forum for interaction and dialogue with all segments of society. The multi-stakeholder dialogue session at the sixth session of the CSD in 1998 was an example of the importance of participation and partnership in international negotiations. These sessions had allowed non-government stakeholders to share their expectations, experience and commitments with regard to sustainable development. Another positive side effect of the sessions was that the CSD had become more accessible, open and transparent, something that benefited all stakeholders. Participation and partnership at the international level had the additional benefit of aligning international policy with local circumstances, thus raising the sense of responsibility and commitment to the implementation of effective policies and initiatives at the local level.

Preparatory Meetings in Bali
The fourth and final preparatory meeting for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which took place in Bali, had resulted in agreement on the main outline of the draft implementation plan that would be presented