Déclaration De Bandung (document en anglais)

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The Voice of Children and Youth for Rio+20

2011 Tunza International Children and Youth Conference

Bandung Declaration

October 1, 2011

§1 We, the delegates to the 2011 Tunza International Children and Youth Conference

representing 118 different countries, are united in calling upon world leaders to

move to a sustainable development pathway that safeguards the Earth and its

people for our generation and generations to come. We urge governments to

respond to and not ignore the demands of the children and youth.

Section 1: Rio+20 and the Promises to Our Generation

§2 Next year, our leaders will meet in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to critically assess and

accelerate our progress towards sustainable development. The “Rio+20” gathering

will mark a generation since the 1992 Earth Summit – the first effective global

recognition of the environmental, social and economic costs of unrestrained

development.

§3 While we were not at the Earth Summit in 1992, we know that it was

transformative. As a result, sustainable development has become a critical

component in the protection of the environment and the eradication of poverty.

We have met the children and youth who stood there and called to the moral

consciences of our leaders and citizens to act.

§4 We have also read of the promises made and that continue to be made to us, the

inheriting generation, which remain unfulfilled. Our governments have promised to

reduce poverty, stem environmental degradation and enhance equity. They have

promised to combat climate change, ensure food security, provide clean drinking

water and protect our planet’s biodiversity. Businesses and multi-national

corporations have pledged to respect the environment, green their production and

compensate for their pollution.

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§5 Yet, our planet’s future – our future – is in peril. Our generation has seen the

warning signs in Rio 1992 become the realities that face Rio+20: poverty, climate

change, pollution and depleting natural resources are all symptoms of our

unsustainable development patterns. We feel, understand and know that we cannot

wait another generation, until a Rio+40, before we act.

Section 2: What We Are Going to Do

§6 We are the next generation of decision-makers and we stand for action and

change. Therefore, we pledge the following commitments to make the Rio+20

Earth Summit a milestone for change.

§7 1. Lobby our governments to make Rio+20 Earth Summit a top priority. We

will identify our governments’ positions, listen to their commitments and hold them

accountable to us. We will demand that our governments, leaders of the private

sector and civil society groups attend the Summit and make ambitious commitments

now. We will call upon governments to formulate and implement sustainable

development policies, which also address poverty eradication and are supported by

strong enforcement mechanisms.

§8 2. Adopt more sustainable lifestyles and educate our local communities,

including indigenous communities, sharing knowledge at the same level. All

action starts with the individual and we are committed to reducing our personal

ecological footprint. We will teach and encourage each other to be responsible

consumers using all available tools. Yet, many young people remain unaware of

basic environmental issues because of inadequate schooling. We will demand that

environmental education and awareness raising be mandatory in each of our

schools’ curriculum.

§9 3. Work toward sustainable development through a green economy

transition. We know that young entrepreneurs are now developing the new

approaches needed for this transition and we will support each other as our

generation develops sustainable technologies and processes. We will ask educational

institutions to invest in these activities. We will urge governments and civil society

to support young entrepreneurs and innovators that work towards sustainable

development. We will support businesses that are environmentally responsible. We

will lobby governments to pass laws and to put in place higher taxes on products

that don’t conform to this. We will continue to realize our vision of a sustainable

world.

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§10 4. Contribute to local, national, regional and global discussions on

sustainable development. We will demand to ensure children and youth

participation in all decision-making processes at all levels. We will support

institutions that balance development and the preservation of

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