Slovenia statement to Rio+20 Compilation Document\t<\/p>\n
Bled, October 28, 2011<\/p>\n
Inspired by the 1th Meeting of the European Environment and Health Task Force, held in Bled, Slovenia from 27-28 October 2011, where the implementation of the Parma Declaration has been discussed, by reviewing and making recommendations on linkage and synergies between the European Environmental Health Process and relevant international processes, Slovenia proposes statement to the Rio + 20 Compilation Document. <\/p>\n
1. Development, health and environment are closely related. What is good for health is good for environment and what is good for environment is in many cases good for health. Health supporting environment is essential for sustainable development. Health should be understood in a broader sense as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity (WHO definition), and spiritual state, including human dignity, should be taken into account. <\/p>\n
2. Since Rio 1992 sustainable development has three pillars: economy, environment and social wellbeing. We recommend to put health as a fourth separate pillar of sustainable development. <\/p>\n
3. Investing in the environment and humans as part of the nature will result in good health of people. <\/p>\n
4. Previous economic crises have been solved at the expence of environmental resources. However, we have approached a limit where further exploitation of the planetary resources may destroy the planet. We believe a change in paradigm of sustainable development is urgent, by taking human health and environment into account. <\/p>\n
5. Sustainable development is all about taking responsible decisions in longterm perspective. In the longterm perspective, the priorities and goals from energetic, traffic, economic, social, health and environment activities and policies aim at the same direction. <\/p>\n
6. Scientists, policy makers and politicians are responsible for their decisions and their influence to the environment, health and sustainable growth for all cathegories of human population. <\/p>\n
7. The wealth generated by scientific and technological achievements should be distributed to reduce inequalities and not merely produce such economic growth that makes better off only 5% of the richest. Green economy has a longterm perspective; it is a multisectoral, whole-of-government task that exceeds the consumer society. Instead of Gross Domestic Product, the indicators of public health, environment and green economy (ecological footprint, human development index etc.) will be primarily used as a measure of progress. <\/p>\n
8. We call for creating a sustainable-consuming society, a society in which technological achievements will be used to protect the natural resources and the enviroment taking in account its physical limitations and where health, ethical and moral values including human rights and unique value of each person would be seen as fundamental guidance for the future of the mankind.<\/p>\n