Johannesburg World Summit

by PRASHER, G. | Category: Focus | Oct 2002

Two months ago the largest ever United Nations gathering took place in Johannesburg, South Africa. The objective? - a World Summit on Sustainable Development, to seek international cooperation in addressing the best means of conserving natural resources and their more equitable distribution between richer and poorer parts of the world.

There was something ironic about the choice of venue in an opulent suburb of Johannesburg, a city with adjacent Soweto Township, emblem of deprivation and former apartheid oppression. In his opening speech South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki said that the gap between the world's richest and poorest nations was 'unsustainable', and urged delegates to reach agreement on measures which would help to narrow the gap. Most would doubtless agree this to be a worthy objective, but how to bring it about remains the problem.

For example, it has been widely suggested that one of the best ways to help developing countries would be for rich nations to open their markets to products which poorer countries can supply more cheaply. At present the United States and Europe impose high tariffs on the import of many such products. At the same time they provide subsidies to encourage production in their own countries. Sugar is a case in point. Europe is the most expensive place to produce it, yet has become the world's biggest sugar exporter. The United States and some European countries were not prepared to admit this subject to the Summit agenda.

Overall the outcome of the Summit was disappointing. A firm agreement was reached to curb illegal fishing and rebuild depleted stocks by year 2015. On most issues however no binding agreements were achieved. This led some to regard the Summit as 'better at producing lofty platitudes than action'. Others were less severely critical, feeling that the ten-day discussion of these vital issues raised world awareness of their importance, exposed harmful trade policies and provided useful exchange of ideas towards future progress.

Scripture confirms human responsibility regarding the creation over which mankind was given rule (see Gen. 1:26-30). As David also was moved to write in Psalm 8: 'You made him (man) ruler over the works of your hands' (NIV). This responsibility was made more difficult when as a result of sin the ground was cursed (Gen. 3:17) and creation brought into the bondage of corruption, so that 'the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs until now' (Rom. 8:21,22). When we add to this the effects of human mismanagement through self-interest, greed and enmities it's not difficult to understand why chaotic dislocation of earth's resources has followed.

While problems of health, climate change and food resources were being exhaustively discussed at the Johannesburg Summit, a stark reminder of tragedy through disease, drought and famine was unfolding across a great swathe of Africa, from Angola through Zambia to Malawi and south into Zimbabwe. Successive years of drought have ruined crops of staple foods. A fearful AIDS epidemic has ravaged many areas. Poor nutrition makes people more vulnerable to the virus. The resulting increased death toll reduces the numbers working on the land. Many children are left orphaned before they've learned to farm, so food production is further diminished. Thankfully, international help has been mobilized to support the 13 million people at risk, but immense human suffering seems inevitable, and prayer for God's overruling mercy is urgently called for.

The apostle Peter used a remarkable expression in Acts 3:21 - the times of restoration of all things. Those times are linked with the return to earth of the Lord Jesus, as spoken of by God's prophets since the world began.

'God be merciful unto us, and bless us... That thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among all nations... Let all the peoples praise thee... For thou shalt judge the peoples with equity... The earth hath yielded her increase... And all the ends of the earth shall fear him.' (Ps.67 RV).

The times of restoration of all things will be based upon universal acknowledgement of spiritual salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ; but His saving health among the nations will extend also to ecological adjustment, plentiful food and physical well-being (Ps. 72:16,17; Is. 65:20-25). All nations will be ruled with equity, blessed contrast to the wide differentials in resources which afflict the present world order.

PRASHER, G. | Oct 2002
Focus