Claiming the Future

INTRODUCTION It has been a quarter of a century since sustainable development was defined by the Brundtland Report and 20 years since world leaders reached a consensus on a more sensitive approach to environment and development. Within this period, while certain developments were achieved in areas such as; • preventing the loss of biological diversity and desertification; • combating climate change and adaptation to it; • sustainable use of natural resources; • fighting poverty by improving income distribution and creating employment opportunities; • improving the quality of education and health services and increasing accessibility to these services; • increasing the accessibility to clean water, safe energy sources and food; • supporting the disadvantaged segments of the society, especially women and youth, for an honored life, it is not possible to say that global, national and local improvements are sufficient enough. It is a fact that “sustainable development” agenda created by world leaders in 1992 is still valid for the needs of today’s world. Nevertheless, developments and changes in the world in last two decades point out the need to strengthen and support this agenda. The necessity to improve global common understandings and collaboration in order to put sustainable development in the center of economic and social policies more strongly still exists.

With the impact of globalization, any problem in a corner of the world affects lives in other geographies easily; the benefits of globalization can spread rapidly if right policies are developed regarding the opportunities of globalization. The problems like economic crises, environmental problems, natural disasters and infectious diseases are not local anymore. Advanced transportation and communication technologies affected social and economic life deeply; knowledge and experience can be shared easily; and it is possible to increase the quality of many services, prevent accidents or take precautions earlier with the help of these technologies. Advancements in science and technology have served to increase the quality of life. On the other hand, despite the precautions taken until today ecological boundaries of the world, which are degraded by human activities, still face serious threats. These improvements did not change the rationale of the sustainable development attempt accepted in 1992; on the contrary they necessitated determining new methods and instruments for fighting against the problems.

Turkey has prepared for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) assembled in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012, being aware of the fact that Turkey is an actor which should be more sensitive and effective to solve global problems based on its rapid change and development trend especially in the last decade.

Turkey’s Sustainable Development Report: Claiming the Future • 1