Scientists’ Recommendations: Need to Establish the Position and Promote the Strength of the Community in Environmental Protection
At the meeting on June 15, 2011, the Standing Committee of VACNE agreed to send some recommendations to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) and some relevant state bodies to claim for the establishment of the position and promotion of strength of the community in the cause of environmental protection and sustainable development.
It is not only VACNE’s regular function but also a practical activity to implement the Resolution 22 of the Political Bureau and the Resolution of the Party's 11th National Congress. Moreover, it serves the preparation for Rio 2012 Summit and summarizes 20 years of implementation of the Principle 10 of Rio 1992 Declaration signed by Vietnam. Concretely, we committed to recognize that: environmental issues are best handled with the participation of the community, with the rights of community's participation, access to information, access to justice and capacity building.
Written comments from scientists as well as comments made directly at the meeting of the VACNE's Standing Committee have shown that although many legal documents promulgated in Vietnam affirmed that investment in environmental protection is also investment in sustainable development; environment protection is the mission of the whole society including all sectors, state institutions at all levels, organizations, the community, and all citizens, etc. it's not enough for resolving the issue. The reason is that in all of these legal documents, the community (or people in general) is not regarded as the master, the core and decisive force in the cause of environment protection and sustainable development. It is only considered the "participating" component. Other rights such as right to Know (information), to Discuss (developing initiatives, using environmental budget), and to Inspect (effectiveness of investments) have not been highly appreciated yet.
Therefore, recently, VACNE has submitted to the Government, ministries, sectors, and provincial authorities recommendations on participating in the International Network "The Access Initiative"; promulgation of community-related legal documents; building draft environmental tax law, establishment of an institution with adequate authority and capability to deal with climate change issues; and promotion of the community's role in related strategies and laws, etc.
Some VACNE's recommendations were approved and adjusted by relevant bodies to timely serve the community and socio-economic development of the country. However, many scientists think that there still remain many gaps in our national laws, institutions and environment management that need filling as soon as possible.
In the draft letter to MONRE, VACNE has raised 3 top urgent recommendations, as follows: MONRE promptly draw up and submit a Decree on mobilizing the strength of the community for environment protection and sustainable development to the Government for its promulgation; MONRE should clearly indicate the percentage of environmental protection funding under the State budget to serve the community’s environmental protection activities; MONRE should adequately invest in expanding advanced models on community's actions in environmental protection and sustainable development in order to create a wide campaign nationwide.
At the meeting, the scientists suggested that VACNE Office promptly send the above mentioned recommendations to MONRE and relevant bodies of the Government and the National Assembly so that sound decisions at macro-levels could be made to serve the need of the country's socio-economic development as well as the preparation for the national report and negotiation documents of Vietnam in the coming Environmental Summit.