Future Perfect

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Global summits as impetus for national changes

Bosiljka Vukovic, Head, Division for the Support to the National Council for Sustainable Development,

Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Government of Montenegro

fter the United Nations Conference on Environment and

Development (UNCED) in Rio in 1992, each country was

given the task of implementing and adapting to national

circumstances the universally agreed Bruntland definition of

sustainable development. Meeting the needs of present generations,

without jeopardizing the ability of those coming after us to meet

theirs, was an enormous task for individual countries, at all levels

of policymaking. For countries undergoing multiple and simultane-

ous transitions, national, political, economic, social and cultural

– as in Montenegro – this was particularly challenging.

With the adoption of the Declaration of Montenegro as an Ecological

State by its Parliament in 1991, the country committed to making

the environment a foundation of national development. During the

disintegration within former Yugoslavia, the Declaration postulated

that ‘no difference among us is as great as the changes our natural

environment is exposed to [and that] regardless of our national,

religious, political and other convictions and feelings, we know and

accept that both the dignity and sacredness of human beings are

organically connected to the sacredness and the purity of nature.’

These bold statements were followed by unique constitutional

amendments in 1992, which defined Montenegro as an Ecological

State and paved the way for long-term sustainable development in

the country. Unfortunately, the geopolitical environment of the

Balkans during the 1990s hindered implementation of this commit-

ment and Montenegro waited a decade until the next global summit

on sustainable development, before returning to these ideals.

A process for all

In preparing for the World Summit on Sustainable Development,

held in Johannesburg in 2002, the overwhelming sentiment in

Montenegrin society was that for sustainable development to be

successfully implemented on the ground this concept should be

treated as a wider societal priority, not just within the scope of

one ministry or solely a government policy. Rather, it was strongly

believed it should involve shared responsibility and joint effort. As

a result, in the last ten years – particularly since its independence

in May 2006 – the commitment to sustainable development by

Montenegro has been incorporated nationally through an elaborate

and inclusive institutional framework.

Institutional framework

By forming the National Council for Sustainable Development

(NCSD) in 2002, Montenegro became the first country in the

region to institutionalize the involvement of different stakeholders

in both the decision-making process and consultation on issues of

sustainable development. Since its inception, the NCSD has gone

through several reforms, which have strengthened its

mandate. Today it has 23 members representing all

structures equally within society – key ministries, local

self-governments, business, academia, civil society and

independent experts. The NCSD is chaired by the Prime

Minister, reflecting the highest political commitment

to this path.

• Following the national model, the municipality of

Danilovgrad established the first local institutional

framework for sustainable development, forming a

multi-stakeholder council for sustainable development

and adopting a local sustainable development strategy

• In light of preparations for the United Nations

Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20),

the NCSD reassessed its work and mandate, conclud-

ing that for sustainable development to become the

mindset of every citizen, a stronger focus was needed

to implement the principle of subsidiarity. To bring

the concept closer to the public as well as stimulating

regional and local self-governments to more actively

engage in sustainable development processes, the

NCSD decided to hold its regular sessions in different

cities throughout the country.

With assistance from the United Nations Development

Programme in 2006, the Government established the

Office for Sustainable Development (OSD) – an inde-

pendent institution within its General Secretariat

– which was tasked with monitoring the implementa-

tion of the National Strategy of Sustainable Development

(NSSD) and ensuring coordination of line ministries in

sustainable development. The OSD, now integrated into

the larger Ministry for Sustainable Development and

Tourism, serves as secretariat to the NCSD and represents

an institutional link between Government decision-

making and various stakeholder positions. The OSD

ensures the NCSD deliberates on all the Government’s

strategic and long-term development policies and strate-

gies, and that it provides feedback on integration across

the three pillars of sustainable development.

Horizontal coordination

In addition to the continued emphasis on involving

stakeholders in all decision-making, national annual

sustainability reports showed that without a strong

horizontal coordination mechanism in public admin-

istration sectors, the policies, even when integratively

ustainable

cities