RIO 2012 – THE SUCCESS WE ALL ASPIRE TO ACHIEVE The
world went full cycle not in geographical sense, because the first
global concern about environment and climate change took place in Rio in
1992 which produced a framework of policy intervention by governments
across the world called “Agenda 21”. The conference was the first
attempt at compilation of factors inhibiting world economic growth and
development. The factors identified to promote growth and address
environmental pollution were: 1. Poverty Eradication 2. UBE 3. Gender
Equality 4. Child Mortality Reduction 5. Maternal Health 6. AID/Malaria
Eradication 7. Environmental pollution Reduction 8. Global partnership
for Development. Ten years after Rio de Jenairo, the world met again in
2002 at Pretoria, South Africa to assess the journey so far from 1992.
There were disagreements in Pretoria as to the progress made. However,
they agreed that some steps have been taken but they resolved that the
pace of achieving success should be timed. Therefore year 2015 was
agreed to be time for implementation of those laudable objectives. In
December 2009 the world met in Copenhagen to take a firm stand on the
way forward to arrest global warming and climate change; and to resolve
to support Kyoto protocol but could not take any resolution. These are
the least the leadership of corporate institutions should know about the
environment they operate in, in order to display corporate social
responsibility of companies to their environment. The responsibility is
statutory; not only does it determine a company’s relationship with its
customers and immediate community, it underscores the company’s effort
at good corporate governance. Advanced economies of Europe and America
have been the global economic barometer for modern analysts. And that is
why when these economies sneeze the rest of the world would catch cold.
During the market crunch in 2009 it started with US mortgage and stock
market and soon spread to Europe and the other economies became affected
like a network at varying degrees. In June 2012 when the Rio conference
was ongoing the reports of US economy showed slow recovery from the
2009 figures. In an election year consumer spending is dropping,
obviously due to rising unemployment figure as at May ending. And one is
therefore not surprised that expansion of businesses have declined. It
is doubtful if any post-November government would spur the economy to a
more speedy recovery than at its present rate. If we borrow a leaf from
previous experiences, the global economy would be affected in like
manner, unless the lessons from these global summits are applied to
avert the logical conclusions from these economic realities. My optimism
is derived from the fact that about 115 heads are better than a handful
of heads. There were no shades of economic ideas aimed at averting
global doom – from great depression, Asian financial crisis to 2009
global economic melt-down – that were not considered.
Iyke Ozemena Attorney Corporate Consultant Author:
COMPANY SECRETARIES' HANDBOOK (Kindle Edition)
Iyke Ozemena Attorney Corporate Consultant Author:
COMPANY SECRETARIES' HANDBOOK (Kindle Edition)
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