September 2012

A reflection group of about 15 leading civil-society activists, experts, and academics from around the globe has assessed conventional and alternative models of development and well-being, reconsidered development goals and indicators, and drawn conclusions for future development strategies. It provided specific policy recommendations for the UN Rio+20 Conference but went unheard. The group argues that the state can respond quickly to the societal and ecological disaster we are facing if based on democratic legitimacy and accountability. In times of growing global interrelationship between societies, economies and people, universally agreed principles are the precondition for living together in justice, peace and in harmony with nature. The group proposes eight principles as the foundation for a new sustainability rights framework.