From 13-19 March 1997, the Rio+5 Forum brought together more than 500 committed individuals and organizations with the purpose of moving sustainable development "From Agenda to Action." The Forum focussed on identifying key strategies and management systems for "operationalizing" sustainable development at the local, national and global levels. Elements for the Earth Charter was widely discussed during workshops. An Earth Charter International Commission meeting was held and at the closing session of the Rio+5 the Earth Charter Benchmark Draft was issued followed by a speech of Mikhael Gorbachev, Maurice Strong and Mercedes Sosa.

See the Earth Charter Benchmark Draft issued at the closing session of the Rio+7 in March 1997, Rio de Janeiro. This draft was built on the 1992 efforts, it collects consultations held in the following years, the Rio+5 deliberations and the dialogue of the Earth Charter Commission. Subsequently it was circulated to obtain comments and contributions.

The Earth Charter Continental Conference of the Americas was held in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. This event was organized and coordinated by a collaborative effort between the Government of Mato Grosso and the Earth Council. The conference brought together representatives from Earth Charter National Committees and involved groups from the Americas as well as the Caribbean and Indigenous Peoples groups to dialogue about the Earth Charter process. The conference was host to approximately 100 delegates from over 20 countries and was jointly sponsored by the Earth Council, the Government of Mato Grosso, UNICEF, and UNESCO.

The African and Middle East Charter meeting in December 1999 proved to be a very productive and successful event. Twenty participants from various countries of Africa and Middle East regions gathered together to add significant value and perspectives to the growing Earth Charter movement through the positive accomplishments of this meeting. Participants from this meeting represented: Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Mauritius, Senegal, Niger, Ghana and Jordan. The three-day meeting focused on discussions surrounding the text of the Charter and the International Earth Charter Campaign.

This workshop, was organized and sponsored by the Earth Council in cooperation with the Aleyne Ecological Movement of Kyrgyzstan and the Foundation for Survival and Development of Humankind of Russia. Approximately 30 participants from Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan representing National Councils for Sustainable Development, NGOs, governments, academia and the media gathered together. The meeting was a valuable opportunity to work on the adoption of the Central Asian Earth Charter Draft as an open national and regional process to voice inputs into the International Earth Charter.

As a result of consultations between 1997 and 1998, the Draft II was circulated in early 1999 for recommendations and comments.

Recomendaciones Emanadas para la Carta de la Tierra del Parlamento Amazonico en Julio 1999.

Recommendations emanated from The Amazonian Parliament to the Earth Charter
General Assembly held in July 1999.

Highlights of 1998 Responses to the Earth Charter Benchmark Draft presented by the Pacifica Graduate Institute Community.

The Earth Council, with the collaboration of its partner institutions, made great efforts to engage Indigenous Peoples in decision-making processes regarding sustainable development. This document is a description of how the Indigenous Peoples participated in the Earth Charter Consultation process.

Contribution to the Earth Charter Consultation Process from the International Council for Adult Education - ICAE and its Regional Officer for Latin America.

Following the Earth Charter Commission meeting held in March 2000 at the UNESCO headquarters, on June 29, 2000, the Earth Charter was publicly launched and then presented to Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands in the Peace Palace, The Hague. This was the official launch of the new phase in the Earth Charter Initiative.

An Earth Charter-Sustainability Forum for the Asia-Pacific-Oceania region took place in Brisbane, Australia. The Forum was organized by the Australia National Earth Charter Committee, the Queensland Earth Charter Committee and the Key Center for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance, and the Earth Charter International Secretariat.

As member of the Earth Charter Commission representing Africa and the Middle East, Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal took the initiative of launching a national dicussion in Jordan as well as an Arab regional meeting to introduce the Earth Charter Principles. The purpose of both gatherings was to carry on discussing, disseminating, and endorsing the principles of the Earth Charter. The ultimate goal was to receive an endorsement of the Charter from many key leaders in the region to prepare for the World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in South Africa in 2002 (RIO +10).

This meeting at The Hague involved participants from organizations with significant experience and competence in relevant areas plus many other experts and NGO leaders who, though invited in their individual capacity, were broadly representative of a diverse range of regions, cultures and relgions. The Workshop:
1. Considered the basic elements for an Earth Charter for presentation to the United Nations on the occasion of its 50th anniversary;
2. discussed ways of conducting a worldwide process of consultation leading to an Earth Charter for wide distribution and submission to the United Nations in 1997.

The Regional Office for Latin America of the Global Education Associates - GEA prepared this report during the Earth Charter Consultation process.