It is the egos of people, governments, businesses that prevent solutions and generate a terrible lack of political will.”
November 2005, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Earth Charter International mourns the passing of Maurice F. Strong, co-chair of the Earth Charter Commission. All of us involved in the sustainability movement share special feelings of gratitude and admiration for the unique role he played and brilliant leadership he provided over many years in the global process of social transformation.
As the Secretary General of the 1992 Earth Summit, founder of UNEP, The Earth Council, The Earth Charter Initiative and many other great movements, he was able to significantly influence historical changes, proven by the numerous conventions and international policies that emerged on the environment and sustainability over the past 30 years. At the turn of the century, Koffi Annan invited him to take on the task of revitalizing the University for Peace, to which he dedicated all his efforts as the Rector and the chair of the Council for several years.
As a member of the Brundtland Commission and Secretary General of the Earth Summit in 1992, Mr. Strong took on the commitment to carry the idea of an Earth Charter forward (which was a recommendation made in the Brundtand Commission Report and according to him an unfinished piece of business of the Rio Earth Summit). Therefore, in 1994, together with Mikhail Gorbachev he launched the Earth Charter Initiative and became the co-Chair of the International Commission.
We would like to stress his unique ability to communicate with people from all walks of life and his tireless commitment and vision towards elevating the voices of non-state actors in the international policy arena. The fact that Agenda 21 has a whole section on The Role of Major Groups, which has subsequently opened up many possibilities, is in great part due to his capacity to envision a new multi-stakeholder process of decision making.
In light of the opening of COP21, it seems appropriate to take a moment to reflect on some of the messages he used to convey:
November 2005, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Following in his footsteps, we would like to move ahead with determination and a deep sense of intergenerational commitment to carry forward the great work that he started and that we still have ahead of us, which is to continue to influence the process of changing the development model through the awakening of a new global consciousness.
We want to express our condolences and sentiments to his family, friends, and past colleagues and above all remember and celebrate his life with gratitude.
Earth Charter International Secretariat and Council
“I want to thank Mr. Strong for everything he has done. A leader is someone who has a vision to make things better and dedicates all possible efforts to make it happen gathering the cooperation of many. A leader is able to communicate that vision well, inspire and engage many, and influence processes of change. Mr. Strong did that in an outstanding way. I feel deep admiration, respect, and gratitude to him for his consistency over the years, for his vision, and life dedication to address the world´s environmental challenges and make sustainability a reality.”
Mirian Vilela, Executive Director, Earth Charter International
May his work live on! We send our prayers and deepest sympathy to his family.”
Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau’s statement.
The Guardian article, Maurice Strong: A Sustainable Life by Felix Dodds
The New York Times article AP, UN: Maurice Strong, Climate and Development Pioneer, Dies
A tribute from Ronald Leger.
Please, feel free to leave a tribute message of your own in the comment section below.