The European Union and World Sustainable Development

This year's Global Jean Monnet Conference was held in Brussels on 5-6 November. It addressed "The European Union and Sustainable Development". Organised under the auspices of the Education and Culture Directorate General. It brought together 450 top academics, policy makers and representatives of civil society from around the world, in the presence of Commission President José Manuel Barroso.

The Conference addressed one of the major challenges to the EU: how best to actively promote sustainable development. Sustainable development implies a high level of environmental protection, social equity and cohesion, and economic prosperity. It has to be achieved in the face of demands to improve people's lives and to conserve our natural resources in a world whose population is growing, with increasing demand for food, water, shelter, sanitation, energy, health services and economic security. The conference started from common European values - solidarity and cohesion; respect for fundamental rights; equal opportunities and non-discrimination; universal access to education and healthcare; and multi-lateral dialogue and peace – and considered how the EU can build from them towards worldwide sustainable development.

The nature of the Jean Monnet network enables it to draw on a particularly wide range of top-level authorities in selecting speakers and participants. Those present included leading policy makers, academics and representatives of civil society from 5 continents. They addressed this issue from many different angles to identify ways forward. Topics discussed included global environmental governance, climate change, sustainable energy, demography, poverty and development.

The results of the conference will be published in book form.