Country Profiles

Mission Statement

The Guardian of Future Generations would have the aim of safeguarding inter-generational and intra-generational sustainable development in Malta. The Guardian’s duties include:

• Promoting SD advocswitzacy across national policy making, legislation and practices;
• Developing a scientific research network that could positively contribute towards the sustainability of society;
• Developing audits of various areas or sectors which are deemed to contribute towards sustainable development; and
• Proposing goals and actions to govnermnet entities for them to take up in order to contribute towards sustainable development.

Composition and Membership

Mr. Michael Zammit Cutajar is the current appointed Chairperson of the Guardian of Future Generations.

The current members are Dr. Michael Bonello, Ms. Simone Mizzi and Dr. Roberta Lepre.

The Sustainable Development Network will consist of a Chairperson appointed by the Prime Minister, Sustainable Development Coordinators which are appointed in every Ministry, the role of which is given to Permanent Secretaries, the head of the Strategic Policy Secretariat, and a person appointed by the Minister having knowledge and experience in environmental (from the NGO sector), social and economic matters.

These two bodies, the Sustainable Development Network and the Guardian for Future Generations, are appointed for a three year period.

Role and Functions

The Sustainable Development Act in Malta, passed July 10th 2012, established the function of the Guardian of Future Generations, a high level committee tasked with looking after and representing the interests of future generations at the national level.

In addition the Act proposed the setting up of a Sustainable Development Network to spread sustainable development in Malta. The Guardian for Future Generations Committee and the Sustainable Development Network will ensure the issues are given their own space, voice and representation.

Contact

The former Commission was an ‘officially appointed body’ of the Government of Malta.

Name: Mr. Anthony Cardona

Position: Ministry of Environment

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone: +35622915006

Name: Karina Fiorini

Position: officer in charge of SD at the Tourism and SD Unit

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone: +35622915028

Mission Statement

Malta’s response to the UN’s Rio+20 Questionnaire:

‘The National Commission for Sustainable Development was appointed in 2002. This Commission formulated the National Sustainable Development Strategy. The next step that Malta is now taking is to formulate a legal instrument whereby government entities are bound by sustainable development. Once approved, Malta would have a strengthened framework that would necessitate increased coordination amongst entities and permeation of sustainable development strategies across government and society. For this reason, the Government of Malta will be setting up a Strategic Policy Unit with the responsibility of streamlining the system and also facilitating the implementation of sustainable development across the nation.’

 The Commission had the following functions:

• to advocate SD across all sectors, review progress and build consensus on action needed to achieve further progress;
• to identify any relevant process or policy which may be undermining sustainable development and propose alternative processes or policies;
• to identify trends which may singificantly give rise to unsustainable development and which will not be reversed on the basis of current or planned action, and recommend action to reverse such trends;
• to increase awareness of the need that development must be sustainable;
• to encourage and stimulate good practice in the use and management of natural resources, in particular their minimal use and maximum resuse by recycling in an environmentally sustainable manner;
• to prepare a National Sustainable Development Strategy; and
• to carry out such other functions in relation to sustainable development as may be assigned to it by the Prime Minister.

Composition and Membership

The Commission was composed of:

• • Ministers ex officio or their representatives;
  • two members of the House of Representatives, one appointed by the Prime Minister and the other by the Leader of the Opposition;
  • a representative of the Environment and Planning Authority;
  • the Chairman of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development ex officio;
  • representatives of such public entities as in the opinion of the Prime Minister are relevant to the functions of the Commission;
  • a representative of the association of local councils; and
  • representatives of organisations which represent or have an interest in business, industry and/or industrial relations, scientific and academic bodies, the media, and other NGOs, as decided by the Prime Minister.

Role and Functions

• • advising on government policy or making policy recommendations, including NSDS; and
  • stakeholder engagement.
    

Resources