Curtain raiser

The idea for a Commission on Sustainable Development emerged duringUNCED PrepCom IV as a means for ensuring institutional follow-up toUNCED. The Commission was called for to ensure effective follow-upof UNCED, to enhance international cooperation and rationalize theintergovernmental decision-making capacity for the integration ofenvironment and development issues and to examine the progress inthe implementation of Agenda 21 at the national, regional andinternational levels.

In 1992, the 47th session of the UN General Assembly set out theterms of reference for the Commission, its composition, guidelinesfor the participation of NGOs, the organization of work, the CSD'srelationship with other UN bodies, the high-level advisory boardand Secretariat arrangements in resolution 47/191.

The CSD held its first substantive session at UN Headquarters inNew York from 14-25 June 1993. Amb. Razali Ismail (Malaysia) waselected the first Chair of the Commission. During the course of thesession, the Commission addressed the following items: adoption ofa multi-year thematic programme of work for the Commission; issuesrelating to the future work of the Commission; exchange ofinformation regarding the implementation of Agenda 21 at thenational level; progress in the incorporation of recommendations ofUNCED in the activities of international organizations and withinthe UN system; progress achieved in facilitating and promoting thetransfer of environmentally-sound technology, cooperation andcapacity-building; and initial financial commitments, financialflows and arrangements to give effect to UNCED decisions. On 23-24June 1993, over 50 ministers gathered to participate in thehigh-level segment and address issues related to the future work ofthe CSD and implementation of Agenda 21.

The CSD held two ad hoc open-ended working groups onfinancial flows and mechanisms and technology transfer andcooperation, which met from 22 February - 2 March 1994. Althoughthe two working groups succeeded in preparing lists ofrecommendations to be submitted to the CSD, these lists are notnearly as concrete and forward-looking as some delegates andobservers had hoped. Some government- nominated experts complainedthat the discussions were not technical enough due to the largenumber of representatives from UN missions who participated in themeeting. NGOs commented that the discussions repeated much of thewell-worn rhetoric from Rio and other intergovernmental fora.Delegates noted that smaller fora, such as the government-sponsoredmeetings held in Oslo, Cartagena and Kuala Lumpur, are often moreproductive than all-inclusive intergovernmental working groups.Most delegates agreed, however, that little progress was madetowards resolving the North-South differences on these criticalissues.

INTERSESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

The Government of Norway and UNCTAD co-sponsored this workshop inOslo from 13-15 October 1993. The workshop, which was attended bymore than 40 experts, was structured around four themes: generaltechnology-environment issues; supply side issues; demand sideissues; and new initiatives. The participants noted the following:(a) a number of proposals for action are currently stalled becausethe relevant decision-makers in government and industry do not havesufficient empirical evidence of the realities of the situation tomake a decision or because there is no consistent view on thenature of the problems involved; (b) a number of apparentlysuccessful institutional innovations need to be documented andtracked over time. Benchmarking and other best practices could bedisseminated to inspire innovations elsewhere; and (c) there areweaknesses in the methodological approaches to a number ofenvironmental issues.

WORKSHOP ON THE TRANSFER AND DEVELOPMENT OF ENVIRONMENTALLY-SOUND TECHNOLOGIES

The Government of Norway and UNCTAD co-sponsored this workshop inOslo from 13-15 October 1993. The workshop, which was attended bymore than 40 experts, was structured around four themes: generaltechnology-environment issues; supply side issues; demand sideissues; and new initiatives. The participants noted the following:(a) a number of proposals for action are currently stalled becausethe relevant decision-makers in government and industry do not havesufficient empirical evidence of the realities of the situation tomake a decision or because there is no consistent view on thenature of the problems involved; (b) a number of apparentlysuccessful institutional innovations need to be documented andtracked over time. Benchmarking and other best practices could bedisseminated to inspire innovations elsewhere; and (c) there areweaknesses in the methodological approaches to a number ofenvironmental issues.

PREPARATORY MEETING ON TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, COOPERATION AND LOCAL CAPACITIES

The United States and Colombia co-hosted this meeting in Cartagena,Colombia, from 17-19 November 1993. Representatives from 16countries, the European Commission, and five UN agencies focusedtheir discussions on two technology sub-sectors -- liquid waste andenergy technologies. The discussion on technology transfer forhandling liquid waste recommended the following: improving accessto information; monitoring discharges and assessing the risk theypose; improving regulatory frameworks; financing the acquisition oftechnology; strengthening institutions in receiving countries;improving public awareness and support for needed actions; loweringtechnological risks; and minimizing legal obstacles and tradebarriers. The discussion on energy technologies recommended thefollowing: promoting and facilitating policy reforms thataccelerate the introduction of energy efficiency technologies,practices and systems; fostering and financing the development andcommercialization of energy efficient technologies; promoting,facilitating and financing international dissemination ofinformation; promoting donor collaboration and coordination; andworking directly with recipient nations in developing the necessarycapacities to use these technologies.

SYMPOSIUM ON SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION

The Symposium on Sustainable Consumption was held in Oslo, Norway,from 19-20 January 1994. The Symposium confirmed that internationalagreement exists on the need to change unsustainable patterns ofproduction and consumption. There was broad support for a detailedanalysis of the relationship between production and consumptionpatterns and their environmental, economic and social impacts. TheSymposium proposed that the CSD consider: establishing a networkamong interested countries for exchanging information on practicalexperience in promoting sustainable consumption; and establishinga task force of experts designated by interested Governments torecommend ways and means to achieve more sustainable patterns ofproduction and consumption in both the public and private sectors.

PREPARATORY MEETING ON FINANCE

The Governments of Japan and Malaysia co-sponsored a preparatorymeeting on finance from 2-4 February 1994, in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia. The meeting was organized as an informal open exchange ofviews and ideas around the specific issues of: the internationalpolicy environment and economic instruments conducive to mobilizingdomestic and external financial resources to implement Agenda 21,including matters related to terms of trade, commodity prices andaccess to markets, various forms of debt relief, and thefeasibility of international fees, taxes and gradable permits; thenational policy environment and economic instruments conducive tomobilizing domestic and external financial resources to implementAgenda 21, including economic and fiscal incentives and mechanisms,promotion of foreign direct investment; and new schemes forfundraising and voluntary contributions through other privatechannels, including NGOs.

ROUNDTABLE ON WATER AND HEALTH IN UNDERPRIVILEGED URBAN AREAS

This roundtable was held in Sophia Antipolis, France, from 21-23February 1994. France offered to host this meeting to help mobilizedecision-makers and others working on this important issue, whichhas resulted from rapid urbanization in developing countries andcountries with economies in transition. Topics of discussion at theroundtable included the examination of: institutional problems;health, sanitary education and public involvement; appropriatetechnologies and know-how; and financial means.

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON HEALTH, THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

This workshop was held in Copenhagen from 23-25 February 1994.Participants recommended that the CSD: promote awareness andcommitment to the close and fundamental relationship betweenhealth, the environment and sustainable development; convinceGovernments of the need for political commitment to integrate thesethree issues; encourage a carefully planned redirection of nationaland international resources towards health and the environment;encourage relevant actors to participate in the sustainableplanning process; ensure at the national and local levels thatmajor groups are given better opportunities to be involved indecisions and action to protect and promote health. Theparticipants also suggested the means towards achieving theserecommendations, including: institutional capacity building;collaboration between UN agencies, international bodies and NGOs;formulation of policies and programmes in multilateral andbilateral cooperation agencies; the promotion of research; and theuse of economic instruments and information dissemination.

MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON DRINKING WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION

This ministerial conference was held from 22-23 March 1994, inNoordwijk, the Netherlands. Recommendations to the CSD included:support strategies to assist the underprivileged that arecost-effective, based on the real needs of communities, anddesigned to protect critical aquatic ecosystems and water sourcecatchment areas; reduction of the high levels of water wasted inmany cities, agriculture and industry; promotion of waterconservation through recycling and reuse; and application of soundeconomic principles in water allocation and pricing, based on theprinciple that water is a social and economic good, whilerecognizing that it is a basic human need. Governments shoulddevelop the legal and institutional framework to supportparticipation and partnership, provide access to information, andsupport public education and capacity building programmes.Governments should also preserve the natural quality of bothsurface and groundwater.

SYMPOSIUM ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONAL LAW

This symposium took place in Baden bei Wein, Austria, from 14-16April 1994, where approximately 40 experts developed a series ofrecommendations for the CSD. These included: internationalenvironmental law should contribute to the objectives ofsustainable development; soft law should be considered as animportant interim step; equity is an important instrument to attainenvironmental justice; incentives are better than sanctions formonitoring and compliance control; compliance depends on nationalcapacities; dispute avoidance provisions should be given preferenceover dispute settlement provisions; and measures dealing withinternational trade and international environmental law shouldinvolve greater cooperation between the World Trade Organizationand environmental conventions. Delegates expressed skepticism aboutbringing convention secretariats together under an umbrellaorganization. No consensus was reached on the utility of principlesin international environmental law.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CHEMICAL SAFETY

UNEP, the ILO and the WHO convened the International Conference onChemical Safety, which was held at the invitation of Sweden, inStockholm from 25-29 April 1994. Representatives from 114countries, UN bodies, specialized agencies and NGOs agreed toestablish an Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety. Thefunctions of the Forum will be to: identify priorities forcooperative action on chemical safety; advise and recommendconcerted international strategies for hazard identification andrisk assessment of chemicals; secure the collaboration of national,regional and international bodies in the field of chemical safety;promote the strengthening of national coordinating mechanisms andcapacities for chemicals management; promote internationalagreements; identify gaps in scientific knowledge; and review theeffectiveness of ongoing activities. All Member States of the UN,its specialized agencies and the IAEA are invited to participate inthe Forum. Relevant UN bodies and agencies and NGOs are alsoinvited to participate, without the right to vote.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

The Commission on Sustainable Development will open its secondsession this morning. The outgoing Chair of the CSD, Amb. RazaliIsmail (Malaysia), will open the session. The first item on theagenda is the election of officers. Klaus T”pfer, Germany'sMinister for the Environment, is expected to be elected as the newChair of the CSD. The remaining members of the Bureau will then beelected. Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, will deliver an openingstatement. The agenda and other organizational matters(E/CN.17/1994/1) will be adopted. After these organizationalmatters are addressed, T”pfer is expected to invite the ministersof Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands to introduce the reports ofthe CSD intersessional meetings hosted by their Governments. It ispossible that other delegates will report on the intersessionalmeetings held in their countries. After the presentation of thesereports, the floor will be opened for general discussion onprogress in the implementation of Agenda 21, focusing on thecross-sectoral components of Agenda 21 and the critical elements ofsustainability (Agenda Item 3). This general discussion willcontinue through Tuesday afternoon.