Curtain raiser
CSD-3
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CSD
Agenda 21 called for creation of a Commission on Sustainable Development as ameans to ensure effective follow-up of the UN Conference on Environment andDevelopment, to enhance international cooperation and rationalize theintergovernmental decision-making capacity, and to examine progress in theimplementation of Agenda 21 at the national, regional and international levels. In1992, the 47th session of the UN General Assembly set out the terms of reference forthe Commission, its composition, guidelines for the participation of NGOs, theorganization of work, the CSD's relationship with other UN bodies, and Secretariatarrangements, in resolution 47/191.
1993 SESSION: The CSD held its first substantive session at UNHeadquarters in New York from 14-25 June 1993. Amb. Razali Ismail (Malaysia) waselected the first Chair of the Commission. During the course of the session, theCommission addressed the following items: adoption of a multi-year thematicprogramme of work; issues relating to future work; exchange of information regardingthe implementation of Agenda 21 at the national level; progress in the incorporation ofrecommendations of UNCED in the activities of international organizations and withinthe UN system; progress achieved in facilitating and promoting the transfer oftechnology, cooperation and capacity-building; and initial financial commitments,financial flows and arrangements to give effect to UNCED decisions. On 23-24 June1993, over 50 ministers gathered to participate in the High-Level Segment on issuesrelated to the future work of the CSD and implementation of Agenda 21.
1994 SESSION: The second session of the CSD met in New York from 16-27 May 1994. During the course of the session, the Commission under its Chair, KlausTpfer (Germany), examined the first cluster of issues according to its multi-yearthematic programme of work. Delegates discussed the following cross-sectoral chaptersof Agenda 21: Chapters 2 (accelerating sustainable development); 4 (consumptionpatterns); 33 (financial resources and mechanisms); 34 (technology cooperation andtransfer); 37 (capacity building); 38 (institutions); 39 (legal instruments); and 23-32(roles of major groups). By the conclusion of the session, the Commission adoptedseven decisions on: information provided by governments and organizations; decision-making structures; transfer of environmentally sound technology, cooperation andcapacity-building; major groups; trade, environment and sustainable development;changing consumption and production patterns; and finance.
On the sectoral side, delegates examined the progress in implementing the followingchapters of Agenda 21: Chapters 6 (health); 7 (human settlements); 18 (freshwaterresources); 19 (toxic chemicals); 20 (hazardous wastes); 21 (solid wastes and sewage);and 22 (radioactive wastes). By the conclusion of the session, the Commission adoptedsix decisions on: protecting and promoting human health; human settlements; toxicchemicals; hazardous wastes; freshwater; and radioactive wastes. The Commissionalso adopted a decision on intersessional work, which called for the establishment of anew ad hoc open-ended intersessional working group to examine the sectoralissues that will be addressed by the Commission at its 1995 session (land management,agriculture, desertification, mountains, forests and biodiversity). The session concludedwith a High-Level Segment attended by over 40 ministers and high-level officials.
The members of the CSD determined that although some progress has been made,until there is an increase in official development assistance and an improvement in theinternational economic climate, it will continue to be difficult to translate the Riocommitments into action. Likewise, many participants who attended the two-week meeting agreed that unless the CSD's format is changed, it will be impossible toshift from rhetoric and speech-making to dialogue and action.
AD HOC OPEN-ENDED WORKING GROUPS: The Commission onSustainable Development's Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group on SectoralIssues met from 27 February - 3 March 1995, under the chairmanship of Sir MartinHoldgate (UK). Delegates discussed the six reports of the Secretary-General on thefollowing sectoral issues: integrated management of land resources, forests, combatingdesertification, sustainable mountain development, sustainable agriculture and ruraldevelopment, and biological diversity. Among the recommendations is a request forthe CSD to consider establishing an intergovernmental panel on forests to assess workalready done and to propose further action. The Working Group also recommendedthat the CSD promote: the exchange of views by governments on integrated landmanagement; the development of tools for integrated land management; priority totechnology-related issues; the signature, ratification and implementation of theConvention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat Desertification;action for the sustainable development of mountain areas; integration of energy-relatedissues into efforts for sustainable agriculture and rural development; and future workon the protection of traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous and localcommunities relevant to conservation and sustainable use.
The Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group on Finance met from 6-9 March 1995,under the chairmanship of Dr. Lin See-Yan (Malaysia). The Working Grouprecommended that the CSD should: secure the implementation of all financialrecommendations in Agenda 21, including meeting, as soon as possible, the acceptedtarget of 0.7% of GNP for ODA; urge developed countries to take appropriate newmeasures towards a solution to the external debt problem of developing countries;encourage international financial institutions and development agencies to continue toenhance their efforts in support of sustainable development; promote capacity buildingto enhance the use of economic instruments; prepare a detailed feasibility study on anenvironmental user charge on air transport; encourage interested parties to undertake apilot scheme on internationally tradeable CO2 permits; examine the concrete modalitiesand usefulness of establishing environmentally sound technology rights banks; promotea detailed study of the Matrix approach; provide leadership in encouraginggovernments and organizations to launch specific initiatives to support and enrich itswork in financing sustainable development; encourage the Working Group to involveprivate enterprise, research organizations, IFIs, development agencies and NGOs; andfurther promote the use of debt-for-sustainable- development swaps, as appropriate.
INTERSESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
WORKSHOP ON INDICATORS FOR SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT: The Governments of Belgium and Costa Rica, UNEP and theScientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) organized a workshopin Ghent, Belgium, on indicators for sustainable development. The 50 governmental,intergovernmental and NGO representatives who attended the workshop from 9-11January 1995, recommended that the CSD consider producing a menu of indicators forcountries to use in their national policies. These indicators may be used in nationalreports to the CSD and other intergovernmental bodies. Other recommendationsincluded: testing and adjustment of the core set of indicators in some countries orregions, on a voluntary basis; and focusing scientific efforts on improvingsustainability indicators.
WORKSHOP ON ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS FOR SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT: This workshop, which took place from 12-14 January 1995in Pruhonice, was organized by the Czech Republic and the CSD Secretariat togenerate inputs for the CSD Ad Hoc Working Group on Finance. The 88representatives from 23 countries, UN organizations, business and NGOs examined:information on global aspects of financing sustainable development and aspects relatedto economies in transition; recommendations to the CSD and other internationalinstitutions; and recommendations to national policy makers. Recommendations to theCSD included: all stakeholders should participate in the debate about choice, designand implementation of economic instruments (EIs); EIs should address both thesymptoms and causes of environmental degradation; real case studies should besupported to investigate the impact of specific EIs; the implementation of a non-binding and voluntary pilot programme of international CO2 emission trading shouldbe encouraged; and the framework, modalities, technical and legal aspects of a chargeon air transport should be further evaluated.
ROUNDTABLE ON TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER: UNIDO, incooperation with UNEP and the DPCSD, convened a Roundtable on TechnologyTransfer, Cooperation and Capacity Building for Sustainable Development in Vienna,Austria, from 6-8 February 1995. Participants produced a text, 'Elements of a WorkProgramme on Environmentally Sound Technologies.' This document addresses thefollowing issues: policy development, particularly the use of economic instruments innational policies; national needs assessments in support of environmentally soundtechnology transfer and capacity-building; promotion of environmentally soundtechnology centers; North-South and South-South cooperation; and technologyintermediaries.
OSLO ROUNDTABLE ON SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION ANDCONSUMPTION: This ministerial roundtable, sponsored by Norway, took placein Oslo, from 6-10 February 1995. Participants agreed that more sustainableproduction and consumption will require long-term structural change to economies andlifestyles. Among the recommendations, particular emphasis is placed on: buildingpartnerships for sustainable consumption between different sectors of society;establishing a policy framework for sustainable consumption; extending producerresponsibility for the environmental impacts of goods and services; settinggovernmental example in sustainable consumption through environmentally soundpublic procurement and administration; and empowering individuals and households toadopt more sustainable consumption patterns.
SECOND EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON FINANCE AND AGENDA 21:The Expert Group Meeting on Finance and Agenda 21, co-sponsored by Malaysiaand Japan, took place from 15-17 February 1995, in Glen Cove, New York.Participants emphasized that: private financial flows are an increasingly importantsource of financing for many environment-related infrastructure projects; the CSDshould continue to support efforts aimed at reaching the target of 0.7% of GNP forODA; and IFIs should seek closer cooperation with national sustainable developmentcouncils. The participants also explored innovative international mechanisms, includingthe environmental user charge on air transport, internationally tradeable CO2 permits,and joint implementation, and suggested that the CSD further study these options.Finally, the expert group examined a matrix approach to sectoral and cross-sectoralfinance and recommended that the CSD support efforts to consider additional policy-relevant dimensions of the matrix.
WAGENINGEN WORKSHOP ON INTEGRATED LAND MANAGEMENT:The Netherlands and the FAO co-sponsored the Workshop on Integrated LandManagement from 20-22 February 1995, in Wageningen, the Netherlands. More than80 representatives from 32 countries and six intergovernmental and non-governmentalorganizations discussed the intermediate level (meso level) as a platform forparticipatory approaches to integrated land management. The Workshop recommended:managing a multi-stakeholder planning process; and possibilities for sustainableeconomic development in rural areas. Some of the recommendations to governmentsincluded: review land tenure arrangements or legislation; provide investment in ruralareas to implement Agenda 21; promote capacity building in rural areas; incorporateindigenous knowledge and methods of land resources management into policies;develop criteria and performance indicators for sustainable land use; and developpartnerships between public authorities and stakeholders.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY
PLENARY: Outgoing Chair Klaus Tpfer will open the third session of theCSD this morning. After election of the new Chair, Henrique Calvalcanti (Brazil), theCommission will adopt the agenda and programme of work, contained inE/CN.17/1995/1. Statements will also be delivered by Birgitta Dahl, on behalf of theHigh-Level Advisory Board and Under-Secretary- General for Policy Coordination andSustainable Development Nitin Desai.
In the afternoon, the Commission will turn to Agenda Item 4, Financial resources andmechanisms. Dr. Lin See-Yan (Malaysia), Chair of the Ad Hoc IntersessionalWorking Group on Finance will present the report of the Group's meeting inFebruary. This will be followed by a panel discussion on financial resources andmechanisms chaired by Dr. Lin. Other panelists include Nitin Desai, Polish DeputyPrime Minister and Minister of Finance Grzedorz Kolodko, Andrew Steer of theWorld Bank, Vito Tanzi of IMF, Hillary Thompson of the National Westminster Bank,and Maximo Kalaw of Green Forum of the Philippines.