Daily report for 13 June 1992

PLENARY I

The Plenary met at 12:45 am Saturday morning in an effort toapprove the two outstanding issues that remained in Agenda 21:finance and atmosphere. The closed meeting was originally scheduledfor 11:00 pm but was delayed due to ongoing consultations on bothof these issues. However, when the meeting finally got underway,agreement had not yet been reached.

The Plenary first heard a report from German Federal Minister forthe Environment Klaus T”pfer, who coordinated the successfulministerial-level consultations on forests. Then Amb. RubensRicpero delivered a status report on the ministerial-levelconsultations on finance. He reported that compromise had beenreached on paragraph 16(e) on debt relief. Although this text wasnot originally bracketed by the Main Committee, a reformulation wasachieved that resolves problems certain developed countries hadwith the phrase: "further measures and eligible countries should bekept under review." It was believed that this would expand the listof middle and low income indebted countries eligible for debtrelief under the terms of the Trinidad agreement of December 1991.The agreed text adds the sentence, "Measures to address thecontinuing debt problems of low and middle income countries shouldbe kept under review."; and replaces the original text with,"debt relief measures should be kept under review so as toaddress the continuing difficulties of those countries."

Ricpero then reported that after extensive negotiations, they hadreached a formulation on paragraph 16(a)(i) on the InternationalDevelopment Association. The new text removes any specificreference to the "Earth Increment" and directs the IDA Deputies togive special consideration to World Bank President Lewis Preston'sstatement to the UNCED Plenary, "in order to help poorer countries meet their sustainable development objectives ascontained in Agenda 21." On 4 June, Preston proposed ana dditional volume of resources for the IDA-10 replenishment(1993-95) in order to maintain IDA-9 funding in real terms and, ifdonors support such an initiative, re-allocate part of the WorldBank's net income to the Earth Increment for nationalenvironmental issues. This reformulation removes language in Agenda21 that some developed countries believed would foreclose andprejudice the IDA-10 replenishment negotiations currently underway in another fora.

Lafer then announced that consultations on other matters relatingto finance (ODA targets) and atmosphere were proceeding and that hewas confident that the "Spirit of Rio" will prevail and a consensusformula would be reached soon. At this point Pakistan, on behalfof the G-77, requested time to study the IDA proposal. He said thatalthough it has considerable merit, essential elements are missingin this formulation and he would, therefore, have to convene a G-77meeting. Lafer then adjourned the meeting at 1:15 am.

IN THE CORRIDORS

The G-77 met Saturday morning to discuss the new text for paragraph16(a)(i) of the finance chapter, which deals with IDAreplenishment. Although not all G-77 members were satisfied withthe text, they agreed that this may be the best availablecompromise.

Meanwhile, consultations continued on paragraph 15 on targets andtimetables for ODA. As of Saturday morning, the document underdiscussion contained five formulations of the sentence that appliesto those countries that have already affirmed a target of 0.7% ofGNP for ODA by the year 2000. One of the problems faced in theseconsultations was the lack of finance ministers present in Rio. Itwas hoped that ministers and delegates would consult with theirfinance ministers during the course of the day so as to facilitatethe decision-making process. One of the major sticking points isthe inability of the EC to reach consensus. While the Netherlandsand France support 0.7% of GNP for ODA by the year 2000, GreatBritain and Germany do not. The United States has not been involvedin the discussions since they are not affected by the resolution ofeither targets or timetables for increased ODA, having nevercommitted to such targets.

At 3:30 pm the door opened and the participants emerged with anagreed text. After consultations with the regional groups, it wasapparent that further consultations were necessary. Just before7:00 pm, agreement was reached. The new text, which begins afterthe second sentence in the existing paragraph, reads: "Developedcountries reaffirm their commitments to reach the accepted UNtarget of 0.7% of GNP for ODA and, to the extent that they have notyet achieved that target, agree to augment their aid programmes inorder to reach that target as soon as possible and to ensure aprompt and effective implementation of Agenda 21. Some countriesagreed or had agreed to reach the target by the year 2000. It wasdecided that the Commission on Sustainable Development willregularly review and monitor progress towards this target. Thisreview process should systematically combine the monitoring of theimplementation of Agenda 21 with a review of the financialresources available." The paragraph then resumes with the existingtext beginning with "Those which have already reached the targetare to be commended and encouraged..."

PLENARY II

The Plenary reconvened at 7:30 pm Saturday night. The meeting wasscheduled for 4:00 pm, however, due to continuing consultations onatmosphere and finance, it was delayed. During the 15-minutemeeting, the Plenary quickly adopted two paragraphs in the financetext: 16(a)(i) on IDA and paragraph 15 on ODA (see texts above).The Plenary also succeeded in removing brackets and/or footnotes,related to the outcome of the discussions on finance, from a numberof paragraphs in Chapters 11 (forests), 17 (oceans), 18(freshwater), and 21 (solid wastes). Finally, the Chair, CelsoLafer, asked Amb. Bo Kjell‚n to report on progress made inresolving the bracketed phrase "safe and" in the atmosphere andtechnology transfer chapters. Kjell‚n requested more time asconsultations were ongoing. Lafer then adjourned the Plenary until9:15 pm.

The Plenary did not convene again until 10:20 pm. At that time,Kjell‚n reported that a generic solution to the problems related to"safe and" had been found. The agreed text should be a newparagraph in the Preamble of Agenda 21 and reads: "ThroughoutAgenda 21, the term `environmentally sound' means `environmentallysafe and sound', in particular when applied to the terms `energysources', `energy supplies', `energy systems' or`technology/technologies'." The result of this formulation is thatall the brackets covering the notion of "safe and" would disappearand the text "safe and" would be deleted. A number of Arab states,including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco and Iran then expressedreservations about the resolution of Chapter 9 on Atmosphere. Thetext was approved at 10:45 pm. As this was the last issue to beresolved in Agenda 21, the text is now "bracket-free" and ready tobe sent to the formal Plenary for adoption. Saudi Arabia, however,announced that it would like to place reservations on the entiretext of Agenda 21.

THE SUMMIT

The Plenary continued yesterday with speeches by Heads of State andGovernment. The first speaker of the morning was Mohammad NawazSharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan and Chairman of the G-77, whoquoted from the Quran, "Disorder and destruction have appeared onearth and in the oceans due to what the hands of man have done." Hecited as the fundamental cause of the present economic andenvironmental crisis, the unjust world economic order and calledpoverty the "ugliest scar" on the planet.

The Swedish Prime Minister, Carl Bildt, called it a "moral duty"for rich countries to reach 0.7% of GNP for ODA, and he appealed toother countries to share in the efforts to solve problems withnuclear safety, especially in the former Soviet Union. After thenine minute address by the Prime Minister of Mauritania, PresidentCollor had to remind the leaders of the seven minute time limit.

Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa's speech, that was to bebroadcast into the Plenary, was reportedly cancelled by UNSecretary-General Boutros-Boutros Ghali on the grounds that itwould set a bad precedent within the UN. The Japanese leader'sspeech was circulated later in the day. He stated, without citinga figure, that Japan should "consider a positive contribution" tothe GEF and that it was increasing its environment-related aid fromUS$3.1 billion over the last three years to between US$7 and US$7.7billion during the next five years.

Won-Shik Chung, Prime Minister of Korea, noted in his speech theironic ecological inheritance from the Cold War -- a 258 km by 4 kmecological reservoir across the middle of the Korean Peninsula andhe proposed a joint South and North Korea survey of the region incollaboration with the UN.

Felipe Gonzalez, Prime Minister of Spain, called for a worldconference on forests. Abdou Diouf, President of Senegal, stressedthe importance of solar energy and called for its promotion.Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky said that "in order to besuccessful, structural changes in the economic, the social and theecological systems of the industrialized states will beinevitable." He supported a CO2 tax on fossil fuels and nuclearenergy, but criticized nuclear power as out of line with theprinciples and priorities of sustainable development.

Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norway, presented whatmany considered the frankest speech of the morning. She called onall major countries to sign the two UNCED conventions and notedthat Norway had reached 0.7% of GNP for ODA more than 15 years ago.She warned that unilateral attitudes toward global problems mightturn the global village into a global jungle. Her sharpestcriticism was on the lack of democratic decision-making at theinternational level where the tradition of consensus "can onlyadvance at the pace of the most reluctant mover in each field."

The statement made by Reverend Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide,President of Haiti, drew rousing applause. Aristide calledattention to Haiti's ongoing violent political turmoil; slayingsfor supporting democracy; and the massive destructive environmentalconsequences. He compared environmental issues with the strugglefor democracy stating that environmental pollution is exceeded byeven more toxic political pollution; and both the land, througherosion, and political refugees are heading out to sea.

Dr. Luis Alberto Lacalle, President of the Eastern Republic ofUruguay, referred to the duty that nations have to refrain frompolluting as well as the right not to be polluted, and that dutyflows from laws, and international laws are treaties. Lacallestated that Uruguay, at the UN General Assembly, will push fornations to draft a treaty to legislate, regulate and punishinfractions. Lacalle hoped that nations build on UNCED so thatanother environment-development conference will not be needed inanother 20 years.

Heads of State from small island states, urgently called forimmediate implementation of UNCED conventions and Agenda 21,stating that the very survival of their people, culture and islandsdepends on the action of nations, especially around those practicesthat are causing global warming.

In a charged speech, Malaysia's Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir binMohamad, refuted the assumption that population is a cause ofenvironmental degradation. Disillusioned with the inequities andhistorical patterns of development, he criticized the Conferencefor watering down the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 on theinsistence by "the powerful and the rich".

THE SUMMIT ROUNDTABLE

Heads of State or Government gathered yesterday for a one-hourroundtable discussion. This was the largest gathering of worldleaders around a single table in the history of internationaldiplomacy. While there was no discussion per se, five Heads ofState delivered formal statements on behalf of their regionalgroups. The President of Botswana, Sir Ketumile Masire, spoke onbehalf of the African Group. He referred specifically to: the needfor prompt and effective implementation of Agenda 21; the problemsof global trade imbalances and the need to remove tariff andnon-tariff barriers; and quick-start for negotiation of adesertification convention. Masire called on leaders to seize theopportunity to commit to fundamental change.

Pakistani Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif spoke on behalf ofthe Asian States. His speech was particularly noteworthy in thevirtual absence of criticism regarding Conference outcomes. He did,however, call for the creation of an ecologically and socially justworld order that would have as its primary objective, theeradication of poverty. Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev spoke onbehalf of the East European group. He referred notably to thedevastating effects of the communist system on both the humanspirit and the natural environment. As well, he stated that thebitter experience with communism affirmed the extent to whichsocial and economic development can only be achieved if there isharmony with the natural world.

Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari spoke on behalf of theLatin American and Caribbean States. He said that in order torationally use the natural resources of the region, Latin Americanand Caribbean states require free access to other markets;renegotiation of foreign debt; access to clean technologies; and anacceleration of integration in the region.

Franz Vrantitzky, Federal Chancelor of Austria, spoke on behalf ofthe Western Europe and Others Group. His statement was the mosthard-hitting, challenging fellow leaders to some rather difficultquestions: are we sufficiently creative and courageous in ourdecisions; have we really accepted as a basis for future decisions,that current patterns of consumption and production areunsustainable; have we mandated our delegations to negotiate on theunderstanding that our future can only be a shared and common one;and have we considered the increasing imbalances among peoples andregions of this world? He called for courage in politicalleadership to recognize that our common future demands an equitablesharing of the world's wealth.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

The final meeting of the UNCED Plenary convenes this morning at10:00 am. There are three items on the agenda: adoption ofagreements on environment and development; adoption of the reportof the Conference; and Closure of the Conference. The first itemwill take the form of adoption of a three-paragraph resolution. Thefirst paragraph of the draft resolution notes that the ClimateChange and Biodiversity Conventions were open for signature at theConference; the second states that the Conference adopts the textof the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Agenda 21and the Statement of Forest Principles; and the third recommends tothe General Assembly that it endorse these three documents at its47th session. This resolution will be distributed to each State andthen will be signed by the Heads of State, Government orDelegation. If all goes according to schedule, the Conferenceshould come to a close at 1:00 pm. All in all, it is expected to bea simple conclusion to a complicated Conference.