Daily report for 25 February 1997

Delegates to the CSD’s Intersessional Working Group continued their discussion ofsectoral issues and major groups during the morning and began considering cross-sectoralissues during the afternoon. An informal group also met in the morning to discussnational reporting.

SECTORAL ISSUES AND MAJOR GROUPS

INDONESIA noted that commitment on cross-sectoral issues is not equal to that onsectoral issues. He called for further agreement on climate change control and forests. Healso noted the need to strengthen capacity-building to fulfill CBD commitments and theimportant contribution of major groups. The RUSSIAN FEDERATION called for furtherdevelopment and use of the Rio principles and for international agreements ontransboundary pollutants and chemicals. The CSD should continue to coordinateintegrated assessment and implementation of UNCED obligations. He called for a morelimited and catalytic role for UNEP. SOUTH AFRICA said equitable access tofreshwater resources and services in Africa and other arid regions should featureprominently in the CSD report. He called for regional approaches to capacity-buildingand risk management to address problems posed by the modification of living organismsand invasive species.

CANADA strongly supported the view that the Special Session should launchnegotiations on an international forest convention and called attention to freshwater as akey emerging issue. CHINA noted the importance of sustainable agriculture and theoutcome of the World Food Summit. She called attention to the importance of cleanenergy technology and supported a continued active role for major groups. BRAZIL saidthe framework should include the principle of common but differentiated responsibilitiesand commitments regarding financial resources and technology transfer. He did notsupport uniform numerical targets. He said it is premature to establish anintergovernmental negotiating committee on forests.

VENEZUELA emphasized intersectoral connections and the importance of regionalefforts. She called for technology transfer, decentralization and observance of theprinciple of shared but differentiated responsibilities. IRAN called on UNGASS to: focuson cross-sectoral issues; avoid overlap and duplication of efforts between the CSD andthe COPs of various international environmental conventions; emphasize modalities forprovision of new and additional financial resources and realization of ODA targets; andaddress problems of internal displacement and refugees. UNED-UK urged developedcountries to increase contributions to the GEF and to meet the target of 0.7% of GNP forODA. He noted that while private investment has grown, it goes to only a few developingcountries. He called for: improvement in the quality of aid; regulation of privateinvestment; an increase in public funds; progress on new ways to generate funds, such astaxation of aviation fuel; elimination of environmentally damaging subsidies;transparency and accountability in the use of funds; and establishment of anintergovernmental panel on finance.

The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) noted that over2000 local authorities worldwide are implementing Local Agenda 21s (LA21). He calledfor more work on fiscal frameworks and core indicators of sustainable development, andannounced plans to monitor LA21 activity under the aegis of “Cities 21.” An NGOrepresentative called on the CSD to recognize older people as a major group. People over60 will number 600 million by 2001. The UNGA has designated 1999 as the InternationalYear of the Older Person. INDIA called for agreement on appropriate principles forsharing resources across countries and generations and the basis for technology transferand finance. He endorsed the findings of the Fourth Expert Panel on Financial Issues,including the need to collect data on the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)flows.

BARBADOS expressed hope that the review process would renew the impetus forimplementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for Small Islands DevelopingStates (SIDS). GHANA noted the importance of access to and transfer of technology andemphasized clearinghouse mechanisms. He supported CSD attention to freshwaterresources and called for access to emerging solar technologies. MEXICO supported thecall for redoubled efforts to implement Agenda 21, especially at the national level. Hesaid market forces will not solve all problems.

UNEP noted its active involvement in the areas of freshwater, oceans, river basins andtourism and in developing legally-binding instruments on prior informed consent and onpersistent organic pollutants. The INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CAUCUS noted thatindigenous people also live in substandard conditions in developed countries. He calledfor: improved information dissemination to indigenous people; examination of theirtrade-related intellectual property and relevant WTO rules; and a permanent forum forindigenous people at the UN.

CROSS-SECTORAL ISSUES

Introducing deliberation on cross-sectoral issues, Co-Chair Amorim noted the grim factthat, while much has been said about the increased flow of private financial resources todeveloping countries, private capital has so far avoided projects with environmental andsocial benefits. Fiscal and other incentives might be required in countries of origin. Healso noted the 30-year low in ODA levels and an NGO proposal for a global forum onfinance.

The EU called for increased aid to developing countries and sectors not adequatelyaddressed by private investment and reaffirmed commitment to the ODA target of 0.7%of GNP. He also highlighted GEF replenishment and innovative mechanisms, increasedFDI and debt relief and advocated market access for environmentally friendly productsfrom developing countries. COLOMBIA underlined the need to implement all UNprogrammes, notably those on poverty eradication. He recalled that the Social Summitstressed the human perspective of sustainable development and he called for prioritizationof health and food security. Wealth, not poverty, as evidenced in unreasonable patterns ofconsumption and production, is the ultimate cause of environmental degradation.

UNCTAD notified delegates that its Commission on Trade in Goods and Services, andCommodities’ February 1997 meeting decided to convene two expert meetings, one toexamine positive measures in the context of promoting sustainable development and theother the operation of environmental management standards. JAPAN said recipientcountries’ efforts to protect the environment deserve ODA support. He also said self-helpefforts are the foundation for effective partnerships and called for more attention to therole of information and telecommunications. BOLIVIA noted the outcome of the Summitof the Americas on Sustainable Development and recommended using the priority areasadopted there: health, agriculture, education, forests, cities, water resources, coastal areas,energy and minerals.

NORWAY said UNGASS must set priorities and focus the CSD’s future work on cross-sectoral issues, particularly poverty and unsustainable consumption and production.Economic growth must be supplemented by the redistribution of wealth and fair access toresources. He highlighted the need for new and innovative sources of funding beyond0.7% of GNP for ODA. He emphasized investment in education for young girls as crucialfor a sustainable future. The G-77/CHINA called for: study of FDI and evolution of aglobally agreed regime; reduction of unsustainable production and consumption in theNorth; negotiations for a convention to regulate the environmental impact ofmultinational corporations; and transfer of environmentally sound technology on non-commercial terms. SWITZERLAND: underscored the crucial role of women inconserving natural resources; called on developing country governments to makeavailable green credit lines and to provide services to create joint ventures; emphasizedcertification, auditing and ecological accounting to encourage ecologically sustainableproduction; and suggested that the CSD examine the relationship between WTO rules andtrade-related measures of multilateral environmental agreements.

The US said the CSD should focus on cross-sectoral issues not addressed by otherintergovernmental processes and proposed three key areas. On financial issues, hehighlighted national and local level mobilization. On technology cooperation, he calledfor involvement of the private sector. On sustainable production and consumption, heproposed consumer education. UNEP will distribute at CSD-5 an update of its survey ofinformation sources on environmentally sustainable technologies. URUGUAY supportededucation and consciousness raising, and called for information on technologies and theirfinancing.

AUSTRALIA said the quality and effectiveness of financial assistance must be improvedand commitments to contribute to the GEF and the Montreal Protocol fund must be met.He called on the CSD to facilitate cooperation between organizations examining therelationship between trade and environment. He supported a core set of indicators anddevelopment of a database of innovative instruments to make consumption andproduction more sustainable.

MEXICO said that the association between demographic growth and consumption levelsis not clear given current trends and called for more emphasis on qualitative factors ofconsumption. He rejected the use of environmental protection arguments as a pretext forprotectionist trade measures. He called for efforts to develop and strengthen cleantechnology centers in developing countries and for concessional and preferential creditfor clean technology.

INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS

CSD Vice-Chair Paul de Jongh (Netherlands) was reported to have received a positiveresponse from delegations during informal consultations on inter-agency proposals tohelp streamline national reporting procedures. Many at the UN and in government circlesare concerned about the workload imposed by reporting requirements due to theproliferation of international processes. UN agencies have produced a matrix that willallow them to share more of the reported information and avoid duplication. There arealso proposals to produce a four-year calendar, a manual on sustainable developmentreporting, and measures to enhance reporting capacity in developing countries, includingassistance to shift to greater use of new technologies such as the Internet.

IN THE CORRIDORS

Co-Chair Amorim’s attempts to nudge delegations beyond declaratory commitments onfinancing Agenda 21 have been warmly received by some NGOs. Observers note thatglobalization, trade liberalization and the “grim” and unsustainable direction of the muchtouted increase in FDI in a limited number of developing countries underline the need forserious efforts to innovate financial measures. They are concerned that, to date, fundinghas been a failed issue, at the CSD. Co-Chair Amorim has expressed interest in the NGOproposal for a global forum on finance, while others place their hopes in a positiveoutcome from the GEF replenishment negotiations this year and more concretecommitments on the ODA target of 0.7% of GNP.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

PLENARY: The Intersessional Working Group will meet in Conference Room 4in the morning and afternoon to continue consideration of cross-sectoral issues.