SECOND COMMITTEE MEMBERS DISCUSS COUNTRY EXPERIENCES, AND GLOBAL CONCERNS IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FIELD
Press Release
GA/EF/2691
SECOND COMMITTEE MEMBERS DISCUSS COUNTRY EXPERIENCES, AND GLOBAL CONCERNS IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FIELD
19951030 Country experiences and global concerns in the field of sustainable development were described this afternoon as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) continued consideration of environment and sustainable development.The representative of Fiji, welcoming a decision of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on the protection of the marine environment from land-based activities, regretted that "there are those who have chosen to ignore our interests, and whose recent activities in the marine environment of the South Pacific threaten to cause serious degradation of it, as well as the health of people".
The representative of China said unilateral protectionism under the pretext of protecting the environment was eroding the multilateral trading system. Environment and trade should be dealt with separately, supporting instead of obstructing each other.
The representative of Israel said his country was willing to share its rich experience and know-how in combating desertification with all countries in the developing world. He added that within the ongoing multilateral talks in the framework of the Middle East peace process, detailed and specific projects for regional cooperation and development were being pursued and advanced which meant not only cooperation but also, and above all, confidence building and progress towards peace.
The representative of Turkey expressed his country's intention of establishing an environmentally sound technology centre which would serve Mediterranean and Black Sea countries. He also said Turkey was formulating for Central Asia and the Balkan countries a regional Agenda 21, which, once finalized, would be submitted to the Commission on Sustainable Development for evaluation.
The representative of the Czech Republic said his country had already started harmonizing its environmental laws and standards with those of the European Union, adding that the Government had decided to adopt a comprehensive environmental policy comparable to similar ones in other developed countries. Its general principles referred to major global activities in environmental protection and sustainability.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 31 October, to continue consideration of environment and sustainable development.
Committee Work Programme
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this afternoon to continue consideration of environment and sustainable development. (For background information see Press Release GA/EF/2690, issued this morning.)
Statements Made
GRAHAM E. LEUNG (Fiji) said his country had offered its candidacy for membership of the Commission for Sustainable Development; its elections would take place at the 1996 organizational session of the Economic and Social Council. Fiji commended the decision of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to use an integrated approach within the agency to address issues concerning small island developing States. He also said other United Nations agencies and bodies would have a role to play in the implementation of the Programme of Action adopted at the Global Conference on Small Island Developing States held in Barbados in 1994. The Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD) and UNEP should coordinate their activities in achieving the objectives of that action programme.
He welcomed the Governing Council's decision 18/31 which covered protection of the marine environment from land-based activities. "Regrettably, there are those who have chosen to ignore our interests, and whose recent activities in the marine environment of the South Pacific threaten to cause serious degradation of it, as well as of the health of people," he stated. He commended the Economic and Social Council for emphasizing the urgent need for specific measures to reduce the vulnerability of societies to natural disasters, particularly in the developing island countries, and urged the Second Committee and the General Assembly to adopt by consensus a draft resolution on natural disaster reduction.
CUI TIANKAI (China) said the international community had developed an understanding of the link between sustainable development and related issues, such as population growth. However, official development assistance (ODA) commitments had yet to be fulfilled. He expressed the hope that the international community, particularly the developed countries, would fulfil their commitments by matching their words with resources. The largest share of greenhouse gases originated in developed countries. Those countries should, therefore, pay the largest share in tackling environmental pollution. Unilateral protectionism under the pretext of protection of the environment was eroding the multilateral trading system. Environment and trade should be dealt with separately as supporting instead of obstructing each other.
Regarding the 1997 special session of the General Assembly to review the implementation of Agenda 21, he said that if appropriately held the session would help to keep up the momentum for sustainable development. The session should be guided by the concept of integrated approach, addressing environment and development issues, as sustainable development entailed cross-sectoral issues. The session should identify gaps in the implementation of Agenda 21 and address with special attention the crucial questions of financial resources and transfer of technology, as well as of trade and environment in the context of environment and development.
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ISRAEL ELIASHIV (Israel) said his country had initiated activities under the Convention to Combat Desertification to establish an international centre for combating desertification at Sede Boqer of the Ben Gurion University in the Negev Desert of Israel. He said Israel was willing to share its rich experience and know-how in combating desertification with all countries in the developing world.
He also said that experts from 30 developing countries had attended a symposium on sustainable water management in arid and semi-arid regions held last May in Israel. The symposium had been co-sponsored by Israel, Japan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Arid Lands Consortium, with the support of the Commission for Sustainable Development. Israel was also planning a workshop on commitments appearing in the conventions on biodiversity, climate change, desertification and forest principles.
He urged the replenishment of the Global Environment Facility to finance environmental programmes. Israeli research, he continued, was adapted to the peculiar requirements of the Middle East region and was linked to the very extensive development which had been made in his country in the use of water resources, in the processes of desalination of sea water and brackish water in the desert. He invited all countries, particularly Israel's neighbours in the Middle East, to join it in desert research and share its experiences. Israel had also joined with other States in the region in desertification survey and irrigation projects.
The Middle East held a tremendous potential for economic development, he said, and a variety of joint and multilateral projects for economic cooperation would be of mutual benefit. Within the ongoing multilateral talks in the framework of the Middle East peace process, detailed and specific projects for regional cooperation and development were being pursued and advanced. Those projects meant not only cooperation but also, and above all, confidence building and progress towards peace.
LEVENT MURAT BURHAN (Turkey) said his country had a significant potential for international cooperation on environmentally sound technologies. As a contribution to technology transfer and development-related activities, Turkey intended to take the initiative of establishing an environmentally sound technology centre in Turkey which would serve Mediterranean and Black Sea countries. Turkey took part in several regional initiatives which were formulating strategies to implement, at the regional level, the decisions of the Rio Conference. In that spirit, Turkey had formulated a regional Agenda
Second Committee - 4 - Press Release GA/EF/2691 19th Meeting (PM) 30 October 1995
21 for Central Asia and the Balkan countries. Once finalized, that regional Agenda 21 would be submitted to the Commission on Sustainable Development for evaluation.
Regarding the special session of the General Assembly on a review of Agenda 21, he said Turkey had always provided information on the implementation of Agenda 21 at the national and regional levels. He encouraged Member States to provide more input prior to the session in which the critical areas of sustainability for future years would be determined and priorities set for future action. He reaffirmed his country's commitment to the Commission on Sustainable Development as the major forum for the follow-up of the Rio commitments.
KAREL ZEBRAKOVSKY (Czech Republic) said his country had already started harmonizing its environmental laws and standards with those of the European Union. The Government had decided to adopt a comprehensive environmental policy similar to those in other developed countries. Its general principles referred to major global activities in environmental protection and sustainability. His country appreciated the work of UNEP and hoped the agency would be supported without its important activities sacrificed to budgetary restraints. His country, he added, was seeking membership in the UNEP Governing Council.
The Commission for Sustainable Development, he continued, had an important role to play in the follow-up activities to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). His country supported work on economic and financial instruments and mechanisms for environmentally sustainable development, trade and environment relations, production and consumption patterns and transfer of environmentally sound technologies.
He announced that the Czech Republic, in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development Department, would organize a workshop on education and public awareness for sustainable development, in Prague in December. He said the workshop was intended to provide input to the in-depth review of chapter 36 of Agenda 21 ("Education, Public Awareness and Training") during the 1996 session of the Conference on Sustainable Development. He was confident that the workshop would contribute substantially to progress in the rather neglected field of the Commission's work.
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