POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING CLIMATE CHANGE CONVENTION DISCUSSED IN SECOND COMMITTEE

Press Release
GA/EF/2707

POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING CLIMATE CHANGE CONVENTION DISCUSSED IN SECOND COMMITTEE

The political and financial challenges involved in the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change were discussed by speakers this afternoon as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) began consideration of matters relating to climate change and to small island developing States.

Introducing reports concerning the Framework Convention, the Executive Secretary of the Interim Secretariat of the Convention, Michael Zammit Cutajar, stressed the importance of securing a sound financial health for the Convention process. He said the General Assembly should give a favourable response to the request to finance the required conference services from the United Nations programme budget, "a request that comes in the name of over 140 Member States, whose collective share of the United Nations budget is some 95 per cent".

The Vice-President of the first session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, Takao Shibata (Japan), said the Conference had agreed on the "Berlin Mandate" for negotiations on strengthened commitments on the limitation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. All the parties had agreed that the current commitments of the industrialized countries -- reduction of their emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000 -- were not adequate to reach the Convention's ambitious target.

The representative of Samoa, supported by Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands and Fiji, strongly called upon France to conduct environmental impact assessments immediately before continuing further with its nuclear testing programme at Mururoa. That programme was hazardous to the health, environment and sustainable development of the Pacific people.

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Statements were also made by the representatives of the Philippines (on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China), Spain (on behalf of the European Union), Trinidad and Tobago (on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)), India, Venezuela, China and Kuwait. Statements in exercise of the right of reply were made by France and Samoa.

The Under-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, Nitin Desai, introduced the report on the implementation of the Programme of Action adopted by the Barbados Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island States.

Also this afternoon the Committee concluded the debate on human settlements, including the preparations for the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) to be held in Istanbul in 1996. Statements were made by the representatives of Benin, Indonesia, Gambia, Ukraine and South Africa (on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)).

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 16 November, to continue consideration of matters related to climate change and to small island developing States.

Committee Work Programme

The Second Committee met this afternoon to continue consideration of human settlements issues, including preparations for the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) (Istanbul, 1996). (For background information, see Press Release GA/EF/2705 of 14 November.)

The Committee had before it a number of documents covering the second session of the Preparatory Committee for Habitat II, the work of the fifteenth session of the Commission on Human Settlements and implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000. Among matters requiring action by the Committee, are those relating to the third session of the Preparatory Committee to be held in New York from 12 to 23 February 1996 to finalize negotiations on the draft statement of principles and commitments and global plan of action to be submitted to the Conference for adoption.

The Committee was also scheduled to begin consideration of matters relating to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Barbados Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. The aim of the Convention is to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases at levels that will prevent human activities from interfering dangerously with the global climate system. In signing the Convention, governments agree to reduce emissions of the warming greenhouse gases to "earlier" levels by the end of the decade. States are required to report periodically on their level of emissisons and efforts to slow climate change.

The Committee had before it a report of the Secretary-General addressing the results of the first session of the Conference of the parties to the Convention held earlier this year and outlining the institutional, administrative and financial implications for the United Nations of the Conference (document A/50/716).

The report states that as of 21 September, instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession to the Convention had been deposited by 142 States and one regional economic integration organization. It explains that under articles 4.2 (b) and 12 (or communication of information related to implementation of measures for the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases) of the Convention, each developed country party and each party included in Annex I, should make its initial communication to the Conference of the parties within six months of the entry into force of the Convention for that party. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Convention has agreed on guidelines for the preparation of first communications by Annex I parties -- countries in transition to a market economy -- to promote consistency, transparency and comparability among communications.

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The eleventh and final session of the Negotiating Committee was held in New York from 6 to 17 February. The Committee attempted to advance the preparatory work for the first session of the Conference of the Parties as much as possible. It succeeded in concluding a substantial amount of work and reached consensus on nine draft decisions that were referred to the Conference for adoption.

Those included draft decisions on the preparation and submission of national communications from the parties included in Annex I to the Convention; the review of first communications from the parties included in that Annex; first communications from parties not included in Annex I; methodological issues; the maintenance of the interim arrangements for the financial mechanism referred to in article 21, paragraph 3, of the Convention; and arrangements between the Conference of the Parties and an operating entity or entities of the financial mechanism. On some other subjects, the Committee reached a large measure of agreement but left some points for completion by the Conference, including the questions of the Convention budget and the location of the secretariat remained pending.

The first session of the Conference of the Parties was held at Berlin, from 28 March to 7 April, the report continues. It adopted by consensus 21 decisions aimed at setting in motion the processes needed to promote the effective implementation of the Convention.

Under the item on the review of the adequacy of article 4, subparagraphs 2 (a) and (b) of the Convention, which contains specific commitments by developed country parties and other parties included in Annex I to the Convention, the Conference concluded that those subparagraphs are not adequate. Thus it agreed by consensus to begin a process to enable it to take appropriate action for the period beyond 2000, including the strengthening of the commitments of Annex I parties, through the adoption of a protocol or another legal instrument.

Termed the "Berlin Mandate", the process will be carried out by an open-ended ad hoc group of parties and will aim at elaborating policies and measures for Annex I parties, as well as setting quantified limitation and reduction objectives within specified time-frames for their emissions by sources and removal by sinks of greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The process will not introduce any new commitments for parties not included in Annex I -- developing country parties -- but will reaffirm their existing commitments in article 4, paragraph 1, and continue to advance the implementation of those commitments. Furthermore, the process will include in its early stages a phase of policy analysis and assessment.

The protocol proposal submitted on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) to the Conference, in accordance with article 17 of the

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Convention, along with other proposals and pertinent documents, should be included for consideration in the process. The Mandate calls for the process to begin without delay and for the work to be completed in 1997, to allow for the adoption of the relevant results at the third session of the Conference of the Parties. Accordingly, the first session of the ad hoc group on the Berlin Mandate was held at Geneva from 21 to 25 August and focused on organizing its work and identifying inputs required from parties, subsidiary bodies and the secretariat.

Other decisions of the Conference included a decision that the Convention secretariat should be institutionally linked to the United Nations, while not being fully integrated in the work programme and management structure of any particular department or programme. It further decided to review the functioning of the institutional linkage of the Convention secretariat to the United Nations, not later than 31 December 1999.

The Secretary-General's report also addresses a series of institutional, administrative and financial implications stemming from the decisions of the Conference of the Parties regarding the financing of the Convention process outside the United Nations programme budget and the functioning of the Convention secretariat under the authority of the Secretary-General as chief administrative officer of the Organization and makes recommendations related to them.

In addition, the Committee had before it the final report of the Chairman of the Negotiating Committee, Raul Oyuela-Estrada (Argentina) (document A/50/536). He states that the Negotiating Committee was assigned a formidable task when it was created by the General Assembly in 1990 -- to complete negotiations on a framework convention on climate change prior to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, to be held in June 1992, so that the convention might be opened for signature at the Conference.

Wisely, the Committee sought to establish a process that would allow the international community to establish common courses of action in which cooperation, as opposed to confrontation, would predominate, he says. By choosing to negotiate a framework convention instead of an instrument that would impose strict regulations, the Committee encouraged wide participation by governments in its work and fostered a spirit of cooperation that is the basis for the effective implementation of the Convention. As the Committee moved into the second phase of its work, that is, to promote early adherence to the Convention and to prepare for the first session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, the need for that spirit of cooperation became ever more present.

At the conclusion of the work of the Committee, he believes the balance that has been achieved was very positive. "I believe the Committee fulfilled its mandate", he says adding that "nevertheless, I must sound a warning note".

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Since the time when the Convention was opened for signature, some developed countries have not made adequate efforts to meet their commitments under the Convention. Some of those countries have even argued that the commitment relating to the return of emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels expires at the end of this century and that, consequently, their emissions may start growing again at the end of that period. That prospect contradicted the expectations created in the international community when the Convention was adopted.

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention, which first met in Berlin from 28 March to 7 April, has given the international community a testimony of the seriousness and responsibility with which it regards the question of greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on climate change, the Chairman continues. That testimony is further highlighted by the fact that the Conference has given itself a little more than two years to carry out a process (the Berlin Mandate) aimed at strengthening the commitments of Annex I parties in article 4, subparagraphs 2 (a) and (b), through the adoption of a protocol or another legal instrument. Completion of the work on the question is scheduled for as early as possible in 1997, with a view to adopting the results at the third session of the Conference of the Parties.

Included in the Mandate is the aim for developed countries to elaborate policies and measures, as well as to set quantified limitation and reduction objectives within specified time-frames for their anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. The recent scientific assessments produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change confirm the need to adopt additional policies and measures. The Berlin Mandate is a substantive task that must be concluded within a limited period of time. To do that, it will be necessary to put new momentum into the fulfilment of the commitments made in 1992 and to overcome the lack of resolve. It is important to realize that, even if action consists mainly of precautionary and "no regrets" measures, profound changes will still be needed to accomplish those goals. That will demand a particular effort from certain sectors of society in the developed countries and it will inevitably come at a cost.

The report of the Secretary-General relating to the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (document A/50/422) provides details of the plans and programmes adopted by the United Nations system to implement the Programme. It reviews institutional arrangements in place or envisaged to support the implementation.

In its concluding observations, the report notes that responses received from the relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system indicated that they were committed to the implementation of the Programme of Action and were working on projects to meet the identified priorities. The scope of their activities varied depending on their respective mandates. It was expected, according to the report, that they would further sharpen the

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focus of their activities on the basis of decisions to be taken by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its fourth session in 1996.

Information contained in the report and an addendum (document A/50/422/Add.1) shows that several of the organizations had reformulated and in some cases expanded their programmes in direct response to the provisions of the Programme of Action. The addendum to the report contains a table giving details of the project-related information supplied by the organizations, and reflects activities reported since the preparation of the previous report.

Statements on Human Settlements

ROGATIEN BIAOU (Benin) said the number of the homeless had grown considerably in both developed and developing countries. The rate of available housing had not kept pace with demand. Owning a home remained a dream for many in developing countries. Countries should not be daunted by the complexities of what needed to be achieved at Habitat II; creative measures should be taken. The Conference would contribute towards efforts to eliminate poverty.

The Conference should not place emphasis on problems of human settlements in urban areas alone, he stated, adding that the cultural dimensions of the problem should also be taken into account. Rational models seemed to be inadequate when applied in countries such as those in Africa, which had varied traditions and customs. He also called for private sector involvement in the preparatory process of the Conference.

WYOSO PRODJOWARSITO (Indonesia) hoped significant progress would be made on the elaboration of the global plan of action of Habitat II during the forthcoming third session of the Preparatory Committee. Rapid urbanization and the stampede towards megacities should be replaced by sustainable human settlements. Opportunities should be provided, to all key groups in the elaboration of the global plan of action.

As the fourth most densely populated country in the world, he said, Indonesia was acutely aware of the phenomenon of uncontrolled urbanization, the resultant global shelter crisis and the challenges that still lay ahead. It had established a national committee in preparation for the conference. The private sector, in cooperation with the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) had last August hosted regional conferences in land, security and tenure. His Government was committed to strengthening awareness and support for Habitat II within Indonesia.

MOMODOU KEBBA JALLOW (Gambia) said his delegation was fully committed to the preparatory process of Habitat II. The problem of inadequate housing was compounded by such constraints as inequality in the distribution of income.

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There was a need to improve the programme adopted by the first Conference and that was among the reasons for convening Habitat II. Its importance would be related to facilitating an enabling approach to tackle human settlements issues.

Reviewing human settlements problems in Africa, he said questions concerning technical assistance had to be addressed in order to solve issues such as poverty. His country had been preparing for Habitat II since 1992, when a national committee was established, and he appreciated the assistance received from Habitat. An appeal had been made for greater financial assistance to facilitate the completion of the preparatory process in Gambia. The Centre's comparative advantage on human settlements matters could not be matched by any other agency of the United Nations system.

SERGIY YAMPOLSKY (Ukraine) said the convening of Habitat II was most appropriate. He welcomed the fact that the Conference Preparatory Committee was starting to pay more attention to countries in transition. Following its attainment of independence, Ukraine had become more involved with organizations dealing with human settlements. Preparations at the local level for the Conference were in place with the involvement of private citizens.

Some cities in Ukraine were highly industrialized; however, they lacked sufficiently developed urban infrastructure, including transportation and sanitation, he said. Difficulties created by the Chernobyl disaster should be added to those shortcomings. Ukraine was very interested in the experiences of other countries and of human settlements organizations. Assistance should be provided for the development of human settlements indicators, which could serve as a common basis for comparative analysis on how to study housing problems.

KHULU. Z. MBATHA (South Africa), speaking on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), said it fully supported the views expressed by the "Group of 77" developing countries. Habitat II provided an opportunity to focus the collective energy of the international community on a fundamental aspect of poverty eradication. The development of sustainable human settlements in a rapidly urbanizing world and the provision of adequate shelter for all were priority areas of particular relevance to countries in his region. They were actively seeking to ensure participation and consultation at the "city summit".

He said the ministerial conference of African ministers responsible for human settlements held in Johannesburg last October had adopted a declaration recommending the highest level of participation at Habitat II. All sectors of society should participate in the process of formulating appropriate programmes aimed at improving the living environment of all people on a sustainable basis. The needs and contributions of the youth should also be fully taken into account. Programmes should also be accessible to all,

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especially the poor and the increasing number of marginalized and displaced persons in society.

The empowerment of women was fundamental to the process of sustainable human development and their participation would ensure that they benefitted equally from improved shelter, health care and income, he said. Financial mechanism would have to be developed to stimulate the implementation of the Habitat II agenda. The overall approach of SADC to the housing challenge was to mobilize the combined resources, efforts and initiatives of communities, the private commercial sector and the government in a complementary way.

Statements on Climate Change and Barbados Conference

NITIN DESAI, Under-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, introduced the report on the implementation of the Barbados Conference. He said it was an incremental update to a report submitted to the Assembly's last session. The United Nations system was highly committed to implementing the Barbados outcome. He drew attention to the review of the implementation of that final document to be conducted by the Commission on Sustainable Development. He reviewed specific measures being taken by the United Nations system concerning the Barbados conference, stressing the coordination aspects of such measures.

MICHAEL ZAMMIT CUTAJAR, Executive Secretary, Interim Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said the main thrust of the Secretary-General's report concerned the institutional linkage with the United Nations that was sought by the secretariat. With ratification by 144 S States and the European Community, the Convention's membership was approaching that of the General Assembly. Also, it was difficult to imagine the United Nations pursuing its aims for sustainable development, through Agenda 21, without retaining a link with the Convention.

He stressed the importance of securing a sound financial health for the Convention process. Individual parties must make some or all of their contributions to the Convention budget for 1996 in advance of the due date of 1 January. That would permit a smooth start-up in January without a break in secretariat support. The Assembly should give a favourable response to the request to finance the required conference services from the United Nations programme budget, "a request that comes in the name of over 140 Member States, whose collective share of the United Nations budget is some 95 per cent".

The Convention would face many challenges in the next two years, he said. Spurred on by scientific confirmation of the global warming trend -- including in the forthcoming report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- the Convention should enter into a new generation of commitments, not only to quantified limitation over time of emissions of greenhouse gases, but also to specific policy objectives and measures to

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achieve them. Another challenge would be the relocation of the Convention secretariat to its new headquarters in Bonn, starting next July, without impairing the momentum of intergovernmental work. To meet those challenges, political and logistical, the Convention would need a sound institutional and financial base.

CECILIA BALTAZAR REBONG (Philippines), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said they hoped that the Framework Convention would receive universal ratification. They looked forward to a successful conclusion of the Berlin Mandate which was aimed at strengthening the Convention and remained fully committed to the Convention's objectives and the fulfilment of their obligations under it. They also called for the provision of environmentally sound technologies and resources on preferential basis to developing countries.

She said the foreign ministers members of the Group and of China had called for special priority to be given to the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action.

SANTIAGO GOMEZ-ACEBO (Spain), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the Union reaffirmed its commitment to stabilize carbon dioxide emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2000 and called upon the other Annex I parties to the Convention to do likewise. The decision contained in the Berlin Mandate - - to begin a process for taking action for the period beyond the year 2,000, including the strengthening of commitments of the parties included in Annex I -- was a major achievement. The European Union trusted that the decisions to establish the permanent secretariat of the Convention in Bonn would contribute to setting the future work of the Convention on solid ground.

He said the European Union remained committed to supporting the effective implementation by the small islands developing states of the Barbados Programme of Action and was providing substantial financial and technical support. The relevant agencies and organizations of the United Nations system were also paying particular attention to assisting in the implementation of the Programme of Action.

TAKAO SHIBATA (Japan), Vice-President of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, speaking on behalf of the President of the first session of the Conference, Angela Merkel, Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany, provided information on the proceedings and the outcome of the Conference.

He said the Conference had agreed on the Berlin Mandate for negotiations on strengthened commitments on the limitation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. That Mandate entailed a process for negotiations on further commitments beyond the year 2000. All the parties had agreed that the current commitments of the industrialized countries -- reduction of their emission to

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1990 levels by the year 2000 -- were not adequate to reach the Convention's ambitious target. That was why the commitments of the industrialized countries should be strengthened and policies and measures, as well as quantified limitation and reduction objectives for specified time-frames, such as 2005, 2010 and 2020, should be elaborated. No new commitments should be created for developing countries but existing commitments of all parties were reaffirmed and their implementation should continue to advance. Such a protocol or other legal instrument, he said, was to be prepared by the ad hoc group set up for that purpose so that it might be adopted at the third session of the Conference in 1997.

Work under the Convention was a long-term process, he said. The Conference had requested the Assembly to finance from the United Nations regular programme budget the conference-servicing costs arising from sessions of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies for the duration approved by the Conference.

ANNETTE DES ILES (Trinidad and Tobago), speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), said the current allocation of United Nations regular budget resources to the implementation of the Programme of Action for the sustainable development of those States was the minimum acceptable to them. A great deal should be done to implement the Programme. There was a need to examine action that had been undertaken in order to formulate a clearer implementation strategy for the future. The Alliance hoped that preparations for the initial review of the implementation of the Programme at the fourth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development would produce an action oriented strategy.

Addressing global climate issues, she said that the recent succession of devastating hurricanes and cyclones in the region should serve as a harsh warning of the need for decisive action now to reduce global warming through the fulfilment of commitments undertaken under the provisions of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The industrialized countries, given their contribution to global emissions and their financial and technological capabilities, must lead the way in meeting the challenge of climate change.

ANDREA WILLIAMS-STEWART (Samoa) said that for the Pacific region "the phenomenon of climate change is not only ominous, it is here". It was a constant and a growing worry. But worrying alone would not take the region very far. The AOSIS had put forward the idea of a protocol to the Convention as one practical and realistic way to strengthen the commitments in article 4, subparagraphs 2 (a) and (b).

She said the Berlin Mandate required the working group to conclude its work as early as possible. Noting the complexity of the task before the group, she expressed concern over work being called for by some parties, including analyses and assessments. It was feared that such work might

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duplicate the work of the Intergovernmental Panel and other relevant bodies and unnecessarily delay the timely conclusion of the Berlin Mandate process.

She attached great importance to the small island developing states unit in the Division for Sustainable Development as a very important facility for those States. She called for the strengthening of the unit. The Barbados Programme of Action encouraged the use of environmental impact assessments whenever possible in the protection of the marine and coral reef environment of small island States. "We strongly call upon France to conduct those environmental impact assessments immediately before continuing further with their nuclear testing programme at Mururoa, which is hazardous to the health, environment and sustainable development of the Pacific people." There was a significant body of scientific opinion that contradicted France's assurances that there was no danger from their underground nuclear tests. Those tests were being carried out in complete and callous disregard for the health and environment of the people of the South Pacific region.

SHARAD PAWAR (India) said equitable burden sharing in emission reduction had no meaning unless it was preceded by a full accounting of cumulative and historical emissions. There could be no comparison between the survival emissions of the developing countries and the luxury emissions of the developed. Delays in emission reduction by the industrialized countries increasingly diminished the opportunities and options available to the developing countries. They also increased the costs of adapting to the changing global climate.

He said the Barbados Programme of Action recognized that small island developing states would require special programmes and approaches to their special situations, problems and needs. India's approach to the sustainable development of those islands involved programmes for maintenance, regeneration and restoration of the ecosystem. Such programmes restored their productive potential and also provided employment to local communities.

ADAM VAI DELANEY (Papua New Guinea) said the real threat of global warming, sea-level rise, and the immense potential to change the world's atmosphere, were central to understanding the urgency of the issues related to the Framework Convention. The Berlin Mandate were not adequate. The decision concerning concrete emissions reduction targets for the next century needed strengthening.

Every necessary support should urgently be given to the establishment of the permanent secretariat of the Framework Convention in Bonn, he said. For the Convention to succeed, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, would have to adopt a more constructive partnership and assume responsibility for the huge quantities of climate- altering gases they had emitted into the atmosphere over the last century. The transfer of clean, affordable technologies was an obligation under the

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Convention and would contribute towards efficient global consumption of energy.

He said preparations for the review and appraisal of the Barbados Programme of Action small islands development was an important item for the overall global follow-up to the Rio Earth Summit. The small island States supported and valued the continuing role of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and also supported the implementation of the special project on climate change impacts and adaptation assessment initiated in the Caribbean, as well as other regional programmes.

JACNEDINE DORDELLY (Venezuela) said her country had adopted measures to prevent the emission of greenhouse gases. She reaffirmed its determination to do its share in the international arena concerning climate change matters. There was a need for environmental protection to be compatible to economic growth and sustainable development. The loss of biodiversity had a strong impact on sustainable development; such losses were a tragic legacy of the twentieth century.

YANG YANYI (China) said the sustainable development of small island developing countries needed a stable and favourable external environment. Commitments already undertaken in terms of financial resources and technological transfer should be fulfilled. The realization of the goal of the Framework Convention should be based on the full and effective implementation of the commitments under that Convention.

China was of the view that the negotiating process under the Berlin Mandate should proceed in accordance with the principles established by the Convention, she said. The result of the negotiations should in no way constitute any increase in the obligations of the developing countries. Only in that way would it be possible, for the Berlin Mandate to achieve the expected objectives.

YOUSEF AL SABBAGH (Kuwait) said his country attached great importance to the environment. An Environmental Protection Council was responsible for data collection and providing advice on the environment. Recently a regional organization had been established for the protection of the marine environment. The Iraq aggression against Kuwait had had a negative impact on the environment that had not been fully evaluated and that had led to incalculable damage. Some areas could not be used for agriculture for many years to come. The effect of smoke clouds and acid rain had also not been evaluated. Kuwait had not been able to do that because Iraq had pillaged its research equipment.

Hundreds of Kuwaitis, including innocent children, had fallen victims to the land-mines left in his country, he said. Pollution resulting from shipwrecks had also created many problems. He expressed the hope that a

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solution would be found quickly to solve the environment-related problems in that region, to enable it to engage in development projects.

ESPEN RONNEBERG (Marshall Islands) said that it was absolutely appalling that certain short-term economic interests were hampering work on the Berlin Mandate. The Berlin Mandate was not ideal, but it was the very least upon which all could agree and it should not be delayed or diluted further. Developed countries that were not currently meeting their obligations under the Framework Convention on Climate Change should begin to do so. The issue should not be taken lightly.

The concept of environmental impact assessments had been endorsed by all and much advice had been given by developed countries on how to minimize damage to the environment through proper construction, he continued. He had an example issued by France's Ministry of Environment entitled "Taking the environment into account in development projects in coral reef areas." He hoped that countries would practice what they preached. The leaders of the South Pacific Forum demanded that France take such action before it continued its nuclear tests. The amount of nuclear poison stored inside Mururoa could make the Pacific lifeless.

The South Pacific Forum was not convinced of the safety of the tests and would continue to demand that environmental impact assessments be carried out before any more tests were conducted, he said. The studies made -- and which he was sure would be referred to again and again by the French delegation -- had not been comprehensive. He hoped the Committee would reaffirm the need for environmental impact assessments and send a clear message that sustainable development was gravely threatened by nuclear testing.

GRAHAM E. LEUNG (Fiji) said every effort should be made to support the participation of small island developing countries in the negotiations to strengthen the commitments of Annex I parties beyond the year 2000. Fiji would like to restate its position that the Annex I parties needed to fulfil their current commitments under the Convention and that the commitments themselves should be strengthened. No new commitments should be placed on developing countries. He urged the industrialized countries who were responsible for the largest share of historical emissions to assume leadership of the negotiations.

He said Fiji believed that the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development should be more productive and assume a greater catalytic role within the United Nations system in the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action. He expressed appreciation for the activities of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and encouraged it to hold training workshops on environmentally sound forms of tourism development.

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Right of Reply

PHILIPPE DELACROIX (France) said several speakers had referred to his Government's policy in the South Pacific and for that reason he was exercising his right of reply. Scientific research on the environment had regularly taken place. An assessment had been conducted by experts and had been submitted to a ministerial meeting of the South Pacific Forum which had confirmed it. If those countries challenged their own experts it was their problem. Debate on that matter should be conducted in the proper forum and it was currently taking place in the First Committee. He expressed the hope that debate on those issues would not come to the Second Committee.

Ms. WILLIAMS-STEWART (Samoa) said it was valid to express concerns on the French nuclear testing within the framework of the Barbados Programme of Action in the Second Committee. France claimed that scientific evidence made available proved that those tests were safe. The evidence was piecemeal and not convincing. If those tests were safe they should be conducted in metropolitan France. She urged France to conduct an environment impact assessment.

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