FINANCIAL COMMITMENT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT EMPHASIZED IN ONE OF SEVEN DRAFTS INTRODUCED IN SECOND COMMITTEE
Press Release
GA/EF/2711
FINANCIAL COMMITMENT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT EMPHASIZED IN ONE OF SEVEN DRAFTS INTRODUCED IN SECOND COMMITTEE
19951122 Other Texts Concern Habitat II, UNEP, Least Developed Countries, Desertification, Small Island StatesThe General Assembly would emphasize that financial commitment to human resources development is of critical importance for the enhancement of the concept of people-centred development, by the terms of one of seven draft resolutions introduced in the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this afternoon.
All drafts introduced were sponsored by the Philippines, on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China.
Also by the above draft, the Assembly would emphasize that women should participate fully in the formulation of national policies to promote human resources development. There would be a call for social safety nets to be included in structural adjustment programmes to mitigate their tendency to reduce budgetary allocations for social infrastructures which have a direct impact on human resources development, such as education and health programmes.
By another draft resolution introduced this afternoon, and which was also sponsored by Turkey, the Assembly would decide that the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) (Istanbul, June 1996) would be held at Headquarters from 26 February to 8 March 1996 to formulate the draft global plan of action, including a statement of principles and commitments, to be adopted by the Conference. It would be reaffirmed that Habitat II should be held at the highest possible level of participation.
In a related draft resolution, the Secretary-General would be invited to submit to the Assembly's fifty-second session a report on the role of the Commission on Human Settlements in the implementation and follow-up of the decisions and recommendations of the Conference.
Reiterating that increased opportunities for trade could help reactivate economic growth in the least developed countries, the Assembly would call for improved market access for their products, by another draft introduced. It would emphasize the importance of fully implementing decisions to address the negative effects to those and to net food-importing countries of the outcome of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations.
The Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) would be requested by another draft resolution to prepare a report on the relationship between UNEP and the Commission on Sustainable Development and UNEP role in the implementation of Agenda 21, the programme of action adopted by the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).
Under the provisions of another draft, the Assembly would renew its appeal to governments and organizations to make contributions to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations system to support activities to combat desertification and mitigate drought in all affected developing countries and regions.
The Secretary-General would be requested to provide for the early development and compilation of a vulnerability index for small island developing States and the Commission on Sustainable Development would be called upon to make adequate provisions for the examination of such an index at the earliest possible time, by a further text introduced this afternoon.
In other matters this afternoon, the representative of the Philippines, on behalf of the Group of 77, announced that the Kyrgyz Republic had joined as co-sponsor of draft resolutions on external debt problem of developing countries; Convention on Biological Diversity; implementation of the Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference on Population and Development; renewal of development dialogue; communication for development; and financing of development. In addition, Japan and Australia joined in co-sponsoring the draft on the implementation of the outcome of the Barbados Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Monday, 27 November, to consider matters related to the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction and to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
Draft Texts Introduced
By the terms of one of the draft resolutions (document A/C.2/50/L.30), the Assembly would endorse the report of the Commission on Human Settlements on the work of its fifteenth session (Nairobi, 25 April-1 May), including its decision 15/1 on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Shelter to the
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Year 2000. It would note with appreciation the contributions of the Commission and of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) to the preparations for the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), to be held in Istanbul from 3 to 14 June 1996. The Commission and the Centre would be encouraged to submit their contributions to the Conference's Preparatory Committee at its third session early next year. The Secretary-General would be invited to submit to the Assembly's fifty-second session a report on the role of the Commission in the implementation and follow-up of the decisions and recommendations of the Conference.
Sponsored also by Turkey, a draft resolution (document A/C.2/50/L.27) on Habitat II would have the Assembly endorse the report of the Preparatory Committee for the Conference on its second substantive session, which contains, among others, a decision on the rules of procedure for the Conference.
The Assembly would decide that the third session of the Preparatory Committee would be held at Headquarters from 26 February to 8 March 1996 (rather than from 5 to 16 February 1996) to finalize the provisional agenda of the Conference. The Preparatory Committee would also formulate the draft global plan of action to be adopted by the Conference, including a statement of principles and commitments as an integrated part of the plan of action. The Secretary-General would be requested to make the necessary provisions so that the Preparatory Committee might establish two working groups to meet in addition to plenary meetings for the duration of the third session. The Assembly would reaffirm that the Conference should have the dimensions of a "city summit" and should be held at the highest possible level of participation. The Secretary-General would be further requested to report to the Assembly's fifty-first session on the role of Habitat and on the outcome of the Conference.
By another draft resolution (document A/C.2/50/L.31) the Assembly would reaffirm the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s as the basis for continuing cooperation between the least developed countries and their development partners. It would also reaffirm its commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Programme of Action. It would endorse the measures and recommendations contained in the report of the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-term Global Review of the Programme's implementation. The international community would be called upon to take immediate steps to implement the Programme to ensure growth and development in the least developed countries as well as their participation in and benefit from the process of globalization and liberalization.
In addition, donor countries would be strongly urged to implement fully and expeditiously their commitments in all areas, including the agreed menu of aid targets and commitments as set out in the Programme of Action. In that
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connection, the donor countries should keep in mind the increased needs of the least developed countries as well as the requirements of the ones added to the list of such countries following the Second United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries. The Assembly would call for strengthened efforts with respect to the international debt strategy in favour of the least developed countries through the adoption of concrete measures to alleviate the debt burden.
Reiterating that increased opportunities for trade could help reactivate economic growth in the least developed countries, the Assembly would call for significantly improved market access for their products. It would emphasize the importance of concrete action to fully and expeditiously implement the ministerial decision on measures concerning possible negative effects to those countries and net food-importing countries arising from the Final Act Embodying the Results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations.
It would decide that a global review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action would be carried out at a third United Nations conference on the least developed countries in the year 2000. The precise level, mandate, date and venue for such a review should be determined by the Assembly's fifty-second session. The ninth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD IX) would be called upon to take into account the outcome of the Mid-term Review of the Programme of Action.
Another draft resolution (document A/C.2/50/L.34) would have the Assembly call upon the international community, in particular the developed countries, to support national efforts to develop human resources for development by an increased flow of resources for those activities and by fostering a conducive international economic environment. It would call for the inclusion of social safety nets to mitigate the adverse impact of structural adjustment which has a tendency to reduce budgetary allocations for education, health and other social infrastructures which have a direct impact on human resources development.
Acknowledging the action taken thus far by the United Nations system in operational activities in the area of human resources development, the Assembly would urge further action in accordance with Assembly resolutions on the matter. It would note with concern the worrisome trend of a decrease in overall development assistance which seriously affects the level of resources for human resources development and emphasize that financial commitment to such development is of critical importance in contributing to the enhancement of the concept of people-centred development. It would further emphasize that women are an integral part of the human resources development process and should participate fully in the formulation of national policies to promote such development. It would call for follow-up action to be taken in connection with the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development to ensure the strengthening of human resources development. The Secretary- General would be requested to take into account the important link between human resources and human settlements, to be addressed by Habitat II. He would also be requested to submit to the Assembly's fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the draft.
A further draft resolution (document A/C.2/50/L.28) would have the Assembly endorse the report of the Governing Council of the United Nations
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Environment Programme (UNEP) on its eighteenth session and its decisions. It would welcome, in particular, decision 18/7 concerning the relationship between UNEP and the Commission on Sustainable Development and the role of the Programme in the implementation of Agenda 21. The Governing Council would be requested to prepare a report on the matter and submit it to Assembly's special session on the overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21. The lack of sufficient and timely financial contributions to the Environment Fund would be noted with concern and governments would be called upon to contribute or increase their contributions to the Fund and make their pledges in advance of the year to which they relate.
The Assembly would welcome the efforts of UNEP to promote maximum and cost-effective utilization of the conference facilities at its headquarters in Nairobi and call upon governments to support such efforts. In addition it would welcome also Governing Council decision 18/10 on good environmental housekeeping within the United Nations system, and request the Secretary- General to invite the United Nations system to apply such practices as soon as possible.
On desertification and drought, a draft resolution (document A/C.2/50/L.29) would have the Assembly welcome the efforts by UNEP/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to strengthen their cooperation in combating desertification. It would renew its appeal to governments and organizations to make contributions to relevant United Nations bodies in order to strengthen their capacity to support activities to combat desertification and mitigate drought in all affected developing countries and regions.
A draft resolution on the implementation of the outcome of the Barbados Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (document A/C.2/50/L.32) would have the Assembly take note of the establishment of the Small Island Developing States Unit within the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development and request the Secretary- General to maintain its level of staffing and its structure in accordance with relevant Assembly mandates. It would take note of the interim measures instituted to strengthen the capacity of UNCTAD to enable it to complement the Department's functions in the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action. Governments and organizations would be called upon to continue to implement the Conference's commitments, including ensuring the provision of the means of implementation.
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By that draft, the Commission on Sustainable Development would be invited at its forthcoming session to give full attention to small island developing States in the national presentations on costal zone management. The Secretary-General would be requested to provide for the early development and compilation of a vulnerability index for small island developing States, in collaboration with the above-mentioned Department and UNCTAD, and the Commission would be called upon to make adequate provisions for the examination of such an index at the earliest possible time.
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