PRESS BRIEFING BY CHAIRMAN OF COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Press Briefing
PRESS BRIEFING BY CHAIRMAN OF COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
19960506
FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY
The Commission on Sustainable Development has called on governments to consider adopting policies to improve energy efficiency standards and to promote the use of renewable energy sources, the Chairman of the Commission, Rumen Gechev (Bulgaria), said at a press briefing Friday afternoon at Headquarters. Also attending were the Minister of the Environment, Science and Technology of Ghana, Christine Amoako-Nuamah, Minister of the Environment of the United Kingdom, John Gummer, and Minister of the Environment of Costa Rica, Rene Castro. The Commission's annual session concluded on Friday.
Mr. Gerchev, in introductory remarks, expressed concern over the rapid growth in the transport sector in both industrialized and developing countries which was leading to greatly increased energy demand and, in many cities, harmful levels of air pollution. Detailed discussions were held during the session on the production, conversion and use of energy which was viewed as the source of many environmental and social problems.
Another concern was the continuing over-exploitation and depletion of fish stocks, he went on. The Commission called for urgent corrective action to rebuild those stocks and to ensure their sustainable use in the future. "Important progress has been made in international agreements and other decisions relating to fisheries resources but much work still needs to be done to ensure that all countries comply with them", Mr. Gerchev said. It had been recommended that the Commission should periodically review all aspects of the marine environment and that the results should be considered by the General Assembly under a new, consolidated agenda item called "oceans and the law of the sea".
Mr.Gerchev said wide-ranging discussions were held on such issues as the need to change production and consumption patterns; the importance of education in awareness-raising; and the urgent need to raise levels of financial assistance and technology cooperation.
There was broad consensus that the June 1997 special session of the General Assembly on Agenda 21 should focus on practical decisions that would build on the lessons learned since its adoption in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), he continued. The Assembly should, among other measures, work to revitalize the international commitment to the concept of sustainable development and boost the momentum for the implementation of concrete proposals for action. It should also raise the profile of issues that were not sufficiently addressed at UNCED as well as significant new developments in such areas as urban issues, transport,
renewable energy and risk management. In addition, the Assembly should define priorities for the Commission in the years following 1997.
During its current session, the Commission completed its review of all chapters of Agenda 21, he continued. The Commission stimulated important innovations in United Nations processes, including improved coordination between United Nations agencies for achieving sustainable development. It also promoted greater involvement of non-government actors. Extensive activities were held between the annual sessions of the Commission. Further, reporting arrangements had been established for monitoring progress at the national level.
Mr. Gechev said the diversity and enthusiasm of the record number of presentations at the session underlined a growing commitment to the principles of sustainable development and their implementation at all levels. "Many participants agreed that this was a most encouraging demonstration of the continuing vitality of the Rio process."
Replying to questions, Mr. Gerchev praised the contributions of non- governmental organizations to the work of the Commission. The Commission understood what those groups were looking for and felt there was room for fruitful cooperation. Ideas generated by the non-governmental organizations and the youth panel during the session had been more than welcome. He told the questioner that it would be too brave to state that the Commission could solve all problems relating to the environment. In the future, activities would have to focus on harmonizing the activities of governments at the national and regional levels. Ministers and other participants had agreed on the need to focus more on the special correlation between economic activities, especially investment activities, protection of the environment and environmental products. There was also need for developing countries to stimulate investment incentives.
Ms. Amoako-Nuamah, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology of Ghana, spoke of the positive aspects of the involvement of young people in the session. Many more young people should be involved in such activities in Africa than was presently the case. "Culturally, young people are to be seen, not heard, although we don't say it as much now. It's part of the culture. We are running programmes for them [in Ghana] but not really with their involvement." She said young people could help adults change consumption patterns and lifestyles that might not be sustainable.
Responding to a comment by a correspondent that a United Nations document had not mentioned military expenditures as part of consumption reduction, the United Kingdom Minister of the Environment, Mr. Gummer, said the Commission had a series of priorities, among which was making sure that immediate environmental demands like protecting the oceans, taking action to benefit forests and addressing the problems associated with climate change
Sustainable Development Briefing - 3 - 6 May 1996
were dealt with. Military expenditures were part of, but not one of the main things, that the Commission was concerned with. That issue had been discussed in the context of ocean pollution, he added.
Asked what had come out of the session regarding fisheries stocks, Mr. Gummer said that for the first time the whole issue of the oceans had been taken up in the Commission's deliberations. "That is a major change." Previously governments had not been prepared to treat the oceans as one of the central themes of what sustainable development ought to be. During the session, the oceans, as a cross-cutting concept, had been treated as a whole. There was a need for a world body to regulate the use of the oceans.
Mr. Gerchev told a questioner that preparations for the special session of the General Assembly next year would have to pay special attention to the regional as well as country-by-country approaches. Problems of various regions should be taken into account when seeking global solutions. High- level preparatory meetings should be held with the involvement of ministers of industries and finance. Member States would have to be ready with concrete instruments and mechanisms.
The Minister of the Environment of Costa Rica, Rene Castro, said that under the Commission's leadership things were happening both at the local and regional levels. Costa Rica had signed an agreement with the Netherlands for an inventory of all species in the Costa Rican rain forests. Central American states had set up a regional body on the environment, he added.
Responding to a question about private sector involvement in the Commission on Sustainable Development process, the Ghanaian Environment Minister, Ms. Amoako-Nuamah, said the Commission should explore strategies for increasing such involvement. The British Environment Minister, Mr. Gummer, said that only the strength of the market would deliver what was needed. The enormous powers of the market should be used to change people's lifestyles, he said, adding that the banking and the insurance businesses would also have to be involved.
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