ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL TAKES ACTION ON REPORT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

11 July 1996

Press Release
ECOSOC/5665

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL TAKES ACTION ON REPORT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

19960711 Drafts Introduced on Collaboration between UN System/Bretton Woods Institutions; Review of Roles of Council's Subsidiary Bodies

The General Assembly would endorse the Washington Declaration and Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land- based Activities, adopted by an intergovernmental conference held in Washington, D.C., last year, under the terms of a draft resolution adopted, without a vote, by the Economic and Social Council this afternoon on the recommendation of the Commission on Sustainable Development.

The Council also adopted, without a vote, two decisions submitted by the Commission by which it approved a request that the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests should hold its third session at Geneva from 9 to 20 September, and its fourth session in New York for a period of two weeks in 1997; and took note of the Commission's report and approved the provisional agenda of its fifth session.

The Chairman of the Commission, Rumen Grechev (Bulgaria), introduced the report. Statements on the report were made by the representatives of Colombia, China, Ireland (on behalf of the European Union), Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, Belarus, Czech Republic, Iran, India, Ukraine, Poland and the United States. A representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also spoke, as did representatives of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).

Also this afternoon, the representative of Canada introduced a draft resolution which would have the Council decide to convene a resumed session for five days in early 1997 to consider "the role, working methods and relationship with other bodies" of the following bodies: Commission on Science and Technology for Development, Committee for Development Planning, Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and Energy for Development, and Committee on Natural Resources.

Sponsored by Costa Rica, on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, another draft resolution introduced this afternoon would have the Council decide that full implementation of existing agreements and the establishment of new accords between the United Nations development system and the Bretton Woods institutions covering joint meetings, research and information exchange, policy analysis and operational activities should be encouraged and undertaken within the framework provided by its resolutions and those of the General Assembly.

In other action this afternoon, the Council deferred action on a decision to postpone until its 1997 substantive session the consideration of the periodicity of amendments to the Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, at which time the report of the Committee on Transport of Dangerous Goods would be available.

Before action, the representative of Greece objected to the postponement. The representatives of the United Sates, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, Norway, Brazil endorsed the postponement. Representatives of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) noted that they had come the session expecting that action would be taken on the matter.

Further this afternoon, the Council began consideration of the reports of the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development. Statements were made by the representatives of Ireland (on behalf of the European Union), India and the United States, as well as by a representative of UNESCO.

The Council will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 12 July, to continue its general segment.

Council Work Programme

The Economic and Social Council met this afternoon to hear the introduction of two draft resolutions, concerning collaboration between the United Nations development system and the Bretton Woods institutions, and review of working methods of some subsidiary bodies of the Council, respectively.

It was also scheduled to continue consideration of the question of innovative ideas for generating funds and of reports on matters related to sustainable development, natural resources and energy. (For background information, see Press Release ECOSOC/5664, issued today.)

A draft resolution sponsored by Canada, Norway and the Russian Federation concerns follow-up to General Assembly resolution 50/227, on

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further measures for the restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic and social fields (document E/1996/L.21).

By the draft, the Council would decide to convene a resumed session for five days in early 1997 to consider "the role, working methods and relationship with other bodies" of the following bodies: Commission on Science and Technology for Development, Committee for Development Planning, Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and Energy for Development, and Committee on Natural Resources. The Secretary-General would be requested to submit by 1 January 1997 a report identifying the principal outputs and/or products emanating from each body; the other functional commissions and/or expert groups and bodies that make use of those outputs; other forums within the United Nations system in which similar issues are discussed; issues in each body's purview that require an intergovernmental or expert contribution, and the nature of that contribution; and the source of expert and secretariat support for each body. The need to provide for a review of the regional commissions with a view to strengthening their effectiveness would be reaffirmed.

Sponsored by Costa Rica on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, a draft resolution on strengthening collaboration between the United Nations development system and the Bretton Woods institutions (document E/1996/L.20) would have the Council decide that full implementation of existing agreements and the establishment of new accords between those bodies covering joint meetings, research and information exchange, policy analysis and operational activities should be encouraged and undertaken within the framework provided by its resolutions and those of the General Assembly.

Also by the draft, the Council would decide to promote joint meetings between itself and both the Development Committee of the World Bank/ International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Interim Committee of the Fund, for the purpose of exchanging views on development issues. Such meetings should be scheduled at a time proximate to the semi-annual meetings of the Bretton Woods institutions with a view to benefiting from high-level participation by governments, financial institutions and other organizations.

The Council would also decide to encourage cooperative working relations between units of the Bretton Woods institutions and the regional commissions, including joint research on the effects of opening regional economies, collaboration in the areas of industrialization and physical and economic infrastructure, and arrangements for data collection and information exchange. The Bretton Woods institutions would be invited to prepare reports for the Council and for the Assembly on issues falling within their competence. The Council would invite financial and trade institutions to prepare special reports for the Assembly's fifty-first session on the issue of the multilateral external debt problem of the developing countries and on the issue of challenges and opportunities of global financial integration.

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Introduction of Drafts

The representative of Canada introduced the draft resolution on the initiation of reviews by the Council of some of its subsidiary bodies.

The representative of Costa Rica, on behalf of the Group of 77, introduced the draft resolution on strengthening collaboration between the United Nations development system and the Bretton Woods institutions.

Report of Sustainable Development Commission

RUMEN GRECHEV (Bulgaria), Chairman of the Commission on Sustainable Development, introduced the report on its fourth session. He said that there was broad consensus that the special session of the Assembly next year to review the overall progress on the implementation of the commitments of the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED) should not attempt to renegotiate Agenda 21, the programme of action adopted by the Conference.

He said that it was generally agreed, however, that the special session should revitalize the concept of sustainable development, recognize failures to meet certain goals, boost implementation of the Rio commitments, define priorities for the period beyond 1997 and raise the profile of issues which had not been sufficiently addressed at the Conference, or in which significant progress had been made since the Conference.

PAOLA BETTELLI (Colombia) said that the adoption of the Commission's report, which contained a recommendation on atmosphere and oceans, should not be allowed to lead to any conditionality which would be contrary to the terms of Agenda 21.

WANG XUEXIAN (China) said the principle of "indivisibility between environment and development" had yet to find reflection. The international community should take significant action to improve the international economic environment to help developing countries achieve economic growth. The proportion of official development assistance (ODA) by the developed countries in their gross national product (GNP) had dropped to the lowest point in 20 years.

Also, he continued, there was a trend trying to replace "new and additional financial resources" with "new and innovative sources of funding". Moreover, some countries continued to practise trade protectionism on the pretext of environmental considerations. He stressed the importance of a new political impetus for international and development cooperation. He also called for in-depth studies and adequate analysis of innovative funding, as well as its potential impact.

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CONOR MURPHY (Ireland), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the fourth session of the Commission had addressed the need for improved international cooperation in ocean and marine activities. Attention had also been focused on the area of atmosphere, and the Commission had discussed cross-sectoral themes. There had been wide recognition of the importance of political support to sustainable development. He stressed that the interaction among non-governmental organizations, governments and business enterprises should be improved.

YURIY ISAKOV (Russian Federation) said the Commission had carried an analysis of a complex gamut of issues related to sustainable development. However, there was a need to work out specific arrangements for measures at the national, regional and international levels. Some of the key core areas for the Commission's focus should be promoting rational use of energy and food resources and a sustainable use of the world's oceans.

ANTONIO FERNANDO CRUZ DE MELLO (Brazil) highlighted the importance of studying the causes of deforestation. The relationship between trade and environment should be viewed constructively, and voluntary certification schemes should be transparent. In the context of international cooperation, transfer of technology was crucial and sustainability required a broad debate on scientific research.

JENNIFER IRISH (Canada) stressed the importance of education in the promotion of sustainable development. She also suggested that the Council adopt the recommendation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests.

SYARGEI SYARGEEU (Belarus) stressed the need for addressing the problems of desertification and food security. He also drew attention to the many non- traditional suggestions made for the provision of resources for sustainable development.

JANA BULENOVA (Czech Republic) said the transfer of environmentally sound technology and capacity-building were some of the areas on which the Commission should focus. As for restructuring, the Czech Republic welcomed efforts at restructuring and at closer international relations. She stressed the importance of education for sustainable development.

HAMID NAZARI TAJABADI (Iran) said that unilateral actions by some developed countries against developing countries were inconsistent with the principles of the United Nations Charter and contradicted to the internationally agreed-upon need for capacity building in developing countries. The implementation of any international commitment on changing production and consumption patterns should not impede developing countries from taking actions vital to their development. Developing countries had struggled to meet the objectives of the Rio Conference. Developed countries

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should undertake to provide new and renewable resources and to transfer technology to meet those objectives.

PRAKASH SHAH (India) said that concrete steps were required towards changing production and consumption patterns in developed countries.

IGOR GOUMENNY (Ukraine) said that the high-level segment during the Commission's fourth session had been successful. The use of thematic segments were also valuable. The ideas of those in governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and academia could all assist in identifying the key issues for sustainable development. The Commission should better coordinate its work with other bodies involved with environment and development.

JOANNA WRONECKA (Poland) said that she endorsed the report of the Commission on the work of its fourth session, but there were still gaps in the implementation of Agenda 21 in the areas of finance, education, and integration and coordination of action.

BISA WILLIAMS-MANIGAULT (United States) said that her Government supported the participation of non-governmental organizations in the work of the Commission, but believed that their participation should be governed by rules developed in the General Assembly.

ANDRE VARCHAVER, of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), said his organization considered the provision of adequate financing and the transfer of environmentally sound technologies as essential components for the achievement of sustainable development. The IPU's evaluations had indicated that the national parliament played a crucial role as the vehicle which provided the legislative framework for sustainable development activities. Parliaments assisted sustainable development through ratification of relevant international conventions and agreements and by adopting and implementing relevant legislation. Moreover, they built awareness among the general public about sustainable development issues.

BEATRICE VON ROEMER, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), said that the practice of panel presentations and dialogues could bring the "real world" to the Commission. That had been the effect of this year's segment entitled "a day in the work place". She hoped that the Commission would continue to discuss the management of the environment of the workplace.

Reports of Natural Resources and Energy Committees

Mr. MURPHY (Ireland), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said that the Committee on Natural Resources had moderated its demands for reports on a wide range of issues. The Committee on New and Renewable Sources of

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Energy and on Energy for Development was a useful forum in which issues related to the energy needs of developing countries could be discussed. The European Union had asked the Secretary-General to report on the feasibility and scope of a proposed United Nations conference on energy. The Union had reservations about the holding of such a conference.

ARUN KUMAR SINGH (India) said his delegation would support the adoption of draft resolutions and decisions contained in the reports of the Commission on Sustainable Development and the Committee of Natural Resources. He failed to understand the hesitation in adopting those texts.

Ms. WILLIAMS-MANIGAULT (United States) said she had been under the impression that action at this point would be taken only on the report of Commission on Sustainable Development. Speaking on the Committee of Natural Resources, she said the mineral and water sectors were important, but the Natural Resources Committee should be merged with the Sustainable Development Commission. She asked that action on draft resolutions pertaining to the Committee on Natural Resources be deferred. Also, the Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy should be merged with the Commission on Sustainable Development and action on draft resolutions and decisions pertaining to that Committee should be deferred.

ALFATIH HAMAD, representative of UNESCO, said UNESCO had undertaken the organization of a World Solar Summit and a World Solar Commission had been created for that purpose. The Summit would meet at the end of this year and was expected to adopted a declaration, which would be significant.

Action on Sustainable Development Drafts

The Council adopted without a vote the draft resolution on "institutional arrangements for the implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities". The two draft decisions on matters relating to the third and fourth sessions of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests and on the report of the Commission on the work of its fourth session and on the agenda for its fifth session were also adopted without a vote.

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