SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON TRANSITION ECONOMIES TO REACH CONSENSUS ON QUEST FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

16 April 1997

Press Release
SG/SM/6208

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON TRANSITION ECONOMIES TO REACH CONSENSUS ON QUEST FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

19970416 In Message to International Conference in Minsk, Kofi Annan Says Subregional-Level Consensus Will Bring Dividends and Serve as Model for Others

Following is the message of Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the International Conference on Sustainable Development of Countries with Economies in Transition, delivered on his behalf by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Yves Berthelot, in Minsk today:

I am pleased to congratulate the Government of Belarus on the organization of this International Conference on Sustainable Development of Countries with Economies in Transition. On the eve of the special session of the United Nations General Assembly, which is to convene in June to review and appraise implementation of Agenda 21 since the "Earth Summit" five years ago, this is a most timely initiative.

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) marked an enormous step forward in promoting worldwide understanding that environment and development are not incompatible but, rather, are two sides of the same coin. The idea of sustainable development has become much more widely accepted than it was in 1992, but its practice has fallen short of our hopes. Old habits, economic constraints and lack of information on technology are among the factors that have prevented governments, private enterprises and consumers in developed and developing countries alike from acting in conformity with the goal of sustainability.

Nations making a transition from a centrally planned to a market economy face a particular set of challenges. Dramatic change in these societies brings with it an array of formidable tasks: removing macroeconomic imbalances; reforming price mechanisms; restructuring their major economic sectors; curbing inflation and creating employment; forging closer links with the world economy. As a result, moves towards sustainable development are that much more difficult. Efforts to integrate environmental considerations into economic, fiscal and sectoral policy-making, and to involve all major groups and individual citizens in decision-making, are threatened by weak or inadequate legislation, a lack of managerial skills and shortfalls in financial resources.

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For these reasons, the Minsk Conference is poised to make an important contribution. This gathering provides a forum for countries of eastern and central Europe and the newly independent States to share their experiences -- achievements, as well as failures -- in their common quest for economic growth, social development and environmental protection and restoration.

It is particularly laudable that, for the first time, a subregion's ministers of the environment and their counterparts in economic and finance ministries have come together to discuss policies for sustainable development. Reaching a consensus at the subregional level would undoubtedly bring dividends to your own countries and would also serve as a model for other subregions. The next European Ministerial Conferences on Health and the Environment and on Transport and the Environment will also benefit from the example set here.

Regional and subregional cooperation was recognized in Rio as an essential part of the UNCED follow-up process. The regional commissions of the United Nations, regional development banks and regional economic and technical cooperation organizations have been invited to contribute to this process by promoting capacity-building, the integration of environmental concerns into development policies and cooperation on transboundary issues related to sustainable development.

Regional cooperative frameworks in Europe will be essential for implementation of the actions this Conference will recommend. These include the "Environment for Europe" process, the governing bodies of regional environmental conventions, the Environment Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and the activities of the European and national offices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). In the spirit of reform, cost-effectiveness and improved programme delivery, I urge all these and other partners involved to pool the available expertise and resources wherever possible.

The "Earth Summit" challenged States, organizations and individuals to change not only attitudes but behaviour. As the "Earth Summit + 5" approaches, meetings such as this can contribute greatly to a frank and open assessment of where we stand -- an essential prerequisite for setting priorities and devising a plan of action for the future. I wish you great success in your deliberations here in Minsk, and I very much look forward to learning of the message you will send to the special session.

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