SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMITMENTS MUST BE CONSOLIDATED AND ACTED UPON, NOT CONTINUALLY REDEFINED, MEXICO TELLS SECOND COMMITTEE
Press Release
GA/EF/2786
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMITMENTS MUST BE CONSOLIDATED AND ACTED UPON, NOT CONTINUALLY REDEFINED, MEXICO TELLS SECOND COMMITTEE
19971106 Committee Continues Discussion of UNCED Implementation, Outcome of General Assembly Special Session Review of Agenda 21Sustainable development commitments must be consolidated and acted upon and the process of continual redefinition and adjustment should end, the representative of Mexico told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this morning, as it continued its consideration of the implementation of decisions and recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and the outcome of the General Assembly special session that reviewed implementation of Agenda 21.
Lengthy international negotiations had considered whether previously adopted commitments should be kept or adjusted, he continued. Several government bodies did not even have a clear idea of the concept or the exact meaning of sustainable development. As a result, there had been difficulties in implementing sustainable development measures.
The representative of Norway said the effective organization of intergovernmental cooperation for sustainable development was both difficult and important. Increased efforts should be made to enhance inter-agency cooperation and coherence and to strengthen the recommendations of the Commission on Sustainable Development. The current shortcomings of the United Nations system in promoting sustainable development must be considered in the ongoing reform process.
A representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) said industrial development and environmental sustainability should complement each other and both were achievable with the appropriate technology, institutions, policy framework and market-based incentives. The increasing need to promote a pattern of industrialization that fostered economic growth, protected the environment and created jobs underscored the relevance of UNIDO in today's global economy.
The imbalance in international economic relations was an impediment to sustainable development, the representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea said. Financial and technical assistance to the developing countries continued to decline. An international mechanism should be set up
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to promote the transfer of environmentally-sound technology to the developing countries on preferential and concessional terms.
The representative of Ethiopia said desertification and drought must be included in the global framework of environment and development programmes. The fight against desertification and drought required efforts at the regional and subregional levels and subregional organizations must be assisted by the international community. African countries needed assistance from the United Nations and development partners to form national action programmes to combat desertification.
Statements were also made by the representative of Tunisia, Malaysia, Syria, Guatemala, Guyana, Algeria, Kenya, Japan, Canada, Ukraine, Belarus, Iceland, Venezuela, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iraq, Republic of Korea and Turkey, as well as the observer for Switzerland. The representative of the World Meteorological Organization also spoke.
The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its consideration of the implementation of decisions and recommendations of UNCED and the outcome of the special session to review Agenda 21. It will also begin its consideration of: the protection of global climate for present and future generations of mankind; the Convention on Biological Diversity; and, the implementation of the outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.
Committee Work Programme
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to conclude its consideration, under the general heading "environment and sustainable development", of the implementation of decisions and recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) (Rio de Janeiro, June 1992) and the outcome of the special session of the General Assembly that reviewed the implementation of Agenda 21, the programme of action adopted by UNCED. (For background information see Press Release GA/EF/2785 of 5 November 1997.)
The Committee was also scheduled to hear the introduction of a draft resolution on industrial development cooperation (document A/C.2/52/L.16), sponsored by the "Group of 77" developing countries and China. By the text, the General Assembly would call on Member States to support the implementation of the programme for the Industrial Development Decade for Africa and the Plan of Action for the Alliance for Africa's Industrialization, taking into account the results of the mid-term review of the Industrial Development Decade for Africa. African Member States would be urged to integrate the objectives of the Alliance for Africa's Industrialization into their national plans and to establish an institutional capacity for the formulation of mechanisms to follow up and monitor programmes and projects.
The Assembly would call on the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to increase their coordination with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other United Nations agencies and donors to accelerate the implementation and goals of the Industrial Decade for Development of Africa. The UNIDO, ECA and other relevant United Nations organizations would also be requested to work closely with governments and the private sector in Africa at the national, regional and international levels to foster industrial production and development.
Statements
ABDERRAZAK AZAIEZ (Tunisia) said the special session made it possible to draw up a balance sheet on what had been done to implement Agenda 21. At the country level, since the Rio Conference progress had been made to achieve sustainable development. At the international level, progress had also taken place, including the international conventions on biodiversity and desertification. The goals laid down at UNCED, however, were far from being achieved. The environment had worsened worldwide and poverty was of great concern. The global environmental situation was out of line with the principles of sustainable development.
Regarding the results of the special session, he said some of the conclusions and recommendations adopted by the participants deserved to be recalled by the Committee. All the bodies and programmes of the United
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Nations system should strengthen the support they gave to national efforts to implement Agenda 21 and adapt their interventions to the plans, policies and priorities of Member States. The coordination of United Nations activities in the field should be strengthened through the system of resident coordinators, in close cooperation with national governments.
His Government had implemented a cross-sector approach to the implementation of Agenda 21 with "a yellow hand, a blue hand and a green hand", he said. The yellow hand worked to combat desertification, through programmes in family planning in rural areas, development in rural areas and research in arid regions. The blue hand called for the protection and improvement of the sea and sea cost area of the country, through the treatment of household waste, controlling and monitoring sea water, fighting pollution caused by hydrocarbons and floating waste. The green hand aimed at achieving the conservation of nature and biodiversity. That was being achieved through actions to implement a national strategy for biodiversity, including programmes for national parks, the establishment of green zones in urban areas and increased public awareness concerning the fragility of natural resources.
HASMY AGAM (Malaysia), speaking on behalf of the Association of South- East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the commitments that had been made for new and additional financial resources had yet to be fulfilled. In addition, the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to the developing countries had not yet reached noticeable proportions. The support provided for national capacity-building had not been sufficient.
He drew attention to the current forest fires in South-East Asia, which had spread a smokey haze all over the region, and said it underlined the interrelatedness and interconnection between States, including over the issue of transboundary pollution. The ASEAN countries had taken measures to combat the fires. Further, ASEAN believed that economic development could be pursued in parallel with environmental protection. In that regard, global climate change was an issue about which ASEAN was seriously concerned. By attaining a universal, legally binding target, the world community would greatly benefit from significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The international community must act immediately, however, to avert ecological catastrophe.
HUSSAM-EDIN A'ALA (Syria) said the special session allowed the international community an opportunity to renew the commitments pledged by national governments and gave new impetus to implementing Agenda 21. While the results of the special session had not met aspirations, it could provide inspiration for implementing and activating Agenda 21. Providing financial resources and the transfer of technology to assist developing countries was crucial to achieving such progress. The patterns of production and consumption and the continued phenomenon of poverty must be treated in a practical manner to put an end to environmental deterioration.
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His Government was trying to include environmental factors in its development plans in a manner that would achieve optimal use of resources and increase production and sustainable development, he said. His Government had also ratified the three environmental conventions on biological diversity, climate change, and desertification. It had conducted a comprehensive survey in order to implement a national strategy on biological diversity and a national study on desertification. Regarding climate change, some industries had been transformed to material not harmful to the ozone layer. Also, Syria's Ministry of the Environment was cooperating with relevant bodies to establish a national plan on the use of water resources.
LUIS RAUL ESTEVEZ (Guatemala), speaking also on behalf of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, said he was concerned about the lack of progress in the implementation of the Rio agreement, especially with regard to the creation of capacity; the transfer of environmentally-sound technologies; pollution; and the decline in official development assistance (ODA) from developed countries. The international community must act together to ensure greater progress towards sustainable development and the implementation of Agenda 21.
He stressed that Central America was proud of the efforts it had made in the political, economic, social and environmental areas to carry Agenda 21 forward. Those countries had made sustainable development a central aspect of development plans. Efforts were now being made to consolidate the regional position on environment. Poverty eradication was also receiving special attention in Central America. He called for strengthening the Environment Fund of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility.
BERHANU KEBEDE (Ethiopia) said desertification and drought must be included in the global framework of environment and development programmes. The fight against desertification and drought required a collaborative effort at the regional and subregional levels and subregional organizations, such as the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), must be strengthened and assisted by the international community. African countries needed special assistance from the United Nations system and development partners in the formulation of national action programmes to combat desertification.
Explaining that Ethiopia was affected by recurrent and cyclical drought and desertification, he said a global mechanism to combat desertification must have continued support. Voluntary contributions were essential for the operation of that mechanism, including supplementary and special funds. The international community must not miss the opportunity to bring together resources and collective efforts, so that a safer and sustainable path of development became a reality.
AGERICO O. LACANLALE, Officer-in-Charge of the New York Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), said UNIDO was
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promoting economic growth, protecting the environment and creating employment opportunities. Sustainable development rested on the principle that industrial development and environmental sustainability complemented each other and that both were achievable with the appropriate technology, institutions, policy framework and market-based incentives.
In line with its business plan, UNIDO would intensify its efforts to promote cleaner and sustainable industrial development in both developing countries and countries with economies in transition, he said. The increasing need to promote a pattern of industrialization that fostered economic growth, protected the environment and created jobs further underscored the relevance of UNIDO in today's global economy.
ULISES CANCHOLA (Mexico) said the traditional sustainable development issues on the international agenda had been outlined in international instruments and multilateral negotiations. One aspect of sustainable development was its integrated nature, which should be recognized when strategies were elaborated. That process often became a balancing act, because of the increasing number of elements considered under sustainable development. New multilateral negotiations had given the international community an opportunity to introduce additional aspects of sustainable development.
Lengthy international negotiations had taken place over whether previously adopted commitments should be kept or adjusted, he said. As a result, there had been difficulties in implementing sustainable development. Several government bodies did not even have a clear idea of the concept or the exact meaning of sustainable development. Concepts and commitments must be consolidated and acted upon. The process of continual redefinition and adjustment should not continue.
One of the aspects taken up least during the special session was the relationship between the General Assembly and the conferences of parties to the many conventions, particularly those deriving from UNCED, he said. That relationship often led to a repetition of similar debates in different bodies, which posed some risk. Those instruments comprised the most sensitive elements in discussions about the global environment and should not be excluded from the agenda of the United Nations.
GEORGE TALBOT (Guyana) said the special session proved that the international community's rhetoric on environmental matters had yet to be matched by its resolve. The programme for the further implementation of Agenda 21 represented virtually no advance on the key issues of finance and technology transfer, which remained central to implementation. Global action on the means of implementation was out of step with requirements and put in question the international community's seriousness regarding sustainable development.
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His Government was pleased to note that the issues of poverty and consumption and production patterns had been identified as overriding priorities for the programme of work of the Commission on Sustainable Development, he said. The eradication of poverty was integral to the achievement of sustainable development in Guyana. Yet, with the current global levels of poverty, the quest for sustainable development was seriously compromised. Hopefully, the Commission would be able to increase domestic and international efforts aimed at the eradication of poverty.
His Government also welcomed the decision made at the special session to advance the international dialogue on forests through the establishment of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests. His Government had made available to the international community one million acres of pristine tropical rain forests for study and experimentation in sustainable management and conservation, under the Iwokrama International Rain Forest Programme. That would help to establish the technical and scientific bases for the pursuit of sustainable forest management, taking into account economic, environmental and social considerations.
A. MEROUANE (Algeria) said the implementation of Agenda 21, especially with regard to resource mobilization and the transfer of technology, had not been comforting. The laudable efforts of countries in the South had not been complemented. Those efforts had been carried out despite other pressing problems. National efforts in the implementation of Agenda 21 must be supported by the international community. Environmental protection was important both in its scope and complexity and, thus far, there had been only fragmentary efforts by the international community to implement the various agreements on the environment.
Stressing that UNEP had a central role to play with regard to the environment, he said it must be given the status, the means and power it needed to fulfil its mandate. He was convinced that UNEP needed to be supported with predictable, stable financial resources. Partners in the South and North had no choice but to cooperate in achieving the goals of sustainable development.
TIMOTHY M'MELLA (Kenya) said his Government had for some time embarked on measures to implement the objectives of Agenda 21. Those national efforts had been complemented by the UNEP, UNDP and the World Bank, among others. His Government had successfully established a National Environment Action Plan to integrate environmental considerations into all sectors of national development programmes. It was also finalizing a review of environment related legislation, to enhance the impact in addressing environmental concerns. Environmental studies had also been introduced in the education system and measures had been undertaken to strengthen institutional capacity in the environmental field.
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Agenda 21 placed UNEP at the centre of the implementation process, he continued. The role of UNEP as the principal United Nations body in the field of the environment should be strengthened. His Government supported UNEP's revitalization and urged the international community to supply it with adequate, stable and predictable financial resources. He was concerned that many environment-related meetings were held outside UNEP Headquarters, a trend that kept the Secretariat away from Headquarters at the expense of programme delivery and effective management. UNEP Headquarters must be more effectively utilized.
NOBUAKI ITO (Japan) said that the general feeling after the conclusion of the special session, at least in the media, was that the gathering had not lived up to expectations. That was partly because the media paid far too much attention to climate change, apparently failing to understand that the conference had addressed a wide range of issues. The cancellation of the political declaration might have been another cause for that impression.
His Government, however, believed that the special session had made an important contribution to the reinvigoration of the international community's efforts to achieve sustainable development. There had been significant achievements in specific areas, including the agreement on the future work programme of the Commission on Sustainable Development and the establishment of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests, which held its first session in October.
The international community must work to promote the implementation of the programmes agreed upon at the special session before the review in 2002. In that context, the Commission on Sustainable Development would play a role of growing significance. The Commission should provide a forum to promote political momentum towards sustainable development and the establishment of long-term strategic objectives. His Government had urged that the number of agenda items for each session be limited so that discussion would be more focused. Also, his Government intended to continue to participate actively in the Commission's sessions, to ensure that it carried out its multi-year work programme.
DENIS CHOUINARD (Canada) said the special session had given the participants a better grasp of the need for each country to redouble its efforts to bring the commitments of Rio into reality. One important result of the special session was the decision to establish an Intergovernmental Forum on Forests, with the mandate to follow up on the important work done by the preceding Intergovernmental Panel on Forests. The work programme adopted for the Commission on Sustainable Development was also positive. His Government was pleased that the Commission would place emphasis on themes crucial to the future of mankind, including freshwater, oceans, energy and transportation, while keeping in mind the broader issues of poverty and patterns of consumption and production.
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He strongly supported the rapid implementation of the global programme of action for the protection of the marine environment from land-based activities, he said. Also, countries should prepare their national action plans for the International Year of Oceans in 1998. The ratification of the United Nations Agreement on Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks was also a major priority for his Government. It intended to ratify that agreement as soon as the necessary domestic legislation was passed. The other countries concerned should give ratification to that agreement the priority it deserved.
His Government was committed to the programme adopted at the special session for further implementation of Agenda 21, he said. He welcomed the stated intention of the Secretary-General to strengthen United Nations institutions in the areas of the environment and sustainable development. The reforms underway would support the efforts of the United Nations and its Member States in fulfilling the undertaking made at UNCED and the special session.
SERHIY REVA (Ukraine) said the main obstacle to achieving the goals of sustainable development in his country remained the mitigation of the complex and long-term consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. The comprehensive solution of the Chernobyl problem could not be limited only by decommissioning of the nuclear power plant. The consolidated efforts of the international community were needed urgently to address and mitigate the problem. His Government hoped that the forthcoming United Nations special donor meeting on Chernobyl would generate further support for implementation of the projects called for by the inter-agency needs assessment mission, which had been carried out in the affected areas last May.
He noted the deepening awareness by the international community of threats to the environment since Rio. Unfortunately, the world was still witnessing greater pollution of land, water and air, as well as diminishing forest resources, a lack of adequate mechanisms for the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and poor financing for environmental activities. Those problems must be overcome.
LIVIA LEU AGOSTI, observer for (Switzerland), said while it would have been preferable to see more concrete results in some sectors, the special session had produced important recommendations for follow-up commitments on sustainable development in the next five years. Debates had shown that there were often divergent expectations on goals for sustainable development. It was undeniable, however, that its three components -- environmental, social and economic -- were equal. It was now crucial to move from theoretical debates to concrete measures. In doing so, two fundamental goals should be followed: the eradication of poverty; and changing consumption and production patterns.
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The international community needed to mobilize all possible actors at all levels to work for sustainable development, he said. Her Government was encouraged by the number of measures being taken at the local, regional, national and international levels. It was also important to form partnerships between the public and private to achieve sustainable development. Her Government would organize a forum on sustainable development in Geneva in 1998, which would support an informal and pragmatic approach to achieving the goals of sustainable development.
The UNEP needed to have its role strengthened, she added. It should have the responsibility for preparing an agenda of global questions on the environment and formulating the environmental sector of sustainable development. The Commission on Sustainable Development should continue to play a central role, as a political forum, in the implementation of Agenda 21. The adoption of concrete recommendations was vital to strengthening its role.
ULADZIMIR GERUS (Belarus) said the international community must come up with concrete action plans on poverty eradication, international trade, sustainable forest and land use, eliminating the negative consequences of technologies, climate change and consumption and production patterns. Both national and international organizations must cooperate to address those problems. Concrete action for joint work was needed at the current session. All States must be guided towards sustainable development.
He noted that the international community had not succeeded in reversing the trends of poverty, illiteracy and environmental degradation since the Rio conference. His Government, nonetheless, was committed to implementing Agenda 21 and was moving towards sustainable development. The Chernobyl disaster had made Belarus' situation more difficult, but it had adopted policies on the environment, as well as a national strategy for sustainable development. Further, it had hosted a conference on sustainable development for countries in transition. The time had come for all countries to implement Agenda 21.
SVEIN AASS (Norway) said the international community could, and should, have done better since UNCED. Yet, the decisions made at the special session provided the basis for reinforcing efforts to promote sustainable development in the coming years. One key lesson from the review of UNCED was that effective organization of intergovernmental cooperation for sustainable development was both difficult and important. Efforts should be increased to enhance inter-agency cooperation and coherence and to strengthen implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on Sustainable Development. The current shortcomings of the United Nations in promoting sustainable development must be considered in the ongoing reform process.
In the next five years, his Government intended to reinforce work at the national level to strengthen sustainable development, he said. The key tasks were: strengthening environmental considerations as a cross-sectoral concern and responsibility; and focusing more attention on local organization and
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initiatives for sustainable development. His Government had recently decided to establish an Inter-ministerial Commission on Sustainable Development, which would be entrusted with the task of coordinating and promoting the implementation of special session decisions, both nationally and internationally. Sustainable development must also be given high priority in the United Nations system, in terms of financial and personnel resources.
The special session demonstrated the usefulness of reviewing progress in achieving the goals established by UNCED, he said. It renewed attention, adjusted the course and reminded the international community what remained to be done.
GUNNAR PALSSON (Iceland) said all economic sectors of society were responsible for the impact their operations had on the environment and on human well-being. To ensure such joint responsibility, among other things, his Government had developed a national environmental strategy and a programme of action. Such strategies and programmes were instrumental in enhancing development and should be adopted as widely as possible.
His Government strongly advocated a global and legally binding instrument for controlling the emission of persistent organic pollutants, he said. Those substances posed a serious threat to the global ecosystem and human health. An important step in that direction was taken with the decision of UNEP's Governing Council in January to convene an international negotiation committee to prepare a global, legally-binding instrument by the year 2000.
The health of the oceans had become a matter of increasingly grave concern, he said. Marine issues needed to be given a higher priority overall and greater recognition must be given to the important functions that the oceans played in the earth's biosphere. The oceans played a fundamental role in the carbon cycle, which, in turn, governed climate and weather. The oceans also regulated temperatures, provided the basis for life on earth and were an important source of food for a growing world population. For those and other reasons, his Government welcomed the decision of the Commission on Sustainable Development to devote its session in 1999 to the oceans and seas.
MARIELA LOZANO DE ACOSTA (Venezuela) said Agenda 21 was an important frame of reference for global action on environment and sustainable development. Its implementation required the combined efforts of national and international systems. Five years after Rio the world was still faced with increased poverty, environmental degradation, a widening gap between countries in the South and North, the lack of new and additional resources, and the failure to transfer environmentally sound technologies.
She stressed Venezuela's support for implementation of Agenda 21. In that respect, consumption and production patterns in the developed countries must change, environmentally sound technologies must be transferred, and new resources must be mobilized. The developed countries must open their markets
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to the developing world. Also, she said, priority must be given to the Commission on Sustainable Development in the implementation of Agenda 21.
IGOR DZUNDEV (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) said the special session established a solid basis for Member States and relevant international organizations and institutions to focus on the implementation of the objectives of UNCED. Member States now had to mobilize their efforts, show political will to undertake their obligations and implement Agenda 21, especially in the areas that required urgent action. International cooperation should not lag behind national efforts, particularly on the regional and sub-regional level. International cooperation on the global level should be intensified. Time and again, through different international political fora, various commitments had been made, but little had been achieved in the area of practical implementation.
Countries with economies in transition were facing serious problems in modernizing old technologies that generated pollution, he said. Those countries could not solve that situation by themselves. Concrete international cooperation was needed to find definitive solutions for the environmental problems in those countries. To that end, his Government had adopted a national action plan for the protection of the environment, which was supported by the World Bank. That plan was part of the overall development activities of his Government and determined the priorities in the environmental field, but adequate support from international bilateral and multilateral agencies was needed for implementation.
Ms. AL-JOUBOURI (Iraq) said her country regrettably, had not been able to implement any decision of UNCED or the special session due to the military aggression against it in 1991. As a result of the war, Iraq's environment had been subject to the greatest destruction in history. Weapons never before used in disputes had caused sizable pollution to the environment and injuries to innocent citizens, including genetic and embryonic distortions, physical and nervous breakdowns, miscarriages, inexplicable loss of hair and skin diseases. The military bombardment also harmed biological diversity. She called on the international community to remove the vestiges of environmental degradation and lift the economic sanctions used against Iraq. The environment was blind to frontiers. The entire region was suffering.
During the special session, the imbalance in international environmental cooperation was emphasized, particularly the failure of developed countries to fulfil their commitments in official development assistance (ODA), she said. Those countries had also impeded the access of developing countries to environmentally sound technology. If those practices continued, they would lead to the grave degradation of the international environment. United Nations bodies and programmes needed to foster support for national efforts to implement Agenda 21 and to make their efforts and procedures correspond to national plans, policies and priorities.
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CHANG BEOM CHO (Republic of Korea) said the guidelines adopted by the special session on regulating the transboundary transfer and safe management of radioactive waste should be implemented by all countries. It was important to include a regular review of the implementation of those guidelines in future deliberations of the Commission on Sustainable Development.
He noted that the global partnership for sustainable development was a long-term process of evolution, which required determination and commitment. The Rio summit and the special session were only the first two steps in the long journey toward sustainable development. His country stood ready to play its part in strengthening the global partnership necessary for a long-term commitment to sustainable development.
DANIEL DON NANJIRA, of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said the implementation of Agenda 21 required the broadest public participation and the active involvement of all sectors of society, including the scientific and technological communities. The WMO, especially through national meteorological and hydrological services, was uniquely placed and was making significant contributions in the field of meteorology, including climatology, operational hydrology, physical oceanography and related disciplines.
He said those contributions were based on WMO's strategy in its follow- up to UNCED, which included the following principles: enhancing existing and developing new services and products at all levels; taking the lead in developing a WMO-coordinated system for climate prediction; developing other opportunities in climate services that built on WMO's expertise; identifying the needs of national meteorological and hydrological services related to sustainable development and national priorities in country development strategies; assisting national meteorological and hydrological services in building capacities; providing an authoritative scientific voice in matters relating to climate change, freshwater, atmosphere and other matters related to sustainable development; and developing outreach capabilities in public information and communication efforts.
The international community needed to make a stronger commitment to the various conventions that protected the environment, he said. There should be greater support for the networks monitoring the atmosphere and oceans and for related research in the environment, which was necessary to supply national governments with needed data and advice. The dispersal of funds for environmental projects and the transfer of technology to developing countries must be improved.
BURAK OZUGERGIN (Turkey) said the mobilization of new and additional financial resources was of critical importance to the developing countries, but expectations had so far not been met, despite broad international dialogue on the issue. Governments and major groups should build upon the consensus among the developed and the developing countries on the need for new national and local initiatives on the environment and sustainable development.
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He looked forward to vigorously participating in the shaping of new thinking on major issues, such as freshwater, forests, the transport of goods and the disposal of wastes that affected the fragile environment, he said. In addition, he hoped to address broader developmental issues, such as population, settlements, finance, poverty eradication, changing of consumption and production patterns and international trade.
RI KWANG NAM (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) said imbalances in international economic relations were impediments to sustainable development. Those imbalances and unfair economic relations were further marginalizing the developing countries and widening the gap between the developed and developing countries. Poverty alleviation, unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, human settlements and the external debt burden must be tackled to promote sustainable development. Financial and technical assistance to the developing countries had continued to decline, due mainly to the failure of the developed world to make genuine efforts to fulfil the commitments made at Rio.
He stressed that it was essential for the international community to translate the Rio commitments into concrete action. The developed countries must meet the internally agreed target of official development assistance (ODA) and must also explore providing new and additional resources aimed at supporting the development process of the developing countries. An inter- national mechanism should be set up to promote the transfer of environmentally sound technology to the developing countries on preferential and concessional terms.
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