DRAFT INTRODUCED IN SECOND COMMITTEE CALLS FOR CREATION OF EARLY-WARNING MECHANISM TO PREVENT DAMAGES CAUSED BY EL NI-O PHENOMENON

17 November 1997

Press Release
GA/EF/2798

DRAFT INTRODUCED IN SECOND COMMITTEE CALLS FOR CREATION OF EARLY-WARNING MECHANISM TO PREVENT DAMAGES CAUSED BY EL NIÑO PHENOMENON

19971117 Texts on Trade and Development, Coercive Economic Measures, Climate Change, Desertification, Biodiversity Convention, Landlocked Countries Also Introduced

The General Assembly would urge the United Nations system to cooperate with the regions affected by the El Niño phenomenon, especially developing countries, small island States and landlocked countries, by the terms of one of seven draft resolutions introduced this afternoon in the Second Committee (Economic and Financial), all sponsored by the "Group of 77" developing countries and China and introduced by the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Also by the draft text on the El Niño phenomenon, which was additionally sponsored by Mexico, the Secretary-General would be urged to promote the creation of an early-warning mechanism and develop long-term strategies for the prevention, mitigation and rehabilitation of damages caused by El Niño, such as financial assistance, transfer of appropriate technology and dissemination of information and knowledge.

By a four-part draft on international trade and development, the Assembly would request the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to continue to identify and analyse the implications for development of issues relevant to investment, identify new opportunities arising from the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements, and assist developing countries to participate effectively in multilateral trade negotiations.

Under the other five drafts introduced this afternoon, the Assembly would:

-- Decide to include in the calendar of conferences and meeting for the biennium 1998-1999 the sessions of the Conferences of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;

-- Request the Secretary-General to authorize the interim secretariat of the Convention to Combat Desertification to act as the secretariat for the transition period until the permanent secretariat begins operating at Bonn;

-- Urge the international community to adopt measures to eliminate the use by some developed countries of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries;

-- Call on States Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to settle their arrears and to pay their contributions to ensure continuity in the cash flow required to finance the ongoing work of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, its subsidiary bodies and its secretariat; and

-- Request the Secretary-General to convene in 1999 in New York a meeting of governmental experts from landlocked and transit developing countries to formulate action-oriented measures.

The Committee will meet again at a date to be announced in the Journal.

Draft Resolutions Introduced

The Assembly would decide to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session, under the agenda item entitled "Sustainable development and international economic cooperation" a sub-item entitled "The El Niño phenomenon" (document A/C.2/52/L.20), by a draft introduced. The organizations of the United Nations system would be urged to cooperate with the regions affected by the phenomenon, especially with developing countries, small island States and landlocked countries. The Assembly would invite States, inter- governmental organizations and participants in the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction to provide technical and financial assistance to developing countries to support global and regional observation systems and research, including the dissemination of data on El Niño.

The Secretary-General would be urged to promote the creation of an early-warning mechanism and develop long-term strategies for the prevention, mitigation and rehabilitation of damages caused by El Niño, such as financial assistance, transfer of appropriate technology and dissemination of information and knowledge. He would also be requested to promote an intergovernmental meeting of experts and scientists to exchange information and national experiences on the monitoring of El Niño, as well as to suggest strategies for the reduction of its impact. The Assembly would also urge the Secretary- General to include the El Niño phenomenon and its consequences in the ongoing activities of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.

By a draft text on the protection of the global climate for present and future generations of mankind (document A/C.2/52/L.21), the Assembly would decide to include in the calendar of conferences and meeting for the biennium 1998-1999 the sessions of the Conferences of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It would also decide to maintain the arrangements regarding personnel and financial matters established in regard to the provision of administrative support to the secretariat of the Convention.

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A draft resolution on the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (document A/C.2/52/L.22) would have the Assembly request the Secretary-General to authorize the Convention's interim secretariat to act as the secretariat for the transition period following the first session of the Conference of the Parties until the permanent secretariat begins operating at Bonn, which should be no later than 31 December 1998. It would also request him to maintain the arrangements within the current programme budget for the interim secretariat to support the Convention until the permanent one begins operating and to maintain the arrangements relating to extrabudgetary funds.

The Assembly would decide that the head of the interim secretariat, under the authority of the Secretary-General, should have the possibility of using the Special Voluntary Fund, as appropriate, to assist developing countries affected by desertification and drought, in particular, the least developed countries, to participate in the second session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention. It would decide also that the head of the interim secretariat should have the possibility of using the Trust Fund to support the participation of representatives of non-governmental organizations of developing countries in the work of the second session of the Conference of the Parties.

The Assembly would call on all countries, particularly developed countries, non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to contribute to the Trust Fund and the Special Voluntary Fund, which were established to facilitate activities under the Convention and the participation of representatives of non- governmental organizations of developing countries in the sessions of the Conference of the Parties. It would decide to finance from the regular programme budget of the United Nations the conference-servicing costs arising from sessions of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies for the duration of the institutional linkage of the Convention secretariat to the United Nations. The Assembly would decide also to include in the calendar of conferences and meetings for 1998-1999 the sessions of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies envisaged for that biennium, entailing eight weeks of conference-servicing facilities.

Another draft concerns economic measures as a means of political and economic coercion against developing countries (document A/C.2/52/L.23). It would have the Assembly reaffirm that no State might use or encourage the use of unilateral economic, political or any other type of measures to coerce another State to obtain from it the subordination of the exercise of its sovereign rights. The international community would be urged to adopt measures to eliminate the use by some developed countries of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries which were not authorized by relevant organs of the United Nations or were inconsistent with the principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations. The Secretary- General would be requested to continue to monitor the imposition of coercive

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economic measures and to study the impact of such measures on the affected countries, including the impact on trade and development.

A four-part draft resolution concerns international trade and development (document A/C.2/52/L.24). Under part I of the text, the Assembly would request UNCTAD to continue to identify and analyse the implications for development of issues relevant to investment, taking into account the interests of developing countries. It would also support the efforts of UNCTAD's Secretary-General to implement fully the far-reaching reforms as embodied in the outcome of the ninth session of UNCTAD (UNCTAD IX). The Conference would be invited to identify new opportunities arising from the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements, and to assist developing countries to participate effectively in multilateral trade negotiations.

Part II of the draft text would have the Assembly deplore any attempt to bypass or undermine multilaterally agreed procedures on the conduct of international trade by resorting to unilateral actions over and above those agreed in the Uruguay Round, and affirm that environmental and social concerns should not be used for protectionist purposes.

By part III of the draft, the Assembly would encourage UNCTAD to continue its role in promoting the integration of trade, environment and development, by examining trade and environment issues from a development perspective.

By part IV of the draft resolution, the Assembly would request governments, the United Nations system and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to implement the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, including the measures and recommendations agreed upon at its mid-term review, especially those related to trade and development. The UNCTAD, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would be invited to improve collaboration between the Conference's country- level programmes for least developed countries and the overall macroeconomic and sectoral policy dialogue in respect of those countries.

By another draft text, the Assembly would call on the States parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (document A/C.2/52/L.25) to urgently settle their arrears and to pay their contributions in full and in a timely manner to ensure continuity in the cash flow required to finance the ongoing work of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, its subsidiary bodies and its secretariat. It would also encourage those States that had not yet ratified the Convention to do so as soon as possible. Noting that the first national reports of the States parties to the Convention were due to be submitted to its secretariat no later than 1 January 1998, the Assembly would call upon Member States that were parties to the Convention to meet that requirement as soon as possible. It would also invite the international community to assist developing countries in fulfilling that commitment.

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A draft resolution on specific actions related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing countries (document A/C.2/52/L.26) would have the Assembly request the Secretary-General to convene in 1999 in New York another meeting of governmental experts from landlocked and transit developing countries, donors and financial and development institutions to review progress in the development of transit systems and to formulate action-oriented measures. The Secretary-General of UNCTAD would be requested to seek voluntary contributions to ensure the participation of representatives of landlocked and transit developing countries.

The Assembly would call upon both the landlocked developing countries and their transit neighbours to implement measures to strengthen their cooperative and collaborative efforts in dealing with their transit issues; to improve transit transport infrastructure facilities and bilateral and subregional agreements to govern transit transport operations; develop joint ventures in the area of transit transport; and strengthen institutions and human resources dealing with transit transport.

The Secretary-General would also be requested, in collaboration with donor countries and institutions, particularly the UNDP, the regional commissions and relevant subregional organizations, to continue his efforts to organize specific consultative groups, when requested by the landlocked and transit developing countries concerned, to identify priority areas for action at the national and subregional levels and to draw up action programmes. The Assembly would invite donor countries and multilateral financial and development institutions to provide landlocked and transit developing countries with financial and technical assistance for the construction, maintenance and improvement of their transport, storage and other transit- related facilities, including alternative routes and improved communications.

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