COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HEARS REPORTS ON ITS INTER-SESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AS SIXTH SESSION BEGINS AT HEADQUARTERS

20 April 1998

Press Release
ENV/DEV/465

COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HEARS REPORTS ON ITS INTER-SESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AS SIXTH SESSION BEGINS AT HEADQUARTERS

19980420 Chairman Cielito Habito (Philippines) Says Commission Not Just Collection of Governments, but People Sharing Sustainable Development Concerns

Sustainable development was not something that governments or international organizations could do for people, but it was something that people did for themselves, the Chairman of the Commission on Sustainable Development, Cielito Habito (Philippines), told the Commission this morning as it began its sixth session. The Commission was not just a collection of governments, it was people coming together and sharing the concerns of sustainable development, he added.

Also addressing the opening of the session, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Nitin Desai said the central message of Agenda 21 was that sustainable development was not just about environment, it was about development in all sectors, including economic and financial development. In that regard, industry played a crucial role in sustainable development. He challenged industry leaders to make a significant contribution to sustainable development at the local level. He also challenged the international community to make a commitment to finding integrated strategies for freshwater management, the sectoral theme of the sixth session.

Also this morning, the Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Maria Livanos Cattaui, said that worldwide companies were making great strides in reducing waste and setting policies that included consideration of the environment. The role of business and industry in the sustainable development process went to the heart of the goal of improving coordination between the United Nations and the private sector.

Speaking on the organization of work for the session, a number of representatives said they had not yet received the documents to be considered. Many representatives also said there should be open discussions on the main issues before the session, freshwater and industry. The agenda did not allow for open debate on those issues because they were discussed in inter-sessional meetings. Speaking on that issue were the representatives of: Indonesia (on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China), India, Iran, Cuba, Sudan and Ukraine.

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Reports were also presented on the work of the Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Working Group on Strategic Approaches to Freshwater Management and of the Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Working Group on Industry and Sustainable Development, as well as on the inter-sessional Commission meetings held in Paris and Petersburg, Germany.

In addition to adopting its agenda for the session, the Commission elected Miloslav Hettes (Slovakia) as its fourth Vice-Chairman, and it was decided that Marta Ines Galindo (Colombia) would serve as Vice-Chairman and Rapporteur.

The meeting this morning was opened with a minute of silence for the recently deceased Bella Abzug, an activist and consummate advocate for sustainable development, and former Congresswoman in the United States House of Representatives.

The Commission will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its deliberations.

Commission Work Programme

The Commission on Sustainable Development -- charged with monitoring the implementation of Agenda 21, the programme of action adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) -- met this morning to begin its sixth session.

At its nineteenth special session, held last June, the General Assembly adopted the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, which recommended several measures to improve the implementation of the UNCED programme of action. According to the outcome of the special session, the Commission will take up the issue of freshwater as the sectoral theme of its sixth session.

The Committee had before it a report of the Secretary-General on strategic approaches to freshwater management (document E/CN.17/1998/2), which highlights key issues requiring urgent attention and identifies starting points for taking strategic action for sustainable development.

According to the report, a third of the world's population lived at present in countries experiencing moderate to high water stress, and by 2025, up to two thirds could be living under those levels. Furthermore, three quarters of the people who lived under those conditions, or 26 per cent of the total world population, were inhabitants of low- to lower-middle income countries. Thus, by 2025, the low-income countries experiencing high levels of water stress were projected to embrace 47 per cent of the total world population. In addition, a different but equally severe form of water stress existed in arid and semi-arid countries, where there was a shortage of water despite low levels of use relative to already low availability, due to financial shortages, lack of technical expertise and insufficient institutional support.

Overall, a combination of water shortages and pollution was causing widespread public health problems, the report states, limiting economic and agricultural development while harming a broad range of the ecosystem. They might threaten global food supplies and portend widespread economic stagnation. The result would be a series of local and regional water crises, with serious global implications.

According to the report, problem clusters identifying specific areas for action centred on the fact that water quality was amenable to policy influence because raw water and wastewater were both treatable. Thus, emphasized areas for action included improving access to water supply and sanitation services, ensuring water for sustainable food production and rural development, meeting the needs of growth in the demands and impacts of industrial use, addressing degraded environments, redressing the undervaluation of water resources and

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strengthening institutional and regulatory frameworks that were weak. Key issues in freshwater management, having implications for policy choices and management options, concerned bridging of current gaps in management and elucidating guiding principles, such as integrated management for an overall approach, improved information management and progressive financing of water- related services. Strategic actions centred on such longer-term objectives as promoting ownership and participation, strengthening the enabling environment and mainstreaming environmental concerns.

An addendum to the report by the Secretary-General (document E/CN.17/1998/2/Add.1) presents conclusions of the expert group meeting on strategic approaches to freshwater management, which met at Harare, Zimbabwe, in January, the full text of which was conveyed separately (document E/CN.17/1998/11). Over 170 experts from developing and developed countries, as well as countries with economies in transition, took part in the meeting, which considered the following themes: water as the key resource in sustainable development; freshwater ecosystems and water quality; economic and financial issues; participation and institutions for integrated water resources management.

Key recommendations for an integrated approach to freshwater resources management covered such areas as capacity-building, information management, environment and development, economics and finance, participation and institutions, along with international cooperation. The expert group recommended that the Commission invite countries to submit, by the year 2002, information on national water policies and related plans, including progress in implementation.

The Commission also had before it the report of the Inter-Sessional Ad Hoc Working Group on Strategic Approaches to Freshwater Management (document E/CN.17/1998/13). The report states that numerous gaps would be identified in the path towards integrated water management. Areas requiring further attention included the following: awareness of the scope and function of surface and groundwater resources; the need for human resource development and participatory approaches, including women; the role of ecosystems in the provision of goods and services; and improved sanitation and waste-water treatment.

The Ad Hoc Working Group encouraged governments, in the creation of freshwater management policies, to intensify efforts to develop local and national integrated water resource development and management programmes; establish and maintain effective information and monitoring networks related to socio-economic and environmental data; establish national coordination mechanisms for policy establishment; and stimulate and remove impediments to research and development cooperation.

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Also before the Commission was a report of the Secretary-General on United Nations activities in the field of freshwater resources (document E/CN.17/1998/3). The report summarized both the involvement and cooperative arrangements among United Nations organizations and the strategic responses made to challenges faced by governments and the international community in moving towards the sustainable development and utilization of water resources.

The report indicated that freshwater management-related activities of the organizations of the United Nations system were wide-ranging in scope and nature, with three main kinds of activity: data-gathering and analysis, along with the preparation of studies and reports; organization and servicing of meetings and workshops; and technical cooperation, including advisory services and field projects. The scope of the activities included analyses of water as used for socio-economic development, encompassing such areas as integrated management and mitigation of water-related natural disasters; health and productivity of the aquatic environment and the impact on human health of water resource degradation; information management; capacity-building; and financing.

The strategic responses section of the report indicated that a certain amount of overlap and duplication was inevitable at times, since it was not possible to absolutely demarcate responsibilities. Of paramount importance, therefore, was to forward a common understanding of basic principles and approaches throughout the system, to supply ongoing information about activities to each other in order to enhance cooperation and avoid duplication and to increase cooperation at the country level of activities. The Subcommittee on Water Resources of the Advisory Committee on Coordination was increasingly coordinating such activities and information flow, both within the system and with regional commissions interacting with governments.

Also before the Commission was the report of a High-Level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development for the 1997 review of the Rio commitments (document E/CN.17/1997/17/Add.1), dated 17 March 1997. The report focused on critical issues and policies for sustainable development in the areas of energy, transportation and water resources. Among actions suggested for enhancing sustainable development in those areas were: creating an adequately financed and effective educational system at all levels; supporting innovation and technology transfer; creating markets and market-based instruments; making trade and environmental policy mutually supportive at the national, regional and global levels; and allowing rural areas of low income to have access to modern sustainable development technologies.

The Board's general recommendations included strengthening democratic and participatory processes to involve all concerned social groups; improving capacities for the efficient and sustainable use of resources through increased investments in scientific research and technology; and increasing

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economic incentives for sustainable development based on full and comprehensive pricing.

Statements

NITIN DESAI, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said the key point that needed to be understood by the international community was that sustainable development was not just about the environment, but it included economic and financial development as well. That was the central message of Agenda 21. The Commission's contribution was crucial for the discussion on sustainable development, and its deliberations would play a great role in setting the priorities and programme of work of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

The industry segment to be held at the current session would bring together representatives from industry, government and trade unions, among others, he said. That was an affirmation that sustainable development was dependent on the efforts of industry. It was hoped that the segment would bring an improved understanding of that. The Commission must work to make that format work and ensure that it was a constructive dialogue.

He challenged the Commission to address the following issues: one was for industry to make a strong contribution to sustainable development by, among other things, setting targets at the company level. The second challenge was for the international community to make a commitment to finding integrated strategies for freshwater management.

MARIA LIVANOS CATTAUI, Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), said she spoke for worldwide industry, comprised of large, small and medium-sized businesses. The ICC drew members from 300 businesses and its membership numbered 3,500. Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), the industry had invested heavily in a proactive business approach towards development. Sustainable development was now firmly on the agenda of corporate boardrooms. Worldwide, companies were making great strides in reducing waste and setting policies that included consideration of the environment. The role of business and industry in the sustainable development process went to the heart of the Secretary-General's message that there should be better coordination between the United Nations and the private sector.

Four themes would be covered during the industry segment of the Commission's work, she said. One of those was responsible entrepreneurship, the driving force for sustainable development. A particular challenge was to bring small and medium-sized companies into the process of good management. It was an ICC challenge to encourage companies to voluntarily go beyond mere compliance. Another theme was the development of initiatives for voluntary

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management systems, which would drive forward the improvements already made in policy and practice.

Successful cooperation on technology, tailored to specific situations and needs, was a third critical theme to be explored during the industry segment, she said. The private sector had a great investment in promoting the development of technology, and governments should provide the private sector with an efficient framework to promote cooperation by insuring that all parties gained, including industry, by such measures as the protection of patents. Industry was investing heavily in helping to promote freshwater as a rare resource, with an economic value to be recognized. Industrial water use had greatly improved. That was being done in agriculture as well. Subsidies should be phased out. The ICC commitment to sustainable development was absolute, she concluded.

MAKARIM WIBISONO (Indonesia), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said delays in issuing documents and reports were a matter of concern. Furthermore, draft decisions should be submitted early in the session in order to give groups time to come up with common positions. Cross-sectoral issues should be considered at the high-level segment, which should focus not only on the issue of freshwater, but also on other issues, including those relating to industry, preparations for the 1999 review of the Barbados Programme of Action on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, and to transfer of technology.

The Group would work closely with its partners in the developed countries, he said. The drafting work should end before the high-level segment began. And while numerous side events were scheduled during the Commission's session, which demonstrated a high level of interest in the Commission's work, those events should not divert attention from the Commission's critical intergovernmental process.

Organization of Work

The representative of India said that expert group meetings and inter- sessional sessions were an important part of the Commission's work and many more meetings should be held in developing countries. Holding such meetings gave developing countries a role in creating the priorities of the Commission and also a sense of ownership of the decisions and recommendations made. The importance of those meetings should not be forgotten or diluted. During the session, the Commission would take important steps in changing its working methods and his delegation hoped that structures and mechanisms would be put in place to ensure the effectiveness of its work.

The representative of Iran, speaking on documentation and the organization of Commission's work, said there was a significant delay in the

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issuance of documentation which would have a negative effect on the work of the session. There was also a problem with the follow-up procedures of the Commission. For example, the issue of freshwater would not be on the Commission's agenda for the next four years. The Commission should also focus on issues which it could act upon immediately. The time had come to move from ideological debates to sustained action.

The representative of Cuba said that for developing countries it was very important to attend the Commission's session, and also that the Commission reflected the priorities of developing countries. Her delegation agreed with other statements that there were significant difficulties concerning documentation; several documents had been received by her delegation only this morning and many were not received at all. There was also a lack of consultations between the bureau and the Member States in the elaboration of the organization of work and that should be noted when the Commission examined its working methods.

The representative of Sudan said there should be more efficiency and transparency in the work of the Commission and the bureau should work more with Member States to allow them to participate more effectively in the work of the Commission. On documentation, he said his delegation was disappointed that it had not received documentation in Arabic.

The representative of Ukraine proposed that the session be continued in the afternoon so all delegations could receive the necessary documents.

A representative of the Secretariat said every effort had been made to streamline the document issuance for the session. Many documents were available earlier than in previous sessions, but others were still issued later than what was recommended, which was six weeks before the session. Unfortunately that deadline had been difficult to meet; in some cases that was due to the reports submitted on the results of the meetings of the working groups.

The representative of Cuba said the explanation provided by the Secretariat was extremely unsatisfactory to her delegation. The United Nations was involved in a reform process where one of its goals was to put development at the centre of its work. As one of the few bodies that addressed developmental issues in many sectors, it was regrettable that it had not been possible for delegations to receive the substantial documentation for the session. She agreed with the delegate of Ukraine, that delegations did not have enough time to consider the documentation.

The representative of India said the issues that were most important were freshwater and industry, and it was unfortunate that there would not be a debate on those issues during the substantive session. While those issues

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were discussed in the inter-sessional meetings, those meetings were not intended to be a substitute for the main session of the Commission.

The representative of Sudan said he agreed with the point made by India. His delegation would like to see a debate on the main issues of the session, industry and freshwater, so that Member States could exchange views on those issues.

The CHAIRMAN said the commission had decided that the session would last for only two weeks, but there would be an opportunity for some debate on freshwater and industry. However, the programme of work had been established and the Commission would have to abide by that schedule; the duration of the session might have to be reconsidered.

The representative of Cuba suggested that work be interrupted so that informal consultations be held with the bureau to discuss concerns over the provisional agenda.

The representative of Indonesia said that communication between Member States and the bureau was very important and that did need to be improved. He suggested also that there could be one afternoon or morning session added in order to discuss the main issues of the session.

Reports of Ad Hoc Working Groups, Inter-Sessional Meetings

ROGATIEN BIAOU (Benin), Co-Chairman of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Strategic Approaches to Freshwater Management, said water resources were indispensable to satisfying all other human requirements and to enable development. It was important to tackle the growing scarcity of freshwater by eliminating the sectoral approach to water management and instituting comprehensive measures. The working group had put special emphasis on the integrated approach, which involved governments, the private sector and industry at all levels, national and international. The recommended measures had to be supported by all actors, from the Bretton Woods institutions to the United Nations.

Decision-making, institution- and capacity-building, participation, transfer of technology and resources, all were important dimensions of freshwater management, he said. The intergovernmental process on freshwater was under the auspices of the Commission, and it would be effective only if funds were made available to implement recommendations. New and additional financial resources for the developing countries had to be mobilized on their behalf, in particular in relation to the eradication of poverty. The private sector represented an important new source in water management. A financial mechanism had to be devised to implement the flow of the integrated approach from the private sector out into the field.

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MICHAEL ODEVALL (Sweden), Co-Chairman of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Industry and Sustainable Development, said the Group had met in March to consider the issue of guidelines for consumer protection and sustainable consumption. The keyword of the Group's work was dialogue, and the sections of its report focused on recommendations for governments, industry and the international community, respectively.

Dialogue was crucial, he said. Effective sustainable development policies depended on partnership among governments, industry, trade unions and civil society, as well as between industry and the United Nations system. Furthermore, the important concept of "eco-efficiency", as addressed in the Group's report, had many aspects. The development and elaboration of national policies, strategies and integrated approaches had to encourage changes in unsustainable consumption and production patterns. Eco-efficiency was an important tool in making consumption and production patterns sustainable, but it should not substitute for changes in unsustainable lifestyles of consumers. The developing countries had to be assisted in changing unsustainable lifestyles by improving their access to financial resources and sound environmental technology.

Finally, the most important issue for deliberations was follow-up, he said. A good policy for industry and sustainable development had been formulated and many good ideas and important proposals had been brought forward. It would be a waste and a setback to not carefully consider follow- up, which was the future work on industry and sustainable development.

CORNELIA QUENNET-THIELEN, of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety, reported on a Conference on Global Water Politics, Cooperation for Transboundary Water Management, held at Petersburg, Germany, in April. She said the Conference was the first with an integrated focus on complementary measures to address development, security, environment and public-private partnership aspects of water resources management. There had been unanimous agreement that water was a key natural resource for future stability, and that it should be a catalyst for regional cooperation rather than a source of potential conflicts.

The Petersburg Declaration spelled out action-oriented recommendations, she said. A series of complementary actions were identified to promote improved management of shared water resources, including environmental aspects. Critical factors in effective cooperation among countries in water management were also identified, and the importance of a shared vision and political commitment was stressed. An integrated approach to water resource management was emphasized, with focus on the regional level. General agreement was reached on the importance of sharing knowledge and experience.

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JACQUES ANDREANI (France) reported on the outcome of the Paris meeting of the International Conference on Water and Sustainable Development, held in April. He said the Conference made progress in a pragmatic manner on difficult issues. It dealt with the concept of sustainable management based on an integrated approach, which was water management at the watershed level, a system that enabled participation of all actors. Intervention by those actors did not mean the State did not have responsibility. It had primary responsibility, in fact, in administering policies as well as in such areas as improving resources and training.

It was necessary to go deeper with regard to knowledge about water management, he said. There was not enough known about associated issues such as food security and protection of ecosystems linked to water. Integrated information systems had been proposed to be set up at local, regional and national levels, which would enhance integration of essential data.

Also needed was a joint viewpoint on States sharing transboundary waters, he said, which should be a catalyst for cooperation and for mobilization of resources, especially between private and public sectors. The Conference started with the premise that water was an economic commodity with economic value. A system of tariffs should be established to ensure that the poorest had access to safe water. The convergence of viewpoints at the conference was encouraging.

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