COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HEARS JOINT PRESENTATION BY PANAMA AND MEXICO
Press Release
ENV/DEV/511
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HEARS JOINT PRESENTATION BY PANAMA AND MEXICO
19990426 Transfer of Panama Canal at End of 1999 And Coordinating International Environmental Efforts DiscussedThe transfer of the Panama Canal at the end of 1999 and the challenges of coordinating international environmental efforts were discussed this afternoon as the Commission on Sustainable Development heard a joint presentation by Panama and Mexico.
The national presentations, on efforts to implement Agenda 21, were part of the Commission's seventh session, which will continue through 30 April. Agenda 21 is the action plan adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) (Rio de Janeiro, 1992). The Commission's session focuses on oceans and seas, small island developing States, consumption and production patterns and sustainable tourism.
The Executive Secretary of the National Council for Sustainable Development of Panama said his country was undertaking a number of initiatives to ensure the smooth and imperceptible transfer of the Panama Canal when it came under Panama's sole control on 31 December. In addition to improving the machinery and equipment of the Canal, Panama was committed to protecting aquatic life in and around the Canal basin. The disappearance of the wooded area around the Canal, as well as of some species of flora and fauna would jeopardize the water quality.
Over the years, Panamanians had become increasingly responsible for operation of the Canal, he said. Today, 94 per cent of Canal workers were Panamanian, compared to 68 per cent 20 years ago. For many years, Panama had been unable to benefit from having a coastline on both oceans -- the transfer of the Canal was an important step in helping the country utilize its resources. After many years, Panama would regain its sovereignty. He invited everyone to participate in the events around the transfer of the Canal in December.
The Commission viewed a film on Panama's preparations for assuming responsibility for the Canal, which also covered the Canal's history and the mechanisms it employed.
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Mexico's President of the National Institute of Fisheries said that his country had undertaken considerable institutional reform in 1994, resulting in a new Secretariat for Natural Environment and Fishing. That new entity coordinated activities with other sectors, including tourism and State governments, to improve the legal framework. He outlined a number of efforts by his Government, nationally and together with others in the region, to protect and conserve natural areas, and enhance scientific understanding.
The international community must address the problem of consolidating and implementing principles, programmes and commitments on oceans and seas, he stressed. International bodies' activities on oceans and seas must be coordinated, and international cooperation must be improved, both regionally and with international financial institutions.
The Commission will meet again at 10 a.m. Friday, 30 April, as the preparatory body for the special session of the General Assembly for the review of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.
Commission Work Programme
The Commission on Sustainable Development met this afternoon to hear a joint presentation from Panama and Mexico on efforts to foster and promote sustainable development.
The presentation is part of the Commission's diverse agenda for its seventh session, being held from 19 to 30 April. Last week, a high-level segment and interactive dialogues were held with participation by major groups, focusing on the four substantive themes for the session: oceans and seas; small island developing States; consumption and production patterns; and sustainable tourism.
The 53-member Commission monitors implementation of Agenda 21, the action plan emanating from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Through Agenda 21, all major groups -- including women, youth, industry and governments -- are enlisted in efforts to change human behaviour to minimize environmental damage and ensure sustainability in the development process.
(For further information on the Commission's seventh session, see Press Release ENV/DEV/498 of 16 April.)
Joint Presentation by Panama and Mexico
JULIO CALDERON, Executive Secretary of the National Council for Sustainable Development of Panama, said the Panama Canal would return to Panama's control on 31 December. In that regard, several steps had been taken to ensure a smooth transition. There were also steps being taken to protect aquatic life and the environment around the Canal.
The Canal was 80 kilometres long, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, he said. There were three sluices that controlled water flow, and it took a vessel 8 hours to go from ocean to ocean. The water in the Canal was freshwater from rivers and lakes. The disappearance of the wooded area around the Canal, as well as of some species of flora and fauna, would jeopardize the water. For that reason, it was important to protect the water basin. However, the Canal was subject to heavy traffic -- in 1998, some 14,244 ships had transited the Canal, paying $545.7 million for its use. Twenty years ago, 68 per cent of the employees of the Canal had been Panamanian. Today that figure was 94 per cent.
He added that a commission had been set up to oversee the transition of the Canal. It was a bi-national entity made up of Americans and Panamanians and would help to ensure that the transition would take place in an orderly fashion. The commission would undertake a study of the plant and equipment of the Canal and modifications to the legal instrument through which the United States had governed it. An investment programme had been established to
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improve the Canal and its water basin. It was important to ensure the capability of aquatic life to respond to the demands on the Canal.
Among the activities to improve the Canal, efforts were being taken to expand its operating capacity by 20 per cent, he said. There were also renovation programmes for the sluices and machinery. The fleet which patrolled and monitored the Canal would be increased in order to ensure fast response to a possible accident. New technologies were being employed to monitor mercantile marine traffic, including satellite technology. That would help Panama control the activities of ships that did not abide by international regulations.
For many years, Panama had had a coast line on both oceans, but it had not benefited from that situation, he said. In that regard, the transfer of the Canal was an important step. After many years, Panama would regain its sovereignty, and all necessary measures were being taken to ensure the smooth and imperceptible handing over of the Canal. Panama welcomed everyone to participate in the events around its transfer.
The Commission then viewed a film on Panama's preparations for assuming responsibility for the Canal, also covering the Canal's history and the mechanisms it employed.
ANTONIO DIAZ DE LEON, President of the National Institute of Fisheries of Mexico, said Mexico was sixteenth in the world in terms of volume of fishing catch, and was responsible for an average 1.5 per cent of the global catch. One fundamental element for applying national policies and programmes was the institutional structure and the legal framework under which sustainable development operated. In accordance with Agenda 21 on strengthening national capacities, considerable institutional reform had been undertaken in 1994, resulting in a new Secretariat for Natural Environment and Fishing. That new secretariat coordinated activities with other sectors, including tourism and State governments, to improve the legal framework.
The General Law on Ecological Balance and Protection of the Environment was the main instrument for environmental management, he said. Enforced for eight years, and given the demands of society and the agreements of the 1992 UNCED, it had been substantially reformed in 1996. The law united environmental and developmental policies for sustainable management of natural resources, in line with sectoral laws, such as those on fishing and forestry.
Mexico's integrated strategy sought to foster multiple uses of the coastal and marine areas, he said. Integrated management of those areas was in an initial phase. He reviewed several experimental programmes that had been designed and implemented. To generate experience in the integrated management of coastal regions, Mexico participated, with the United States and Canada, in a pilot cooperation project on the marine basin of California,
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through which guidelines were established for a plan of action to protect marine environments.
In the past five years, the country's protected marine and coastal areas had been increased to 29, he said. Those areas protected close to 2,000 coastal and marine species, including seven of the eight known species of turtles. A joint initiative on the meso-American Caribbean causeway involved governments including those of Belize, Honduras and his own in protecting the second largest coral reef in the world.
Regarding turtles, he said it was now mandatory to use turtle-excluding devices when fishing. Use of those devices protected turtles up to 92 per cent and prevented by-catch by some 50 per cent. Mexico's efforts had also led to the restoration of the gray whale population, which reproduced in Mexican waters. Other efforts involved protecting marine and coastal regions, which were priorities because of their biodiversity. Some 70 priority areas had been identified. Since last year, the Government had been assessing and diagnosing coastal lagoon ecosystems, and was adding to that effort each year.
Turning then to the sustainable use of marine life, he said his country was employing a new approach to research and management. Management was being based on the best scientific evidence. An ecosystem approach was used. There was a controversy to be resolved, he said, and he hoped it would be resolved in favour of his country. It involved the fishing of dolphins.
Mexico included the main guidelines of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing in national policies, resulting in them promoting the sustainable use of resources, in a manner that was socially fair and economically efficient. A precautionary approach to management had been adopted, resulting in decreased by-catch and improved efforts to preserve marine and coastal ecosystems. A national agreement for responsible fishing had been signed by various sectors, thus generating discussion on rational use and sustainable fishing.
On climate change, he said there was scientific uncertainty about its impact and the interaction between ocean and atmosphere. Mexico was involved in 10 sectoral programmes in attempts to mitigate the effects of climate change. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions had been achieved through resolutions and time frames adopted at annual meetings on climate change.
In addition to national efforts, international cooperation was indispensable, as was cooperation with the United Nations and other international and regional bodies, as well as efforts by other governments and non-governmental organizations. Mexico complied voluntarily with numerous international conventions and agreements on fishing, sustainable use of marine life, protecting coastal and marine ecosystems to mitigate contamination or changes due to human activities in the seas, and preserving biological diversity in the seas.
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Mexico had an important role to play as a country that promoted sustainable fishing, he said. To promote sustainable development in the marine environment, it was working with countries in the north and the south to cooperate in the technical and environmental fields. Efforts must be redoubled to address preservation and management of living marine resources, preventing degradation due to human activities, and to enhance scientific understanding. One main problem faced by the international community concerned the consolidation and implementation of principles, programmes and commitments on oceans and seas. International bodies' activities on oceans and seas must be coordinated. International cooperation must be improved, both regionally and with international financial institutions.
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