FINANCING, TRADE, LAUNCHING OF NEW PROGRAMMES AMONG UNRESOLVED

ISSUES AS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

BALI, 3 June -- As the fourth Preparatory Committee for the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development entered its second and final week, government representatives continued their work on the draft implementation plan to be adopted by the Summit this September in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Speaking at the daily briefing held by the Department of Public Information, Lowell Flanders, a senior United Nations official with the Summit Secretariat, noted that some of the issues that continued to be negotiated -- such as financing, trade and the launching of new programmes -- were interlinked.  With this in mind, a new version of the draft had been put together over the weekend so that the negotiators could see all the cross-cutting issues in one package.

He said the sticking points facing delegates were similar to the ones faced at the end of last week, including various aspects of the means of implementation of Agenda 21, such as trade and finance.  “Fairly good progress,” he added, had been made on the issues of oceans and energy.  Most countries, he believed, had it in mind to complete negotiations on the text in Bali rather than hold them over until the Summit.

Discussing the upcoming ministerial segment of the preparatory session, which will be held from 5 to 7 June, he noted that the ministers would be focusing their attention on discussing another major Summit output -- the political declaration.  The ministers, he added, might also take up some of the political questions underpinning the implementation programme.

The draft programme of implementation (see document A/CONF.199/PC/L.5*) comprises an introduction and chapters on poverty eradication; changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production; protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development; sustainable development in a globalizing world; health and sustainable development; sustainable development of small island developing States; sustainable development initiatives for Africa; means of implementation; and an Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development.

Also today, side events sponsored by civil society and government representatives were held on such topics as:  partnerships for water, sanitation and hygiene and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

As of Saturday evening, over 3,711 people are participating in the preparatory meeting, including 1,458 government delegates, 1,132 representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 150 journalists.

A formal plenary meeting has been scheduled for 8 p.m. tonight to discuss the draft programme of implementation.

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