Fifty-ninth General Assembly

Second Committee

15^th Meeting (AM & PM)

industrialiZed nations will fail in efforts to keep greenhouse gas Emissions

 

at acceptable levels by 2015, second committee told

Effective Implementation of Climate Change, Desertification,

Biodiversity Conventions Stressed as Sustainable Development Debate Continues

(Issued on 20 October 2004.)

Efforts by industrialized nations to keep greenhouse gas emissions at an acceptable level would fall short by 2015, when developing-country emissions would rise to the same dangerous levels, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) heard today as it continued its consideration of sustainable development.

Switzerland’s delegate said that by 2015, the most advanced developing countries must have committed themselves to the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in order to keep worldwide emissions down.  The next Conference to the Parties to the Convention should start negotiating the second period of the Protocol, which should require fair commitments from advanced developing countries, as well as those producing the most emissions, he stressed.

The representative of the Netherlands, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, noted that developed countries were responsible for the vast majority of emissions and must act first to cut them.  However, developing countries had been accorded the right to sustainable development under the Climate Change Convention and their emissions would increase from current levels depending on the development path they chose.

Qatar’s delegate, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, referred to the Secretary General’s report on climate change, noting that if Annex I parties to the Convention did not take additional steps to cut greenhouse gases, their accumulated emissions and those from countries with economies in transition were expected to rise in the near future.  Developing countries, small island developing States and least developed countries would then face increased risks from climate change.

Speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Tuvalu’s representative urged the Committee to consider seriously United Nations reports on the adverse impacts of climate change, which would undermine efforts to achieve sustainable development.  The representative of Belize, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), added that members of CARICOM and AOSIS had carried out a project aimed at building capacity, assessing and reducing vulnerability and risks, as well as improving public education and outreach.  In addition, CARICOM had also set up the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre to enhance regional institutional capacity to coordinate national responses to the negative effects of climate change.

Several speakers welcomed the recent decision by the Government of the Russian Federation to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.  That country’s representative said it had decided on that action after careful analysis of all factors affecting international cooperation in the climate area.  While the recent international climate change focus had fallen on the Kyoto Protocol, implementation of the Convention itself was vital and should not be pushed into the background, he emphasized.

Other speakers noted that drought and desertification had continued to impede Africa’s food security and socio-economic development, and stressed the importance of effectively implementing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa.  They also highlighted partnerships and strategies for effective water management to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving, by 2015, the number of people lacking access to potable water and sanitation services, and underscored the importance of the sustainable use of biological diversity in slowing the rate of biodiversity loss.

Earlier today, the Committee held a panel discussion on “welfare enhancing policies for growth, employment and trade”, with keynote addresses focusing on various regions.  Norwan Girvan, former Secretary-General of the Association of Caribbean States, said that no single economic theory had been entirely successful in boosting development in the Caribbean, noting that while tourism had helped some economies, they had continued to suffer from international trade rules and natural disasters.  It was cruel to ask Caribbean countries to open their economies and compete directly with industrialized countries based on the belief that trade would certainly expand, he added.

Addressing African development, Eric Eboh of the African Institute for Applied Economic Analysis said that, although the continent had made progress in macroeconomic stabilization, thanks to tighter fiscal policy and monetary discipline, southern Africa remained its worst-performing subregion with some 23 of the world’s 25 poorest countries and an average gross domestic product (GDP) of 3.3 per cent.  It was particularly essential for southern African countries to harness trade by removing institutional and technological constraints to make their markets more competitive internationally.

Reform was also desperately needed in the Arab region in order to spur economic growth and stability, as well as to combat terrorism, said Samir Radwan of Egypt’s Economic Research Forum.  The region had the developing world’s highest unemployment rate, at 18 per cent.  In the oil economies, there was a lack of people to fit the available jobs, while in the labour-service economies there was a lack of jobs.  What was needed were unconventional policies focusing on growth, rather than oil income or windfalls from increased petroleum prices, to boost internal market development.

Addressing some of those developmental gaps, Martin Khor, Director of the Third World Network, noted that one-size-fits-all policies promoting the need for privatization, the free market, and foreign investment to fund development had failed to bring about adequate growth.  A proper timing and sequencing of liberalization was needed for success in creating increased production, growth and jobs.  Over the past 20 years, the idea had prevailed that funds, capacity and foreign business were needed, when in fact foreign impact had been limited, with most developing countries relying on domestic savings and industry for development.

Also speaking today were the representatives of China, India, South Africa (on behalf of the African Group), Bangladesh, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Indonesia (on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations), Tajikistan, Nepal, Libya, Iran and Peru (on behalf of the Andean Community).

A representative of the International Parliamentary Union also addressed the Committee.

Making introductory statements prior to the panel discussion were Deepak Nayyar, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi; Ha-Joon Chang, Professor of Economics at Cambridge University; and Jose Antonio Campo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

The Second Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, 20 October, to continue its general debate on sustainable development.

Background

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning for a panel discussion on “Welfare Enhancing Policies for Growth, Employment and Trade”, with keynote presentations by Eric Eboh of the African Institute for Applied Economic Analysis; Norman Girvan, former Secretary-General of the Association of Caribbean States; Samir Radwan of the Economic Research Forum (Egypt); and Martin Khor of the Third World Network.

The Committee was also expected to continue its consideration of sustainable development.  (For background information, see Press Release GA/EF/3082 of 18 October.)

Introductory Remarks

DEEPAK NAYYAR, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi, said that until now, economic development had been considered synonymous with growth.  However, it was actually about improving the living conditions of ordinary people, which was often forgotten in the rush for markets and globalization, leading to a confusion of means and ends.  Economic and social development were ends, while trade liberalization was simply a means.

Under that definition of development, the world had performed badly, he said.  Since the early 1970s, economic growth almost everywhere in the world had slowed and become much more volatile.  Volatile growth had become associated with much higher unemployment in both developed and developing countries, as well as greater employment insecurity, which was partly attributable to a more casual workforce.  At the same time, there had been no significant increase in real wages for a large proportion of the workforce in developed countries.  While growth had been modest, trade expansion had been unprecedented, although it had not led to an expansion of employment.  The outcome was clear -- an increase in economic inequalities, widening the gap between rich and poor.  Gains from economic growth in the past three decades had been unequally distributed between the developed and developing world, as well as within the developing world.

Economic growth was necessary, but not enough in itself to improve living conditions, he said.  Modest economic growth and rapid trade expansion had failed to create or expand employment, which was no accident, but an integral part of markets and globalization.  Consequences of trade liberalization, combined with capital market liberalization, often included a switch from domestic to foreign-produced goods and an increase in unemployment.  It was vital to return the focus of developmental discourse to people, and just as important to return the focus of economic policies to employment.  The world had allowed a dichotomy to arise between discussions of economic and social policies, with economic policies leading to less than acceptable social conditions.

HA-JOON CHANG, Professor of Economics at the University of Cambridge, said that the economic principles and policies of the last 20 years had led to disappointing results for the developing world, and that better policies were needed.  A level playing field in trade was the wrong principle to apply when the players were unequal.  Developing countries could not be expected to build capacity overnight.  They needed time and support to do so.  It was also contradictory that developed countries argued for free markets but restricted free access for developing countries on the premise that the industrialized world knew what was good for the developing world.

The adjective “special” should be dropped from the term “special differential treatment”, he said, adding that use of that adjective had made many countries feel guilty about policies that gave them a comparative advantage, and that such treatment was somehow wrong.  However, there was nothing special about preferential treatment, which was a tool to correct an imbalance, and to which recipient countries were rightfully entitled.  Breaking away from such rhetoric would enable the economic community to find effective alternatives to the policy regime that had dictated and led to disappointing economic performance in the past.

JOSE ANTONIO OCAMPO, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said that both developed and developing countries had responsibilities in creating a more equitable world economy.  Contributing to today’s inequities were financial and macroeconomic asymmetries that arose from occurrences in international financial centres.  About 98 per cent of all international transactions were dominated by five currencies –- the United States dollar, British pound, Japanese yen, Swiss franc, and European Union euro.  Developing countries had an essential disadvantage in a financial system that did not accept their currencies for international use.

He drew attention to the contrast between the financial regime that existed until the 1920s, with gold as its international currency, and today’s globalized economy.  No international currency existed today, which had created additional international asymmetries.  Financial flows among industrialized nations were stabilizing, while financial flows to developing countries were pro-cyclical -- increasing in times of abundance and decreasing in times of crisis –- which made it difficult for developing countries to counter effects of the business cycle.  Developed countries had enough flexibility to adopt counter-cyclical policies in times of crisis, but the expansionary macroeconomic policies in developing countries tended to reinforce the business cycle.  Today’s world needed institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that could use surveillance and financing to help developing countries adopt counter-cyclical policies to counter the business cycle, rather than reinforce it.

Questions and Answers

Responding to a delegate’s question about how to put sound social and economic principles into practice, Mr. NAYYAR said changes must begin at home before they could be adapted to the international arena.  Regarding the concept of just globalization currently in vogue among the economic and development community, he said globalization in its present form was unsustainable.  While economies were global, political and social institutions were national as were the associated problems of poverty, unemployment, poor services and others.  Corrections to such imbalances should be instituted nationally, not globally.

As for the conventional view that there should not be flexibility in wages and labour laws, he said that would lead to serious problems.  In most developing countries, more than 80 per cent of the labour pool worked in the informal sector, all of which was flexible.  On private sector-funded primary education, he said the private sector could not substitute the State, which should retain a leading role in education and in financing education.  In all industrialized societies except the United States, primary, secondary and higher-level education was usually publicly funded.

Regarding the merits of preferential market treatment, Mr. CHANG said that some countries used subsidies successfully, putting resources into efforts to improve education, infrastructure and services and making them more competitive on world markets.  He said he was not arguing for permanent protections, which were only meaningful when they led to improved productivity.  The key was what could be achieved with labour, regardless of labour costs.  A long-term approach to labour markets and labour-cost flexibility was needed.  While the short-term cost issue should not be ignored, it was not a permanent solution.

Keynote Presentations

ERIC EBOH, African Institute for Applied Economic Analysis, said that Africa had made progress in macroeconomic stabilization compared to the 1980s and 1990s, which were generally characterized by balance-of-payment crises and deficit financing.  Since 2000, some macroeconomic fundamentals had improved, thanks to tighter fiscal policy and monetary discipline.  Average growth in gross domestic product (GDP) had increased from 3.2 per cent in 2002 to 3.8 per cent in 2003, and was expected to rise to 4.4 per cent for 2004.  Growth had been boosted by a rise in commodity prices and an increase in foreign direct investment (FDI).

He noted that Africa’s average GDP growth was still far below the 7 per cent required to attain the Millennium Development Goals.  Prospects for growth and poverty reduction would depend on progress in boosting agricultural activity.  The area most in danger of failing to reach the Goals was southern Africa, with an average of 3.3 per cent GDP, and some 23 of the world’s 25 poorest countries.  Growth in that subregion had failed to increase jobs or reduce unemployment.  Some progress had been made in political governance, which was vital for socio-economic growth, but transparency and credibility were still lacking in public institutions.  Many countries in the subregion needed reforms to reduce poverty and increase employment.

As for trade, the African continent was the least integrated into the world trading system, he said.  About two thirds of its exports were derived from only a few commodities.  It was particularly essential for countries in southern Africa to harness trade by removing institutional and technological constraints, so that their markets could become more competitive internationally.  In boosting growth and development, the areas of greatest potential were agricultural development and the small- and medium-enterprise sectors.  The majority of people in southern Africa had incomes ranging from 30 to 80 cents per day.  Investment was needed for trade-creating infrastructures, democratic institutions must be further developed, and measures were needed to cope with risk, as well as the problems of globalization.  It was also vital that debt relief be seriously considered by the international development community, to release funds for poverty reduction and development.

NORWAN GIRVAN, former Secretary-General of the Association of Caribbean States, said that none of the economic theories applied in the Caribbean region thus far -- including the mercantile theory, cheaper labour for comparative advantage, import substitution, structural adjustment and the Washington Consensus -- had proven entirely successful in fostering development.  Some Caribbean economies had prospered thanks to tourism revenue, but per capita income in most remained low.  Even those that had done well continued to be vulnerable to international trade rules and natural disasters.  Caribbean countries faced considerable economic uncertainty due to the impact of cuts in tariffs and trade preferences and the potential tax-policy changes that could impact offshore financial firms.

Asking Caribbean countries merely to open their economies and expose themselves directly to competition from industrialized countries, based on the belief that trade expansion would certainly occur, was cruel, he said.  Caribbean States would need time to develop and improve their industries, increase the resilience of their economic systems and sustain growth.  A Caribbean Community (CARICOM) single market must be a strategic priority.  Progress was being made in that regard, but countries must take necessary steps to transfer sovereignty, ensure a place for domestic agriculture and create a reasonable balance between production for internal and external markets.  The State must play a significant role in creating regional institutions and helping them invest in infrastructure.  It’s role must be pragmatic and correspond to each country’s relative strengths.  The current World Trade Organization (WTO) and Bretton Woods policy frameworks for development were altogether too narrow and restrictive.  Regions and small countries as a whole needed the space to experiment and share strategies for development.

SAMIR RADWAN, Economic Research Forum (Egypt), noting recent international moves for reform in the Arab world, said there had always been attempts at home-grown reform.  The main message from recent conferences on the topic was that reform was desperately needed and that the cost of failing to reform was high -- terrorism, economic instability and lack of growth.  According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Arab human development reports, the region was suffering from deficits in freedom, knowledge and women’s empowerment, and needed to integrate into the international economy.

The conferences had also observed that employment creation would solve many of the region’s problems, he continued.  The unemployment rate of 18 per cent -- the highest in the developing world –- rose to more than 30 per cent for men and women first entering the workforce.  In the oil economies, the problem was inadequate supply and lack of appropriate training, rather than demand, while lack of demand was the problem in labour-serving economies.

Stressed the need for unconventional policies in tackling the region’s problems, he said they must focus on growth rather than oil income or any windfall from increased oil prices, which blurred the emphasis that should be placed on development of the internal market.  There was also a need to create an employment-intensive pattern of growth.  The scale of the labour force left much to be desired, which was reflected in export structure and in the glaring lack of high-technology commodities and services.  Finally, the region must improve its management of post-conflict reconstruction in such places as Iraq, Palestine and the Sudan.

MARTIN KHOR, Director of the Third World Network, said there was an emerging paradigm that simplistic policy prescriptions of the past must change.  The one-size-fits-all policy that promoted privatization, the free market and foreign investment to fund development had not worked.  There was a need for a proper timing and sequencing of liberalization in combination with domestic policies.  Policy space was needed to create the proper conditions for success, and the main task was to provide production, growth and jobs.  But in the last 20 years, the assumption that funds, capacity and businesses from foreign countries were needed to develop poor countries’ economies had prevailed, when in fact the impact of foreign involvement on development was limited.  Most developing countries had to rely on domestic savings and industry to carry out development work.

The central issue was to foster growth in agriculture, industry and services, he said.  States must provide incentives to spur entrepreneurship and stability, be it through import tariffs or subsidies and other methods.  However, many arrangements imposed constraints.  For example, the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) agreement impeded poor countries’ access to essential medicines and technology transfer.  Excessive tariff reductions had made it impossible for local producers in poor countries to compete with cheap imports from subsidized producers in rich countries.  There was an urgent need for appropriate subsidy incentives for local producers.

Developing countries needed flexibility and space to create policy strategies for development, he continued.  The eleventh session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XI), which had proclaimed that developing countries had the right to policy space, and the decision by trade negotiators to put aside the so-called Singapore issues during the Doha programme, were major positive developments.

Statements

FAISAL AL-HINZAB (Qatar), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that regional meetings convened to prepare for the last annual meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development had positively contributed to the Commission’s work.  However, regional processes needed strengthening.  The representation of major groups from developing countries were very low, and the Secretariat and development partners should provide support to increase it.  Partnerships launched thus far had not mobilized adequate resources for implementation, and governments continued to provide the lion’s share of funding.  Greater involvement by private-sector and other actors was needed, as was a broadening of partnerships to cover such concerns as desertification.

He said that the Secretary-General’s report on climate change was telling, as it concluded that if Annex I parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change did not take additional steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, then their aggregate emissions, including those from countries with economies in transition, were expected to increase in the near future.  Developing countries, small island developing States and least developed countries, in particular, faced increased risks from climate change.

TON BOON VON OCHSSEE (Netherlands), speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, expressed deep concern about the regional and global consequences of human-induced climate change.  The Kyoto Protocol had been ratified by more than 120 parties, representing the only multilateral instrument for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, without undermining economic development.  Developed countries were responsible for the vast majority of historical emissions, and must act first to cut their emissions.  Developing countries were accorded the right to sustainable development under the Framework Convention on Climate Change, and their emissions would increase from current levels, depending on the development path they chose to pursue.  Some developing countries were already taking action to limit their emissions, and there were possibilities for taking advantage of synergies between development and climate policies.  In addition to mitigation, he urged the European Union States to continue their efforts to adapt to climate change, since it would be impossible to prevent some of its impacts.

Turning to desertification, he said that unsustainable land use and poverty had remained matters for urgent attention, especially in Africa, where the consequences of desertification had increased tensions between peoples and led to conflict.  The committee on the functioning of the Convention would be reviewing its implementation in 2005, but desertification and poverty could not be combated through technical analysis and policy development alone.  It also needed strong commitment by all parties.  There was an urgent need for reform of the Convention and its subsidiary bodies if the parties were to continue to see it as a relevant means for tackling desertification.

As for biodiversity, he expressed concern about the continuing alarming rate of biodiversity loss at the global level, which threatened to undermine the Millennium Development Goals.  The European Union welcomed the outcome of the seventh meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, especially its focus on achieving the 2010 target of significantly reducing the rate of biodiversity loss.

ENELE SOSENE SOPOAGA (Tuvalu), speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), appealed to the international community to step up assistance to the Caribbean islands, particularly Grenada, which remained devastated by recent hurricanes.  The Committee should seriously take account of United Nations reports on the adverse impacts of climate change, which threatened to undermine efforts to achieve sustainable development, and address them decisively.  While much progress had been made in implementing the Barbados Programme of Action, thorny issues remained, including climate change, least developed-country graduation, trade and financing.  AOSIS members were ready to discuss outstanding issues through informal consultations with partners, and called for two days of consultations prior to January’s Mauritius meeting.

The Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Unit of the United Nations had greatly assisted in improving the flow of sustainable development and the preparatory process to the Mauritius meeting, he said.  However, the Unit must be strengthened, as agreed by the General Assembly in its resolutions, with increased staff and funding.  The AOSIS planned to present a draft to the Committee confirming the dates of 8 and 9 January to convene preparatory sessions prior to the Mauritius meeting.  The draft would also address funding for the SIDS Unit and SIDSNet.

ZHANG YISHAN (China) underscored the importance of sustainable development strategies in responding more effectively to climate change and improving biodiversity.  China had made marked progress and would continue its efforts in that regard.  The Convention to Combat Desertification was essential to preventing land degradation and improving the environment, but inadequate financial resourcing was thwarting efforts to do so.  Developed countries should fulfil promptly their pledges to increase their financial assistance and ensure effective implementation of the Convention.

The protection of biological diversity protection was a top priority for China, he continued, noting that his country was among the first to accede to the Convention on Biological Diversity.  China would partner with all other parties to continue to implement resolutions made at conferences and to promote the realization of the Convention’s objectives.

Natural disasters were a common enemy to all mankind, he said, adding that developing countries were the most vulnerable.  China urged the international community, particularly developed countries, to employ effective methods, increase post-disaster relief and technological assistance to developing countries, as well as help them build capacity for disaster prevention and reduction.  China called also for enhanced international cooperation and identification of specific objectives and programmes during the 2005 World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan.

VASILIY MEBEMZIA (Russian Federation), noting the positive trends in implementing Agenda 21, inter-agency cooperation in implementing the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and the Millennium Development Goals, said that the real path for the sustainable development of small island developing States was the comprehensive and timely implementation of goals that had already been agreed at the international level.  The Mauritius international meeting on small islands should provide a basis for strong negotiations to further their agenda.  The meeting’s final document should be balanced and similar to the Johannesburg Plan.

Pointing out that the international climate change focus had recently been dwelling on the Kyoto Protocol, he emphasized that implementation of the Convention itself was as important as ever and should not be pushed into the background.  Russia had decided to ratify the Protocol after careful analysis of all factors affecting international cooperation in the climate area.  In addition, full implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification must include a regional dimension and further cooperation on problems of biodiversity must build up links between biodiversity and other instruments, such as those to preserve forests.

SAMIK LAHIRI (India) underscored the importance of conservation, protection and sustainable use of genetic resources.  The decision made during the Johannesburg Summit to negotiate, within the context of the Convention on Biodiversity, an international regime to protect and safeguard the fair and equitable sharing of benefits resulting from genetic resource use was encouraging.  India supported an intellectual property rights system for its genetic resources to ensure that it benefited from granting resource access.  A similar international regime was needed for traditional knowledge.

The inclusion of land degradation, desertification and deforestation as focal areas for financing by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) within the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification was significant, he continued.  However, greater financial resources were needed to implement commitments made to affected countries.  International environmental governance must be examined in the broader context of sustainable development, and India supported the development of an inter-agency strategy for technology support and capacity-building.

XOLISA MABHONGO (South Africa), speaking on behalf of the African Group, said that African countries were still lagging behind in implementing sustainable development goals.  The main constraints were a lack of implementation means, and underdeveloped infrastructures for water, sanitation and human settlements.  In addition, several countries may not be able to develop integrated water resources management and water efficiency plans by 2005, as agreed at Johannesburg, without increased international support.  Those plans were critical to achieving the overall goal of halving, by 2015, the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water.

The Convention to Combat Desertification was an important priority for the African Group, he said, adding that desertification had contributed to increasing poverty as it encroached on productive land and reduced agricultural output.  The concerned parties must finalize the memorandum of understanding involving the Convention and the GEF and development partners, in order to increase financial support for the Convention.

He said that the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity was one of the priorities identified in the environmental action plan of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).  African countries possessed a wealth of biodiversity, and accounted for five globally significant biodiversity hotspots.  The international community must quickly complete negotiations on the international regime for access and benefit sharing in the Convention on Biological Diversity.

TOUFIQ ALI (Bangladesh) said that development and environmental objectives must be reconciled, noting that managed trade liberalization could enhance export opportunities for developing countries.  However, environmental standards applied arbitrarily could create barriers to trade.  Trade instruments were not the best tools for addressing environmental problems as the multilateral trading system profoundly impacted national economies and Agenda 21.  The TRIPs agreement introduced protections for new plant varieties, which could lead to over-planting of single or selected varieties, thus, reducing biodiversity and threatening commitments for conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity under the Convention on Biological Diversity.  The Convention had set 2010 as the target year to significantly slow the rate of biodiversity loss.

Science and technology were powerful tools for combating poverty, he continued, adding that technology transfer was vital for sustainable development.  The transfer of environmentally sound technology to developing countries at affordable prices was a key demand and top priority for poor nations.  Agenda 21 called for action to promote and finance access to and transfer of technology to developing nations on favourable terms, but little progress had been made in that regard.  Bangladesh called for the improved effectiveness of the Least Developed Countries Fund created during the last Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

STEFANO TOSCANO (Switzerland) said the ultimate aim of the Convention on Climate Change was to reduce atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases to a non-dangerous level.  Developing countries would be emitting as much of those gases as industrial countries by 2015, and the efforts of industrial countries alone, within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol, would not be enough to reduce emissions to an acceptable level.  Developed countries would need to be involved, especially the most advanced ones and those whose emissions rose to a high proportion worldwide.  The next Conference of the Parties should start a negotiation process on the second period of the Protocol, when fair commitments should be required from the most advanced developing countries and those producing the most emissions.

He noted that the Convention to Combat Desertification had made a major step forward when it was granted financing by the GEF.  However, before planning new activities and mobilizing additional funds, it should be stressed that the institutions of the concerned countries were already benefiting from efforts made, particularly in rejuvenating impoverished soil and improving water and soil management.  Those results had been achieved by the governments and populations involved in fighting desertification in partnership with various United Nations agencies.

HJALMAR HANNESSON (Iceland) said his country was taking part in many useful and action-oriented programmes under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO).  Within the framework of WHO’s water, sanitation and health programmes, discussions had been held with several countries to help Member States implement small-scale water supply management projects in remote towns and communities.  Iceland had set up water safety plans for small towns and communities based on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach.  It was also running preliminary tests of waterworks in three small fishing towns and a farming/tourist community, all with populations under 1,500.

In January, he said, Iceland and the WHO would sponsor a meeting in which  15 participants would shed light on community water-supply management in developed and developing countries.  They would review small-scale water supply management tools used in Iceland, Australia and Bangladesh and field-test them in selected developing countries.  Several developing and small island developing States in the Pacific had expressed interest in similar small-scale water-supply management programmes.  With monitoring, evaluation and follow-up, those systems could progressively provide data and evidence for use on a broad scale and in multiple geographic and social contexts.

HUSNIYYA MAMMADOVA (Azerbaijan) said that an approach based on the integrity of commitments must be preserved in order to implement sustainable development goals.  In Azerbaijan, the deterioration of water quality had become a serious threat to health, and should be considered hand-in-hand with sanitation issues.  Azerbaijan needed a preventive mechanism against water-basin pollution, and the common dependence of neighbouring countries on the same water supply could fuel cooperation in that regard.  In addition, ratification of the 1992 Helsinki Convention could enrich possibilities for dialogue at the intergovernmental level.

Azerbaijan was attempting to conduct natural disaster risk assessments in developing sustainable development strategies, she continued.  The conservation of natural resources was of paramount importance, but the country was not in a position to carry out programmes in that respect, since 20 per cent of its territory was under Armenian control.  Other obstacles impeding implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation included a lack of financing, capacity-building, and infrastructure.

EZLAN ISHAR JENIE (Indonesia), speaking on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said that ASEAN Vision 2020 and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community were guiding action on monitoring global environmental issues; land and forest fires; transboundary haze pollution; coastal and marine environment; sustainable management of forests, parks and protected areas; public awareness and environmental education; freshwater resources; promotion of environmentally sound technologies; urban environmental management and governance; and sustainable development.  ASEAN members had adopted an environmentally sustainable cities framework for clean air, water and land, and were exploring partnerships with several institutions in that regard, including an integrated waste management strategy created in partnership with the International Environmental Technology Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

He said that the recent entry into force of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution was testament to the subregion’s resolve to prevent further loss of forests and to enhance the sustainable cities programme on clean air.  ASEAN environment ministers had recently endorsed the ASEAN Declaration on HeritageParks and Reserves and were creating regional guidelines and enhancing human resources to improve capacity for managing designated parks and reserves.  It was important to provide financial assistance, technology transfer and capacity-building to enable developing countries to implement the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.  The ASEAN called on the High-level Open-ended Working Group on the Intergovernmental Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity-building to devise a concrete plan on technology support and capacity building for developing countries during its December meeting in Bali.

RASHID ALIMOV (Tajikistan) said that the International Decade of Action, Water for Life, 2005-2015, was an important instrument for mobilizing political will in addressing urgent water problems, and would promote the timely implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.  Water resources and their links to health care, poverty reduction, gender equality, education, environmental protection and peace were fundamental in achieving sustainable development.  The freshwater issue had become a major focus for international cooperation that could only be tackled through consistent, targeted and long-term joint actions.

According to international estimates, he continued, Tajikistan possessed about 60 per cent of all water resources in Central Asia.  About 25,000 rivers originated there, with a total length of 90,000 kilometres, or two and a half times as much as the Earth’s circumference.  There were 1,300 lakes and nine water reservoirs in Tajikistan, and the fresh water total came to 63 cubic kilometres.  Tajikistan boasted one of the largest per capita water supplies in the world, but in recent years had experienced “water stress”, demonstrating that rational use of water resources was a valuable instrument for economic and social development.

ANDA FILIP, Permanent Observer for the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), said that since the Johannesburg Summit, the Union had reformed its decision-making bodies and created committees on sustainable development, finance and trade that were assisting 140 national parliaments.  Recent IPU resolutions had recommended actions that parliaments should take to reduce significantly by 2010 the current rate of biodiversity loss.  They had made suggestions concerning agriculture, trade and anti-HIV/AIDS medicines, as well as provided parliaments with practical guidelines to create legislation required to meet the needs of their respective populations.

The IPU had also contributed to the success of the June parliamentary forum held in connection with the International Conference for Renewable Energies, she said.  Renewable energy sources and technologies were viable options to fossil fuels, and their further development and spread could facilitate economic growth without harming the environment.  It was also critical to limiting global warming, perhaps the world’s greatest environmental challenge.  On financing for development, IPU member parliaments had adopted a comprehensive resolution and would organize a major debate in the spring to zero in on innovative financing solutions and seek political support for their implementation.

DURGA SUBEDI (Nepal) described the Johannesburg Summit as a groundbreaking event that had emphasized the need to integrate national, regional and global policies and programmes in achieving sustainable development.  Now, global partnerships for sustainable development had become a global agenda, and the international community was committed to conserving the environment, as well as sustainably and equitably using genetic resource benefits.  A major outcome of the Summit was to significantly reduce the current loss of biological diversity by 2010.  Partnerships could and should make tremendous contributions to the implementation of internationally agreed goals in sustainable development.

The persistence of poverty had continued to impede the achievement of sustainable development goals, he continued.  Lack of financial resources, technology transfer and capacity-building were major challenges and constraints for developing countries, particularly the least developed ones, in meeting agreed goals and targets.  Nepal urged the international community, especially developed countries and international financial institutions, to take the lead in fulfilling their commitments.  Significant consideration should be given to identifying and addressing three core issues -– poverty reduction, environmental conservation and social integration.

JABER ALI RAMADAN (Libya), underscoring the need to balance socio-economic development and environmental protection, recalled that the last session of the Commission on Sustainable Development had made effective management of water, sanitation and human settlements the centrepiece of its programme of action.  While much had been achieved in that regard, many African countries were not on track to halve the number of people without access to drinking water and sanitation services by 2015.  They lacked the funding and were withal to do so, and the forthcoming session of the Commission should mobilize the political will of developed partners to fulfil their pledges to provide funding and resources to enable least developed countries to realize those goals.

Combating drought and desertification remained a major challenge for Africa, he continued, stressing that the Convention to Combat Desertification must be effectively implemented. The efforts of the Global Environmental Facility and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) towards sustainable development and poverty eradication were encouraging, but more must be done.  Libya welcomed the General Assembly’s decision to proclaim 2006 the Year of Desertification.  It marked an important step in promoting awareness and implementation.  Many developing countries continued to be adversely affected by natural disasters and climate change, and more must be done to consolidate and identify early warning strategies, strengthen national capacities and create a surplus of resources, including humanitarian resources, for dealing with those crises.

STUART LESLIE (Belize), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said that members of CARICOM and AOSIS had been actively engaged in the 10-year review of the Barbados Programme of Action and in implementing the programme.  They had undertaken a regional Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change project intended to build their capacity to assess vulnerability and risks, effectively utilize resources to reduce vulnerability, as well as improve public education and outreach.  They had set up the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre to enhance regional institutional capacity to coordinate national responses to the negative effects of climate change.

The CARICOM had set up a Caribbean Regional Water Partnership to foster regional cooperation in integrated water management and facilitate efficient use of freshwater, he continued.  It also continued to designate marine and terrestrial-protected areas to safeguard biodiversity.  During the current session, CARICOM would present a resolution to the Committee on promoting an integrated management approach to the Caribbean Sea in the context of sustainable development.  Caribbean people depended in great measure on the Caribbean Sea’s resources for sustainable livelihoods in such areas as tourism, fisheries and intraregional trade, and recognized the importance of international support to protect that vital natural resource.

HOSSEIN MOEINI (Iran) said the focus of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction had been closely linked to sustainable environmental, economic and social well-being.  The Conference should set the stage for addressing the adverse effects of natural disasters on the lives of millions of people worldwide through specific action-oriented recommendations aimed at strengthening national, regional and international capacities for disaster reduction.  It should give equal consideration to all types of natural disasters, particularly earthquakes, floods and droughts.

He welcomed the decisions of the ninth session of the Convention on Climate Change, especially the upcoming entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol, and the efforts by the secretariat of the Convention to Combat Desertification to implement decisions of the Conference of the Parties.  Iran supported the activities of the Joint Liaison Group on promoting activities in low forest cover countries to combat desertification, land degradation and deforestation, and stressed the need to identify concrete measures to address the special needs of those countries.  It was troubling, however, that funds were unavailable to finance projects in countries under the focal area of sustainable land management of the Global Environmental Facilities.  Iran also emphasized the importance of soliciting adequate financial resources for the current GEF financial cycle.

JOSE ANTONIO DOIG (Peru), speaking on behalf of the Andean Community, said that during the last century, 1,309 natural disasters, or 19 per cent of all natural disasters worldwide, occurred in Latin American and the Caribbean, making that region second only to Asia in terms of disaster frequency.  During the last 30 years, the average annual estimated cost of natural disasters in the region was between $700 million and $3.3 billion.  According to the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 1997-1998 El Niño phenomena had caused material losses estimated at $36 billion, as well as environmental damage.  The Andean region needed prevention programmes to deal with such phenomena, which occurred frequently and had severe and long-range consequences.

The increased frequency and intensity of extreme climate changes had aggravated the region’s climate variability, causing continuous and extended droughts, flooding and strong winds, he said.  Pollution and environmental damage caused by unsustainable production and consumption patterns was partly to blame for present trends.  In July, Andean Community heads of State had approved the Andean Strategy for Prevention and Attention to Disasters, an important milestone in the region’s efforts to reduce its vulnerability to disasters and their ensuing negative impact.  Under the Strategy, States would incorporate disaster reduction and prevention into national development policies, focusing on institutional strengthening, information and early warning systems, scientific and cultural development, mutual disaster relief and a culture of disaster prevention.

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