Fifty-Ninth General Assembly

Second Committee

16^th & 17^th Meetings (AM & PM)

international community must take serious anti-desertification measures,

 

reverse loss of biodiversity, second committee told

Three Draft Resolutions Introduced

As Committee Concludes General Debate on Sustainable Development

(Issued on 21 October 2004.)

The international community must take serious steps to implement the landmark United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification if it was to curb the widespread socio-economic ills caused by lack of water, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) heard today as it concluded its general debate on sustainable development.

Namibia’s representative, pointing out that his country was sandwiched between the Namib and Kalahari deserts, said that desertification contributed to food insecurity, famine and poverty; gave rise to social and political tensions; and impeded the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in countries where the majority of poor people lived in dry rural areas.  The Environmental Action Plan of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) had made the fight against desertification and land degradation a priority and the international community must do more to support that initiative.

Algeria’s delegate emphasized that African countries unanimously shared Namibia’s concern and described the fight against desertification and soil deterioration as a large-scale task requiring international cooperation.  The General Assembly’s decision to designate 2006 the Year of Deserts and Desertification would help to raise public awareness and mobilize financial resources.  While funding from the Global Environment Facility would be instrumental in implementing the anti-desertification Convention –- formally known as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa -- those resources would not be sufficient.  Developing countries needed more funds, as well as technology.

Addressing the question of biological diversity, Myanmar’s representative said his country was striving to conserve its biodiversity and to protect endangered species.  The country was home to more than 7,000 recorded plants, about 100 species of bamboo, 30 species of rattan, 800 types of orchid, 1,000 bird species, nearly 300 species of mammal, and about 360 known species of reptile.  In addition, Myanmar had designated the HukuangValley, in the country’s north-western region, the largest tiger reserve in the world.  Sustainable forest management and reforestation had kept more than half of Myanmar’s land area under forest cover.  More than 270,000 acres of forest land had been set aside and 1.1 million acres of natural forest put under systematic protection.

Thailand had taken a multistakeholder approach to biodiversity conservation, that country’s delegate said.  Developing countries, including Thailand, were particularly concerned with access to genetic resources and the sharing of their benefits, as well as reducing significantly the current rate of biodiversity loss.  More than 3,000 leading professionals from around the world would converge on Bangkok in November to attend the World Conservation Congress, where they would analyse the most comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date evidence on the global state of biodiversity, he said.

Nigeria’s representative said that his country had set up a National Biodiversity Committee to facilitate capacity-building, technology transfer and funding for biodiversity conservation in marine life and coastal areas.  Nigeria’s recent efforts to create a Shelterbelt and to plant drought-resistant trees on the country’s northern fringes had received some donor support, but more was required.

Turning to the question of natural disasters, Japan’s delegate said his country had suffered many natural disasters and could share its experiences with others.  Next January, Japan would host a world conference on that topic in Kobe.  Participants would review the Yokohama Strategy, which contained an action plan for raising awareness at all levels of society on the importance of disaster reduction and the promotion of cooperation among different sectors.  The conference would seek to advance the process of translating disaster reduction policies into concrete action and, hopefully, forge mechanisms to reduce the impact of natural disasters.

In other business today, Qatar’s representative, on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, introduced three draft resolutions, on the international financial system, external debt and development; on the International Conference on Financing for Development; and on the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II).

Other speakers during today’s general debate included representatives of Jordan, Malaysia, Ecuador, Burkina Faso, United States, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Benin, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Samoa (on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum Group), Egypt, Mexico, Belarus, Marshall Islands, Oman, Ukraine, Yemen, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Haiti, Monaco, Cuba, Philippines, Maldives, Burundi, Mali, Israel and Zimbabwe.

Also speaking today were representatives of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Association of Caribbean States.

The Second Committee will meet again at a date and time to be announced.

Background

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met today to continue its consideration of sustainable development.  (For background information, see Press Release GA/EF/3082 of 18 October.)

Statements

MANAR DABBAS (Jordan) said his country had made considerable progress over the past 10 years to achieve macroeconomic stability and implement structural reforms.  It was also undergoing comprehensive political and social reform aimed at achieving sustainable development.  Jordan wanted to establish a system that respected diversity and viewed it as a strength rather than a weakness, where majority rule was coupled with minority rights.  To that end, the Government had adopted a multifaceted reform agenda in such vital areas as education, the judiciary, women’s rights, human rights, political participation and election laws.

He said the Middle East was approaching a turning point in its history, when many of the problems that had long hovered over the region -– including poverty, overpopulation and economic deprivation -– were growing more acute and threatening its stability.  Vast resources had been siphoned away from social and economic development into military spending and its population had almost doubled, rising from 175 million to nearly 300 million people.  The region’s labour force, rising by 3 per cent annually, had grown more rapidly than that of any other region in the world.  Throughout the region, crowds of underemployed, often well-educated young men, were wondering why they had no jobs.  A sustained effort at promoting commerce, jobs, and a free economy throughout the region could help unleash the true potential of entrepreneurs, investors and civic leaders to create wealth, renew hope, and escape the culture of violence.

GOH SIOW HUAT (Malaysia) noted the increasing loss of biodiversity, saying that conserving diversity was a top priority for his country, which had taken steps to ensure that its development strategies were carried out in a sustainable manner.  The National Policy on Biological Diversity provided direction, strategies and programmes to conserve the nation’s rich biological resources. Promotion, research and the development of biotechnology were major components of Malaysia’s overall sustainable growth strategy.

Last February, he said, Malaysia had hosted the annual meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and held the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.  Priority issues discussed included the biological diversity of mountain ecosystems; the role of protected areas in preserving biodiversity, technology and technological transfer and cooperation; and significantly reducing, by 2010, the rate of biodiversity loss, as called for at the previous year’s meeting.

LUIS GALLEGOS CHIRIBOGA (Ecuador) said that since its inception last year, the International Centre for Research on the El Nino Phenomenon (CIFEN) had strengthened its institutional capacity and continued partnering with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction to help risk-prone countries strengthen their capacity to weather such disasters and foster sustainable development.  The Centre had completed its first agricultural pilot project to protect grasslands along Ecuador’s coast.  Disaster risk indicators for agriculture were an effective way to protect small farmers’ investments, thus reducing their migration to cities.  Last September, the Centre had held the first Biannual Meeting on the El Nino Phenomenon, focusing on the development of early warning systems.

He said the Centre could go a long way in enabling the international community to avoid repeating past mistakes in dealing with natural disasters that had resulted in incalculable human and material losses and had pushed many regions into unsustainable economic crisis.  The 2005 World Conference on Disaster Reduction would provide an excellent opportunity for the international community to strengthen existing mechanisms and design a concrete plan of action as they related to the disaster reduction and prevention goals set forth in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

ERNEST SOULAMA (Burkina Faso) said the world’s deteriorating environment was still a cause for concern two years after the Johannesburg Summit.  The disparity in development between countries of the North and those of the South had grown and was exacerbated by globalization, environmental destruction and depletion of natural resources.  The responsibility for that situation must be shared; the developed countries had never honoured their commitments to increase ODA to 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product.

The Government of Burkina Faso had initiated conservation and biodiversity projects with the help of the Global Environment Facility to protect and manage its natural resources, he continued.  It had launched a national action plan to combat desertification and set up a development framework to underpin that fight. The trend towards biodiversity loss was far from being reversed and reforested areas had increased only slowly.  Desertification brought famine, food insecurity and poverty, and developed countries as well as international organizations must take specific measures to assist in overcoming it.  The GEF was slow to put its resources to the service of national projects and should intervene to face the challenge of desertification as had been agreed.

BULUS PAUL LOLO (Nigeria) said there was reason to believe that political will and sustained action could lead to the attainment of Agenda 21 targets and the Millennium Development Goals.  However, success would depend on collective action and shared responsibility at the national level, where the primary responsibility for implementation rested, and the global level, which must support national efforts. To that end, public-private partnerships were vital in unleashing the spirit of entrepreneurship as well as resources to implement development programmes and projects.

Noting that the Convention to Combat Desertification was useful in eradicating poverty, he urged the Global Environment Facility Council and the Conference of the Parties to that Convention to conclude their Memorandum of Understanding as soon as possible.  Understanding that desertification contributed to poverty, hunger, disease and food insecurity, Nigeria had created a national Shelterbelt and planted drought-resistant trees in its northern fringes.  Although the project had received some donor support, more was needed.  The country had also set up a National Biodiversity Committee, which was taking concrete measures to protect the marine and coastal environment to safeguard biological diversity, which would benefit from capacity building, technology transfer and financial resources.

KAZUO SUNAGA (Japan) noted that the Secretary-General had created an advisory board on water and sanitation, designating former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto as Chairman.  The board, which had held its first meeting in New York last July, had identified 10 thematic priorities:  political will and accountability; water as a human right; financing and capacity-building; water-related disasters; integrated water resources management; technology; partnerships; private and public sector roles; monitoring; and statistics on water and sanitation.  The advisory board would meet in Tokyo in December for further discussions.

He said Japan had suffered from many natural disasters and could share its experiences with other countries.  Next January, it would host a world conference on that topic in Kobe, when participants would review the Yokohama Strategy, which contained an action plan for raising awareness at all levels of society on the importance of disaster reduction and promoting cooperation among different sectors.  The January conference would seek to further the process of translating disaster-reduction policies into concrete action and hopefully forge mechanisms to reduce the impact of natural disasters.

SICHAN SIV (United States) said the Commission on Sustainable Development’s twelfth session had pointed the way forward towards delivery of results on improving lives and advancing sustainable development.  It had used innovative processes to generate momentum for implementation on water, sanitation and human settlements issues.  It also advanced the international community’s understanding of the role of partnerships through a Partnerships Fair and delivered practical capacity-building through a learning centre.  The decision by the Commission’s upcoming thirteenth session to focus on deliverables and expedite implementation was encouraging, and it should not revert to outdated ways of doing business.  The Commission’s forthcoming policy session should build on best practices, lessons learned and case studies from the previous session and equip policymakers and stakeholders with practical tools for action.

Knowledge management was vital to advancing implementation, and the Partnerships Database of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs was an excellent start in that regard, he said.  However, it was only a beginning.  The forthcoming session of the Commission should include a framework for action that would match priority needs with specific actors and provide governments and other stakeholders with a platform for committing to and monitoring progress of major actions.  The Commission must catalyze lasting change in the near and medium terms, as doing so might prompt other United Nations bodies to follow suit and change business practices to ensure that proceedings were relevant and capable of meeting challenges.

IMERIA NUNEZ DE ODREMAN (Venezuela) said her country’s new development model had recognized the interdependence between state and society with respect to the responsible use of resources.  International progress to conserve the environment could be seen in agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan, which aimed to create an institutional framework to deal with the challenges of sustainable development. However, environmental deterioration had increased worldwide, making it all the more vital to achieve the Millennium Goal of poverty eradication.  The international community must accelerate measures on the sustainable use of natural resources, which required the political will of all States as well as financial assistance and technology transfer.

She said that at next year’s session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, the international community would draw up environmental policies in three areas –- water, sanitation and human settlements -– which must balance the interests of the North and South.  Such policies should strengthen financial support to combat desertification, adopt measures to strengthen management of the Caribbean Sea, adopt measures to address the alarming reduction in biological diversity, and speed up the transfer of technology to developing countries.

JOSE SOSA (Dominican Republic) said Hurricane Jeanne had devastated his country and neighbouring Haiti in September, destroying homes, infrastructure, communications systems and ports at a time when the Government was focusing earnestly on economic growth.  The country appreciated the international solidarity to help the Caribbean islands recover from the, and in equipping those nations with the means to devise action plans for natural disaster prevention and management.  The Dominican Republic had created a National Disaster Commission and set objectives and goals based on the principles set forth by the International Commission on Natural Disasters.

He said that governments and national organizations were the first responders to natural disasters, but they relied in large part on the technological, scientific and financial resources of developed countries to develop early warning and prevention systems as well as to minimize the impact of natural disasters on human life, infrastructure and the development process. Regional and international cooperation as well as financing were needed to ensure effective prevention and management of future calamities.

MARTIN ANDJABA (Namibia) said his country was sandwiched between two deserts, the Namib and the Kalahari, making it one of the driest countries in the world.  Desertification contributed to food insecurity, famine and poverty gave rise to social and political tensions; and impeded the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals particularly in affected countries, where the majority of the poor lived in dry and degraded rural areas.  As the international community commemorated the tenth anniversary of the Convention to Combat Desertification, and prepared for the 2005 five-year review of implementation of the Millennium targets, it was important that the Convention’s role in achieving them be reflected fully in the context of the Millennium Project.

The Environmental Action Plan of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) had identified desertification and land degradation as priority issues for Africa, he said, calling on the international community for support in that regard.  Namibia called for a timely conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretariats of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Global Environment Facility to establish the latter as the financing mechanism for the Convention.  Namibia called also for other sources to augment resources and for the forthcoming Global Environment Facility Trust Fund Replenishment to increase the amount of resources earmarked for sustainable land management.

CINTHIA SOTO (Costa Rica) said her country possessed some 5 per cent of the world’s biodiversity, but occupied only 0.03 per cent of its land mass. Nationally, 25 per cent of its territory had been declared a protected area, and a series of institutions and laws seeking to create a balance between environmental protection and poverty reduction policies had been introduced.  If approved, a project on environmental guarantees currently before Congress would become part of the Constitution.  Costa Rica’s per capita water supply was one of the highest in the world and access to it was nearly universal.  However, the treatment of waste water had remained a challenge and was exacerbated by population growth in the main cities.

She said Costa Rica had decided to use its natural resources to obtain financing and reinvest it in sustainable development schemes.  It had designed innovative ways to protect the environment through instruments like the “Environmental Services Payment”, an economic instrument aimed at those individuals involved in activities such as reforestation, conservation and preservation of the forest cover.  The value of environmental services, such as water protection and mitigation of gas emissions, among others, and the need to charge for them, were relatively new concepts in the world.  Methods for placing economic value on water were also being updated.  They incorporated the cost of protecting water resources in its price, and ensured adequate levels based on the intended use of water.

FERNANDE HOUNGBEDJI (Benin) said that desertification and its disastrous consequences were a serious impediment to development and to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people in extreme poverty by 2015.  The Convention to Combat Desertification was important in addressing that challenge.  Benin appealed to the international community to ensure sufficient resource allocation during the present and forthcoming cycles of the Global Environment Facility, which would give impetus to the Convention.  But many more efforts were needed to shore up resources for the fight against desertification and poverty.

She thanked the Conference of the Parties for their goodwill in providing additional resources as well as the Convention’s Secretariat for its efforts.  The General Assembly’s decision to declare 2006 the Year of Desertification was also encouraging.

CHOISUREN BAATAR (Mongolia) said his country had established the legal basis for sound environmental management but still faced major challenges and constraints.  They included developing appropriate institutions for pastureland management; reducing emissions; improving urban air quality; introducing fuel-efficient heating systems and changing incentive structures to promote conservation; protecting fragile ecosystems and wildlife; improving forest management; and combating desertification.  In achieving long-term sustainable development goals, it needed stronger partnerships and increased development assistance.

Underscoring water’s importance as a key factor for economic growth, he said enhanced water and sanitation services represented a fundamental step towards improved living standards for the poor.  Mongolia had proclaimed 2004 as the Year for Water Policy Reforms, and had amended the Law on Water Supply and Sewage Networks in Cities and Settlements to include institutional streamlining, river basin management with the ecosystem.  Safe drinking water and the rehabilitation of rural deep-water wells were major challenges and Mongolia would work closely with all developmental partners in achieving those ends.

BELKACEM SMAILI (Algeria) said that African countries unanimously shared concern about widespread and persistent desertification.  The NEPAD had addressed that issue as well as the link between desertification and poverty.  Algeria had set up an integrated national agricultural and rural development plan as part of its development strategy.

The fight against desertification and soil deterioration was a large-scale task that required international cooperation, he said.  The creation of the Global Environment Facility as a funding mechanism was a positive development and access to its financial resources boded well for implementation of the Convention.  But the Facility in itself was not sufficient and it was hoped that resources would be increased during the next replenishment cycle.

Technology transfer to developing countries was essential for effective programmes to combat desertification, he continued.  The General Assembly’s decision to designate 2006 the Year of Deserts and Desertification showed the goodwill of the international community in addressing the problem and would help raise public awareness and mobilize financial resources.  The decision by the Economic and Social Council to give the non-governmental organization “Deserts of the World” observer status was also a positive step forward.

R.K.W. GOONESEKERE (Sri Lanka) said that with the world becoming increasingly competitive and globalized, a highly educated and skilled work force could contribute much to economic development.  It was hoped that the past decade had heightened awareness of the pivotal role of education in achieving sustainable development.  After the 1992 Rio summit, Sri Lanka had followed a more focussed and comprehensive policy towards sustainable development, with agenda 21 as a guideline.  The country had done considerably well in the education field, given its per capita income.  Programmes such as free midday meals, textbooks and school uniforms had helped to achieve a literacy rate of 92.5 for boys and 87.9 for girls.

Sri Lanka’s focus was on primary and secondary education, bearing in mind the linkages with tertiary and vocational education systems, he said.  Non-formal education for “street children” was addressed by school programmes to meet community skill needs.  Since a high number of unemployed youths had been a factor in the civil unrest of the early 1970s and late 1980s, there had been several programmes to integrate them into the work force.  Graduate studies had been made more relevant to the Government’s development strategies.  While lifelong education facilities for adults were provided through the Open University system.  As economies would depend on flexible workforces in the future, they could be retrained to meet advancing technologies.  Educational and specialized training facilities would also have to adapt.

U KYAW TINT SWE (Myanmar) said his country still had 52.28 per cent of its total land area under forest cover, thanks to sustainable forest management and reforestation.  Deforestation was caused mainly by agricultural expansion, shifting cultivation, urbanization and mounting fuel needs.  As part of its sustainable forest policy, the Government was aggressively pursuing reforestation activities.  A special nine-district dry zone greening project in central Myanmar had been drawn up and implemented in 1994, and the project had now been extended to 13 districts.  More than 270,000 acres of forest land had been set aside, and 1.1 million acres of natural forest placed under systematic protection.

Myanmar had also been striving to conserve its biodiversity and protect endangered species, he said.  The country was home to more than 7,000 recorded plants, about 100 species of bamboo, 30 species of rattan, 800 types of orchid, 1,000 bird species, nearly 300 species of mammal, and about 360 known species of reptile.  To conserve endangered species, a tiger survey had been conducted in 1999 with the Wildlife Conservation Society of New York.  Myanmar had then designated the HukuangValley, a total of 8,418 square miles in the north western part of the country, as the largest tiger reserve in the world.

ALI’IOAIGA FETURI ELISAIA (Samoa), speaking on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum Group, said that the January International Meeting on Small Island Developing States in Mauritius was of great importance to all member of the Forum and it would do all it could to make Barbados + 10 a success.  The International Meeting must reaffirm the continuing significance of the Barbados Declaration and Programme of action, which remained of crucial relevance to countries in the Pacific region.

He said that the International Meeting must also highlight new and emerging issues relating to the sustainable development of small island developing States (SIDS), and remind the international community that they faced a specific set of vulnerabilities.  They also continued to need dedicated assistance to address those vulnerabilities and to build resilience.  It was crucial that the Meeting agree on a forward-looking, action-oriented document and informal negotiations had made good progress so far.  It was hoped that Mauritius would result in other specific “deliverables” for SIDS.  For the meeting to be a success, it was important that countries send high-level representation.

KHALED ELBAKLY (Egypt) called on the international community to fulfil its Monterrey financial commitments and implement the outcome of the Johannesburg Summit.  It was not enough for States to enumerate sustainable development goals; they must have detailed implementation plans combined with specific resources for implementation.  Resources announced in Monterrey should be linked to implementation of some well-identified Johannesburg targets.  The international community could not talk of sustainable development without making the multilateral trading system a key vehicle for developing countries to mobilize the necessary resources for development.

He welcomed the growing interest in partnerships as an additional means for implementing previous agreed objectives.  However, they should in no way replace government commitments, and should be monitored to ensure their efficiency and credibility as well as their compatibility with Summit outcomes.  The Secretariat should prepare periodic reports to be considered by Member States on the results of current partnerships, including their contributions to implementing sustainable development goals.

BENITO JIMENEZ SAUMA (Mexico) said that protection of biological diversity, particularly genetic resources, was a top priority for his country, which welcomed the decision by the Seventh Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to hammer out international regulations governing access to genetic resources and distribution of their benefits.

Turning to the issue of climate change, he said integration of early warning systems and contingency plans into national development plans would lead to more effective management of natural disasters in countries that were greatly affected by climate change and natural disasters.  Mexico had participated actively in the work of the Convention on Climate Change and the preparatory process for the World Conference on Disaster Reduction.  It had taken several steps to better cope with future natural disasters, including by the creation of homes and buildings that were resistant to seismic occurrences; human settlements planning and regulation; and natural disaster prevention strategies.  He said Mexico had fostered regional cooperation to reduce disaster risk and strengthen national programmes for disaster prevention in Latin America and the Caribbean.  The October 2003 Special Conference on Security organized by the Organization of American States made an important contribution to international security and to international efforts in disaster reduction.

ULADZIMIR GERUS (Belarus) drew attention to encouraging progress in implementing agenda 21 and the decisions taken at the Johannesburg Summit.  It was also important to achieve a productive outcome to this year’s session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which should adopt key programme decisions in the areas of water resources, sanitation and human settlements.

He said his country would be holding an international conference in Minsk on the twentieth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 2006.  The conference aimed to discuss prospects for international cooperation in radiation safety, ways of enhancing international scientific research for the medical and social rehabilitation of the affected population, and to speed up implementation of projects on improving living conditions for people in the contaminated territories.  Belarus called on affected countries, donor countries, international organizations and other interested parties to participate and support the conference.

ALFRED CAPELLE (Marshall Islands) said that the devastating impacts of recent hurricanes in the Caribbean and the United States had underscored the importance of climate change.  In the Pacific, the small island of Niue had been virtually destroyed by Cyclone Heta in January, and the Micronesian island of Yap lashed by Typhoon Sudal in April.  A growing scientific consensus had agreed that small island developing States were the most vulnerable to climate change, including severe climatic conditions.  Those countries contributed least to the problem, yet they were the least able to adapt to changing weather patterns.  There was an urgent need for global action to halt and ultimately reverse the devastating effects of climate change.

He said that his own small country was about 180 square kilometres, consisting mainly of low-lying atolls of two metres above sea level.  The islands were dwarfed by the surrounding exclusive economic zone, comprising about two million square kilometres of ocean.  The country relied on the ocean as a means of sustenance and survival, but it became a huge concern during severe weather, which could lead to a sea-level rise threatening its very existence.

KHALID YAQOOB HAMED AL-HARTHY (Oman) underscored the importance of balancing socio-economic development and environmental protection, both important factors for achieving sustainable development and meeting the Millennium Development Goals.  Oman was doing its part in that regard, through a national sustainable development plan and regional cooperation with governmental bodies.  The country had acceded to several regional and international treaties to protect the earth.  Enormous national and international efforts would be needed to achieve long-term sustainable development and make effective use of developed countries’ expertise.

He said his country had made environmental concerns a top priority during 2001 and 2002 and had designated 8 January as National Environment Day.  Oman appealed to the international community to take whatever measures were necessary to help developing countries to shore up their economies, foster development and adopt effective environmental protection legislation.

SVITLANA HOMANOVSKA (Ukraine) commended the Commission on Sustainable Development for playing a leading role in implementing the outcome of the Johannesburg Summit.  Hopefully, this year’s session would produce action-oriented policies and recommendations in the areas of water sanitation and human settlements.  Problems in those sectors were apparent in Europe, due to the current imbalances in development standards and resources.  The Economic Commission for Europe had initiated several activities for sustainable development, including a regional implementation forum held at the beginning of this year in Geneva, which had identified good practices in water, sanitation and human settlements.

Ukraine had launched a national programme for the period 2003 to 2015 on implementation of the Johannesburg Summit, which would draw up policies based on sustainable development perspectives to promote economic growth, social development and a healthy environment.  It had also set up a National Board on Sustainable Development and launched strategies for sustainable development in basic sectors of the economy.  Efforts were under way to find ways to implement them, including partnerships between the public sector and civil society.

ABDULMALIK MOTAHAR ALSHABIBI (Yemen) said many studies had shown that conflicts over borders, water and environmental concern were the leading source of conflict in the developing world.  It was important that water conflicts did not worsen and become an obstacle to development.  Yemen had made effective water management a priority on its environmental agenda.  It was cooperating with regional and other national bodies to devise effective solutions to water issues and link them to achieving sustainable livelihoods, sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals.

ANDREW KIPTOON (Kenya) drew attention to the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, which often struck the poor and vulnerable in developing countries.  The international community must put its act together to mitigate the effects of those disasters and alleviate the suffering and destruction they caused.  A key step in that direction would be to address the harmful effects of climate change by ensuring the timely entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol.

Desertification had continued to bring about food insecurity, famine, poverty, environmental degradation, underdevelopment and other social and economic problems, he continued.  Successful implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification could only occur if the necessary resources were provided.  Kenya called on the Conference of the Parties Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Council to conclude a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at clarifying their respective roles in financing the Convention.  Despite the enormous challenges facing the world in the area of environmental protection, resources to implement environmental programmes had remained low, unstable and unpredictable.

Introduction of Draft Resolutions

When the Committee resumed this afternoon, SULTAN IBRAHIM YOUSOUF AL-MAHMOUD (Qatar), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, introduced a draft resolution on the international financial system and development (document A/C.2/59/L.2), saying that the text focused on ways to find new resources for development that would complement the ODA.  It also looked at how the international community could establish a more equitable, transparent and rules-based international financial system.

He then introduced a draft resolution on implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and of the twenty-fifth special session of the General Assembly (document A/C.2/59/L.5).  That text stressed the need to implement fully commitments made in the Habitat Agenda, Millennium Declaration and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, especially those related to water, sanitation and slums.  It also underscored the need to increase the annual non-earmarked contributions for UN-Habitat, as well as the Programme’s coordination with other United Nations bodies.

Statements

ANDREW DEUTZ, International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), said the current international agenda provided an unprecedented opportunity to build links between the environmental, economic, and social pillars of sustainable development.  Political commitment and action by all was needed to address the challenges ahead in achieving the Johannesburg targets and the Millennium Development Goals.

He said that the IUCN, through its Species Survival Commission, had drawn up the Red List of Endangered Species and was developing indicators from it to address the status of threatened species.  It had also set up the Species Information Service, which should help measure progress in achieving the 2010 target of significantly reducing the rate of biodiversity loss.  Through a joint project with Conservation International and NatureServe, the Union had just completed the Global Amphibian Assessment, which analysed for the first time the conservation status and distribution of the 5,743 amphibian species known to science.  In addition, the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas had developed an International Framework on Protected Areas Management Categories that had been used by governments since 1997 to report on preparation for the United Nations List of Protected Areas.

SOMSAK TRIAMJANGARUN (Thailand) said no country could be considered healthy if it was plagued with poverty, environmental degradation and the unbalanced use of natural resources.  The Thai Government had incorporated agenda 21 into relevant national programmes, including the current five-year national economic and social development plan.  Major strategies included strengthening social services, grassroots capacity-building, economic restructuring, promoting good governance and public-sector reform.  Thailand had also set up a National Committee on Sustainable Development, chaired by the Prime Minister, to give impetus to the implementation of the Johannesburg Plan.  The Committee had produced a national progress report.

Thailand had ratified the Kyoto Protocol in August 2002, and acceded to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in March 2001, he said.  A continuous and intensive debate among all stakeholders in Thai society had been held to ensure effective implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which Thailand had ratified in October 2003.  A significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss was of particularly concern to developing countries, and Bangkok would host the third World Conservation Congress, sponsored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, in November.  More than 3,000 leading professionals worldwide would present the most comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date evidence on the global state of biodiversity.

SHIN BOO NAM (Republic of Korea) expressed support for the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity-building, saying that its priority areas should be human resources development and technological cooperation among nations.  For the Plan to succeed, developed countries must continue to provide assistance, and developing countries must improve their institutional frameworks to make the best use of that assistance.

He emphasized that regional partnerships were vital in tackling environmental issues, and that countries and international organizations must also take part.  All parties should share views and experiences, work to enhance public awareness on the importance of water sanitation and human settlements, and seek rational solutions through forums, seminars and meetings.

AMARE TEKLE (Eritrea) said biodiversity was high on his country’s list of developmental priorities.  Eritrea had adopted a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan in 2000, which focused on terrestrial, marine and agricultural biodiversity.  The plan aimed to provide environmental services that would contribute to sustainable and socially equitable national economic development.  The plan also included the themes of integrated management, sustainable use of natural resources, alien invasive species, pollution management, taxonomic knowledge and information acquisition and storage.

Successfully implementing sustainable development plans required massive resources as well as capacity-building, training and institution-building, which Eritrea was sadly lacking, he said.  Human resources development had been identified as the most significant constraint on growth and sustainable development in the country.  Developed countries must honour commitments they had made at the Johannesburg Summit to provide adequate technical, technological and financial assistance to developing countries, so that they could overcome challenges in achieving sustainable development.

Introduction of Draft Resolution

Mr. AL-MAHMOUD (Qatar), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, introduced a draft resolution on follow-up to and implementation of the outcome of the International Conference on Financing for Development (document A/C.2/59/L.3).

The Committee then resumed its debate on sustainable development.

Statements

SONG SE IL (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) said that international commitments for the protection of environment and sustainable development had not been fully implemented due to lack of political will and financial resources.  The highest priorities were strengthening capacities and issues relating to sanitation and human settlements, as well as progress in achieving sustainable development.  Safe water played an important role in sustainable development, as did improvements to human wealth and welfare.

He said his country had carried out projects to increase agricultural production and forest cover, as well as to prevent natural disasters.  In the future, it would focus on land management, protection of the environment, and various projects in contributing to efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

SUZE PERCY-FILIPPINI (Haiti) said her country had been seriously affected by floods this year.  That continued to impact negatively on the environment and production capacity and had cut life expectancy by several years.  A secure world depended on reducing the vulnerability of States to natural disasters.  It was important to understand the correlation between environmental deterioration and disaster risk, to stress the need for early warning strategies and effective assessment and risk management programmes.

Desertification was also of crucial concern as it had destabilized the social fabric of many regions and forced migration from rural areas to cities, she said.  Haiti called on Member States to implement the Convention to Combat Desertification, which would go a long way towards easing vulnerability to climate change.  Despite its institutional and economic weaknesses, Haiti had made the enhancement of national capacity to respond to natural disasters a priority.  However, its resources and those of other developing countries were limited.  Haiti called for the enhancement of global mechanisms, as well as partnerships among governments, financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, and women and youth organizations, in order to uphold commitments in disaster prevention and reduction.

GILLES NOGHES (Monaco) said the international community had made encouraging progress in implementing agenda 21, but was aware of its responsibility to live up to unfulfilled commitments.  Monaco had significantly increased its ODA contributions over the past few years.  A determination to overcome obstacles must be the hallmark of the next session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, especially in the management of water resources and sanitation.

He said that Monaco, being deeply involved in the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development, was constantly striving to improve the marine environment, as well as air quality, notably through reductions in sulphur emissions.  In projects to preserve the environment, it was working with non-governmental organizations in the fields of humanitarian aid and development cooperation.  It had also been carrying out a public awareness campaign, promoting educational programmes on sustainable development in schools at home and abroad, and supporting the Decade of Education for Sustainable development.  As a member of the UNEP Governing Council, Monaco was determined to make UNEP the primary agency for environmental issues.

NADIESKA NAVARRO (Cuba) said enormous obstacles remained in many developing countries to meeting the Millennium Development Goals as they related to improving access to drinking water and basic sanitation and improving the lives of slum dwellers.  Only 51 per cent of developing-country populations had sustainable access to adequate sanitation services, and the problem was particularly acute in sub-Saharan Africa.

Regarding natural disasters, she said recent hurricanes had devastated several small island developing States and that recovery in their wake had been slow, complex and costly.  Developing countries needed adequate technology to reduce and prevent disasters, as well as to soften the blow of their impact on infrastructure and habitants.

The lack of financial resources, technology and capacity continued to impede sustainable development in many countries, she continued.  A just and equitable multilateral trade system, deep reform of the international financial framework, multilateral development cooperation, promotion of international peace and security were necessary to effectively support the national efforts of small island developing States.

MEYNARDO MONTEALEGRE (Philippines) said the world’s biodiversity resources were endangered, which could severely compromise life on earth.  Conserving biodiversity resources required measures to protect the environment, better education and capacity-building, as well as increased research, government support and international cooperation.  About three quarters of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops had been lost over the last century, and of the 6,300 animal breeds, some 1,350 were endangered or already extinct.  It was necessary to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss, promote the sustainable use of biodiversity and address major threats.

Much needed to be done to meet the 2010 target of significantly reducing biodiversity loss, he said, welcoming the offer by the Brazilian Government to host the Eighth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in the first half of 2006.

MOHAMED LATHEEF (Maldives) said that, while the Maldives and other small island States were struggling to achieve sustainable development, the state of the global environment remained bleak and continued to worsen unabated.  Should current trends continue, an estimated 60 per cent of the world’s coral reefs would be lost in the next 20 to 40 years, and half of the earth’s forests would be destroyed.  Desertification and land degradation would threaten nearly 25 per cent of the world’s land surface and global warming would increase temperature by 3 degrees Centigrade in the next 100 years.  That would increase natural disasters.

Those statistics and predictions revealed the severity of environmental problems, he said, adding that unless swift remedial measures were taken, human existence would be threatened.  Many small island developing States suffered disproportionately from disasters due to their geophysical characteristics, including their environmental vulnerability, of which the recent devastation of Grenada was a good example.  Pledges of urgent action to curb environmental degradation must be converted into deeds.  That required adequate political will and resources to ensure that commitments made in the Barbados Programme of Action were put into practice.

MARC NTETURUYE (Burundi) said his country had once been considered “an African Switzerland”, but its lush, green hills were now deteriorating and desertification was expected in the near future.  Demographic expansion combined with abject poverty had increased the pressure on its natural resources to an extreme degree, and if corrective measures were not taken, the country would be heading for environmental disaster.  Faced with that situation, the Government was finalizing a national programme to combat the desertification of its lands, and called on all partners to assist with its implementation.

Stressing that subsistence agriculture was the main source of income for poor people, he expressed support for all initiatives to provide them with aid to combat desertification.  Resources provided by the GEF were insufficient, and other sources should be explored, including the Organization of Petroleum Producing Countries Fund.

BAKARY DEMBELE (Mali) underscored the importance of effectively implementing the Convention to Combat Desertification, noting that combating desertification and environmental conservation were a priority for Mali, which had begun implementing environmental action plans in 1994.  The country’s efforts to tackle desertification included a national forestry plan, a natural resource conservation programme, a “Green Mali” forest restoration project, a programme to preserve fauna and flora, a public awareness outreach campaign for environmental conservation, and infrastructure to control soil erosion.

The declaration of 2006 as the Year of Deserts and Desertification was encouraging, he continued, as it would create public awareness of the seriousness of desertification and the need to implement the Convention.  Soil degradation, deforestation and desertification impeded developing countries’ sustainable development efforts and led to food insecurity and famine and poverty, as well as exacerbating social, economic and political tensions.

MOSHE SERMONETA (Israel) said the international community must help defend small island developing States against nature’s wrath so that they could protect their populations from suffering.  Promoting development in those countries meant fostering programmes to help them in disaster avoidance and relief to the highest degree possible.  They were particularly vulnerable to such disasters, both physically and economically, and each time one befell them, it set their development back exponentially.

The problem of desertification was particularly important to Israel, which had also struggled with it, he said.  Extensive afforestation projects had apparently arrested soil erosion and promoted the rehabilitation of vegetation and the restoration of water-related ecosystem services, mainly in the dry sub-humid regions.  Hopefully, the knowledge gained could help bring similarly reassuring results to other regions in the world.

BONIFACE CHIDYAUSIKU (Zimbabwe) said that the most difficult challenge facing developing countries was achieving sustainable development against the backdrop of faltering economies, massive poverty, food insecurity, foreign currency shortages, negative balance of payments and high unemployment, as well as recurrent droughts and other natural disasters.  Zimbabwe’s National Action Programme aimed to promote the sustainable use of natural resources by addressing environmental and socio-economic factors contributing to desertification through community-driven projects.  Communities were involved in planning and implementation, while the Government financed or facilitated funding through partnerships with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

Poverty-related problems were the greatest challenge to sustainable development, especially in rural areas, he said.  The Government had begun redistributing land to give the poor access to the means of production, and decongesting overcrowded areas where land use practices were further damaging an already degraded environment.  To ensure sustainable land use and natural resources management in newly resettled areas, it had prepared an integrated conservation plan that sought to promote poverty eradication and environmental regeneration.

ENCHO GOSPODINOV, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, emphasized that the forthcoming World Summit on the Information Society had special relevance to the sustainable development goals of small island developing States, adding that the Federation had sought to advance that point and would continue to do so as the 2005 Summit in Tunis drew closer.

He said that the Federation, the Tunisian Red Crescent Society and other concerned organizations were working on a project that would help ease difficulties faced by remote villages in southern Tunisia.  In the future, the project’s outcome could be applied to other regions, whether they were deserts or islands.  In addition, telemedicine was a rapidly expanding public health asset for remote communities.  The Government of Iceland and other ArcticStates had contributed greatly to that effort in coordination with national Red Cross societies in that region.  The next phase of the Federation’s work was to increase its understanding of the relationship between sustainable development and strong communities.  The involvement of local communities in designing and implementing programmes oriented towards the most vulnerable was necessary for the attainment of sustainable development objectives.

LUIS CARPIO, Association of Caribbean States, said that countries in the region served as guardians over a large space, but lacked the human and financial resources to use their resources sustainably.  The Association had called for a multilateral framework to assist with those rights and obligations.

Previously, he said, the Caribbean had failed to win international recognition of its fragile ecosystem in a region where all countries depended on the sea for economic development.  Nor had it accepted the physical and geographical limitations countries faced as they sought to safeguard their heritage.  It had also ignored the region’s constraints and placed responsibility for development squarely on the shoulders on those least able to bear it.

The region’s human and material losses due to recent hurricanes had underscored the vulnerability of Caribbean countries, he continued, but the consequences of those storms could have been mitigated through early warning systems.  That, however, would require international assistance.  Otherwise, the cycle of destruction would only grind on, year after year.

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