COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES CONSIDERATION OF DRAFT OUTCOME DOCUMENT, AS CHAIRMAN PROPOSES ALTERNATIVE TEXT TO SPEED UP NEGOTIATIONS

Commission on Sustainable Development

Thirteenth Session

12^th Meeting (AM)

Commission on Sustainable Development continues consideration of draft outcome

document, as chairman proposes alternative text to speed up negotiations

The Commission on Sustainable Development opened briefly today to continue its consideration of a draft text for the outcome document on the session’s thematic areas -- water, sanitation and human settlements. 

Delegations had before them this morning a 26-page draft text from Chairman John William Ashe (Antigua and Barbuda), who offered to submit a shortened version in order to accelerate the pace of negotiations.

On behalf of the European Union, Luxembourg’s representative said she regretfully accepted the Chair’s proposal because she would have preferred to begin negotiating the text before her.  The proposed second text should faithfully reflect all the discussions and amendments that had been made, and negotiations should begin in earnest, as everyone wished to start in depth, quality discussions on the text.

The delegate of the United States urged a conclusion to negotiations before the arrival of Ministers tomorrow.

Tuvalu’s representative said he supported the Chairman’s proposal, but voiced concern that proposals that had been made on behalf of small island States were not well reflected in the text.

Jamaica’s representative, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said his delegation awaited a text that could move forward and specifically one that would contain clear time frames for action.

Japan’s representative echoed other delegations’ readiness to accept the Chair’s proposal, while Australia’s representative expressed his support for decisive action by the Chairman.

In closing, the Chairman informed delegations that a shorter version of the negotiating text would be available at noon and reminded them that, as had been agreed prior to the opening of the session, negotiations would conclude by 6 p.m. today. 

The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 20 April, for the opening of a three-day ministerial meeting.

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