Sixty-first General Assembly

Second Committee

19^th & 20^th Meetings (AM & PM)

DELEGATES STRESS IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY SECURITY AS SECOND COMMITTEE

CONSIDERS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

 

Disaster Reduction, Need to Combat Harmful Climate Change also Discussed

Energy security shaped up as a key issue in the Second Committee’s (Economic and Financial) general discussion on sustainable development today, with delegates arguing that a combination of higher efficiency, more renewable sources and better technology was urgently needed to avert global warming and other climatic consequences of uncontrolled energy use.

China’s representative said that, despite major steps by developing countries to integrate sustainable development into their national strategies, the global sustainable development situation remained grim, marked as it was by ecological damage, land deterioration, long-standing poverty and infectious diseases.  For many of the least developed countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa, economic vulnerability had increased, environmental pressure was more oppressive and the achievement of sustainable development remained arduous.

While acknowledging that each Government must act in accordance with its own national development level and features, he pointed out that developing countries needed financial assistance and environmentally sound technologies on preferential terms.  For instance, in order to help small island developing states, the world should implement the Hyogo Framework for Action on disaster reduction and build an early warning mechanism.

Papua New Guinea’s delegate echoed those sentiments, noting that a vital issue for the Commission on Sustainable Development was the role of renewable energy in the attaining the Millennium Development Goals.  It was important to improve access to cooking and heating energy for the poor, given the consequent health and economic benefits.  In addition, the provision of coconut fuels and other alternative sources must be promoted to meet energy needs and reduce the bills for imported fuel.  The Global Environmental Facility (GEF), which provided grants for projects that produced environmental benefits in developing countries, could play a critical role in addressing energy-related issues.

He said his country wished to see a mechanism that would identify and recommend the availability of affordable renewable energy and other technologies that small island developing States could use to address sustainable development challenges.  Papua New Guinea was a high-risk country that was frequently affected by natural disasters, and it was critical that Pacific island States put in place national policies, plans and institutional infrastructure to deal with disaster related issues.  Equally critical was the need to go beyond policies and plans to build resilience in communities that were prone to natural disasters.

Returning to the question of energy security, the representative of the Russian Federation said that issue was a priority for his country, which looked forward to the development of balanced and practical policies to address energy use at the 2007 policy session of the Commission on Sustainable Development.  The Russian Federation also intended to push for more universality in the climate regime, including developing a flexible mechanism for the adoption of voluntary commitments on reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, should they so wish.

The representative of the United States, however, said that while his country supported the incorporation of environmental concerns into development work, it shared with several other Governments the belief that there was no need for a new environment institution.  Major structural changes would lead to a divisive and time-consuming debate, distracting the United Nations from making valuable progress in areas where a clear consensus already existed.  Positive developments in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), such as the adoption of the Bali Strategic Plan for Capacity Building, should be given the time and opportunity to succeed.

Pakistan’s delegate also supported the strengthening of existing mechanisms, in particular UNEP, which was the lead United Nations environmental protection agency, but was disappointed that little progress had been made in implementing its Bali Strategic Plan for Capacity Building and Technology Transfer.  In promoting the goals of sustainable development, it must be recognized that the main responsibility for environmental degradation rested on those who consumed most and polluted most.

Indeed, Saint Lucia’s delegate, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, said he was disheartened by the reluctance of some industrialized countries to support the efforts of small island States to adapt to rising sea levels and intense weather events.  The Alliance held great hopes for further advances in the climate control regime to be made in Nairobi, Kenya, where the next Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) would be held in November.

Nauru’s representative called attention to the isolation of small island developing States, saying they viewed the United Nations from their standpoint outside its infrastructure and resources, and calling on the Organization to understand better the “tyrannies of distance” that beset small islands.  They sought improvements in assistance and an expansion of the United Nations presence in smaller Pacific States.  While it was Nauru’s responsibility to improve its governance, international commitments to support sustainable development lacked transparency, came with unrealistic demands and were difficult to access.  The way forward might be written down in blueprints, like the Mauritius Strategy, but they were not binding and were not implemented.

Also speaking in today’s discussion was the Executive Secretary to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, who, in introducing the report on the work of the Conference of the Parties to that treaty, offered a grim reminder that $17 trillion would be invested in the energy sector to achieve economic growth and poverty eradication in the next 25 to 30 years.  In addition, 40 per cent of the world’s power generating capacity would have to be replaced in the next five to 10 years.  Sustainable or not, those decisions would be the world’s legacy for the next 30 to 50 years.

Meanwhile, he said, work was under way to broaden the coverage of the Clean Development Mechanism, an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol allowing industrialized countries to invest in emission reducing projects in developing countries as an alternative to more costly emission reductions in their own countries.  Many countries in Africa needed the ability to participate more fully in that Mechanism and the UNFCCC Secretariat was working to increase capacity-building efforts by engaging key actors, like the private sector.

Guyana’s delegate, speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, remarked that, while the Clean Development Mechanism represented a step in the right direction, it should be ready to support much larger flows of investment and technology transfer.

Also speaking today were the representatives of South Africa (on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China), Finland (on behalf of the European Union and associated countries), Iceland, Indonesia, Republic of Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Australia, Cuba, Thailand, the Ukraine (on behalf of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development), Bahrain, India, Bangladesh, Colombia, Malaysia, Brazil, Iran, Palau, Israel and Singapore.

The Permanent Observer for the Holy See also made a statement.

The Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, also addressed the committee.

Introducing the reports under consideration by the Committee today were the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs; the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; the Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity; and the head of Inter-Agency Affairs and Policy Coordination for the United Nations Environment Programme.

In other business, the Committee heard the introduction of a draft resolution on the integration of economies in transition into the world economy.

The Second Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, 26 October, to continue its debate on sustainable development.

Background

As the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met to take up its agenda item on sustainable development, it had before it a note from the Secretary-General on Implementation of United Nations environmental conventions (document A/61/225), transmitting reports submitted by the secretariats of; the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa; and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The report of the Executive Secretary to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) states that from 28 November to 9 December 2005, the Conference of Parties to the Convention met for the eleventh time in Montreal, Canada, where they decided on a “two-track” approach to determine the future of global action on climate change.  One would involve all parties to the Convention’s Kyoto Protocol, which had been ratified by 164 States, as of 10 July, and the other would involve all 189 States parties.  The Montreal meeting took action to make the treaty fully operational and a compliance committee was established with a beginning date of March 2006.

According to the report, three Kyoto mechanisms (also known as the “Marrakesh Accords”) were formally approved; the first two on emissions-trading and joint implementation, which are both limited to developed country parties, and the third -- the clean development mechanism -– which allows industrialized countries to meet their required emission-reduction levels by investing in emissions reduction in developing countries.  About 700 projects were expected to reduce emissions by over 1 billion tons by 2012.

The report recommends, among other things, that the General Assembly note the outcome of the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, as well as the outcome of the first session of the Conference of the Parties, serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, hosted by the Government of Canada from 28 November to 9 December 2005.  It also recommends that the Assembly approve the continued institutional links between the Secretariat of the UNFCCC and the United Nations until such time as the Conference of the Parties of the General Assembly deems a review necessary.

According to the report of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Africa was a particular focus at its seventh session in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2005.  Also included in the report is information on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Committee on Science and Technology; collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF); activities for the promotion and strengthening of relationships with other relevant conventions and international organizations, institutions and agencies; and the budget.

The report lists major events for the International Year of Deserts and Desertification (2006), which included the Beijing Conference on Women and Desertification, held from 29 May to 1 June 2006 and organized by the Governments of Algeria, China and Italy, as well as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.  The Year was observed by highlighting the role of women in managing natural resources, food production and in meeting energy and water needs for the household, at the Beijing Conference on Women and Desertification.  Other events, to be held later in the year, included a conference on civil society and desertification, scheduled for September 2006 in Montpellier, France; the Bamako Conference on Youth and Desertification; a global assessment conference to be held in Buenos Aires immediately after the fifth session of the Committee on the Review of the Implementation of the Convention; and a symposium on desertification and migration, to be held from 25 October to 27 October in Almeria, Spain.

Under a section on action requested of the General Assembly, the report states that the Assembly, having long been convinced that pockets of poverty are widespread in rural and degraded lands, has long recognized that the Convention constitutes a major international instrument that could contribute to poverty eradication and help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.  It may, therefore, wish to renew the international community’s commitments, as was done at the 2005 World Summit, to allocate more financial resources to rural development, particularly for the rehabilitation of degraded lands.  The Assembly may also wish to lend its support to the current debate on how to strengthen the Convention and its implementation.

The report also notes that the General Assembly, having approved the continuation of the current institutional linkage and related administrative arrangements for a further five-year period -- to be reviewed by the Assembly and the Conference of the Parties no later than December 2011 –- may wish to support such a move aimed at protecting the Convention budget against the negative impact of currency fluctuation.

Also before the Committee was the Secretary-General’s report on the Implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (document A/61/258), which reviews actions taken by Governments, United Nations system entities and other groups on sustainable development.

The report recommends that the General Assembly ask Governments, United Nations system entities and major groups to redouble their efforts to implement Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.  A second recommendation asks Governments to continue their support for the Commission on Sustainable Development by organizing activities between sessions; making success stories, best practices and case studies available to the Secretariat for broader dissemination; and contributing to the Commission’s trust fund.

Among other recommendations, the report asks that the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) keep monitoring -- through the High Level Committee on Programmes -- the operational efficiency and effectiveness of inter-agency collaborative mechanisms as a follow-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development.  Donor Governments and international financial institutions are urged to target funding support for developing countries so they can overcome barriers and constraints identified during the review.  These efforts would involve such issues as energy, industrial development, air pollution and climate change.

Also before the Committee was the Secretary-General’s report on the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (document A/61/277), which reviews actions taken to implement the Strategy and discusses efforts to strengthen regional mechanisms that would, in turn, support national programmes; the activities of relevant agencies of the United Nations system; and activities taken by the international community in support of small island developing States.

The report says that the Department of Economic and Social Affairs will enhance the mechanism to promote coherent support from the United Nations system for small island developing States through a stronger inter-agency consultative process.  Attention will also be given to a strategy for resource mobilization and the promotion of partnership initiatives.  There is also a need to strengthen the role of civil society and a greater role for the academic community and private sector.  The Department’s Small Island Developing States Unit will work to strengthen the Small Island Developing States Information Network, by revitalizing relevant programmes, which would make it a more effective vehicle for sharing information and best practices among those countries.

The Committee also had before it the Secretary-General’s report on Promoting an integrated management approach to the Caribbean Sea area in the context of sustainable development (document A/61/268), which is a response to General Assembly resolution 59/230.  The resolution asks the United Nations system and the international community to support the efforts of the Caribbean Member States and their regional organizations to protect the Caribbean Sea from degradation by pollution from ships; illegal dumping; the accidental release of hazardous waste and dangerous chemicals; and pollution from land-based activities.

Annexed to the report is a report of the Association of Caribbean States, the regional organization principally charged with monitoring the management of the Caribbean Sea, which gives an account of activities completed at the national and regional levels with a view to adopting an integrated management approach to the Caribbean Sea in the context of sustainable development.

The report concludes that the United Nations system and the wider international community will follow the Association’s lead in accordance with decisions of Member States from the Caribbean region and relevant Assembly resolutions.  The first meeting of the Follow-Up Commission for the Caribbean Sea Initiative was held in Trinidad and Tobago on 27 July 2006.  The new Commission will replace the Technical Advisory Group on the Caribbean Sea, created in 2003, which was limited to an advisory role.  The Commission has been established as a multidisciplinary, intergovernmental agency with a more practical, action-oriented mandate.  With its creation, the international community anticipates a more dynamic, coordinated approach to the management of the Caribbean Sea.

Also before the Committee was the Secretary-General’s report on Implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (document A/61/229), covering the period from June 2005 to May 2006, which provides an overview of the implementation of the Strategy and the Hyogo Framework for Action.  It also contains information on natural disasters and vulnerability and on international cooperation to reduce the impact of the El Nino phenomenon.

According to the report, long-term data reveals a significant increase in the number of disasters, as well as their devastating impact on people and their destruction of economic and social assets.  Recorded by the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters in Brussels, the data shown there was 404 disasters with nationwide consequences that affected 115 countries and left 93,000 people dead.  The economic costs were 2.6 times more than the 10-year average and totalled $173 billion.  Disaster-risk-reduction efforts need to be developed quickly to break the vicious cycle of poverty, accelerated urbanization, environmental degradation and natural hazards.  Disaster-risk reduction must be incorporated as an essential component of all development strategies.

The Committee also had before it a report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (document A/61/25), regarding its ninth special session, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in February.  At the session, the Governing Council discussed, among other topics, the relationship between energy and the environment and the environmental impacts of tourism.  The Governing Council also adopted a decision to authorize UNEP’s Executive Director to establish a trust fund, to support the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, as adopted by the International Conference on Chemicals Management in Dubai, also in February.

Also before the Committee was the Secretary-General’s report on Universal Membership of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum of the United Nations Environment Programme (document A/61/322), which discusses the implications of making membership to the Council/Forum universal.  Governments that support universal membership say that UNEP’s decisions must be adopted with equal participation of all States and that voting rights would enhance the sense of responsibility of each country for the decisions adopted.  Those against the motion say that universal membership of UNEP would lead to higher administrative costs and that no Governing Council decision has disadvantaged or ignored the views of a country because it lacked the right to cast a formal vote.  Decisions taken by the Governing Council are already open and transparent, they say.

Introduction of Reports

PATRIZIO CIVILI, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, introduced, on behalf of José Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, the Secretary-General’s reports on Implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (document A/61/258) and on the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (document A/61/277).

He recalled that two weeks ago the Grameen Bank and its founder, Mohammad Yunus, had been awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for their pioneering efforts to create economic and social development from the bottom-up, through micro-credit, noting that it was the second time in three years that the Nobel Committee had recognized efforts to achieve poverty eradication and sustainable development, thereby placing a global spotlight on the connection between development and peace.

As its Second Committee began its consideration of sustainable development, the General Assembly continued to play an important role in guiding global efforts to meet common challenges, he said.  There was greater participation by civil society groups; business and industry; local authorities and Governments in sustainable development, and there had been a remarkable expansion of initiatives by the business sector as well as progress on education, a key factor ion enabling sustainable development to take root.

JAN EGELAND, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, introduced the Secretary-General’s report on Implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (document A/61/229 and Corr.1), noting that natural disasters were on the rise around the world and that the international community needed to strengthen its response to them.  Governments and organizations were recognizing the seriousness of the problem and doing more to take action.  States must abide by their commitments made under the Hyogo Framework for Action to take the necessary concrete actions and strengthen those commitments in size and predictability.  Regional and local capacities must also be increased to strengthen the Hyogo Framework.

YVO DE BOER, Executive Secretary to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), introduced the report on the work of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, describing the first session of the Conference as a “landmark meeting”.  Some 36 decisions had been adopted during that meeting, completing the institutional architecture of the Kyoto Protocol and strengthening implementation measures.  Compliance would be overseen by a compliance committee that had begun its work in March 2006.

He said the next United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) would be held from 6 to 17 November in Nairobi, Kenya, and work was underway to further strengthen the clean development mechanism -- an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol allowing industrialized countries to invest in emission-reducing projects in developing countries as an alternative to what were generally considered more costly emission reductions in their own countries -- and to broaden its coverage.  Many countries in Africa needed to be able to participate in the clean development mechanism more fully, and the UNFCCC Secretariat was working to increase capacity-building efforts by engaging key actors such as the private sector.

In Nairobi, the parties were expected to agree on ways to develop techniques for increasing resilience to the potential impacts of climate change and to foster cooperation as part of a five-year programme, he said.  They were also expected to review the Convention’s financial mechanisms, such as the Special Climate Change Fund and the Least Developed Countries Fund, which was being overseen by the Global Environment Facility.  Meanwhile, the Adaptation Fund, established under the Kyoto Protocol, was being financed by proceeds from the clean development mechanism.  Political agreement must also be reached on the management of the Adaptation Fund.  Attention would also be given to improving the transfer of environmentally sound technology under an Expert Group on Technology Transfer, possibly, through a new mandate.

On the “two-track approach” to climate change discussions, he said that an ad-hoc Working Group was working to ensure that there was no gap between the first and second commitment periods of the Kyoto Protocol.  A stronger institutional linkage between the UNFCCC Secretariat and the United Nations was needed to ensure success.  In the next 25 to 30 years, $17 trillion would be invested in the energy sector to achieve economic growth and poverty eradication.  In addition, 40 per cent of the world’s power-generating capacity would be replaced in the next 5 to 10 years.  Sustainable or not, those decisions would be the world’s legacy for the next 30 to 50 years.

AHMED DJOGHLAF, Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity, commenting on the report by its Secretariat, said the second edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, released early this year, provided evidence that human activity was putting a strain on the ability of the planet’s ecosystem to support life on Earth.

He said participants in the third meeting of the 130 States parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, held in Curitiba, Brazil, had adopted a historic decision on the documentation requirements for the shipment of living-modified organisms intended for use as food, feed or processing.  A network of women ministers had been established; youth and children had been mobilized to give their support to the Convention and business leaders had met alongside Government ministers to demonstrate their willingness to work towards the achievement of the 2010 biodiversity targets.  Indeed, a first-ever dialogue of chief executive officers of private companies had been held at that time.

The President of Brazil had decided to place 6.4 million hectares of the Amazon rainforest under direct environmental protection, he said, adding that the President of Palau had done the same for 30 per cent of the marine areas and 20 per cent of the forest across the Federated States of Micronesia.  Some 10 heads of agencies had established a task-force for achieving the 2010 targets, which had held its first meeting last month.  Also, eight of the world’s largest and most renowned scientific institutions had also made a commitment to the Johannesburg targets, meeting last month under the leadership of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Smithsonian Institution and the Paris Museum of Natural History.

Noting that the loss of biodiversity would have far-reaching implications for development, he said the 400 participants in the Paris Conference on Biodiversity in European Development Cooperation last month had echoed the call made in Curitiba.  And by depositing its instrument of ratification, Timor-Leste had called on States that had not yet done so to join the Convention.

WERNER OBERMEYER introduced, on behalf of the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the report of its Governing Council at its ninth session, saying that the past two years had witnessed an unprecedented increase in disasters, which had caused several hundred billion dollars in losses and disrupted the lives of more than 100 million people.  The Conferences of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention and to the Basel Convention would meet in Nairobi in November to address those and other challenges.

He said the private sector should be harnessed, so that the load was not borne by Governments alone.  So far, around 50 institutional investors, with more than $4 trillion in assets, had endorsed the Principles for Responsible Investment, which were a joint effort of the UNEP Finance Initiative and the Global Compact, launched by the Secretary-General at the New York Stock Exchange in May.

Under the stewardship of UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, he said, strategic partnerships with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had been developed so that work on poverty and the environment could be carried out jointly by the two agencies at a special centre in Nairobi.  Key initiatives with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) were also underway and discussions were being held with various Governments to make the Global Ministerial Environment Forum more “policy-relevant”.

Statements

SUHAYFA ZIA (South Africa), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China, called on developed countries to work on research and development with countries of the South in order to help transfer appropriate and advanced technology that could improve technology access for the poor and enhance poor countries’ ability to develop environmentally sound technology.  Looking forward to the upcoming fifteenth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development and its Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting, the Group of 77 called for the allocation of sufficient time for negotiations and for the submission of the Chair’s negotiating document no later than the beginning of the session.

Regarding the Mauritius Strategy, she stressed the vital importance of strong political will and national ownership, and called for the scaling up of resources available for its implementation.  It was the unfortunate fate of islands to be more exposed to changes and to have limited means to address them.  The Group of 77 called on the international community provide the support and resource necessary to translate their vulnerability into strength through creativity, resilience and leadership.

Turning to natural disasters, she noted the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters and called on the developed countries to support the developing world through the provision of resources and capacity building in order to be better prepared for forthcoming disasters.  Development partners were also urged to help developing countries in setting appropriate regulations, so as to materialize the five priority areas of the Hyogo Declaration.

Regarding climate change, the Group of 77 reaffirmed the need to address its adverse effects, especially the adaptation needs of developing countries.  The countries of the South needed enhanced capacity to implement commitments, including the Kyoto Protocol, and to benefit more from the Clean Development Mechanism.  They also needed the knowledge and know-how for the effective use of environmentally sound technologies.  The Group of 77 urged all industrialized nations of the North to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and to step up their efforts to ensure effective implementation of that Protocol and to fulfil their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Emphasizing that the Group of 77 attached the highest importance to the speedy and balanced implementation of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, she noted that they could not be achieved without the sustainable use, and the fair and equitable sharing, of the benefits arising from genetic resources.  It was for that reason that 131 of the 188 States parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity were members of the Group of 77.  Biodiversity was of major importance to the development of the developing countries.

SEIJA TORO ( Finland), speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, said multilateral action was indispensable in addressing today’s environmental challenges and threats.  The European Union called for an early resumption of the discussion on environmental governance within the framework of the General Assembly and reiterated that UNEP should be strengthened with a revised mandate as well as stable, adequate and predictable financial contributions.

Turning to the small island developing states, she highlighted the need to develop and strengthen effective disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, emergency relief and rehabilitation capacities in light of recent disasters affecting them.  The European Union endorsed processes under way to strengthen the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and welcomed new initiatives and partnerships to reinforce the joint capacity to implement the Hyogo Framework.  On climate change, the European Union was eager to advance discussions on further commitments by developed countries under the Kyoto Protocol and engage in the full review of the Protocol as required by its Article 9.  Much deeper reductions in greenhouse emissions than those envisaged during the first commitment period were necessary.

Regarding biodiversity, she said the European Union was fully committed to reducing biodiversity loss by 2010 and deeply concerned that the loss continued at an unprecedented rate.  It was essential that UNEP keep mainstreaming the environment into the agenda of the United Nations system, as well as within civil society and the business community.

HJALMAR W HANNESON ( Iceland) said his country was satisfied with the outcome of the fourteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, at which Iceland had focused on identifying barriers and constraints to implementation, as well as lessons learned and best practices.  Iceland had also highlighted such issues as air pollution, increased energy access for the poor, energy efficiency and the importance of increasing the role of renewable energy.  Iceland held high expectations for the Commission’s policy session next spring.

Improving energy services in developing countries was key to eradicating poverty, he said, noting the increasingly complex relationship between energy use and changes in the global climate.  Increasing the use of renewable energy offered various economic, environmental, security and reliability benefits, for which much of the basic technology was already in hand.  What was needed was an enabling policy-framework and leadership.  International financial institutions should be encouraged to raise the profile of renewables in their lending strategies.  The World Bank was commended for developing a Clean Energy Investment Framework, and its pledges to explore financing for clean energy options.

He said his country had journeyed from poverty to economic growth by harnessing its abundant resources, including renewable energy sources.  Today, geothermal energy and hydropower accounted for more than 70 per cent of Iceland’s primary energy consumption, and it had, for many years, been sharing its expertise with developing countries.  It was also committed to helping implement the Mauritius Strategy since, as an island State itself, it shared with many small island developing States concerns in the area of sustainable development.  In Mauritius, Iceland had pledged $1 million over a three-year period to support projects relating to the Mauritius Strategy.

REZLAN ISHAR JENIE ( Indonesia), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, said the global community must continue to exert its political will to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, as it worked to reduce poverty, protect the environment and balance development.  The Kyoto Protocol must be fully operational to curb the impacts of climate change, particularly on the most vulnerable countries and the most disaster-prone countries.

Concerning natural disasters, he noted that his own and other countries in the Indian Ocean had experienced one of the worst natural disasters in living memory, and he thanked the international community for its continued support.  Indonesia looked forward to the completion of an early warning system and wished to see the international community support its efforts in risk reduction, disaster management and reconstruction of Aceh and North Sumatra.  It also looked forward to the completion of the international regime on fair and equitable access to and sharing of the benefits of biological diversity, one of the three pillars on the Convention.

ANA RADU (Republic of Moldova), aligning herself with the European Union, said her country was working hard to harmonize its legislation and standards with those of the European Union.  The country’s current priorities included implementation of the European Union water framework directive, stopping the loss of its biodiversity, the management of obsolete organic pollutants and effective land management.  Moldova was also carrying out several projects supported by the Global Environment Facility, World Bank, UNEP and the UNDP, including the export of a substantial amount of pollutants accrued during the Soviet era for recycling, and mitigating the pollution of the waters of the Black Sea north-west region, by establishing rural waste management.

She said her country was using the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s processes for regional cooperation and internal life improvement.  In addition, it was the first country to ratify the Aarhus Convention, the first legally-binding document obliging authorities to provide citizens with information on participation in environmental issues.  It was also using the mechanisms of the Helsinki Convention on Transboundary Waters to modernize relations with neighbours with whom it shared water courses.  Moldova was currently initiating a national dialogue on water to develop public support for water management reforms.  The country had ratified the Kyoto Protocol and was trying to enrich forest coverage, since forests covered only 9.5 per cent of its territory.  Its parliament would soon adopt a law to protect the nation’s biodiversity.  Many non-governmental organizations were helping decision makers to develop new policies to better reflect local needs.

ANTHONY B. SEVERIN (Saint Lucia), speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), and aligning himself with the Group of 77, said three regional meetings had been convened in Saint Kitts and Nevis, Samoa and the Seychelles last year to consider how to implement the Mauritius Strategy.  However, while AOSIS countries were willing to take primary responsibility for ensuring sustainable development, the Mauritius Strategy could only be implemented on the basis of global partnership.  Indeed, small island developing States had every expectation that critical financial support, and other forms of assistance pledged by others, would be forthcoming.  Help was needed to improve the capacity of those countries for research, data collection and analysis.

He said AOSIS welcomed efforts to promote the use of renewable energy, since rising fuel prices and market instability, inefficiencies in energy generation and transmission and total dependence on fossil fuels were a major source of economic vulnerability for its members.  The Alliance looked forward to support from its international partners in that regard.  Preparatory action to deal with sea-level rise and the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events was urgently needed.  All countries were urged to support the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol so as to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions.

The reluctance of some industrialized countries to support the efforts of small island developing States to adapt to climate change was disheartening, he said.  AOSIS anticipated thorough discussions, accompanied by global action on climate change at the Nairobi meeting next month.  Efforts to strengthen the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction were also welcome, and timely upgrading of the central emergency-response fund was to be commended.  As for the Convention on Biological Diversity, AOSIS was pleased that due recognition had been given to the special situation of small island developing States, in view of their extensive coastal biological diversity.

TROY TORRINGTON (Guyana), speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, said the four issues under the current cycle of preparations for the next Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting of the fifteenth Commission on Sustainable Development session were equally important and should be treated in an equal and balanced way.  On biodiversity, the Rio Group reiterated its commitment to the three objectives of the Convention and called for greater efforts, on all levels, to achieve the 2010 target date.

Turning to natural disasters, he said the Latin American and Caribbean region had suffered significantly over the last six years from 181 floods.  Rio Group countries had suffered 2,559 deaths in 2005 and 2006, and the cost had diverted resources that would have been used for other purposes.  The Group emphasized the importance of scientific and technological cooperation to help its countries develop early warning systems and contingency plans and promote adaptation strategies.

On the issue of climate change, he said that while the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol represented a step in the right direction, it should be able to support much larger flows of investment and technology transfer.  The Rio Group attached great importance to the preservation of the Caribbean Sea as a special area in the context of sustainable development and in accordance with international law.

BARLYBAY SADYKOV ( Kazakhstan) welcomed the inauguration of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline on 13 July, saying it would contribute to the diversification of global energy supply.  Meanwhile, strengthening cooperation to eliminate gas flaring and venting would also make a great contribution towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving energy and ensuring a larger energy supply.  The developed world should offer help to the efforts of developing countries to create and use new technologies to ensure energy efficiency.

He said his country had adopted a strategy on industrial innovation in 2003, which was intended to help diversify its economy, and had also created a fund for sustainable development in March.  Since sustainable development involved the full and productive employment of the labour force, the Government had also adopted a special programme on employment for the years from 2005 to 2007.  The Government further planned to adopt an ecological code, intended to harmonize national ecological law with international norms.  Under that code, measures would be taken to replace old industrial technologies with new ones.  Meanwhile, the Clean Development Mechanism should be simplified so as to promote its wider use.

SOLOMON KARANJA ( Kenya), aligning himself with the Group of 77, welcomed initiatives undertaken by foreign companies under the clean development mechanism in partnerships with the Kenya Government and Kenyan companies.  However, Kenya was concerned that desertification had not been given the attention it deserved and called for the ratification and full implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification.

He called for the strengthening of the United Nations regional commissions, in order to provide effective support for sustainable development, as called for in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.  On the environment, UNEP was playing a critical role in promoting environmental governance, but its work was severely hampered by a lack of reliable financial support.  The General Assembly should increase the regular budget resources available to the Programme to ensure the full discharge of its current mandate.

OLEG SHAMANOV ( Russian Federation) said his country looked forward to the development of balanced and practical policies to address energy use, climate change, industrial development and air pollution, at the upcoming policy session of the Commission on Sustainable Development.  Energy security was especially important to the Russian Federation and was a major focus during its presidency of the Group of 8.  It was also important to solve problems regionally, though such work should take place within an intergovernmental framework through solid consensus.  Russia would look for guidance from the High-level Panel on System-wide Coherence for ways to better integrate the work of United Nations entities on that issue.  Similarly, it was important to push forward on the global forest agenda, while preserving its “genuine universal character”.

More countries should join the Convention on Climate Change and sign its Kyoto Protocol, he said, commending the commitment of Belarus to cut 5 per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions from 2008 to 2012.  That should serve as an example to others.  Measures to counteract climate change should also be the result of joint efforts by all countries.  Russia intended to pursue its aim of strengthening the universal nature of the climate regime, including by developing a flexible mechanism to allow the adoption of voluntary commitments on emission reductions for countries that wished to do so.  Perhaps, better data collection and forecasting on climate change would help to strengthen consensus among countries.  In addition, land erosion issues should be better mainstreamed into United Nations poverty-alleviation strategies.  Concerning disaster reduction, Russia appreciated efforts to reform existing systems, although any new policies should not undermine existing United Nations decisions.  Furthermore, work in that area should be undertaken by development-oriented United Nations agencies.

DEAN BIALEK ( Australia) said his country considered good governance, commitment at the national level and practical partnerships as fundamental to sustainable development, consistent with the principles and commitments set out during the Rio and Johannesburg Summits.  Political stability, effective governance and a policy environment conducive to growth were essential to attracting the investment necessary for achieving sustainable development.  The investments needed for clean development and addressing the challenges of climate change would only flow when those prerequisites had been fulfilled.  Private-sector participation was crucial to the innovation and investment needed to underpin sustainable development.

Australia had adopted an integrated approach to sustainable development, a theme that was central to the overall objective of its aid programme, he said.  The country had developed a new environmental strategy for its aid programme, which would concentrate on climate change and adaptation and water and environmental regulatory regimes.  Australia was pleased with UNEP’s efforts under the Bali Strategic Plan, to mainstream environmental concerns and rationalize programme delivery, in coordination with the UNDP.

LLANIO GONZÁLEZ (Cuba), aligning himself with the Group of 77, said the unequal and unjust world economic and financial order, typical of a globalized neoliberal economy, had become a negative factor that prevented the implementation of sustainable development strategies to bring about economic development, social equality and protection of the environment.  The lack of financial resources, transfer of technology and capacity building continued to be the main challenges for developing countries, as they tried to meet the objectives of Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Plan and the Millennium Development Goals.  There were no clear signs that the developed countries had the intention -- and necessary political will -- to reverse that situation.  It was imperative that they fulfil their commitments to devote 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product to official development assistance and to transfer and share technology.

Turning to the small island developing States, he said special attention should be given to those countries, bearing in mind their lack of water resources; vulnerability to natural disasters; the limited capacity of their sanitation and sewage treatment facilities, and their national capabilities.  Those factors did not let them permanently integrate environmental protection into their economic and social development.  The cut of more than 50 per cent of official development assistance to the small island developing States, along with a jump in unforeseen natural disasters, had worsened their economic situation.

ANWARUL K. CHOWDHURY, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, said his Office had continued to stress the need to place the most vulnerable countries at the core of activities promoting South-South cooperation, particularly through triangular arrangements, given its enormous potential and its inclusion in the Mauritius Strategy.  Another priority area for the Office was its close collaboration with the UNDP towards instituting the physical presence of the United Nations in each of the Pacific small island developing States.

He recalled that, following the 2004 Mauritius meeting, his Office had identified five areas for special attention and follow-up action; disaster-risk insurance; GEF funding; disaster reduction and post-disaster assistance; information and communication technology connectivity; and the role of small island regional organizations.  There was a need for greater involvement from regional intergovernmental organizations in the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy, as well as for more constructive engagement by those organizations in monitoring the implementation process.

Turning to the Secretary-General report on disaster reduction, he urged all small island Governments to designate their national focal points for implementation; follow-up and monitoring of progress related to the Hyogo Framework; and to inform the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction as soon as possible.

ANDRIY NIKITOV (The Ukraine), speaking on behalf of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova), said the 2005 World Summit had made real progress across the broad sustainable development agenda, opening doors to further action in that area.  It had clearly reaffirmed that countries bore the primary responsibility for their own development and that sound economic, social and environmental policies, as well as good governance, were key factors in that respect.  The member States of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development had adopted national programmes and strategies that built upon the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and Agenda 21.  Their objectives included poverty eradication; improving consumption and production patterns; protection and sustainable use of natural resources, and capacity building.  Furthermore, their implementation was subject to regular monitoring.

Environmental degradation, as well as the incremental occurrence of natural disasters across regions, should constitute an imperative for the United Nations system and Governments, he continued, stressing the need to reinforce collective efforts towards the even and effective achievement of environmental goals and targets.  The Organization for Democracy and Economic Development recognized the need to strengthen environmental governance, including that of UNEP.  An increased focus on capacity building and knowledge sharing, in the design of disaster-risk-reduction measures, would underpin the creation of a culture of prevention, resilience and safety.  The Organization for Democracy and Economic Development valued ongoing efforts towards strengthening organization-wide coordination initiatives, and attached paramount importance to the leadership of the United Nations system in support of the Hyogo Framework for Action.

In conclusion, he stressed the key importance of energy access and efficiency in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  The Organization for Democracy and Economic Development looked forward to the outcomes of the fifteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, while taking into account the findings of the review session and the spirit of its deliberations.  Issues related to support for research and development, transfer of environmentally friendly technology to developing countries on concessionary terms and capacity building, in line with the Bali Strategic Plan, should be cross-cutting issues throughout future policy decisions.  A balanced design of the session’s programme of work would help to shape meaningful deliberations and lead to the adoption of practical policy options.

SANSANEE SAHUSSARUNGSI ( Thailand) said that, despite her country’s recent political transformation, its international trade and investment policies remained unchanged and it aimed to spur sustainable economic growth, while alleviating poverty.  Thailand was committed to free trade; its business environment was stable and its economy would grow an estimated 4.5 per cent in the last quarter of 2006.  The Thailand National Economic and Social Development Plan followed a “sufficiency economy”, which promoted responsible consumption and self-immunity from internal and external shocks.  That philosophy had led to sustainable agriculture and food security for small-scale farmers, even during slumps in agricultural prices.  It also promoted financial prudence, so as to prevent a repeat of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

She said her country was committed to global environmental protection and was a non-Annex I party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol.  Thailand was setting up institutions to implement the Clean Development Mechanism, as well as projects to transform biological and agricultural waste into energy.  Thailand called on all relevant stakeholders to promote sustainable development and conservation of the Mekong River Basin, on which more than 60 million people depended for food, water and transportation.  Committed to implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action on disaster reduction and response, Thai officials had, after the 2004 Asian tsunami disaster, set up a multimodal system linking national tsunami early warning centres.  Thailand had contributed $10 million in seed money to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Tsunami Regional Trust Fund, which would help set up disaster-early-warning systems in the region.

KHALIFA AL-MANASEER ( Bahrain) said that, since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, many guidelines on how to achieve sustainable development had called on nations to engage in capacity building to enable them to carry out their goals.  Indeed, it was important to help developing countries overcome their challenges, particularly through technology transfer.  Women were indispensable in carrying out sustainable development projects and their role should be especially highlighted.  Special attention was also required in fighting desertification, preserving biodiversity and effectively managing toxic waste.

To bring about sustainable development often meant dealing with economic, social and environmental issues simultaneously, he noted.  For its part, Bahrain had come a long way over the last three decades in meeting its socio-economic and environmental goals.  For instance, it had worked to ensure that women and children were protected against moral and physical aggression.  It had promoted the establishment of trade unions and universal primary education to help improve the economy, and it had established a national strategy to limit pollution from various sources.

RAHUL GANDHI, Member of Parliament from India, said his country’s National Environmental Policy 2006 was intended to mainstream environmental concerns in all development activities, by ensuring that people benefited more from conservation than from resource degradation.  While each country was responsible for its own sustainable development, the goals and targets of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation could not be attained, unless the international community made the means of implementation available and created a favourable environment.

Noting that developing countries needed policy space to address their energy needs in light of their individual circumstances, he said all energy sources must remain within the discussion for achieving sustainable development.  India called, particularly, for a fresh assessment of nuclear energy as a clean and safe source of energy.  There was insufficient research and development in modern renewable and energy-efficient technologies to replace traditional sources of energy, and there was a need for sustainable development partnerships between institutions in both industrialized and developing nations.

He agreed that there was a need to conclude negotiations on an international regime to protect and safeguard equitable sharing of benefits, arising from the use of genetic resources and traditional knowledge, within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity, by 2010.  The international community had not lived up to its technology-transfer commitments since the Rio Conference, and prohibitive costs under the existing intellectual property regime kept critical technologies beyond the reach of developing countries.  In particular, technologies needed for pursuing sustainable development must be placed within the limited public domain and made accessible to developing countries.  The establishment of a Clean Technology Acquisition Fund should also be explored.

In conclusion, he noted that his country had directed its engagement with small island developing States to focus on natural disaster preparation and mitigation, as well as resilience and capacity building in the area of climate change, as supplements to assistance from the donor community in implementing the Mauritius Strategy.

IFTEKHAR AHMED CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh), aligning himself with the Group of 77, noted that the least developed countries, and other small and vulnerable economies, would bear a disproportionate cost in global warming, the subsequent rising sea levels and other environmental events perpetrated by others.  The international community should undertake the necessary preventive and precautionary measures to save humanity from such events.  Regional and international cooperation for disaster reduction could make a sea change.  The creation of regional and global early warning systems was an essential component of building resilience to natural disasters, and international support would be critical for developing countries and least developed countries.

He noted that the effective role of microcredit in risk management and vulnerability management had now been proven and that studies showed that microcredit programmes substantially improved the coping mechanisms of the poor.  The Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to Professor Mohammed Yunus and Grameen Bank, was a case in point.  To help people through effective risk management, the introduction of risk management tools -- like weather insurance, derivatives, hedges and swaps -- in disaster-prone poor countries deserved careful consideration.

LIU ZHENMIN (China), aligning himself with the Group of 77, said that, despite major steps by developing countries to integrate sustainable development into their national strategies, the global sustainable development situation remained grim.  It was marked by ecological damage, land deterioration, long-standing poverty and infectious diseases.  The economic vulnerability of the least developed countries and those of sub-Saharan Africa had increased; environmental pressure was heavier and the achievement of sustainable developed remained an arduous task.

He said that, while national Governments must act in accordance with their own national development level and features, developing countries needed financial assistance and environmentally sound technologies on preferential terms.  Developed countries should earnestly fulfil their commitments in that regard.  For its part, China had worked hard to improve energy efficiency and lower energy consumption by 20 per cent by 2010.  Total pollution would be reduced by 10 per cent.

On the Mauritius Strategy, he said the international community should fulfil its financial commitments to the small island developing States and adopt practical measures to help them better respond to the disastrous consequences of climate change.  The world should also implement the Hyogo Framework for Action on disaster reduction and build an early warning mechanism.  China had agreed to regional and international cooperation with its neighbours on disaster reduction.  With regard to the Kyoto Protocol, it had called upon countries to squarely face their emission responsibility, especially if their average per capita emission level was higher than most.  As a developing country adversely affected by climate change, China attached great importance to adjusting industrial energy structures and developing new and renewable energy sources.

CLAUDIA BLUM ( Colombia), aligning herself with the Group of 77, said her country supported the implementation of the Hyogo Declaration and the Hyogo Framework for Action on disaster reduction.  With its diverse risk factors, Colombia had proved that disaster reduction was feasible as long as national authorities, with international support and technical assistance, as well as private-sector participation, reacted to risks before disasters occurred.

Regarding climate change, she said her country continued to work on actions for the application of the Clean Development Mechanism.  For more than three years, it had had a Climate Change Office that gave advice on the viability of applying projects framed in that area.  Colombia considered it important to examine the link between climate change and the loss of biodiversity, as they risked humanity’s future welfare.  It was important that the United Nations make that link a clear priority, in order to identify and diagnose the consequences of climate change in its different manifestations.

MICHAEL SNOWDEN ( United States) said the Commission on Sustainable Development was a real success story for the United Nations, with its focus on translating words into results on the ground.  By establishing clearly focused cycles -- first on water and now on energy -- the Commission had galvanized action and helped shape agendas of a wide range of organizations around the globe.  More than 320 partnerships were now registered with the Commission, covering a wide range of sustainable development topics.  Those partnerships were starting to deliver concrete results.  For example, with the assistance of the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles and the World Bank, all 49 sub-Saharan African countries had stopped refining and importing leaded gasoline by the end of 2005, positively affecting 733 million people in sub-Saharan Africa.

He said that the Commission’s Learning Centre, for example, had provided on-site capacity building courses to more than 1,500 participants over the past three years.  Partnership fairs had provided space for action-oriented, multi-stakeholder discussions on more than 100 partnerships.  The United Nations Secretariat had done excellent work in developing web-based tools to disseminate lessons learned and best practices in a user-friendly manner.

However, there were still a diversity of opinions on what constituted “improvements” to international environmental governance, he said.  While the United States supported the incorporation of environmental concerns into development work, it shared the belief of several other Governments that no new environment institution was needed.  Major structural changes would lead to a divisive and time-consuming debate, distracting the United Nations from making valuable progress in areas where a clear consensus already existed.  Positive developments in UNEP, such as the adoption of the Bali Strategic Plan for Capacity Building, should be given the time and opportunity to succeed.  Indeed, the existing system of multilateral environmental agreements reflected a good balance of coordination and decentralization.  A supranational authority must not exercise control over those agreements or add additional bureaucratic layers.

ROBERT G. AISI ( Papua New Guinea), associating himself with the Group of 77 and AOSIS, noted that a vital issue for the Commission on Sustainable Development was the role of renewable energy in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.  Improving access to cooking and heating energy for the poor was important, given the health and economic benefits of each.  Providing alternative fuel sources, such as coconut fuels, must be promoted to meet energy needs and reduce imported fuel bills.  The GEF and its partners, such as the European Union Energy Facility, could play a critical role in addressing energy related issues.

Stressing the need to ensure that the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy was nationally driven and coordinated, he said his country wanted a mechanism that would identify and recommend the availability of affordable renewable energy and other technologies that small island developing States could use to address sustainable development challenges.  Papua New Guinea was a high-risk country that was frequently affected by natural disasters, and it was critical that Pacific island countries put in place national policies, plans and institutional infrastructure to deal with disaster related issues.  It was also necessary to go beyond policies and plans to build resilience in communities prone to natural disasters.

Noting that the impact of climate change was permanent and irreversible, he said the small island developing States, including Pacific Ocean island countries, were its first port of call.  All avenues must be pursued to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and Papua New Guinea called upon the international community to fulfil its commitments in implementing the Climate Change Convention and its Kyoto Protocol.

RAZID MUBIM (Malaysia), aligning himself with the Group of 77, reiterated his country’s commitment to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and Agenda 21 targets, under the principle of common, but differentiated, responsibilities.  Malaysia also urged the United Nations to better coordinate its work with Member States, so as to ensure that international engagement on disaster management was sustainable in the long-run, especially since Government-to-Government aid tended to be excessively bureaucratic.

The numerous recent natural disasters called for serious attention to climate change, particularly global warming, he stressed.  Malaysia urged developed nations belonging to the Annex 1 parties to the Climate Change Convention to transfer their climate-friendly technologies to other countries at affordable costs, thus enabling them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.  In addition, more positive and concrete efforts by Annex 1 parties to implement the Clean Development Mechanism would contribute greatly to the achievement of UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol objectives.

He said a large portion of the world’s biodiversity resided in developing countries and an equitable solution should be developed so that those with the financial means, scientific knowledge and technological expertise could share in the use of that biodiversity, while maintaining the ecosystem’s integrity.  Equally vital was the need for international cooperation to assist developing countries to fully explore the potential of their biodiversity.  In that connection, access to, and transfer of, relevant technology and expertise from developed partners, was essential.

PIRAGIBE DOS SANTOS TARRAGÔ (Brazil), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the Rio Group, said the challenge for international cooperation in coping with climate change was setting up a collective action that was not affected by uncertainty and permeated by other externalities, such as market imperfections.  Policies to enhance the development of clean energy would contribute to sustainable growth and development.

There was enough evidence to support the notion that the replacement of fossil fuels by biofuels, along with conservation techniques, represented the most cost-efficient and effective way to mitigate the greenhouse gas effect.  Brazil was the world’s largest producer and consumer of ethanol from sugar-cane as a transportation fuel.

In order to provide assistance to the most vulnerable countries, he said, Brazil supported the resolution being put forward by the Association of Caribbean States, aimed at recognizing the Caribbean Sea as a special area in the context of sustainable development.  Also, the sustainable management of forests provided a favourable arena for cooperation, and Brazil was implementing an integrated sustainable-management forest policy based on a multisectoral and long-term efforts.

FARUKH AMIL (Pakistan), aligning himself with the Group of 77, said the steady depletion of the world’s natural resources, the increasingly unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, the rise in the magnitude of natural disasters and the dangerous level of hazardous emissions threatened the global climate.  Unfortunately, the “development consensus” of the 2005 World Summit had not been sufficiently ambitious in dealing with those issues.  Pakistan, for its part, had integrated sustainable development goals into its policies, through, among other things, a national environmental action plan, as well as by creating public awareness of the need for environmental protection.

He said his country attached great importance to the work of the Commission on Sustainable Development as a forum for devising ways to integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development.  Pakistan had consistently promoted the use of compressed natural gas as fuel for transport, and would, in line with a recommendation of the Commission’s fourteenth session, continue its efforts to increase the number of petrol-fuelled and diesel-fuelled vehicles using it from the current 280,000 to at least 800,000 by 2015.

As for natural disasters, he expressed the hope that steps would be taken to establish a consortium of disaster-reduction-system partners at the Third International Conference on Early Warning in Bonn, Germany.  Pakistan also supported the strengthening of UNEP as the lead United Nations agency responsible for spearheading environment-protection efforts, but was disappointed that little progress had been made in implementing the Bali Strategic Plan for Capacity Building and Technology Transfer.  When implementing United Nations environmental conventions, the main responsibility for environmental degradation rested on those who consumed most and polluted most.

JAVAD AMIN-MANSOUR ( Iran), associating himself with the Group of 77, said international efforts and cooperation among national Governments were essential to the designation of national focal points and other activities that were part of the follow-up to the Hyogo Framework.  Iran had designated a national focal point for the implementation, follow-up and monitoring of progress.  The country supported efforts to strengthen the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction system and had mainstreamed risk reduction into its national development plans and strategies.

Concerning protection of the environment, he said corporate responsibility in the social and environmental fields must be kept in sight.  Iran attached great importance to the efforts of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Environmental Activities and reaffirmed UNEP’s role as the principal United Nations body in that field.  It also stressed the agency’s role in achieving internationally agreed upon goals on environmental sustainability.

JOAN YANG ( Palau) said the Mauritius Strategy was a crucial step along the development path for small island States and her country was pleased to note the prominent place it accorded tourism and biodiversity.  For Palau, those two sectors were inextricably linked:  tourism was essential to its economy, but depended on the spectacular beauty of its surrounding oceans; likewise, the oceans provided food not only for its people, but also for export.  To show its commitment to preserving biodiversity, Palau had banded together with its neighbours to create the “Micronesia Challenge,” under which 30 per cent of marine resources and 20 per cent of the land would be set aside for conservation by 2010.  In addition, some 463 coral species -- more than half of all known to the world -- would be protected under that initiative.  However, outside funding and expertise were needed in devising enforcement and protection mechanisms.  Palau was also concerned about deep-sea bottom trawling, an odious practice which damaged seamount ecosystems, and called for its banning.

She said that the Mauritius Strategy, though laudable as a development framework, was deficient in its over-emphasis on regionalism, while disregarding the fact that not every State in the same region had the same interests as the others.  Palau had been subject to a complex arrangement whereby remote centres made decisions that failed to address its needs or improve its national capacity.  To combat that deficiency, Palau had introduced the “United Nations Presence Initiative” with several of its Pacific island neighbours, which called for the Organization’s presence in those States.  Palau was gratified to learn of a plan to open UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA offices in several of those islands.

UZI MANOR ( Israel) said his country had achieved progress by concentrating on actions that promoted change, rather than letting regulations, programme planning and economic instruments dictate its course.  It had invested time and resources on the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, with the aim of building disaster-resilient communities by promoting public awareness through education, training and the dissemination of evidence.

Israel was also a leader in gathering weather and climate data, and its weather station network could easily share data with neighbouring States, he said, noting that its GLOWA Jordan River Project was an example of interdisciplinary, multi-country cooperation, whereby Israel, Germany, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority were addressing the introduction of non-conventional methods of water management in arid and semi-arid areas.  Another project looked at regional changes in the earth’s crust.  Both programmes could benefit from more regional cooperation.

On earthquake preparation, he said Israel had been developing standards equal to those of the United States and Europe, including tighter construction standards, and better water conservation systems, which could withstand a major earthquake.  While an urgent global response was needed to meet the objectives of the Climate Change Convention, Israel applauded the implementation of some mechanisms in the Kyoto Protocol, which had contributed to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.  However, those achievements would be lost without further commitment within the framework of the Protocol.

CELESTINO MIGLIORE, Permanent Observer for the Holy See, stressed the need to create a sustainable economy that would make sustainable development a rooted, long-term reality.  The environmental question was not only an important ethical and scientific problem, but a political and economic one, as well as a bone of contention in the general globalization process.

Turning to energy and the environment, he said that if fossil fuels were to be used for the foreseeable future, and States were to rely on hybrid options, then serious public investment in clean technology must become part of national and international strategies.  That would be needed to reduce the impact of pollution by air and sea transport and by those sectors’ continued use of outdated technology.  In addition, water-resource governance should be based on the implementation of the principle of shared international responsibility.

KEVIN CHEOK (Singapore), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and AOSIS, said volatile fuel prices had created uncertainties for all economies, while scientists had linked increases in carbon dioxide to global warming, severe and capricious weather patterns and a rise in sea levels.  Singapore had met, with some success, in managing its water resources and hoped for similar success in energy efficiency and waste management initiatives.  As a signatory to the Climate Change Convention and an acceding party to the Kyoto Protocol, it was developing a national climate-change strategy, involving both the public and private sectors.  Singapore had established an awareness raising programme called “Everyday Superhero” aimed at giving its citizens an understanding of the link between energy use and climate change.

Reducing air pollution was also a key objective, he said, noting that Singapore’s ambient air quality compared favourably with major cities in the world.  It was promoting the use of compressed natural gas by extending its “green vehicle rebate” and investing 2 million Singapore dollars to build three more refuelling stations in 2006.

Turning to the question of forest fires in Indonesia caused by the illegal clearing of forests, he said that, while the Indonesian Environment Minister had recently announced that his country would set aside $10.9 million for cloud-seeding operations, and other fire-fighting operations, some members of the Government had suggested waiting for a change in weather patterns.  But the scale of the problem meant that the region required international assistance, including from the United Nations, and Singapore was confident that such help would be forthcoming.  However, Indonesians themselves must muster the political will to take the crucial first steps to address the problem.

MARLENE MOSES ( Nauru) said the island nation’s land had been left degraded by a century of phosphate mining, which had damaged the reef that was its main food source.  Nauru’s people, with a limited supply of water and an electricity system that often failed, had to rely on imported food.  Previous Governments had stripped the country of financial resources through years of mismanagement and the island received little foreign investment.  But Nauruans were committed to rebuilding their nation and now had a National Sustainable Development Strategy that outlined priorities over a 20-year framework.  With the help of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Nauru had recently identified ways to improve that strategy, especially the need for performance indicators.  She said that, within the holistic approach of its sustainable development planning, Nauru had also identified better use of fish stocks and oceans, besides shifting to cheaper, cleaner, more reliable and renewable energy sources.  It needed donor partners to share their skills to maintain those new systems.  While the island was an excellent opportunity for developed nations looking to offset greenhouse gases, its efforts to pursue sustainable development would be in vain if climate change was ignored, particularly since there would be “a tide of environmental refugees seeking help from the international community”.

Small island developing States viewed the United Nations, from their standpoint, outside its infrastructure and resources, she said, calling on the Organization to better understand the “tyrannies of distance” that beset small islands.  They sought improvements in assistance; particularly through the establishment of a legal structure to formalize collaboration and coordination of their issues with global affairs; expanding the United Nations presence in smaller Pacific States, and integrating the Mauritius Strategy into the Organization’s human rights and climate change frameworks.  While it was Nauru’s responsibility to improve its governance, international commitments to support sustainable development lacked transparency, came with unrealistic demands and were difficult to access.  The way forward might be written down in blueprints, like the Mauritius Strategy, but they were not binding and were not implemented.  Solutions to that problem needed better exploration.

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For information media • not an official record