ENB BRIEFING NOTE

Editor's Note: This informal briefing note was written and edited by Laura

Ivers <laurai@iisd.org> of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin Team. A complete

report of the work of the General Assembly on environment and sustainable

development-related matters will be included in the upcoming issue of

/linkages/journal/, available for free e-mail subscription at

)

15 December 1998

New York

On Tuesday 15 December 1998, the Fifty-third Session of the United Nations

General Assembly considered and adopted the report of the Second Committee.

Mr. Uladzimier Gerus (Belarus), Second Committee Rapporteur, introduced

the report. The report contained draft resolutions and draft decisions on

issues addressed under agenda topics, Sustainable development and

international economic cooperation and Environment and Sustainable

Development, including:implementation of the outcome of the UN Conference

on Human Settlements (Habitat II); implementation of the Programme of

Action of the International Conference on Population and Development

(ICPD); implementation and follow-up to the outcome of the United Nations

Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED); protection of global

climate for present and future generations of mankind; implementation of

the outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of

Small Island Developing States (SIDS); the Convention on Biological

Diversity (CBD); and implementation of the UN Convention to Combat

Desertification (CCD). The following is a brief highlight of measures

included in the resolutions and decisions adopted on these items.

Habitat II: The draft resolution contained in Sustainable development and

international economic cooperation: implementation of the outcome of the

United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II)

(A/53/608/Add.3), was approved by the Second Committee approved on 24

November. The resolution: decides that the special session for an overall

review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcomes of Habitat II

will be held in June 2001 for a three day period; invites non-UN member

States that are members of the specialized agencies to participate at the

special session as observers; and stresses the need for the effective

participation of local authorities other Habitat Agenda partners and

relevant actors of civil society. The draft decision takes note of the

report of the Secretary-General on a comprehensive and in-depth assessment

of the United Nations Center for Human Settlements (A/53/512).

International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD): The draft

resolution contained in Sustainable development and international economic

cooperation: implementation of the Programme of Action of the ICPD

(A/53/608/Add.6), addresses preparation for and participation at the

General Assembly special session to review implementation of the Programme

of Action to be held 30 June - 2 July, 1999. The resolution, adopted by the

Second Committee on 24 November, stresses the need for effective

participation of civil society, invites relevant UN organziations and

bodies to contribute to the special session and invites non-UN member

States that are members of specialized agencies to participate as

observers.

Environment and Sustainable Development: The report of the Second Committee

on Environment and Sustainable Development (A/53/609/Add.6) contained one

draft decision and three draft resolutions on: the impact of the El Niño

Phenomenon; international institutional arrangements related to environment

and development; and the report of the Governing Council of the United

Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (A/53/609/Add.6). The resolution on El

Niño, approved by the Second Committee on 10 November, calls for continued

implementation of the General Assembly resolution 52/200 on international

cooperation to reduce the impact of the El Niño phenomenon and requests

recommendations on how the UN will deal with the reduction of natural

disasters upon the conclusion of the International Decade for the Reduction

of Natural Disasters.

The resolution on international institutional arrangements related to

environment and development, approved by the Second Committee on 1

December, emphasizes that the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) of

conventions are autonomous, encourages the COPs and Secretariats of the

CBD, CCD and FCCC to examine opportunities to strengthen their

complementarities and assess ecological linkages between the conventions,

and requests the Secretary-General to prepare a report identifying actions

to improve coherence in various intergovernmental organizations and

processes through better policy coordination at the intergovernmental

level.

The resolution on the report of the Governing Council of the UNEP

emphasizes that UNEP has been and must continue to be the principal UN body

in the filed of environment, underscores UNEP's role as the leading global

environmental authority which sets the global environmental agenda, and

encourages UNEP to strengthen its revitalized role as an implementing

agency of the Global Environmental Facility. The resolution also encourages

the Executive Director of UNEP to continue with ongoing reform of UNEP. The

decision takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on products

harmful to health and the environment (A/53/156-E/1998/78).

Implementation of and follow-up to the outcome of the United Nations

Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED): The draft resolution on

Implementation of and follow-up to the outcome of UNCED (A/53/609/Add.1)

stresses the need to accelerate full implementation of Agenda 21 and the

Programme for Further Implementation of Agenda 21, recognizes that the CSD

will continue to be the central forum for reviewing progress in

implementation of Agenda 21and urging further efforts, and calls on the CSD

to continue to complement and provide interlinkages to the work of other

United Nations organs, organizations and bodies active in the field of

sustainable development.

Framework Convention on Climate Change: The draft resolution, approved by

the Second Committee on 1 December, contained in Environment and

Sustainable Development protection of global climate for present and future

generations of mankind (A/53/609/Add.2) takes note of the report of the

Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change on the results of COP-3.

Small Island Developing States: The draft resolution on Implementation of

the outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of

Small Island Developing States (A/53/609/Add.3) urges SIDS to continue

preparations for the seventh session of the CSD and the special session in

September 1999 for the review and appraisal of the implementation of the

Programme of Action. It also encourages SIDS and prospective multilateral

and bilateral donors to participate in the donors conference to be held

February 1999, and reiterates the urgency of the international community's

support of adaptation efforts by SIDS to cope with the threat of sea-level

rise experienced as a consequence of climate change.

Convention on Biological Diversity: The draft resolution contained in

Environment and Sustainable Development: Convention on Biological Diversity

(A/53/609/Add.4) welcomes decision IV/15 of the COP stressing the need to

ensure consistency in implementing the CBD and WTO agreements (with a view

to promoting increased mutual supportiveness and integration of biological

diversity concerns and the protection of intellectual property rights),

recognizes the importance of the adoption of a protocol on biosafety, calls

upon governments to use science-based analysis to study and monitor the

evolution of new technologies to prevent possible adverse effects on the

conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.

Convention to Combat Desertification: The draft resolution on

implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification

(A/53/609/Add.5) calls on all countries that are not yet parties to the

convention to ratify or accede as soon as possible and calls on developing

countries Parties to accelerate the elaboration of national action

programmes.

This informal briefing note of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (c)

<enb@iisd.org> is written and edited by Laura Ivers <laurai@iisd.org>. The

Editor is Pamela Chasek, Ph.D. <pam@iisd.org> and the Managing Editor is

Langston James "Kimo" Goree VI <kimo@iisd.org>. The Sustaining Donors of

the Bulletin are the Netherlands Ministry for Development Cooperation, the

Government of Canada (through CIDA) and the United States (through USAID).

General Support for the Bulletin during 1998 is provided by the United

Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the German Federal

Ministry of Environment (BMU) and the German Federal Ministry of

Development Cooperation (BMZ), the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the

Swiss Office for Environment, Forests and Landscape, the European Community

(DG-XI), the Ministries of Environment and Foreign Affairs of Austria, the

Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment of Finland, the Ministries of

Foreign Affairs and Environment of Norway, the Government of Sweden, the

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment

Facility (GEF) and the Ministry for the Environment in Iceland. The Earth

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