Special Session of the General Assembly to Review and Appraise the Implementation of Agenda 21

Late Breaking News from the Informal Consultations

Updated 19 June 1997

Reported by Peter Doran, Earth Negotiations Bulletin

On the fourth day of the informal consultations on the draft outcome of UNGASS delegates made little progress in negotiations on the draft political statement being prepared for the Heads of State and the discussions on finance moved at a snail's pace. The Bureau, which met Thursday night, was expected to discuss the possible scheduling of meetings on Saturday. Over the weekend, delegations are also expected to receive a number of important signals on key UNGASS issues as the G-7+1 Summit concludes in Denver.

Sectoral Issues

Informal consultations on sectoral issues continued on Thursday under the chairmanship of Derek Osborn (UK). A number of decisions have been put off until next week and the arrival of ministers and other high-level officials. These include: a proposal to introduce a tax on aviation fuel; text on atmosphere and the Climate Change Convention; the financial mechanism for the Convention to Combat Desertification; and the question of a forest convention. On a number of these issues delegations are also waiting for signals from the G-7+1 Summit where, for example, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl is expected to press home the case for a forests convention in his bilateral meetings with US President Bill Clinton.

During their discussions, delegations returned to the subject of energy, notably measures to bring about sustainable patterns of production, distribution and use (subparagraph 39g). In an attempt to accommodate G-77/CHINA concerns about a reference to energy pricing to better reflect economic, social and environmental costs and benefits, Osborn proposed a compromise text: "Encouraging Governments and the private sector, as appropriate, to reduce and gradually eliminate subsidies for energy production and consumption that inhibit sustainable development and thereby help to promote environmental cost internalization so as to achieve more sustainable use of energy taking fully into account the economic, social and environmental conditions of all countries, in particular, developing countries." Supporting the G-77/CHINA's reluctance to highlight energy pricing, VENEZUELA said it is difficult to determine social and environmental costs. IRAN underlined the important role energy plays in the development process in developing countries. The US sought to add a reference casting the elimination of subsidies "as part of a process to promote environmental cost internalization." The EU insisted on maintaining a reference to energy pricing. Three versions of the subparagraph were kept on the table at the close of the consultations and CANADA was expected to facilitate informal-informals later in the day. The G-77/CHINA is also opposing an EU footnote in the energy section, linking EU acceptance of the energy text to an agreement on the CSD Work Programme which would make energy the only sectoral theme and transport the sole economic sectoral theme of the CSD at its ninth session in 2001.

The G-77/CHINA re-introduced brackets around text on "appropriate national action" to reduce the environmental impact of the continued development of fossil fuels (paragraph 35) and re-introduced a proposal to insert a reference to time-bound commitments to a subparagraph (39 d) on the transfer of relevant technology to developing countries and economies in transition. He also proposed that encouragement of better coordination of energy activities within the UN system should be "under the guidance of the General Assembly." Further discussion on these proposals is expected Friday or possibly Saturday.

Contact Group on Radioactive Waste

A contact group on radioactive waste made little progress on paragraphs 49, 50 and 51. The G-77/CHINA and MEXICO have reportedly sought to "pre-empt" and "recast" the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management currently being negotiated under the auspices of the IAEA. No agreement was reached on any of the contested text in brackets. Another meeting of the contact group may take place before the completion of informal consultations.

Contact Group on the CSD Programme of Work

A scheduled meeting of the Contact Group on the CSD Multi-Year Programme of Work was abandoned Thursday. The Group is expected to reconvene Friday to resolve a number of outstanding issues with the exception of the question of including both energy and atmosphere as sectoral themes at the 2001 session. The EU is pressing for the deletion of atmosphere, while the G-77/CHINA wants to keep both topics on the agenda. A final decision is not likely before next week.

Contact Group on Forests

The Contact Group on Forests met briefly Thursday afternoon. There was agreement that the one outstanding issue, the nature of the follow-up process to the CSD's Intergovernmental Panel on Forests, could not be resolved until decisions have been taken by political representatives at the G-7+1 Summit over the weekend. Negotiations in Denver are expected on Friday and Saturday, with some indications about the direction of the debate emerging by Saturday morning. As things stand, the US and Japan are expected to oppose a forest convention while Germany is expected to lead the others in calling for such a convention.

Cross-sectoral Issues

On the key role of financial resources and mechanisms in the implementation of Agenda 21 (paragraph 66), delegations agreed to consider text proposed by the Chair, Amb. Celso Amorim, that all financial commitments in Agenda 21, particularly those contained in Chapter 33, "and the provision related to" new and additional resources that are both adequate and predictable, need to be urgently fulfilled. The EU conceded the deletion of references to financial "objectives" by the G-77/CHINA. The G-77/CHINA and INDIA called for positive responses from their developed country partners to commitments. INDIA said the G-77/CHINA was looking for some additionality at the end of this process and expressed disappointment at the current state of affairs.

On the role of ODA as a main source of external funding for implementation of Agenda 21 in developing and least developed countries and the role of private capital flows (paragraph 67), most delegations agreed to consider a formulation proposed by CANADA, which states that for developing countries, particularly those in Africa and the least developed countries, ODA remains a main source of external funding, is essential for the prompt and effective implementation of Agenda 21 and cannot be replaced by private capital flows. The US objected, arguing that the view that ODA cannot be generally replaced by private capital flows applies only to Africa and the least developed countries. INDIA suggested the paragraph's constructive ambiguity should satisfy the US concerns. NORWAY warned that the language appeared to be weaker than the relevant text in Agenda 21.Amorim suggested that an asterisk would record the US objection. The US objected to the suggested procedure. Amorim said the disputed text will remain in brackets.

On the role of official financial flows in playing an important catalytic role in encouraging country-driven policy reform efforts (paragraph 67), the Chair explained that the G-77 concern is that ODA is getting smaller and smaller, and now some countries are proposing new ways in which ODA can be used. If ODA was increasing they would be much more prepared to suggest that it has other functions, apart from funding infrastructure. The G-77/CHINA proposed that it can play an important catalytic role in promoting economic growth and may in some cases play a [complementary and] (EU) catalytic role in encouraging private investment. The EU agreed to consider the proposal and suggested an additional reference to an ODA role "where appropriate" in "country-driven policy reform efforts." Amorim said it was his understanding that delegations would consider the G-77/CHINA proposal.

On effective use of an increased level of resources of UN funds and programmes in order to support the efforts of developing countries in implementing Agenda 21 (paragraph 70), and the strengthening of regional and subregional organizations, delegations agreed to remove brackets after agreeing that the paragraph should draw more comprehensively and precisely from General Assembly resolution 50/120, paragraph 9.