ENB:05:13
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INTER-AGENCY COMMITTEE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable Development (IACSD) held its second session in New York from 8-10 September 1993. During this meeting, the IACSD continued consideration of matters related to ensuring a coordinated system-wide response to the implementation of Agenda 21 and other decisions of UNCED, effective division of labor and sharing of responsibilities, and collaborative arrangements for preparation of documentation for the second session of the CSD.
The IACSD has designated Task Managers for the follow- up to and reporting on the various chapters, issues and programme areas of Agenda 21. The Task Managers, in cooperation with other relevant organizations will provide coordinated technical inputs on UN system-wide implementation of Agenda 21 in specific areas in accordance with the CSD's multi-year thematic programme of work. The Task Managers will prepare, in collaboration with concerned organizations, reports that will focus on common UN system strategies for the implementation of Agenda 21 and identify areas for further action for consideration by the CSD. The following is the list of Task Managers:
- Critical elements of sustainability -- UN Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD);
- Financial resources and mechanisms -- DPCSD;
- Education and science -- UNESCO;
- Transfer of environmentally sound technologies -- DPCSD;
- Cooperation and capacity building -- UNDP;
- Decision-making structures -- DPCSD;
- Roles of major groups -- DPCSD;
- Health -- WHO;
- Human settlements -- UNEP/HABITAT;
- Freshwater -- ACC Subcommittee on Water Resources;
- Toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes -- UNEP;
- Land, management of land resources and forests -- FAO;
- World climate programme and drought monitoring -- WMO;
- Environmental law, ozone and transboundary atmospheric pollution, desertification, biodiversity and Earthwatch -- UNEP; and
- Biotechnology -- UNIDO.
@HEAD2.5 = GENERAL ASSEMBLY HIGHLIGHTS
The Second Committee of the 48th session of the UN General Assembly considered the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and other environmental matters on Friday, 19 November, Tuesday, 23 November and Wednesday, 24 November 1993. During the three days of debate, most delegates seemed pleased with the progress made so far in UNCED follow-up, but expressed concern that the implementation of Agenda 21 has not been as successful as they had hoped. Delegates were heartened by the positive outcome of the first session of the CSD, yet fear that it could become bogged down by its own bureaucracy, unless there is more innovative thinking. Most governments attach great importance to the CSD's establishment of two ad hoc intersessional working groups on financial resources and technology transfer.