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OPENING SESSION

Outgoing Chair Amb. Razali Ismail (Malaysia) opened the meeting and noted that steps to implement Agenda 21 have been taken at the international and national levels, but not with equal effect in all regions of the world. Adequate financing has not been mobilized to attain the CSD's objectives. He called for the CSD to move from the role of consensus builder to agent of change. The CSD should look at cross-cutting issues and linkages with other conferences and international organizations. He introduced Dr. Klaus T”pfer, the German Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, who was then elected as the new CSD Chair.

T”pfer recommended that to ensure concrete results the CSD must: analyze the implementation of the results of Rio; identify shortcomings in implementation; develop possible solutions; designate responsible actors at national, regional and international levels; and determine political priorities.

Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD), queried the rumors that the Spirit of Rio is disappearing given the substantial action in areas such as the GEF, small island developing States, straddling and highly migratory fish stocks, coastal zone management and environmental conventions. Governments have set up mechanisms to address sustainable development issues. Desai asked delegates to address how assistance can be provided to NGOs to support their many activities.

After hearing reports on some of the government- sponsored intersessional meetings, delegates elected the remaining members of the Bureau and adopted the agenda (E/CN.17/1994/1). The members of the Bureau, in addition to T”pfer, are: Ms. Savitri Kunadi (India); Amb. Tunguru Huaraka (Namibia); Dr. Maciej Nowicki (Poland) and Minister Sergio Florencio Sobrinho (Brazil).

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