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ADOPTION OF THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR THE THIRD SESSION:

The first item of business was the adoption of the provisional agenda for the third session of the CSD. Egypt proposed inclusion of a new agenda item on the follow-up of decisions and recommendations from the second session of the CSD. Canada wanted specific reference to the Forest Principles in Agenda Item 6 on sectoral issues. The US proposed a new agenda item on review of the UN system coordination in supporting implementation of Agenda 21. These proposals were accepted.

Morocco and Austria mentioned that this year there were two general discussions -- during the first two days of the CSD and during the High-Level Segment and argued that this should be avoided in the future and proposed merging these two agenda items and putting the High-Level Segment at the beginning of the CSD session, rather than at the end. Brazil disagreed. The Chair said that this is a matter for ECOSOC and left the agenda items as written.

Belarus proposed a new agenda item on monitoring the transition to sustainable development in the Central and Eastern European Region. Algeria, on behalf of the G-77, objected. The Chair said that he felt that this proposal was already incorporated into Agenda Item 3, the general discussion on progress in the implementation of Agenda 21.

The final provisional agenda, as adopted, is as follows:

1. Election of officers

2. Adoption of the agenda and organizational matters

3. General discussion on progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 focusing on the cross-sectoral components of Agenda 21 and the critical elements of sustainability (Sweden proposed listing the specific clusters to be addressed, which include: Chapters 3 (poverty), 5 (demographics); 16 (biotechnology); 8 (integrating environment and development in decision-making); 40 (information); and 23-32 (major groups)

4. Financial resources and mechanisms

5. Education, science, transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building

6. Review of sectoral cluster: Land, desertification, forests, biodiversity: Chapters 10 (land management); 11 (forests); 12 (desertification and drought); 13 (mountains); 14 (agriculture) and 15 (biodiversity), and the Forest Principles.

7. Other matters

8. High-level meeting

9. Provisional agenda for the fourth session of the Commission

10. Adoption of the report of the Commission on its third session.

ACTION ON DRAFT PROPOSALS: The Commission then adopted all of the draft proposals that had been elaborated by the Working Groups:

Agenda Item 3: Cross-Sectoral Issues -- Information provided by Governments and organizations (E/CN.17/ 1994/L.7); Decision-making structures (E/CN.17/1994/ L.8); Revised text of Commission decisions on major groups (E/CN.17/1994/L.11); Trade, environment and sustainable development (unedited text); and Changing Consumption and Production Patterns (unedited text).

Agenda Item 4: Financial resources and mechanisms -- Finance (unedited text).

Agenda Item 5: Education, science, transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity building -- Transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building (E/CN.17/ 1994/L.10).

Agenda Item 6: Review of sectoral clusters -- Protecting and promoting human health (E/CN.17/1994/ L.2); Human settlements (E/CN.17/1994/L.3); Freshwater (E/CN.17/ 1994/L.5); Toxic chemicals (E/CN.17/1994/L.1); Hazardous wastes (E/CN.17/1994/L.4); and Radioactive wastes (E/CN.17/1994/L.6).

Agenda Item 7: Other matters -- Matters related to the intersessional work of the Commission (E/CN.17/1994/L.9). [Return to start of article]