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IN THE CORRIDORS

NGOs have been busy following up a Resolution from last year’s meeting of the General Assembly (December), which considered plans for the 1997 special session to review and appraise implementation of Agenda 21. The Resolution recognized “the important role played by major groups, including NGOs, at the UNCED and in the implementation of its recommendations,” but stopped short of setting a precedent by specifying modalities for NGO participation in next year’s meeting. Some fear that the financial climate at the UN and the accompanying “short termism” may raise obstacles. However the sense of ownership that civil society has established around Agenda 21 is expected to keep the doors open, possibly at informal meetings. Additional procedural issues NGOs have been following include the denial of visas to some individuals hoping to attend CSD-4.