ENB:05:56
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PANEL ON THE SPECIAL SESSION
Rumen Gechev (Bulgaria) chaired the panel discussion on the 1997 Special Session of the UNGA.
Tommy Koh (Chair of UNCED Preparatory Committee) called for: protection of the atmosphere; measures to address urbanization; protection of oceans; clean drinking water; the CSD to work as “a human bridge” between the UN and the real world; and global leadership.
Maurice Strong (Chair of UNCED Secretariat) highlighted motivational and practical considerations. Regarding the latter, he called for: remaking industrial civilization through re-examining economic incentives; designing voluntary investment guidelines; and strengthening people’s initiatives.
Barbara Bramble (National Wildlife Federation) called for: extending the CSD mandate and developing new priority issues; involving ministries beyond environment; coordinating national positions; reducing poverty; resolving UN financial issues; measures on foreign direct investment and market mechanisms for sustainable development; and sectoral priorities as transportation, energy and tourism.
Henrique Cavalcanti (CSD-3 Chair) identified gender and age, food and water security, spatial planning and human settlements, and production and consumption patterns as priorities for the 1997 review. He also addressed conflict prevention, and a coordinated approach to sustainable development in the most populous countries.
Klaus Töpfer (CSD-2 Chair) focused on improved coordination, concentration and control within the UN framework. He stated that addressing energy efficiency and urbanization are the peace-keeping and disarmament policies of the future. He also highlighted linkages between globalization, identity, new communications technology and sustainable development.
Razali Ismail (CSD-1 Chair) said the UN must demonstrate a capacity to undertake macro- coordination with the Bretton Woods institutions and WTO. The straitjacket of the traditional division of labor must disappear. The management concept discussed at Rio must be revisited. The term sustainable development has been dangerously coopted by agents of free change.