Curtain raiser

The Ad Hoc Open-Ended Intersessional Working Group of the UN Commissionon Sustainable Development (CSD) will open this morning. During its two-week session,the Working Group is expected to review the reports of the Secretary-General and others,and focus on the format and substantive contents of the document to be considered at theSpecial Session of the UN General Assembly to review the implementation of Agenda21.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CSD

Agenda 21 called for the creation of the CSD to: ensure effective follow-up of the UNConference on Environment and Development (UNCED); enhance internationalcooperation and rationalize the intergovernmental decision-making capacity; and examineprogress in the implementation of Agenda 21 at the local, national, regional andinternational levels. In 1992, the 47th session of the UN General Assembly set out, inresolution 47/191, the terms of reference for the Commission, its composition, guidelinesfor the participation of NGOs, the organization of work, the CSD’s relationship withother UN bodies and Secretariat arrangements.

The CSD held its first substantive session at UN Headquarters in New York from 14-25June 1993. Amb. Razali Ismail (Malaysia) was elected the first Chair of the CSD.Delegates addressed, inter alia, the adoption of a multi-year thematic programmeof work; the future work of the Commission and the exchange of information on theimplementation of Agenda 21 at the national level.

The second session of the CSD met in New York from 16-27 May 1994. TheCommission, chaired by Klaus Tpfer (Germany), discussed cross-sectoral chapters ofAgenda 21, including: trade, environment and sustainable development, consumptionpatterns and major groups. On the sectoral side, delegates considered health, humansettlements, fresh water resources, toxic chemicals, and hazardous, solid and radioactivewastes.

The CSD held its third session (CSD-3) from 11-28 April 1995 in New York. The revisedformat of the Commission, which included numerous panel discussions, enabled theparticipants to enter into a dialogue. The Day of Local Authorities, combined with theNGO and government-sponsored panels and workshops throughout the session, enabledthe CSD to examine the local aspects of implementing Agenda 21. Chaired by HenriqueCavalcanti (Brazil), CSD-3 examined the second cluster of issues according to its multi-year thematic programme of work. The sectoral cluster for 1995 included: planning andmanagement of land resources; combating deforestation; combating desertification anddrought; sustainable mountain development; promoting sustainable agriculture and ruraldevelopment; conservation of biological diversity; and environmentally soundmanagement of biotechnology. The Commission also established the IntergovernmentalPanel on Forests.

CSD-4, held from 18 April – 3 May 1996, completed the Commission’s multi-yearthematic programme of work and began considering preparations for the Special Session.The Commission, chaired by Rumen Gechev (Bulgaria), examined the third cluster ofissues according to its multi-year thematic programme of work. In reference to theSpecial Session, most delegates agreed that the CSD should continue and that it shouldnot conduct another review of Agenda 21. Suggestions as to its future work varied fromconcentrating on certain sectors (e.g., oceans) to cross-cutting issues (e.g., poverty) andspecific problems (e.g., megacities). Many held out hope that in the coming year the CSDcould redefine its role and accelerate progress in achieving the promises made in Rio.

INTERSESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

UNEP GOVERNING COUNCIL: The nineteenth session of the UNEPGoverning Council met from 27 January-7 February 1997 in Nairobi. The Counciladopted the “Nairobi Declaration on the Role and Mandate of UNEP,” which states thatUNEP is the principal UN body in the field of the environment and is the leading globalenvironmental authority, serving as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.It notes core elements of a focused mandate: analysis and assessment; policy advice;promotion of cooperation; international environmental law; and the promotion of greaterawareness. On the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the MarineEnvironment from Land-based Activities (GPA), priority was given to theimplementation of the GPA in UNEP’s programme of work and a request was made forits expansion to all regional seas programmes. On chemicals, the Council concluded thata global legally-binding instrument was required to reduce the risks from persistentorganic pollutants (POPs). It requested that an intergovernmental negotiating committeestart work by early 1998. On the development of an international legally-bindinginstrument for the application of the prior informed consent (PIC) procedure for certainhazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade, the Council requested thatUNEP hold a conference by the end of 1997, for the conclusion and signing of aninternational legally-binding instrument.

Delegates could not agree on a US proposal for the creation of a high-level committee tooversee UNEP and suspended their meeting on its final day. UNEP’s Committee ofPermanent Representatives (CPR) said the proposal reduces the role of permanentrepresentatives to that of “postmen.” As a result of this lack of consensus on governance,the US, the UK and Spain announced that they will temporarily withhold theircontributions to UNEP for 1997 until the matter is resolved. The Governing Council wassuspended and is expected to reconvene later this year to resolve the outstandingquestions on governance.

SECOND SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL FORUM ONCHEMICAL MANAGEMENT: The Second Session of the IntergovernmentalForum on Chemical Management (FORUM II) was held from 10 – 14 February 1997 inOttawa, Canada. Delegates to FORUM II made recommendations on five ProgrammeAreas: expanding and accelerating international assessment of chemical risks;strengthening national capabilities and capacities for management of chemicals;harmonizing classification and labelling of chemicals; exchanging information on toxicchemicals and chemical risks; and establishing risk reduction programmes, including thedisposal of obsolete chemicals and pesticide risk reduction and pollution release andtransfer registers (PRTRs).

FORUM II also made recommendations on emerging issues such as endocrine disruptingsubstances and established an ad hoc Working Group on persistent organicpollutants (POPs). Delegates reached agreement on a number of actions regarding thestructure and function of the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS). Theyestablished a Forum Standing Committee as a mechanism that would better respond tonew developments and give advice in preparing for future meetings. They also agreed to afull review of IFCS terms of reference, a general policy for operating languages, andprovisional criteria for meetings to be held under IFCS auspices.

WORKSHOP ON INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: Thesecond Ghent Workshop on indicators of sustainable development (ISD), held from 20 -22 November 1996 in Ghent, Belgium, was sponsored by the Governments of Belgiumand Costa Rica with the support of DPCSD. It focused on the Working List of indicatorsadopted at CSD-4. Countries may select from this list the indicators to use in theirnational policies, according to their own problems, policies and targets. The GhentWorkshop welcomed the methodology sheets produced for each indicator on thisWorking List as a valuable basis for methodological harmonization. The objective of thissecond Ghent Workshop was to launch the testing of ISDs. It endorsed guidelines and atimetable for national testing and agreed that regular reporting would be useful for allpartners in the testing process. Twelve countries have now confirmed their intent to testthe ISDs on behalf of the CSD. The first two reports were planned for January and March1997, while the first substantive annual report about the testing process is requested forNovember 1997. The testing phase should conclude by the end of 1999. The aim of theCSD is to have a working list of ISDs available for all countries, based on their nationalpriorities, by the end of 2000.

MEETING OF THE HIGH-LEVEL ADVISORY BOARD ON SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT: The UN High-Level Advisory Board on SustainableDevelopment held its seventh session in Monaco from 14 - 17 January 1997. During thesession, the Board addressed the preparation of a report for the Special Session. TheBoard selected energy, water and transport as critical issues for sustainable developmentand will present policy recommendations drawn from recent experience in manycountries to address those issues. The Board’s discussions involved not only its membersbut also a number of invited specialists in the fields of energy, water and transportdevelopment. Their discussions with the Board focused on promoting private cooperationbetween international, governmental and private sector organizations and on ways topromote private investment in the sustainable development of energy, water andtransport.

FOURTH EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON FINANCIAL ISSUES OF AGENDA21: More than 70 international experts in finance and sustainable development frominternational organizations, Governments, NGOs, academia and the private sectorparticipated in the Fourth Expert Group Meeting on Financial Issues of Agenda 21,subtitled Finance for Sustainable Development: The Road Ahead. The meeting, held atECLAC Headquarters in Santiago, Chile from 8-10 January 1997, aimed at: (i) assessingprogress in the mobilization of financial resources for sustainable development sinceUNCED; (ii) providing a state-of-the-art review and analysis of unresolved issues relatedto traditional and innovative international and domestic financial mechanisms; and (iii)generating information and recommendations that will assist the CSD in preparing for theSpecial Session.

WORKSHOP ON SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION:PATTERNS AND POLICIES: The Governments of Brazil and Norway hosted thisWorkshop from 25-28 November 1996 in Brasilia, Brazil, to identify the key elements fora shared North-South vision on the issue of changing consumption and productionpatterns. The conclusions of the meeting note, inter alia: the issue of consumptionand production patterns (Chapter 4 of Agenda 21) has the common interest of, anddeserves additional international cooperation between, industrialized and developingcountries; exchange of information and experiences on national policy development andimplementation is a determining factor toward achieving progress in making patterns ofconsumption and production more sustainable; and the current debate should have abroader scope, going beyond technological and policy change to incorporate the humandimension, in terms of better understanding needs and values that underpin sustainablelivelihoods.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

The CSD’s Intersessional Working Group will convene at 10:00 am inConference Room 4. After electing its officers, the Working Group will turn to adoptionof the agenda and other organizational matters (E/CN.17/1997/WG/1). The morningsession will also feature statements by the newly-elected Co-Chairs and presentations ofthe outcome of sessions of relevant intergovernmental and intersessional meetings. In theafternoon, the Working Group will begin its general discussion on preparations for theSpecial Session of the General Assembly to review and appraise Agenda 21implementation.