Daily report for 28 February 1997

Delegates to the CSD Intersessional Working Group completed their discussion ofinstitutional issues and the format of the Special Session during a morning meeting. TheCo-Chairs were to incorporate the first week’s discussion into a draft text, which is to bedistributed Monday morning, 3 March.

INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES AND FORMAT OF THE SPECIAL SESSION

UN INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES: The G-77/CHINA said the mandates anddecisions taken by other intergovernmental bodies in the field of environment should berespected. They stated that any proposal for review and reform of the institutionalstructure of any body in this area should be undertaken in the appropriate forum, such asECOSOC or the UNGA. EGYPT agreed with BRAZIL that it is not the role of this bodyto decide the structure of any other UN body, and recommended that UNEP bestrengthened so it can carry out the responsibilities assigned to it in Agenda 21.NORWAY called for improved coordination of UN field activities and said the functionalcommissions, including the CSD, have a crucial role to play under a strengthenedECOSOC. He called for the reform process in UNEP to be put into motion again and forUNEP to become the Centre of Excellence for environmental activities in the UN system.AUSTRALIA emphasized the need to strengthen and streamline ECOSOC and to avoidduplication of discussions among its commissions.

INDONESIA said that UNEP and its Governing Council should have an enhanced andstrengthened role. The REPUBLIC OF KOREA called for strengthening UNEP’scontribution to developing international environmental law, monitoring the state of theenvironment and reviewing implementation of regional agreements. PAKISTAN saidUNEP must remain the leading agency in the UN system for monitoring the environment,suggesting policy options and catalyzing international action to protect the environment.He stressed that there is no overlap in the mandates of the CSD and UNEP but there is aneed for greater clarity. PAKISTAN and SWITZERLAND proposed that UNGASSendorse the Nairobi Declaration of the 19th session of the UNEP Governing Council,which calls for strengthening and revitalizing UNEP’s mandate and ensuring stable andpredictable funding for its activities. IRAN said that UNEP has a clear mandate andshould be strengthened with necessary resources.

The G-77/CHINA said the GEF should be reviewed with a view to expanding its mandateand its funds should be increased. URUGUAY stated that the GEF should be sent a clearmessage regarding the themes discussed at each CSD session and that the GEF shouldexchange information with the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Environment through anappropriate mechanism. IRAN advocated expanding GEF’s mandate beyond its existingfocal areas to areas such as land degradation and desertification. PAKISTAN supportedthe proposal for an annual increase in the GEF’s resources and in the funds available tothe convention Secretariats, particularly the desertification convention.

CSD MANDATE: The G-77/CHINA said the CSD has done a commendable joband should continue to provide a forum for policy coordination on issues concerningenvironment and development. NEW ZEALAND identified a need to addressoverlapping and outdated UN bodies. JAPAN said UNGASS should reaffirm the CSD asthe central forum for instituting and reviewing long-term goals and strategies and high-level policy and strategy discussion. UNGASS should also note the importance ofregional implementation of sustainable development. The US supported the CSD as themain body for the review of Agenda 21 implementation and sustainable developmentpolicies and programmes in the UN and said that it could absorb the duties of othercommittees, such as the UN Committee on New and Renewable Resources of Energy andEnergy for Development. The REPUBLIC OF KOREA, PAKISTAN andSWITZERLAND also supported the CSD as the forum for monitoring implementation ofAgenda 21. SWITZERLAND added that the CSD could provide impetus for furtherprogress in key areas and that its recommendations should be more concrete and action-oriented.

CSD PROGRAMME AND METHOD OF WORK: The REPUBLIC OFKOREA, PAKISTAN and the PHILIPPINES called for enhanced coordination andcooperation to strengthen effectiveness and avoid duplication. SWITZERLAND stressedthe need for the CSD to work in a coordinated manner, to collaborate more closely withthe Bretton Woods institutions and the WTO, and to strengthen cooperation withinternational environmental conventions without duplicating their efforts. AUSTRALIAcalled for further development of the task manager system. AUSTRALIA also called for:stronger links to other relevant bodies, particularly the energy committee, which shouldreport directly to the CSD; greater interaction with the High-Level Advisory Board; andconsideration of holding shorter CSD sessions with more interactive high-level segments.JAPAN and the US also called for stronger links with other international organizationsand UN convention bodies, and UNDP and multilateral development banks, respectively.The PHILIPPINES noted the need for a mechanism to ensure that the work of the CSDand other organizations can be made more complementary. She said that shortening thesessions of the Commission is an interesting idea but cautioned that this could lead tomore frequent and longer intersessional working group meetings, which coulddisadvantage developing countries. She suggested that the intersessional and full sessionscould be combined.

The G-77/CHINA supported covering all the important sectoral and cross-sectoral issues,and attached special importance to the implementation of agreements on the cross-cuttingissues of resource and technology transfer, trade and investment and poverty eradication.Among the issues EGYPT supported were: freshwater; oceans; atmosphere; landresources; energy and transport; agriculture; industry; tourism; finance, technologytransfer and trade; capacity-building, education and science; and information. The CO-CHAIR suggested considering trade and consumption and production patterns together.NORWAY supported consideration of: oceans and living marine resources; POPs andPIC; freshwater management; poverty eradication; and sustainable production andconsumption patterns. PAKISTAN called for a focus on poverty eradication, technologytransfer, cooperation and capacity-building, consumption patterns and education andpublic awareness.

The REPUBLIC OF KOREA said the future work programme should focus more onemerging issues, particularly on unfulfilled expectations. AUSTRALIA called for anaction-oriented work programme focusing on priority and newly emerging issues.SWITZERLAND said the CSD should focus on areas where other ongoing processes arelacking and where further intergovernmental dialogue is needed, and called for a workprogramme that focuses on a limited number of issues. She recommended that: educationand science be discussed concurrently with information for decision making; the cross-sectoral theme for 2000 be finance, trade and investment; consideration of the chapter onatmosphere in 2001 focus on energy and transportation issues; and local andtransboundary air pollution be put on the agenda.

NEW ZEALAND called for a more focused agenda and the use of intersessionals toidentify key outputs expected at CSD meetings. The NEW YORK CITY BAR and theINTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SETTLEMENTS called for a focus onvulnerable human groups, species and States and suggested an intergovernmental panelon poverty involving ECOSOC commissions.

EGYPT agreed with CANADA that the CSD should be attended by sectoral and financeministers and not just environment ministers. NORWAY concurred and added that majorgroup participation should be increased. INDONESIA suggested that those in the fieldshould contribute to the CSD. The US said a focus on national implementation wouldattract more than environment ministers. PAKISTAN underscored that major groupparticipation must be pursued with greater vigor. SWITZERLAND called for intensifieddialogue with all relevant stakeholders, particularly the business community, and saiddiscussion with major groups should be integrated into all areas rather than being aseparate agenda item. The PHILIPPINES supported the active participation of majorgroups. JAPAN underscored the importance of major group participation and proposedthat: CSD sessions be as brief as possible; a high-level meeting carry out a secondcomprehensive review of Agenda 21 implementation in 2002; and ministers fromenvironment and development ministries participate.

The US said the CSD should continue to use national reporting and employ indicatorsthat can augment and enhance the reports. He did not support the establishment of newformal intergovernmental bodies, but said the expert working groups have produceduseful work. AUSTRALIA and SWITZERLAND suggested that national reportingrequirements be streamlined. SWITZERLAND recommended that national reports focuson issues on the agenda for that particular session rather than attempting to becomprehensive, and called for a more flexible reporting system to allow countries tofocus on best practices.

UNGASS OUTPUT: EGYPT said any declaration should reaffirm but notreplicate the Rio Declaration. He stressed that Agenda 21 is not open for renegotiation,and was pleased with the EU’s call for the inclusion of operational commitments. TheCO-CHAIR said the Bureau envisioned one text, but it could be split into two. NEWZEALAND said UNGASS need not shy away from issues beyond the immediate agendaof the CSD and the output from UNGASS should consist of two components, onepolitical and one operational. The REPUBLIC OF KOREA said two documents shouldbe adopted, a political declaration and a 10-15 page document that reflects a balancebetween sectoral and cross-sectoral issues. PAKISTAN echoed the call for establishing aset of achievable targets.

IN THE CORRIDORS

Observers have indicated that a number of European delegates are floating suggestionsdesigned to raise the public profile of the CSD and Agenda 21 implementation. The ideasrange from media-friendly presentations of initiatives that demonstrate successfulimplementation of UNCED recommendations to enlisting personalities from the worldsof entertainment, sport and the intelligentsia as good-will ambassadors. Some are linkingthe need to take public outreach and communication more seriously at the CSD with arecognition that sustainability will eventually demand a profound shift in personal andcollective value systems in line with the policy recommendations flowing out of the CSD.Private discussions have already generated some light-hearted nominations for a good-will ambassador. Observers note that there is at least one Bruce Springsteen fan amongthe discussants.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY

WORKING GROUP: The Working Group will meet briefly on Monday toreceive a draft text from the Co-Chairs. Delegations will discuss the text in their regionaland interest groups for the remainder of the day. On Tuesday morning, delegates willmeet in Conference Room 4 at 10:00 am and will first address cross-sectoral andinstitutional issues.