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FRIENDS OF THE EARTH:

Chee Yoke Ling said one of the most important outcomes of UNCED is the opening up of the UN system to NGOs. She said that finance and economic ministers also need to attend the CSD, as sustainable development encompasses these issues. She noted that many "taboo" issues were now being discussed, such as structural adjustment, debt, and commodity prices. Key issues for the CSD are: biotechnology and intellectual property rights; importation of toxic wastes; and integrating social equity and environmental concerns in the Bretton Woods institutions. She appealed for a ban on the import of toxic wastes and said that the Bamako Convention could serve as a model for other regions.