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THINGS TO LOOK FOR DURING THE INTERSESSIONAL PERIOD

CSD-5 AND THE 1997 SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY: The CSD will devote its intersessional working group meeting, scheduled for 24 February - 7 March 1997, to preparations for the UNGA Special Session for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21. CSD-5 is scheduled for 7-25 April 1997 in New York. The Special Session is expected to convene from 9-13 June 1997. For more information, contact Andrey Vasilyev, UN Division for Sustainable Development, tel: +1-212-963-5949; fax: +1-212-963-4260; e-mail: vasilyev@un.org.

CSD AD HOC INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON FORESTS (IPF): The IPF will hold its third session from 9-20 September 1996 in Geneva and hold its fourth session in early 1997 in New York. For more information, contact Elizabeth Barsk- Rundquist, tel: +1-212-963-3263; fax: +1-212-963-1795; e-mail: barsk-rundquist@un.org. For more information on the IPF and its intersessional activities, see Earth Negotiations Bulletin, Vol. 13 No. 14 or go to the UN Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD) homepage at http://www.un.org/DPCSD and the Tree Link Time Page at http://webonu.fastnet.ch on the Internet.

INTERSESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: During the coming months individual governments and non-governmental organizations will host meetings and workshops to contribute to the work of CSD-5. During CSD-4, the following governments announced plans to host intersessional meetings:

  • The Netherlands will host a workshop on debt-for-nature swaps later this year. For information contact, Ron Lander, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, P.O. Box 20951, 2500 EZ, The Hague.
  • The Netherlands is hosting a workshop on oil and gas exploration and exploitation, scheduled for the second half of 1997. Contact Robert Droop, Ministry of the Environment of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 20061, 2500 EB, The Hague.
  • The Philippines will convene a follow-up meeting to the expert meeting on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Manila in June 1996. For more information contact the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development, 3rd Floor, NEDA sa Pasig, Amber Avenue, Pasig City, the Philippines 1600. tel: +63- 2-631-2187 or +63-2- 631-3745; fax: +63-2-631-3714.
  • Finland will host the Intergovernmental Seminar on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management from 19-22 August 1996 in Helsinki. For more information, contact the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; ISCI Secretariat, tel: +358 0 160 2405; fax: +358 0 160 2430; e-mail: isci@mmm. agrifin.mailnet.fi; Internet: http://www.mmm.fi/isci/home.htm.
  • Australia will host the International Conference on Certification and Labeling of Products from Sustainably Managed Forests from 26-31 May 1996 in Brisbane. For more information, contact: Conference Logistics, tel: +61 6 281 6624; fax: +61 6 285 1336.
  • Zimbabwe will host the CITES Conference of the Parties in June 1997. For more information contact the CITES Secretariat, GEC, 15, Chemin de Anémones, CP 456, CH-1219 Châtelaine-Geneva, Switzerland; tel: +41-22- 979-9139/40; fax: +41-22-797-3417; e-mail: cites@unep.ch. Also try http://www.unep.ch/cites.html or http://www.wcmc.org.uk/convent/cites.
  • Bolivia will host the Summit of the Americas in Santa Cruz, 7-8 December 1996. For information contact the Ministerio de Desarrollo Sostenible y Medio Ambiente, Secretaría Nacional de Planificación, Av. Arce 2147, Casilla 11868, La Paz; tel: +591-2-391805; fax: +591-2-318395. Internet: the Summit of the Americas Home Page at http://www.eia.doe.gov/ summit/summit.html; e-mail: mrodekoh@eia.doe.gov; or AmericasNet at http://summit.fiu.edu; e-mail: webmaster@ americas.fiu.edu.
  • Belarus will hold a conference on sustainable development for countries with economies in transition in Minsk during the first half of 1997. For more information contact: the Permanent Mission of Belarus to the UN; tel: +1-212-535-3420.
  • Germany will conduct an expert workshop on traffic-induced pollution in megacities prior to the next CSD. Germany will also invite ministers to Berlin in spring 1997 for a conference on sustainable tourism. For information, contact the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN. tel: +1-212-856-6200; fax: +1-212-856-6280.
  • Belgium and Costa Rica will co-host a meeting on indicators for sustainable development in June 1996. Contact Mr. Manfred Petters, Ministry of Environment and Energy, P.O. Box 1338-1002, San Jose, Costa Rica; tel: +506-234-6504/ 234-0973; fax: +506-234-0651.
  • IUCN will host the World Conservation Congress from 13-26 October 1996 at the Palais de Congress, Montreal, Canada. For more information, contact: Ricardo Bayon, Special Assistant to the Director General, 28 Rue de Mauverney, 1196, Gland, Switzerland; tel: +41-22-999 0001, fax: +41-22-999 0002; e-mail: rib@hq.IUCN.ch. Internet: http://w3.iprolink.ch/iucnlib or http://www.IUCN.org.
  • Global Environmental Action (GEA) of Japan and the CSD Secretariat will co-sponsor the Global Partnership Summit on the Environment in Tokyo in March 1997. For more information, contact the Global Issues Division, Foreign Policy Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2-2-1, Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100. tel: +81-3-3580-3311; fax: +81-3- 3592-0364.
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