Agenda 21/ AGENDA 21/ Agenda 21

UN Commission on Sustainable Development 

Economic and Social Council - 25 - Press Release ECOSOC/5788 39th Meeting (AM) 23 July 1998

UN - July 23/1998 - ECOSOC/5788 - SETH WINNICK (United States) said the Commission on Sustainable Development had been at the forefront in developing innovative working methods to better address the complex issues which fell within its mandate. His Government strongly supported efforts to make the Commission more effective, particularly through the use of interactive dialogues.

Regarding the Committee for Development Planning, he said his Government was extremely disappointed in its report. The Council should to ensure that future reports conformed to the directives and mandates given to the Committee. In addition, many of the conclusions reached by the Committee regarding the Asian financial crisis were contrary to those reached by ministers and the heads of the Bretton Woods institutions who discussed the issue in April. Particularly questionable was the report's call for the creation of another international actor to provide "overall guidance in the development and monitoring of international standards and codes of conduct for financial management and capital flows". That role was already being filled by existing institutions, including the IMF and the Basle Committee on Banking Supervision.

Regarding the vulnerability index, he said many problems of methodology were involved in formulating and applying a meaningful index. Much more expert- level work was required before further action could be taken on the issue.

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/1998/19980723.eco5788.html

Economic and Environmental Questions

UN - July 23/1998 - ECOSOC/5788 - The Council had before it the report of the Commission on Sustainable Development (document E/1998/29) on its sixth session, which was on 22 December 1997 and 20 April to 1 May. The report contains six draft decisions recommended for action by the Council.

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development was established in 1993 as a functional commission of the Council to ensure follow-up to United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), as well as to enhance international cooperation and rationalize the intergovernmental decision-making capacity for the integration of environment and development issues. It was also mandated to examine progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 at the national, regional and international levels, fully guided by the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and with the aim of achieving sustainable development.

By the first draft decision, on consumer protection guidelines for sustainable consumption, the Council would invite governments to undertake national consultations with appropriate stakeholder groups on guidelines for sustainable consumption. They also would be invited to submit their views on the proposed new guidelines to the Secretariat so that they can be made available to all governments. The Bureau of the Commission on Sustainable Development would be invited to organize open-ended consultations among States and to report thereon to the Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Working Group for its consideration.

By another draft decision, the Council would approve the Commission's request to hold the third session of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests at Geneva from 3 to 14 May 1999.

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/1998/19980723.eco5788.html

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