A/44/PV.36 General Assembly

As members will recall, at its 3rd plenary meeting the General Assembly decided, on the recommendation of the General Committee, that, prior to consideration of SUb-item (f) of item 82 by the Second Committee, the debate on the proposed 1992 United Nations conference on environment and development would he held directly in plenary meetinq, on the understanding that action on this aspect of the suh-item would be taken by the Second Cc~~ittee. . ,~'. I propose that the list of speakers in the debate on this 8ub-item be closed today at 5 p.!ft. It was so decided.

I therefore request those representatives who wish to participate In the debate to put their names on the list as soon as possible. Ma. DARL (Sweden): I should like first to express my satisfaction and .tbat of ay Governmen1; that the General Asselftbly is paying due respect to the important ite. on the environment by having this debate on the convening and outcome of the 1992 conference on environment and development in the plenary In this important debate I have the honour to speak on behal~ of the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. In Septe~r 1987 the Swedish Government proposed that a United Nations conference on environment and development be convened in 1992 - 20 years after the Stockholm Conference. That initiative was part of the implementation of the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. The report indicated, in April 1987, that an international conference could be convened to maintain human progress within the guidelines of human needs and natural lawA. It is now time to take the necessary decisions. The preparations for the conference should be guided by the conviction that human needs should be satisfied without compromisinq the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs. Placinq environmental prOble-. in a broad econOMic and social development context, the conference lIIU8t demonstrate how the enviroMent and natural reaoutcefl ar. to be ••feguarded for: the future of aankind. We trust that the conference (The Prenldent) will give the necessary PQ1i tical impetus and translate sustainable and environmentally sound development into a number of legally binding international agreeNnts and concrete acticn plans. Concrete targets and goals for the world community should be agreed upon~ In order to be truly effective the action plans should address the economic and social sources of environmental problems. It is our hope that the discussions will focus on the desirable outcome of the conference, which will have to be negotiated caretully during the limited time avaUable. It is our view that the fact that the timetable is limited should be , used as an instrument to put the necessary pressure on Governments and other intitutions that need to come together to ensure meaningful oonmitrnents. Our point of departure should be the major environmental issues as identified by the Governing Cbuncil of the United Nations Environment Progra1lllle (UNEP) ~t its fifteenth session and how to deal with these within the general economic and social development process in all countr.ies. The first issue is the protection of the atmosphere. Global warming is one of the gravest global envircnment&l dangers so far identified. The most immedia te measure is to phase out completely the use of currently controlled chlorofluorocatbons (CFCs), halons and other ozane-dl!pleting suhstances at the latest hy the year 2000, in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of 1989, which was agreed upon by 81 countries. This reaulres that the Montreal Protocol on SUbstances that Deplete the Ozone layer be made lI01'e ate i!\gent in 1990. Simultaneously, adherence to the protocol must be widened. The transfer of ~- technology and financial resources to developing countries will be It necessary step for this purpose. The basis for further action on clillllte change ie to be provided by the Intecgovernf!Dl!Ptal Panel on eli_te Change, which "Ul a&>pt its interim report in August 1990 at a .eting in Sweden. To regulate the intergovernlMlntal efforts III (Ms. Dahl, Sweden) framework convention is urgently needed. It should contain well-defined goals. By 1992 decisions 1n a legally binding form will also have to be taken on concrete measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases other than CFCs and to control other sources of global warming. The most important of such measures is the reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide in industrialized countries. Such reduetions will he posSible only with sUbstantial changes in our energy and transport policies and practices. Many developing countries might be particularly badly hit by global warming while having considerable difficulties in carrying out the internationally reouired measures. These countries should be assisted through the transfer of technology and financial resources. Transboundary air pollution, particularly acid rainq is afflicting the European and North American continents, with grave damage to human health, forests, crops, lakes, buildings and cultural monuments. The regional action taken needs to be further strengthened and developed. Inform&tion is now emerging on similar dangers in other regions of the world. The 1992 conference should take a global persPeCtive and set the nec~ssary action in motion. Turning from the atmosphere to fresh-water resources, we approach a problem which gradually but steadily becomes more critically important: The competition for water in arid parts of the world Is already, and will be increasingly, harsh. Environmental degradation of fresh-water resources is a world-wide phenomenon. The 1992 conference should agree on new and innovative policies on fresh-water resources, inclUding further subregional conventions on co-operationa Another component should be changes in agricultural and industrial policies and practices , to limit pollution of fresh-water resources. The provision of assistance to the poorest in developinq countries in gain1ng access to healthy water remains a crucial and still unsolved problem. (Ms. Dahl, Sweden) Despite admirable efforts through UNEP's regional seas programMe, the situation of sen.it!ve coa.tal areas Is still not satisfactory, and the 1992 conference must devise further action. Developing countries need assistance in developing and managing their coastal resources. The environmental situation of the high seas was for BOme years thought to be satisfactory. Latest indications shOt1, hovever, that a POtentially dangerous degradation is taking place, mainly as a result of airborne pollutants. The 1992 conference shOuld confront this situation. (Ms. Dah1, Sweden) Deforestation and desertification are among the ~orst of the environmental threats. ktion taken so far has been grossly inadequate. The 1992 conference must dellOnstrate how the most affected countries and the international donor col'llllunity can co-operate to reverse the trend. The Question of regional action should be addressed t particularly with regard to deforestation in certain sUbregions which influence precipitation patterns over large areas. An increasing number of countries are in the process of degrading and depleting their soils by erosion, ineppropriate farming practices and overproduction of export crops. The report of the World commission on Environment and Development underlines the economic value of biological diversity and both the potentia1s and the risks of biotechnology. The Governing COuncil of UNEP has decided that an international legal instrument should be prepared on the biological diversity of the planet. The decision brings up the economic dimension. It includes the Question of adeauate machinery for financial transfers from those who benefit from the exploitation of biological divers!ty to the owners and managers of biological resoulC'ces. This legal instrument should be ready for signature at the 1992 conference. Although the Basel Convention Q'1 the Control of Ttansboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal has been adopted, much greater effort will be needed before production il\d transboundary movements of hazardous wastes are reduced to a minimum. Developing countries need assistance in order to cope with the problem. -UndOUbtedly the 1992 conference must confront the issue. The same is true with regard to environmentally safe management of chemicals. '1'0 cope with the risks of highly chemlcalized societies, innovative strategies need to be agreed upon such as replacement of highly hazardous Chemicals by less dangerous substitutes. The Go?erning Council decided to amend the Londnn Guidelines for the (Ms. DahI, 9iIIeden) ; Exchange of Information on Chemicals in International Trade, setting in motion certain procedures for prior consent which will particularly benefit developing countries. By 1992 these procedures should be evaluated !lld, possibly, steps taken to transform the London Guidelines into a convention. The Governing COuncil of UNEP identified one further major enviraurental issue, namely, ~otection of human health conditions and Quality of life from degradation of the environment. This degradation affects the everyday life of the millions of working people in developing countries. Poverty, environmental degradation and unchecked popUlation growth reinforce each other. The issue is also intimately connected with industrial, human-settlement and health policies, and indeed with economic development policies in general. Clear action-oriented conclusions can be drawn from this short review of the major environmental issues. First, environmental issues must be integrated with general economic and sectoral policies and CM he solved only through transformation of these policies. This is in line with one of the major findings of the WOrld Commission on Environment and Development, namely, that preventive and precautionary action at source is the only long-term remedy for problens of environment and development. Secondly, for nearly all these problems the situation of the developing ! countries deserves particular attention. The solution of most of them requires , arrangements for assistance to these countries and especially to the poorer among them. Thirdly, although work is in progress on most of these issues, new and intensified efforts are needed. The issues lend themselves well to concrete declsion-making at the 1992 conference, including legally binding agreements in so. cases and concrete action plans to address all the aforelllent1~ed major issues. (Ms. Dahl, Sweden) Fourthly, the concrete decls ions to be adopted by the conference an these major environmental issues need to be carefully prepared. Intergovernmental groups are already dealing wi th Bone of these issues and more such groups might be set up, mainly within the framework of UNEP and with the assistance of other organs and organizations within the United Nations system. Within a co-ordinated preparatory process, such groups could, at the reQuest of the preparatory committee, be asked to prepare decisions for the 1992 co~ference. The 1992 conference should also deal with sectora1 policies and adopt concrete action plans for sectors of strategic importance. This approach is necessary in order to secure full and integrated treatment of the whole range of environment and development problems. Transportation structures constitute a rapidly increasing threat to the environment. In many countries an increasing part of the emission of carbon dioxide comes from motor vehicles. Motor vehicles are also responsible for other emissions dangerous to land, water and vegetation as well as to the health of people, especially in large urban concentrations. New structures and new technologies need to be developed, inclUding something approaching a ·clean- engine. Governments must agree on strict standards and reQuirements. Ministers of transport and environment in the countdes members of the Organisa tion for Economic Co-operation and Development (OE(]» should initiate this work at their forthcoming meeting in Paris in November. We note with interest the reauirements of this type being established in parts of the United States. Environmental degradation stemming from the transport sector is closely related to environmental degradation from energy structu~es as a M1ole. In addi ticn to acidification, the grave danger to our clima te from the use of fossil fuels 1s now an established fact. Other energy sources also carry environmental (Ms. Dahl, Sweden) dskl'i'J# although to SI varying extent. Such risks have, for example, been an important factor behind the decision in four: of the five countries for Which I am speaking today not to build nuclear power plants, or to phase out - as we are doing in Sweden - their nuclear progral'lllle. A twofold policy is necessarys increased energy efficiency and a switch to renewable and environmentally sound energy sources. Pricing policies will have to play an important role In this context. Special account has to be taken of the need of developing countries, in particular the poorer among them, for energy at reasonable cost. The United Nations system needs to pay greater attention to global transport and energy policies, although certain parts of such policies are dealt with in a nWllber of United Nations organs. Sustainable and enviralmentally sound transport and energy policies will be key issues for th6 success of the 1992 conference. Another essential sector for development and environment is agriculture and forestry. This sector is also intimately linked with two other major environmental issues - desertification and deforestation. The industrial sector is also a major source of environmental degradation. Certain progress has been made on the emissions from stationary installations. Diffused emissions from the use and fin~l disposal of products of industry are, on the other hand, increasing 1n importance. The posi t1ve response of relevant United .'. Nations organs to the report of th"", World COlllllission on Environment and Development is something to bulld upon in the preparation of relevant action programmes on industry t.o be adopted by the 1992 conference • .', (Ms. ~hl.. SIIeden) The development, assessment and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies are closely related to indt!si:ry. New low- and non-waste technologies have great potential. The oooia1 and human dimensions of the environment cannot be over-emphasized. Population, environment, natural resources and development are closely interrelated. Population policies nust have a broader focus than birth controh the objective must be to expand the carrying c:apacity of the environment, to iftl)rove health and sanitation, and to develop human resources through education and training. There are a number of linkages between environmental policies and the policies in important fields which it is also essential to address in 1992. Besides environment and economics, and others I have mentioned, I wish to refer to environment and employmentr environment and health, environmental ethics, awareness, education and participation, environment and security, and, finally, environment.a1 emergencies and catastrophes. The World Conmission on &wironment and Development has demonstrated that poverty might be the worst threat to the environment, because poor people and poor nations might be forced to carry out excessive exploitation of their environment &."1d natural resources. At the same time, the life styles and production and consumption patterns of a minority of rich industriali~ed countries indeed constitute a threat to our life-sustaining systems. Equity, therefore, is a key word for environmental progress. Industrialized nations must demonstrate effectively their determination to reduce the burden on the env~~onment caused by their production and consumption patterns. They must also demonstrate their willingness to provide developing (Ms. Dahl, Sweden) countries with the a.dditional resources reauired to make it possible for those countries to choose, in accordance with their own priorities ood plans, sustainable and environmentally sound development patternso The deplorably low volume of international development assistance must be increased. Transfer of environmentally sound technologies should be accelerated. Investment flows for this purpose should be enoouraged. We also have to analyse carefully the environmental consequences of all technical transfers to developing countries. Adverse environmental impact must be addressed within the framewotk of the dialogue on development co-<lpera tion and private investr.lent. The 1992 conference should define the financial requirements fo~ the implementation of its decisions and recommendations. It should also, as proposed by the Governing Council of UNEP, identify the sources of the additional resources required and agree on specific commitments and burden sharing between donor countries in this regard. The industrialized oountries mst also agree to negotia te wi th the developing countries measures to achieve such economic rela tions as would result in sustained and environmentally sound economic growth. The United Nations organs dealing with development and economic relations must take it upon themselves to prepare for the oonfe renee appropriate decis ions on these issues. Agreement on measures to prollOte international oo~peration in research on and development of environmentally sound technology, and the transfer of auch technology, is anothet' important prerequisite for a successful conference. Ma jot environmental issues, linkages between environment and social and economic sectots, transfer of resources and technology, and supportive eoonomc relations are cleady on the agenda of the 1992 conference. BIt one other issue (Ms. Dahl, Sweden) " remains, namely, institutional solutions. The Nordic countries fully support the recommendation by the Governing COuncil of UNEP that the conference should ·Promote the development or strengthening of appropriate institutions at the national, regional and global level to address environmental matters in the context of eCQ'lomic and social development processes.· (6/44/25, p. 118) The issue of how to organize, in particular within the United Nations system, future international co-operation on the environment in a development perspective as well as in addressing major environmental threats will clearly be a part of the delibera tions up to the 1992 conference. The role of UNEP should be strengthened. Ways and means to improve the functioning of the whole United Nations system in the field of the environment should at the same time be studied. The 1992 conference should be action-oriented and directed towards national' measures as well as international agreements, far-reaching action plans and well developed institutional and financial arrangements. Accordingly, the preparations will be characterized by negotiations between as many Governments as possible to prepare thoroughly the decisions to be taken at the conference itself. The preparatory process, in effect, has already started, for example, as regards climate change, biological diversity, sus.tainable agriculture, sustainable industrial development, and environment and employment. Many of the activities of the United Nations system on environment and development, reinforced by the process for follONing up the report of the World COmmission, have clear relevance for the preparations of the 1992 conference. The possibilities sbould be investigated of setting up ad' hoc bodies under the joint auspices of appropr 1&te tbi ted Ha tions organs" among which yNEP is essential, and also with the participation of selected non-United-Hations institutions. These bodies would prepare parts of the decisions to be taken at the 1992 conference. (Ms. Dahl, Sweden) Regional conferences en environment and development constitute another important part of the preparatory process. One has already been held in Kampala, Uganda, for the African region, and others are planned for 1990 in Norway and Malaysia. We understand that a similar conference for the Latin American and caribbean region will probably take place in the fall of 1990. The Bergen Conference in Norway is entitled "'ktion for & C011'lllOn Future-, and we hope that this action-orientation will characterize all the regional conferences and thereby ensure valuable inputs to the preparatory process for the 1992 conference. In our view, the Bergen Conference will be an important test of the industrialized countries· conmitment to sustainable development both at home and internaticmally. They account for the bulk of the world' s accumula ted pollu tion and resource depletion and should demonstrate in Bergen their strong political commitment and readiness to set new national and regional targets for concrete action to combat national, regional and global environmental problems. The DaniSh Government will bost a seminar for member countries of the European Comml.llity and the European Free Trade Association in November of this year, focusing on the eCCXlomic policies in Western EU~ope and its impact en the environment. The main responsibility for the negotiating process leading up tc the 1992 conference must obviously rest with the preparatory committee for the conference. This does not mean that the committee itself will carry out all negotiations. On the contrary, as I have already 9uggested~ ongoing processes should be utilized and new negotiations in ad hoc bodies should be initiated. The preparatory committee must consist of all Members of the united Nations and the specialized agencies. It should meet at least four times before the conference. I~s officers should carry cut its important fooctions between meetings of the committee itself. (Ms. Dahl, Sweden) The preparatory committee should be serviced by an efficient and fairly large secretariat, headed by highly competent persons, to be appointed by the Secretary-General. In order to make efficien.t use of the resources of the specialized agencies of the United Nations, the secretariat should he located in proximity to most of these organs. The offer of the Government of Switzerland to support financially a location in Geneva is most welcome. The venue for the conference should be decided by the General Assembly this year. We are pleased to support the generous offer: of the (bvernment of Brazil to host the conference. The issues of environment and development represent a major challenge of our time. The Nordic countries tt,uat that the process leading up to the 1992 conference will provide a historic momentum, enabling the United Nations system to live up to its full potential in saving "our only one earth". (Ms. Dahl, Sweden) Mr.' LALONDE (France) (interpretation frolll French) I I am pleased to address the Aaselllbly today on bebalf of the European CoJIlIlWlit1-· ~d its _libel' States on preparations for the United Nations conference on environment and develo~t, to be held in 1992. I congratulate you, Mr. president, en your election to your responsible post, and express cur 9ratificaticn at the priority being given to the item on the envircnment. I note what has been done since the beginning of our adventure into outer space, which has sho-rn our planet to be aM11er and IIlOre fragile than we thought it V88: CClIIlpletely isolated and ..,1oue. And ever since we S811 those tJhotographs of the blue planet we have felt that we ere all prisoners, side by side en the planet. I should like to assure the Assemly that the States of the &sropean Co_unity are resolved to act, and I am very gl:4 tifted to note today that envirenllental proteetlo~. is in the forefront of everyone's priorities. The entire international COJUMmity ia now unanilllDus on the subject. IDeal, regional II\d wodd prcblel'llS are all involved, no one can Question that. N:)r can anyone Question that environraental ccncerns should be included in all policies - agricULtural, industrial, transportatiC''''l, energy and land-use planning. Ecology reauires an overall Viewi COiI.,n eolutions and genuine solidarity. Nor can anyone Question the Unit betwee~ the environaent and development. Row can tie continue a policy of economic development without causing harm to the non-renewable resources on Earth .,d thereby threatening t~e future of II&nkind? At the SaIIe time, how can we Cll)nceive of a future without develqllent for the least deVeloped countries? Environment and developaent ar~ inextricably linked. We have to comine our efforb. in order to pro.,te econollic and social developaent cQllpatible with envlrcollental protection. Further.,re, the right to a higHuality enviranlleftt is becoaing, both in faet and in written textll, one of the funaaMntal require_nts of our socieUe5. we finel the burden .,d content of the numerous lnitiaUves taken and stateaents _de this year by politicians at the highest level very heartening in this connection. 'lbe seven-Power sUDit conference gave pride of place to the envircrt_nt for the first tille, emphasizing thAt it 1Iust be made an integral part of the unage_nt of re-ourcss and economic development. The Seven particl:lal'ly stressed problems connected with eli_tic changes and the depletion of thE: ozone layer. The pmtecticn of the at8)Sphere urgently recruitea increased intetnational co~peratlon, intensification of research progra..es and encouragoment of the transfer of appropriate resources and technology. It is significant in this connection thet the non-aligned countries at their Met1ng 1n Be1grsd! md the Group of 77 at their ministerial conference stressed the SmM concerns and the determination of Cbvermaents to face up to new world Challenges. While events have brought out the global dimanalon of envital.-ntal proble., specific solutions should also be sought at the regional IfWeh the European Bconoalc COIIlRwlty is particularly well placed to bear vltne. to that. Ibr .,re than 15 years new it has been devel.oping a progr~ of action en the enviran.nt, based ,on very close regional co-operation and \l\lcrue of its kind. Thi. policy has been reinf,:,:ced by the Single EUropean kt, which _de it one of the cc.ponente of COIl_Wlity policy. 'lbe au:opean CO,.'Jnlty has a policy of opening to the rest of the \ferld.. ItO intends particularly to continue to develop its co-operative relations w1th the developing countries in order to help the. set up develcpaent progra.ea which w1U. incr.~lngly include the environlllfttal aspect. That is one of the purpolles of our progr..., launched 1n June 1989, to study the greenhouae effect. It was also the pur:paee, of the conclusion r_c:be4 en 19 Septelllber by the Council of. Minillterllat (Hr. Ialonde, Prance) their last _etinq~ to provide assistance to cOll'ltries with forest areas in _tnaining a better balance between the exploitation and the regeneration of forests. It is clear that, lilte the protection of the at1lOsphere, the mmintenance of the ecological c!1versity of pllillts and anillal species is a _tter of great concern to us. In this connection, we veloo_ the decision taken by the United Nations Bnvircn.nt Programme to start negotiations on a mde! convention on this subject. At the recent ..t1ng of the parties to the conventioil in Washington, we took the 1nltiative of proposing the prohibitloo of the ivory trade. I welcome that decision and hope It will contribute to saving ~he last remaining specimins of the species. In regard to eo_unity aid to the 10 ccuntrles in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, the ongoing negotiations for the forthcoming agreeaent on co-operation - La_ IV - with those COUi\triea give an important place to the environment. Provisions concerning tropical forest. and hazardous waste. wUl be aCbpted at tho•• n~ptiationlS. In this ClOnnection, b~use of the ecandalou. trada in basardoua wastea - revealed last year - the coallU\ity in 1989 signed the Basel Convention on the COntrol of Tranllboundery Move_nt. o)f Hazardous W"lates. It had already been applying these principles by strictly :IIlOnitoring the transfer of hazardous wastes between ClOuotriea and the transparency of the operations. Still on the subject of Et.n~pe, but in the context of the thlted Nation. F.coJao.lc eo_balen for: Europa, other work is. under way on long~istanCe at.oapher1c pollution, water pollution, and the transportation of hazardoua sub.tencea. Pln&11y, 1t should be pointed out that for the fhet ttaa a Meting pr.clae1y en envir:os".ntal _ttetS Is being held at present in Bulgar la • part of the COnference on Security and CO"'Operatlon in a.u:ope. (Mr. Ialonde f France) The prospect of a conference in 1992 on environment and developllent provides us with a matChless opportunity to continue to reinforce our co~peration and prove our solidarity in environillental matters. The thited Nations Environment Programme has already done very important work in launching preparations for the conference by its decision 15/3 8 which we fully support.. Theae are the tnderpimings for our negotiations at tbis session of tbe General ADeemly regarding preparations for the conference. While we acknowledge the links between environmental Iftltters and developllent, we subscribe to the topics that bave been chosen, even 1f other topics are equally relevant today.. I am thinking, for example, of the major natural md technological risks entailed in the gravest probleJllS faced by States, and here I pay tribute to the recent vlctill8 of earthquakos in China and San Francisco. We particularly stress the importance of prevention in this area, where international co-operatian ls fully warranted. '!\renty years after Stockholm we have to take honest stock of what has been done. It is therefore important to contemplate the forthcoming conference in 1992 in a pragaatic and realistic spirit. What should be the real, the major points at issue? Of course, the ideal plan would be first and foremost to IIiIke a general survey of the soundness of the Earth ~s environllent, and then to propose innovative solutions to cope with world probleu, while not disregarding specific features• (Mr. Lalonde, F~ance) How can we together define new and more efficacious means of dealing with institutional, financial, juridical and technical matters? Current thinking, particularly in the field of the prev(!ntion of the heating up of the atmosphere, as part of the United Nations Environment Progral'llile (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization, particularly by the Intergovernmental Panel on CHute Change, should lead us to effective solutions. we welcome what has been done by the various multilateral and bilateral financial organh-ationsl the World Bank, the Colll'llittee on Aid for Development and the Organisation for Bc:OI'lomic Co-operation and Development (OEal). It is essential that all countries be involved in this process. The industrialized countries have a special role to play in protecting the environment since, essentially, they are responsible for industrial pollution. They have a dual responsibility. rirst, they are responsible for adopting rigorous internal trend-setting steps en the lines of the colllllltments made to the progressive elimination of chlorofluorocarbons~ They should also prollOte the tr ansfer of technology and the development of appropr iate technology and provide the developing countries with additional resources. we \mder:stand that these cOll1tries face particularly difficult situations. We would like particular attention to be devoted to their very specific problems. rural develop_nt, desertification, deforestation, accelerated totll plaming, the handling of wastes, access to water resources and the daily administretion of the environment g information and researchc we also give our political support to such projects 8S the establishment of an observatory fot' the Saharan acnes. We believe that the _ans thus IIObiUzed would make it easier for the developing countries to participate in international efforts and contribute to financing the specific effort that these cO\mtries will have to make. Finlllcial institutions, appropriate lIultilat"l'al organizations such aB the WOrld Bank (Ms:. Lalonde, Frtmce) 8ftclother United Hations bodies, md sci~ntif1c and technolog!Clal organizations should be utilbe<l within the areas of their respective competence. They should .obUise adcl1timal resources (Xl the basis of the eeonomic and technical objectlvE!s a8.igned to the.. The traditional channels of aid should be used but the possib!lityof more original and innovative machinery, including paying debts in kind, should be explored when preparing for the conference. I would even note peracnally that certain cOW1tries are proposing even more amb! tious systems of direct or indirect taxation. Nothing should be excluded from our thinking. Financial measures haVing been considered, the dimensions of the problems which adse in connection with the environment of the planet prompt some enquiry into the ability of existing institutional IIIlchinery to cope with the complexity of the decisions called for by rational management of the environment. we are convinced that the Uni ted Nations EnvirClnment programme must be strengthened before 1992 to give it the means to implement its policy and enable it to act as a catalyst md co--ordinl!tor within the thited Nations SyStem5 We welcome the objective of an average increase of 3S per cent a year in the contributions to the Bnviron.nt Fund, as _ntioned in decision 15/1 of the UNEP Govf!lrning COWlcil. However, 80me thought should be given to ensuring that the institutional arrangements 1n the uea of the environment make possible better co-ordination \ between the competent bodies and IlIOre effective decision-mak1ng machinery. Thia, following the Lendon Conference (Xl the Protection ol the Ozone Layer, was the conclusion reached at the meeting at The Hague, which called for baldness and Meanlllbile p these fin8i~.. ~al and inat!tutional solutions do not excuse the internation&l ccmaunity f~omdevoting itealf to strengthening existing legal instru_nt8 or draw ing up new texts. " ' (Mr. Lalonde, France) '..... In this connection I wish to comment on UNEP Governing COWlCU decision 15/36, on climate, since the process in Question is to take place during preparations for the 1992 conference. It seems to ID to be a matter of urgency to begin ..,,'" negotiations on the oonclusionof a world convention on climate that defines the overall objectives and a plan of action. However, we hope that has te will nOt '>'. prove to the detriment of the sUbstance of this fundamental legal instrument which we believe should contain real commitments for all cOWltries. The instrument should be worked out progressively and in stages, should take into account the particular situations of the various countries and should be in line with the development of scientific knowledge. In keeping with our participation in the preparation of this convention, we welcome the UNEP decision encouraging the industrialized CO\X1tties to adopt. aet.ion-oriented strategies to monitor, stabilize and reduce the emissions of gases p-eoducing the greenhouse effect and to develop sources of energy that do not. give off such gases. We also welcome the encouragement given to developing countries in that tlfEP resoluticn to adopt similar strategies that. take accoll'lt of their own development level and needs. In order to define a genuine world strategy, all possibilities must be explored. I am thinking particularly of working out timetables for the successive stages in achieving the objectives and differing deadlines according to the level of development of States. Machinery for researching and monitoring the state of the planet should be the subject of study at the 1992 conference so tl\at it may be refined or improved where necessary. '. Regarding preparations ftllt and organization of the conference, the date 1992 is ob9iouely alrezt<1y in ou~ minds. The choice of a period which includes World Env~ronllent Day - 5 June 1992 - should be confirmed. OUr preference is for cln (Mr. Ialonde, France) intergovernmental preparatory comndttee established by the GOverning Co~.cil of WEP and open to all the States Man'bers of the Un~..ted Nations and the specialized agencies, as proposed in the Nairobi decision. The lmiversality of this bOdy will guarantee that its decisions reflect the concerns of all the participants. Pbur meetings of the committee should enable it to identify the needs and draw up the terms of reference of the Conference. This work should also benefit from the contributions of other intergovernmental organizations. The secretary-general of the conference will be designated by Mt. Perez de Cuellar. We realize that in order to carry out his fi.nctions the person chosen will have to ooll'bine great political authority with an appropriate knowledge of the discussions going on in international forums Q'l the SUbject-matter of the conference. A strong secretary-general who gives the public an image of a meeting resolutely turned towards the future will be, to our mind, the guarantee that the conference will be organized in a dynamic way. His seccetariat and the headquarters of the preparatory committee should, we believe, be located in Geneva to draw on the experience of the specialized agencies of the United Nations there and of the European Office of the United Nations Enviraunent Pr:ogramne, in order to promote the widest possible participation at this preparatory stage. We note with interest the facilities proposed for the secretariat by the Swiss Government. In view of the importance of what is at stake at the 1992 conference, we hOpe that the future secretary-general will as soon as possible lay down guidelines for the contributions that Governments can make to the preparatory work and thus ensure their coherence. (Mr. Ialonde, France) we al.80 expect a great deal frail the hest COll'ltry, which vi:',. also provide the president of the conference. 'l\renty years after Stockholm, it is desirable that this ti. our choice should fall on a cOlDtry from the South. In ~ds connection, I wish to offer the support of the 12 memor States of the European Co_unity for Brazil, bearing in mind the requirement J that we believe IIlUSt be met if the conference is to be successful. we believe that with Brazil as president the conference "ill benefit from the experience of a great comtry confronted by colllplex choices but firmly wedded to promotion of the environment and develClpllent. we are convinced that Brull can cClltdbute fwu:)amentally to the search for sOlutions acceptable to all. Costs should be defined in realistic and effective terms. A formula should be fotmd to _ke it possible for the least developed cOlXltdes to participate. These _aBures, a8 well as the functions of the future secretarY""general, consistent and sustained preparations in Geneva and the welcome by Brazil will help to ensure the widest possible participation. we hope that in view of the importance of the subjeet-IRtter particlpatiCll in the conference w111 be at the highest possible 1.el. In conclusion, I reaffirm the intention of the aJropean Collllllunity and its llleliber States to play a IIICI8t active part in both the preparatory and the final stages of the United Nations conference on environment and develcptllent. (Mr. Ialcnde, France) Mt. BOUCHARD (Canada) (interpretation from Fren~h)t I have mixed emotions in addressing the General Assembly today. First, I am proud to come to this rostrum, from whicb, during 40 years of vital United Nations activity, so many eminent persons have spoken., Secondly, I am sincerely concerned. I am concerned because, no matter how elcxtuent and moving they are, speeches have little value if they do not result in concrete actions. In regard to the environment, action must be our unremitting goal. .Being aware of the situation, we must immediately change our social, political and economic beha\"iour. The environmBi\tal issues tie face are at once complex and simple. They are complex because of the accommodations they demand t between industr lalhed and developing countries, between rich and poor, between old and young, between national sovereignty and the interdependence of peoples. They are simple because of the formidable clarity of the choice before USt we can attack the problem and develop economic and social practices in harmony with the environment, or we can leave the problems to our children and hope that they will be able to find solutions and will have enough time to implement them. Thus, as leaders we have the choice of either abdicating or shouldering our responsibilities. That choice .uet re_In uppermost in our mind as we define the objectives and draw up the agenchil of the 1992 United Nations conference on environment and developnento In Canada's view, the solutions will emerge first and foremost from political vill. un~uestlonably the challenges before us are great, but we see them as a reason to act rather: than not to act. Canada does not dispute the scientific evidence of glObsl climatic change or other p.lenolHfta that Wldermine the ecoaystem. We too are well aware that the changes taking place 1n the air, the watu and the so11 constltu te de teeioration and that the causes are ma!nly man-made. we believe that the industrialized nations must should~r their full share of the responsibility. But the developing natioD9 must tmd3rstand that in their own interests they must decide in favour of sustainable development. We recognize that issues such as debt, popula ticn growth and poverty cr3a te enormous environmental pressures on the developing countries. Furthermore, we believe that the gap between rich and ~r must be closed. That is as mm a ~ral as an environmental and economic imper~tive. (spoke in English) Many solutions to our environmental problems will bi! provided through technological iMoyaticm. We beli~e that indusubUzed nations must, thrcugh developmen~ assistance proqrc!llIftea and other mechmdsme, p%0'11de their teGbnoloqical and scientific expertise to the developing wodd. In this connection C8Mda would be pleased to sea all nations participa~lng in an intetnational environmental !ndustriea ccmfei'enee and trade fal~, called -Globe •90 11 , in Vancouver next Hareh. We applalld the work of the United Nations Environment ~rOCJram:ae CUNEI!) in helping to resolve the many environmental iseuoa facing the ~orld. We consider the further devel~ent of international law to be crucial. Moreover, as leaders recognized at The P..aCjue last MArch, international !netitu tiaRa lIlust be vested with effective authority to meat the unprec:edentad cballeiiCjes faoing the glObal coremunity. The idea of national !lOIIereignty has evolved over time. we hav& If!lft behind the international anarchy dS8cribed by the political theorists. Now, in an erB charaetf!lrized by environmental problems that rf!lCOgnize no boundar le8 11 our concept of 8cwereignty !lIWBt continue to evo~ve and a~pto (Mr. Bouehalt'd, Canada) We believe lasting change will be brought abc:::ut in two wayss first, through vigorous regula.tions and action by concerned and COl'llTlitted G:>vernments, and, secondly, through the harnessing of economic forces to enable them to contribute to the achievement of environmental goals. Canada recognizes that change must start at hone. N) advocate for change should uri'1e at the doot of the 1992 conference with dirty hands. We have bequn a process of Change with innovative iostitutions, such as the National Round 'fable on Environment and Economy and the Winnipeg Centre for the Prol1Otion of Sustainable Development, as well as through changes to our Cabinet decision-making process. In add! tioo, Canada will by next spting present a Government-wide action plan for the implementation cf sustainable de'l7elopment at the federal le'lel.. legislation to be introduced shortly will enshrine in law the requirement that environmental considerations be fUlly taken into account in all projects and initiatives involving the federal Government. COll'Glunic&tions and public awueness are vital to the achievement of lasting environmental change. The news media around the world have a responsibility, indeed an obligation, to grasp what science is telling us and to convey that information to the widest possible audience. Finally, Canada recognizes the need to use, and co_its itself to using, a larger share of its resources to address these problems domestically and internationally. We ore prepared to deploy addi tianal resources in concer t vith others. (continued in' French) The decade before us will be crucial. As Mr. Mostafa 'lblba, the &tecuti.ve Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, has indicated, it will be our last chance to take the decisions that will allow us to reconcile the legitimate deiMftds of the developlnq countries vi th the essential need to protect the environment. The 1992 conference will be a mique opportunity to take a real step for"'ard. It will provide the vital impetus for the activities under way in mst countries and in all the international institutions. we should also expect the preparatory work to establish a framework that will integrate policies and actions in a logical way. It is essential that the proposals and initiatives - which are proliferating in the present climate of great enthusiasm - be organized into a coherent and effective whole. The origin of this process dates back to 1972, when the nations of the world me t in Stockholm for the first in terna tional Conference on the Human Environment • The histor ic Stockholm Declaration set forth the broad pr inciples of a new environmental initiative with a local and transboundary dimension. On the twentieth anniversary of that Conference, our nations mst address a new generation of problel1l9, this time global, and must ensure access by all to sustainable development. We are not here to make any imputation of failure in this matter. The Stockholm Declaration was eminently sui ted to its time - 1972. 'lbdaV, hOlever, the problems are infinitely more global in nature. The vicious circle of poverty, underdevelopment and environmental degradation must be broken by the integration of environmental 'protection and economic development into a single initiative. Our present task is to lWldertake and <!ctually fulfil IS universal commitment to sustainable development. The 1987 report of the World Commission on Environment and Development set the stage for: the 1992 confeE'enc~. In articulating the concept of sustainable , development, the Commission changed for ever: the way we think about the environment. lllt two years h~ve passed sin.,. the BrW'ldtland report was considered by the Assembly. We must now take the next step and translate sustalnlable development into a speci,fic programme of action. (Mr. Bouclu1E:d. Canada) (spOke in English) We should do that without any illusions. let there be no mistake, eustainable development is a radical concept, not the status .quo in a new package. Wet are talking about fundamental changes - in the developing world and, even nore lIIportantly, in it\dustrialized countries. Sustainaole development need not entail large capital outlays. But, as pointed out in the Brundtland repo.... · "'Ind confirmed in the UNEP definition of sustainable development g it requires a new way of thinking about future development. (Mr. Boucbard, Canada) The sustainable development: prescription has now been endorsed q '8 quiding concept by the Assenbly and the United Nations system, by the Group of 7 Eeonomc Su_it nations, the COIl\monwealth, the Franoophone Summits and many others. Individual Governments at all levels in Canada and elsewhere have adopted it as a fundamental objective. The 1992 Confer.ence, and the national and international preparations for it, can be the driving force behind the advancement of fundamental etullge. And I would like to pcopose some specific recommendations we believe would help ensure a successful conference. The 1992 conference must clearly address environment: and development from the perspective of all Members of the thi ted Ns tions. It will be about the principle of conserving resources and planning our economies so that sustainable qrowth is possible. Political decision makers at the highest level must directly participate to ensure that the Conference leads to real follow-up action. We endorse the offer to host the Conference made by Brazil, a country that has come to symbolize for many of us the dileanas inherent in world-scale sustainable development. we support a preparatory process designed to ensure that the 1992 meetinqs focus on defininq world priorities, schedules and targets for action. We believe that the meJllhership of the eommittee charged with this work must reflect the importance world leaders attach to these vital issues. This prepazoatory cotmlittee must also have the widest possible mennership, and we commit ourselves to active participation. Developing col,1ntr ies IWst be enoouraqed to hrinq to the Confef'ence the energy and COIIIIitment to the 'envircnmant demnstrated at the recent Non-AliCJft~ McvelllMt &I_it. The U'aion of Soviet Socialiat Republics, China and Eastern &:Irope, with (ME'. Bouchard, Canada) which Canada has uny COIllIlOft concerns and shared hopes for Cl better envlrClluP.ae:lt'i- will also be crucial partners. We, in ~anac.sa, see the environment as a. shared responsibility. The 1992 Conference canno~ he Cl true success unless it reflects a partnership approach - all levels of goverm.-nt~ business, labour, advocacy 9~cuPS and individuals should be involved in national preparations and In the Conference itself. !'ina11y, we believe that young people, who will inherit the consecsuences of the decisions and actions of the present, 1Ilust have a special place at the Oxlference.. ife encourage the organizers to give proJninence to }'Outh in the preparatory process. For out" part, Canada will hold a sedes of regional and national youth conferencee to help prepare our positions for 1992. (continued in French) Clearly, clilUte change wll1 be a priority issue for 1992 and the invaluable work of the intergovernlllenUl panel on cHute change must help clear the way for Cl fralleWork~nvention on this problem. As Prime Minister tl2lroney advocated in. 1988, it 113 Canada'8 hope that this convention be 819ftecl at, or before, the 1992 Conference. . se_ nations are advo.catlng tbat preparatory negotiations of protooo1s en greenhouse gases should not await the signature of the fralleVork convention In 1992. Cana~ Is 811On9 th08~ countr ies prepared to atteapt to develop, for 8!9ning at the 1992 Conferencev the first of the necessat.y protocols. While sucb a target ie politically a~itlous, canada believes that our international c1eterRdnation .ust be eclUal to the potential crisis posed by the eU.to change. Agreed approaches on tlay. of better _naging the Birth IS tesources are ."sential if we ate to COMbat succe_fully such 8erioUIJ proble. as air anCl water pollution, defore.tatton, de••rtiflcation, depletion of fish stock., 80i1 (Mr. Bouchard, canada) "t the aa. ti., we auat ensure sustainable econo.:1c growth for all. We auat l.ve 1992 vith a clur blueprint fo~ action that will tatc~ us well into the tventy-first century. But if th~re 18 one lBessaqe i want to leave you today, it is that ve aiaply cannot wait until 1992 to act. We IIlU8t start today to advance the issues and solutions a. Quickly a8 po.sible. We must stungthen the Montreal Protocol by next year 11 and increase the nullber of .ignatories. " convention en biological-divarsity is urgently rcauired. Every day that puse••••• MOther species lost for ever.. The coneervation of our ccureon resources 18 essential, whether _dne resources, t_perate and tropical forests, air, vater or .iner&la. we.us t co~perate to ellainate ~ractlcos such as pel&glc drift-net fishing and overfishing off the Atlantic coast. Ma Must a180 IIOve now to save our endangered open spaces through the creation of a global network of protected areas. We are perhaps .the last generation with the opportunity to save the final regnants of our natural heritage and wlld.fft••a. There 18 clear need for yardsticks to define probleM as vall • to _asure Olll' progress. !fork ha. begun CII'l environ_ntal Quality indicator.., cnd they 1lU8t be aa useful and under.tandable to the public and decision Makers as are current econOllic indicators Much as the rat. of inflation. Tbe tl'alted Nations vas forMd In the 1940. follOtting the CJreat C&taclysa of th. Second IIbl'lc1l Mlr. 'lbcJay, an environMental cataely•• ts no 1••8 thgoeatening. Guns ..4 m.tta ar. not involved, the thr.t ta inc~...tal '.4 tbu very difficult " to pr...t .a a eriai.. we ar. tbr..tene4 not with baeCu'lIte destructlon, which ls palpable, but with a pervad.ve 1Ift4 ~r.dual deg.eration of the pl.et·a (Mr. !ouch.rd, CMiada) Increuntal cds18 presents a challenge for world leadership. New dimensions in political will and international decls1on-aaking are required. The 1992 Conference will only he a step on a mch longer journey. Il1t, QUi te possibly, it will be the single MOSt important step we shall take in the decade~ and without it, the journey itself might be sidetracked or delayed catastrophically. Moreover, failure to Rake 1992 a success would be the aa-ission by our g••ratten to those that follow that we lacked the political will, the boldness and i __glnatioD to -.et these pr:obl~.. in our tim~. failure- to make 1992 a success would shUt our burden on to the shoulders of future 9~nera.tions, thus bre&klng IS " secred trust. - Canadians are not prepared to leave their youth the legacy of a mortgaged envh'collent. We stand ready to do our share, and mere, and to he generous "ith our knowledge ana flnenclal resources. Canadians knew that change is needed. We acknowledge that we are privileged and that the privileges of the past bring responsibilities for the future. Canada urges the General Assembly to give its full blessing to the 1992 Conference, ana we call on &11 nations to join the epic struggle to ensure our C08a)n future. Mr. QllRINOS CALBRO (Mexico) (interpretation froll Spanish,. 'lhe title of the it•• before us, envircn_nt and develop-.nt., is recognition of a reality that CAnnot in practice be di8regarded. Just all deterioration of the enviroftll8nt is ),.arg_1y the re8ult of patterns of production ina consuaptlan that for centudes have been unaincJful ~f t,he environ_nt an4natUI:al resources, tfl1stabUahing e .balance and iIlproving the cruaU.ty of the environllent in countries, regions and even world wide cannot be brought about without considering the <:1088 interrelationship (Kt. Bouchard, canada) with IIDdels, levels and rates of development. This truth, which toda~· is evident to all, represents one of the most important conceptual advances of the past decade•• Th& very fact that in this major forum for deliberations between countries .eaaurea to confront and prevent world-scale envlronment~l problems are being disco.sed and that these problems are heing linked to development refleots the iaportanee and the extent of this aw&t'eness among societies and Governments. (Mr. Chirinos Calero, Mexico) Bnvuonmental deterioration and its principal effects transcend regions and national tx..rdera, today they are recognized as problems that affect the world as a .ol~. ~he survival of mankind will depend, in the not-too-distant future, on the international community's ~bl1ity to agree on new patterns of development and progress that will protect the enviroolllent and living candi tions on Earth. We all share this idea, but if it is to go beyond good intentions there wUl have to be fundAmental cl1anges in the way nations manage the world economy, aB well as the incorporation and mass distr ibution of new technologies. This has become even more important, in view of the fact that the decade of the 19808 has seen a substantial decrease in the standard of living of large portions ol mankind, as well as a devastating increase in extrel!le poverty. The economic, social and ecological implications of this situation are not confined within State borders or: Ullited to particular regions. Linking environmental conservation and development implies accepting that, in the long terra, is the cost of environmental deterioration wUl always be higher than the cost of protecting the environment in the ilflUediate future. Furthermore, it demands that every natian take environmental factors into account i" its develoPment plans and prograll'i1llea, since only those will effectively make envircnmant and developJIlent compatible. The new international interdependence offers highly pr.oNising opportunities, but it also entails risks and new concetns. Many of the traditional problems not only continue to exist but have worsened, and other probes have appeared that endanger the continuation of life on our planet. The case of envitalJDentsl detedoration .is one such problem. Tbe ecological issue leaves little too. 50r indiff~renoe or ittesponaibillt1. Moreover, if in. the interplay of interests and the defence of positions tbat tile econo.tc debate it is necessary to abandon positions of (Ht. Cl!..irinos.Calero, ~xico) confrontation and to accept joint responsibility in order to achieve greater world harmony, then with regard to environmental issues joint responsibility is an indispensable condition. We must knOlf when, where and how problems arise. Thet'e are causes that must be distinguished because of the very nature of the problems, the different levels ~f developllent of countries, and unequal processes in regard to dynamics in the use of technologies. We must also realize that, in addition, there are deliberate effor.ts tq transfer. environmental problems from one place to another, as well as resistance to the correction of imbalances, and interests that disregard world concern for the environment. This implies assuming that in the industrial- and technological-production centres the environmental issue has not been fUlly incorporated, and that this has led to· the widespread use of highly pollutant production methods, which define the development systems of a majority of countries. The change towards healthy technologies cannot be approached in a commercial or profit-making perspective. For this transitim to be successful, it is essential that new technological patterns be designed, new rules for technology transfers adopted, and resources supplied, without imposing new financial conditions, but respecting the objectives and priorities of all countries, particularly the developing nations, as well as their sovereignty over their natural resources. It is also necessary that action take into account the fact that many nations and peoples, because they are afflicted by condltions of extreme poverty. and must concentrate their efforts on survival, can do little or nothing, cortlplared to those that .have the most, to contrihute to the environmental struggle that is being waged. Therefor:e, to insist that developing counts: ies take l!l more active role in the environ!llelltal struggle without significant betterment in theii." financial and econollic situations and in the welfare of their people would be counter-productive in the long term. Recognition of the fundamental causes of world ecological problems should lead inevitably to recognition of the role to he played by eacb of l.IJ to achieve an effecti"e solution of the problems. It should encourage a more equitable and just dlstr.ibutlon of responsibili ties and the creation of a climate of genuin"! wor.ld concern and co-operation in order to prevent dissipation of effort, unilaterlll approaches and attitudes of reciprocal blame, which only delay the application of corrective measures and complicate the envirOl'lmental situation even further. we should recognize, for example, that the risk of climate changes in"1olves both the intensive use of fossil fuels in major urban and industrial centres and the accelerated process of deforestation and the destruction of natural resources in regions with different levels of relative development. Just as we cannot ask any nation, regardless of its degree of development, to cancel its technological and industr lal progress .. neither can we demand that nations abandon their only pouibilities for survival without offer.ill9 them proper alterna Uvea for their well-being. The depletion of the ozone layer is another example. let me r.efer to my country's pod tion concetning the manner in which this problem should be confronted. Mexico, as a signatory to the Montreal Protocol, has assumed 5 COIIIIltment before the in terna tional community to ellmina te the production and use of chlorofluorocilrOOns (CPCs) by the end of this century, and we are fUlfilling our substances. Obviously, the greatest effort will have to 00. froll the nations that COIIJI1t_nt. However, we account fot only 1 per cent of wodd production of these are leaders in their production" and from thoee that have the technological capacity (Mr. Ci!!~~£!.!.~ro, ~'!.!~) By the same token, grea ter participation by all na tions will be reauired to control noyelllents :of -w~stes between national. borders so as to prevent the , " increasing p~llution of seas and oceans. Experienc~ has shown that it is useless . to clean up "dne"place . by polluting others, or to pre$~rveone resource by I ." '. destroying ~o~er. Fot, in the long run, degradation':and pollution will end up " besieging or undermining even those increasingly reduced areas that we are trying to preserve. In spite of the evidence, very few.nations have signed the Basel agreement and, it must be noted, the countries that p:>llute the most are precisely those that are showing the greatest resistance to signing thi agreement and putting it into effect. Just as causes must he differentiated, solutions also must be adapted to the candi tions of each region and country. M1ch depends not only an their role in the problem, but also on th.e response capacity of their societies. In my country's opinion, nations must work in two directions. On the one hand, we must work domestically by tackling the most er itical problems and incorporating environmental considerations into new development processes. On the other, we must make every effort to expand international co-operation and translate it into tangible results. In mf country the fight against pollution has the highest political priority. MaKicans are demanding strong measures to check the degradation of the natural-resources base and the pollution in cities, river. basins and coastal areas. The Ib...·~ropolitan area of Mexico City is the most dramatic and extreme example of what can result from inequalities in development, particularly when the~r impact on the envir~lment is not taken into considecatione The metropol itan area of Mexico' City, with the largest population in the world, is also the world's most polluted area.. Eighteen million inhahitants demand services comparable to those of sever.al European countries'", and the city receives '-, '" (Mr. Chirinos Calero, Mexico) 270,000 !mad9~anta each year, there are 2.5 million vehicles and 6.5 million metric tons of pol1utQn~e a~e produced annually. Cleaning up this city is a priority of the Mexican Govern..'I\ent that cannot be pootpcned~. Mexico Is curre~tly hVQlved in diplomatic negotiadons wi th the GOvernaents of various countries, such as Japan, the United States and Sweden, which have tha experience and resources to establish agr~ements for technological and financial C'lO-operation. The purpose is to take radical measures to tackle this prob1., which, 1f not L'eversed, may develop, along wit.h other regional pr~cesses, into a rlak factor that will jeoperdize the world's ecology. Alongside th18 priority programme and other measures being taken in different cities in Mexico, we are taking firm action in natural reserve areas, particularly the Selva Iacandona, since these areas have strategic and irreplaceable ecological ruoufce8 which are the heritage of the Mexican people but which can be enjoyed by all llIanlCind. The Mexican GovernJlent has taken the poH tical decis ion to act, as a _tter of priority, to reverse the process of environmental ~terioration and fight for tho establishll8nt of a new type of growth. Environmental concerns are to he i~co~porated into all the projects that are part of the 1989-1994 National Dev.lo~t Plan - the instrument through which the Go~ernment's activities are of98nized and the society's actions are oo~~dinated• .My country's coaMitment to and serious attitude regarding environmental issues at.. alao attested to by our intensive international efforts in support of greater co-operation allOng nations in thia respect. we are representtid in virtually all th. international and ~eglonal ebrums in the field, in 1972 we subscribed to the ..in initiativ.. doriving fl'(M the S'(C)ckl1lolm COnference, such as t!le Montreal Protocol and t.he aae.l -.gree.ent, we are in the 'process of adhering to the IAtarnational convention on endangered species, and, bilaterally, we have promted elc..t·ti.s vith • large nuMber of countries through technical-co~~ration progralMles or through specific agreements. These inelade the countries of the Qlropean Fconomic Colilllunity and of Latin America and the Caribbean, Canada, Japan and, increasingly, our immediate neighhors - Guatemala and the thltEd States. We are thus shouldering our responsibility, and we are certain that it Is the only way to prevent our internal processes from causing greater deterioration of regional and 9ldh~1 ecological balances. Nevertheless, it is necessary to accept the fact that, as in many other countries, our efforts are limited by severe financial and economic restr ictiohS, wh ich shows the importance of international CO-operation. Therefore, it is essential that we strengthen the authority and the activities of the thited Nations, in order to provide the Organization with the sufficient capacity to resolve conflicts, reconcile differences and generate consensus to enSUt'e genet'al compliance with resolutions and agreements that are adopted. ~ delegation believes that significant agreement exists regarding the priOrity areas to which the 1992 thited Nltions conference on environment and developnent :!!lust direct its attention. (Mr. Chir!nos Calero, MexlQ) These areas arcl first, protection of the atmosphere, combating cHJIIltic changes and excessive global warming - it is clear that ·we Dlst achieve an international convention on this _tters second p the depletion of the OZCXle layer and air pollution, third, protection of the Quality and availability of drinking water, fourth, protection of the oceans and coastal areas, fifth, protection of land resources, combating desertification, sixth, preservation of biological diversity, seventh, proper environmental management of toxic and hazardous waste, and, eighth, protection of the conditions for human health and quality of life. The 1992 Conference will provide an excellent opportunity for agreement, at the highest level, on alternatives and solutions to serious world ecological problellS. The overall objective of the Conference, in the view of our delegation, will be to achieve concrete commitments and make progress towards agreements on legal instruments recruired to cope with the _jor environmental problems. This meeting should analyse 'and propose solutions to the main economic, financial and technical problems faced by developing countries in protecting their environment and natural resources. It will be equally important to Qevise clMr mechanisms within, the United Nations to follow up on the responsibilities and commitments undertaken by each country. The Conference should also perform the essential task of achieving agreements to increase available resources for developing countries in accordance with their needs, and to provide access to scientific knowledge and alternative anti-pollution teChnologies on preferential bases. Finally, allow lie to state that the goal of achieving environmentally sound development that will benefit all JIlankind and that will not destroy pouibilitiea of progress for future generations can only be achieved at the world level. Sustainable developaent, because of the vorld-wide natuee of the IlDjor ecological problell8, 'cannot be seen as a viable objective within separate or isolated bor<Jers or regions. A co..,n effort at the internatienal level is r8Ouired. The Govern1lent of Mexico'believes that the environment and the ecological balance of our planet are responsibilities that are shared by all I'IllInkind. Therefore, we shall continue adopting measures 'and participating in any international initiative that is aimed at the restoration of the environment and its sustained conservation for the benefit of present and future generations. Mexico regards with sympathy and fully supports the proposal that Brazil be the venu~ for the International Conference on Environment and Development. We thus reaffir. the gr&at interest with which all Latin American Governments undertake actions in natters of praservation of the environment and their substantial efforts to that effect. The profWf preparatier,1 and the suc:cers ef the 1992 cenference consti tute a _jor challenge for the international community represented in the General Aas8Jllbly. Therefore, thiG session faces a great responsibility. We DUst achieve a substllntive agree_nt on the scope and objectives of the Conference. Mexico will do its utJlo8t to achieve that goal. II Mr. 'roW.!!. (Federal Republic of cetmany) (spoke in Ger_n, J!:nglish text furnished by the delegation), I should like to extend my congratulations to you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Asselllbly. At the start of today's debate, the representative of Prance, my colleague, Brlce Lalonde, outlined the position of the llIropean Co.aunlty and ita _libel' States on the Question of convening the thited Nations Conferenee on Envlroo_nt and Develo~nt. The Faderal Republic of Get_ny fully supports this Co_unity vi_. In the light of the special political significlftce ay Governaent attaches to (Mr. ChirinosCalero, Mexico) i.proved internaticnal co-operaticn in the field of envircnaent protection, I should lile. to add the following observations. The 0\1ted HItions COnferenco an Bnvircn_nt and Development in 1992 .uat lead to a new diaensicn of an international C!I'lvlronnaentpartnership and co-operation In the field of developMent ai4. '!'biD COnference lIust ROW the way forward and I!lIlk& 1t po.sible for: 1I8n to 11ve in peace with the natural environment. we have overCOMe the exploitaticn of lIan by _an. Now we must put an end to aan's exploitation of the natural environment. The real danger. for the glebel environment necessarily require n. thinking and new action. Globml threats due to the desuucticn of the earth'. atllOBphere, the proce•• of desertification, the pollution of the seas with hazardous subStances, the dangers posed to forests, partiCUlarly the tropical rain forestlll the-e and other dangers to the very existence of I18n 00 &utb can only be _t by ,cauiatent action within the fra_work of a global environmental partnership. 'rhe coat of 401n9 nothing is dr._ticI throughout the world, there "Ul enly be lc:.er.. No ene can win. The awarenus that without a heal thy environMent there can be no long-ter. sustainable deve1op_nt anywhere in the world has grown considerably over the put fev years in industrial and developing countries alike. Already the daBage cannot fall to be aeen and the warninga from acientists can no longer be ignored. The declarationa _de by the Beads of State or Governllent ..eting at the last .... ·leonollic Swaa1t 1n Pads and on the interc.tl!lpendenc:e of ecology and eccnoaic dev.lcpaent at the ninth Su_lt of the Non-Aligned Ibve.nt in Belgrade, were aU_tanes 'froa .mlctl it i. iapossible to turn baCk. Thua, at la global level, we have taken a great step forward towarda our COIIB)ft goal of world-wide environmentally coapatible sustainable de'1elopaent. '1'111. first step ••t be followed by another, 11!C"&) ~re difficult ene. 'l'be knowledge we h.v. gained llUat be translated into political decision-aaUng a!'ad practical polim••• In this, we are all well aware of the fact that the dlcisive r.sponsthUity for ensuring agreed oo-.on action on the drastic proportions of envlran..nt&l pollutlcn .uat be horne by the inductrialized countries. The elltreJlely h1gh energy cons~iol\ in QUe countries, the extensive UBe of raw uterials, and the gaseous, liquid ..d 80lid eatuions _d waste frolD our industrial production are the iJIportant points of departure for the global three t to the envlronMnt. We have subsidized our eccnollia growth and our prosperity by allOllling the cost of this growth to be bOrne by nature, by the envlr:onlllent. Inte1'naticnal .nvircn....t.l partne1'lhip therefore n.c••••rU' deJUnda that "e fellow riCJOfous ...."lrOftMntal policies .t the national level. fte Q)verraent of the ftlderal _public of Garsey hM accepted this obligation. By _ana of atdct l ..a and ecanOll1c tnc:enttv"a, w. are drutically It.lUng elli.aiona into the all' _d into vater and ... are lapl."itmg vute avo14mce _nur... Thla clear policy of taking precaution.y ....ur.. to avoid envirooMnul dII_ge bas given n_ effecti"e iapet.. to the dw.lop~t of anvlrcn....tally eOGleS technologies. BconOllll1c growth Is increa.lng1~y being detached fro. lnerealling energy consWllPtion, anvlrcnaental pollutiCft end f.:be ewer-use of natural resources. we are prepared to pro~te the transfer of th«se environaental technologies, in particular to developing countrie, but also to the Statea __ara of the COWleU for: tt1tual BconOllic Assistance.. we have already conclUded bilateral agreelNftte on the envtrcn-.nt with _t of the StAtes in Baatern Europe. we strongly support the follow-up aeaUng 1n Sofia of the conference on Security and Co"'Operatlon in Europe whim la dealing with iaportant tranllboundary envirCll.ntal proble•• A rigorous "nviron_nt policy at hO_ f the transfer of environll8fttal technology end their use in neighbour:1n; Statee - those ate -our 1nltial ana.ers to the global threats to the env!.rcnMnt. 'l'hfl world cetta inly doea consiet of ..ny nationa, but we all have only one COimOn envlronMnt, only one blue planet we all Bbare. 'l'hUiJ in spite of our national diff.rence~ and in the interest of generations to co..., we are forcsd to face envirOftMntal probleu of global propottl~ together and 1I01ge th•• 1n close enVll'onMntal partner.hip. we have been able to aee the initial r.sults of negotiations ewer the paat fe" years. I.a thiflking here of the Vienna Convention Q\ the Pl.'otecticn of the Ozone Layer, the Montreal Protocol and the Bas.l Ccnvention on th~ Control of (Mr.. *£e1', redlaral _public of o.1'_x) 'lranlbowtdaq Moveaent of Ra••rdous Wut•• - succe.s. to Vbtch the Olited' NatiClfta bu _de a considerable ClCIntributlon, thanks to its Bnviron..nt Progra.e and particularly ita Bxecutlve Director, Mr. Tolba. It is. our wieh:to strengthen this instltutlon stUl further, and we have doubled our financial contribution th1e ye.r. CO-ordinated .1ntornat~cn~l...ur. to the benefit of the envirCllwent need a strong and !X)llt1cally legltiaized organization. we must create the prerequisites for '-_cUata II\d .cc:.petent .enur. to be taken In cue of topical env1rcnaental burden. and catactrophes poslng a threat to the envlronlllent. ft.· Peaeral Govern8t\t decided to iIIple_nt the.e international agreeaents as aOOft .a pos.ible and to take even stricter IIlYsures on the national lwel. 'rhus the production me! use of chlorofluoroc.rbo", <C!.'Ca).wUl end by 1995 at the ,': '. .. ~ '. . . . ~' .. - :.-; ~ .• .".. . lAtest. We are a signatory of the' Basel COnvention. we are ready to suppo(t the cowatriea, of the third world in word md deed 1n overcoaing their was te problems. We are faced with grave giClbal envirCl1.ntal tasks with whict' we .ust urgently deal. .aaplea are the greemouse effect, diseased forests and, their 4efore.tatlcn, pollution of inland and coastal waters and the Cl;)ntinued sharp r reductiCl" in the nullbel: of species existing in the world today. Pinding "globally agreed .Q\u~ions to these probleJDS la one of the _jor challenges 'facing those 1n pcaitlcns of responsibility in both industrial and developing COwltries, and it is • cballeftge we .",at -aet if thiB planet is to off~r an env:l.r.~~n~ In wh:l.ch gen.rat!,:_ to co. aR! able to lead a decent life. In 1992, we .uet dellOnsteate that we a("e in a position ~ take these 1_ense taus in bMd. The ~1 ted Ra tions conference cm envirc:nment and development ought not to content; ita.l~ with _re 4iacu8..ioflla and GGclarations. WOrds must be ("1'. !sprer, Federal Rlpubllc of Gerlllfty) ,". followed by deeds. Very ccncrete, intensive preparatory work en the basis of r.solution 15/3 of the United Nations Environment Progra1llll8 is undoubtedly required here. The Federal Republic of Germany is well awrare of the fact that not every Country wl11 be in a position to ~et the necessary environmental requirements on ita own. In view of scarce financial means, many developing countries a~e often caught up in a tragic conflict of aim, torn between the requirements of economic growth, which can often only be achieved by the over-exploitation of natural resources, and the need to conserve those natural resources as the basis of life for generations ~ 001lle. In places wbere millions of people are living in Cibject material poverty, it is extremely difficult to persuade them that a part of the already small budget at their disposal must be invested in precautionary and remedial measures to protect the environment. By omitting to take measures to protect the envirauDent, people in these countries are literally digging their own graves. If we really wish to save our common envirmment, we must start with the real causes. that is, poverty, hunger and development problems. This is the inextricable connection between environment andde~elopment. In view of the world--wide, global problems, we must not resign ourselves to acc:eptlng the limits of growtho We must ensure environmentally compatible growth in 6 responsible way. If the natural enVironment has to be exploited to pay back debt, then we are merely deceiving ouraelvea. The otelease of specific debts in order tiOc::onserve nature and a clean envlronmant must become an important instrulftl!nt of global envlronaental partnership. 'l'tle USfJ of nat,ural r&sources in 8ny developing countries ls often Cln3 of the .in sourcee of ioco.'. It accounts for IIlOre than one third of the g1'OSl!B national product, provides aroamd two thirds of the jobs Md brings in mre than half of the Ul'gontly. r8quired foreign currency. ~rtherllOre, it is natural resources which fora the basis of food for a population which is growing by around one billion every 13 years. These facts must be taken into account not only in cJevelopaent aid, but also in the field of envirCl'lllfllltal protection. we are todcy fZlclng the enorlllOus chall~ge.o~ bringing economy and ecology into harlDOny throughout the world. The industrial countries share the responsibility for conserving natural resources in developing countries too. They must give all support necessary. It is enly ~ means of envlrcnmental partnership that we will be able to interrupt the 111<:ious circle of economic growth at the expense of our environllent. 'Helping our neighbOura in the South Is a crucial investment in our own future. OUt' fUture can only be a OOl.'80n future. The Federal C-overnment has noted with interest the var 10us proposals made to finance aid measures by lIeans of 21ft internaticnal fwuJ. The Federal GovernlEllt does not rule out the possibility that this lIIay indeed be an appropriate way to finance global envlranmentat taskst a CO2 charge aUght be a basis for financing in accordance with the polluter-pays principle. '!'be Federal Govern_nt believes, however, that it la too early to make definitive stateflents on financial models blfore we bave agreeC! on an overall strategy for our lieaauro, and especially on the appropiClate institutional framework for sUCh cc-operaticn. In this conteX1: the Intergovernuntal Panel on Clllate Clang. 18 of particular i.~rtll\ee. The preparatiens fOr the 1992 confer.~ce will help to· clarify this situation. w. know fraa experlen~ that 1n.ternational negotiattona en the setting up of In.te~n.tional fund. ar~ u8ually very drawn out. In v1_ of the urgency of aany of the ta••; ve ba"e no ti_ to loee. P!n2lftcial a1~ lIboU1~ not NCO. a qu.tianof (Nt. T6pfer, Pedet'al Republic of GerIUMlY) principle hampering the progress of further negotiations at every step of the way. A pragmatic, flex~ble and targeted approach. that is,' the use of bilate~al aid, as well as specific commitments to be made by existing institutes and organizations, should l~d more quickly to positive resul ts in the interest of protecting the environment. As I s~id at th~ beginning of my statement, the Federal Government is in full agreement with' the comments made by my French colleague, Brice Lalonde, and I should merely like to colllllent on and to lend my support in particular to the following points. If the conference is to be successful, it requires a strong, well-informed and experienced Secretary-Genera! whO is capable of mediating between the differing interests, bringing them together towards a conmon denominator acceptable to all Brazil. Last but not least, among the various conference topics, the Federal Government attaches particular importance to international agreements en the protection of the Earth's abnosphere. In 1992 a climate convention has to be agreed upon. Supptementary protClcols have to be prepared in detail. This is a particular challenge to the· industrialized countries in view of their high contribution to the emissicns of 'greenhOuse gases. Long-term protection of the EarthSs a~sphere, however, wl11 not be feasible without the early participation of the developing countries in the action strategies. This does not necessarily !tean less or slower industrialization in the developing ccnmtries. But what it does mean - and I think all of us agree Ql this - is that industrialization and energy systelU IIlUst be enVironmentally compatible. (t-.r. T6pfer, Federal Republic of Germmy) An indispensabl~ requirement for this" is a transfer of tac::hnology. At the sane time, researCh and development projects in the field of alternative energy resources must' be generally prollD~. The development of clean technologies must be strengthened on a massive sc&le, and they must be made available on a worldwide buis. The Federal Government attaches great importance to the environmental-impact ~ses8l'iient of aU projects bota'1 in induatdalized and In developing countries. On the domestic front, the Fedei:al Government is at the moment in the process of making environmental-impact assess~~ts Cl legal requitement. with regard to developmerlt-eid projects it has developed a catalogue containing environmental-impact criteria. By 1992 en'1ironmental-impact assessments should have become an every-day exercise both nationally and in bilateral and multilateral co-operation in the field of development aid. !\1rther conference topics in which the Federal Government Is particularly interested include agreements on the conservation of biological diversity and on measures to conserve SUfficiently extensive forest areas - from both the ecologicel and the economic stand£)Oints - thfcughout the world. The Federal Olancellor, Hr. Kohl, has taken a special interest in the protection of pa~tieulatly threatened rain forests. It goes without saying that we respect the sovereign rights of these nations. However, we should like to support them. as much as possible in the protection and the environmentally COII'lP5 tible use of their foreats. To conclude, we want to see long-ter:m worldwide sustainabl~ development whleb does.ftOt impair the Chances of future generations by destroying and depleting our environment through the excess1v~ consumption of energy and reSClUi:C&S. The Federal Republic of Germany is pfeparad to contribute its Share to this common task. In all our optimism over the progression of East~est aetente towards the goal of people living together in peace, we should not overlook the threat of a serious North-South confUct if we allow the people of the world to becone divided into two :i.' categories. on the one hand, those who have achieved their high standard of living by the intensive use of natural resources and who want to maintain that standard - albeit from now on taking environmental regulations into account, and, on the other hand, those who cannot make full use of their developnent potential and are expected to be content with a simple way of life in order to conserve the ecological balance. Since more and more representatives from developing countries are expressing that view today, then we should all take it very seriously and use the time at our disposal to bring about environmentally compatible, sustainable development, instead of wasting it by indulging in IDltual recriminations. , The answer to global environmental: problems must be a global environmental partnership, which means - for us - a partnership between North and SOUth in order to oonserve our conrnon environment. In 1992 the United Nations conference on environment and development will have ~o work out a viable basis and effective strt:tegies for such a partnership, and _the Federal Republic of Getm&ny is going to make its contribution to the achievement of that goal. Mr .. 'BEIORl<DV (Union of Soviet Socialist Republic':!) (interpretation from Russian), 'lbday the General Assembly is discussing an' issue of paramount .,' '.' importance. The task of protectin9 the environment and saving our planet from an environmental catastrophe has latelY moved to centre stage alllClftg problems common to sl1 Dlankind and is nOlI no less important than the problem of protect.ln9 mank ind from a nuclear threat. The international community is facing a new challenge on the threshold of the twentieth century's last decade. Centuries of envit:onmentally unwise development, when nature was light-heartedly regarded as a present to man for all time, are now decidedly taking their toll. It is this generation that will have to pick up the tab to save future generations from environmental disasters and cataclysms. Certainly, the problem of environmental protection is not new to the United Nations. However, it is unambiguously ~lear from today's situation that national and international measures taken to date are insufficient to save the planet from a eatastrophe. The dynamics of the developmant of the malady are such that the issues of environmental protection and the prevention and elimination of environmental threats have proved to he directly linked to the fate of civilization and the survival of mankind. Unprecedented concern over the acuteness of environmental problems was voiced in the general debate of the General Assembly by Heads of State or Government and Foreign Ministers of Virtually all States. Many of them linked the task of intensifying co-operation in this area directly to the security of their peoples and of mank ind at large. Such a manifestation of high-minded political responsibility cannot hut infuse us wi th optimism. we fully share the hope of the 5ecret:ary-Gener5l, as expressed in his report on the work of the Organi?ation, that we are witnessing "••• the birth of a new kind of loyalty, an Earth-patriotism, a lOOking at the planet ••• as an objeet for protection and not for aggression and pillage". (!/44/l, p. 21) In out opinion, co-ordinated efforts on the part of the en~ire international community to save nature and eliminate environmental threats car:ry the potential of a fundamentally new type of co-operation among States, hased from the very outset on an amalgallllftian of ideological and anni tion-free responsibil1 ty, goodwill, (Mr. Belonogov, USSR) precise scientific forecasts and information, constructiveness, openness to reaching consensus, and preparedness to understand each other's positions and probleras and to lend each other a helping hand. Any other approach would not be consonant with aut tlmes. Today the environmental threat which recognizes no boundaries, ideological differences or trade barriers, Which aoes not distinguish between the rich and the POOt, is looming over us all. From the standpoint of intellectual integrity we IIlU8t admit that all States, albeit to a different extent v have had a role to play bere. It is obvious that the industrialhed nations, which have behind them decades of unsound economic policies, bear a greater responsibility for the dra_tic environmental situation. We a.~e fully aware of the fact also that the llajodty of developing countries, in cenditions of short supply of financial resources and modern technologies and suffering as they do from acute social and econQllic problems, cannot channel major domestic resources to envirmmental ~nservat1on. or steer their developnent overnight to an environmentally safe course. '!'hese a~e the stern realities of today, whit:h !)f course must be taken into account. CMI'. Belonogov, USSR) At the same time we are convinced that all States, even today, can join in efforts to save nature on the basis of a common commitment to the protection of mankind from environmental threats and a political readiness to ahide by agreed principles and norms of environmental conduct. Everyone can play an important role in building an environmentally safe world. Diffe":ing contributions could be made towards building it - providing on a voluntary basis experience and information, te:chnical expertise and 11Ddern, environmentally sound technologiesJ allocating additional resources for international environmental protection measures, or, at the verY least, consistently pursuing environmentally sound policies. We are persuaded that the protection of the environment must be ensured on a planetary scale. Uncoordinated action narrows the sphere of co-operation. The 1992 conference on environment and development is called upOn to co-ordinate our efforts and to forge an inter.national consensus on ways to harmonize the relationship between man and nature. Our vision of the aims and purposea of the conference is set forth in detail in a letter. from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the USSR, Eduard Shevardnadze, to the thited Nations Secretary-General on 15 May 1989 (A/44/278). The conference must elahorate and negotiate a comprehensive, realistic strategy for the ecological survival of our planet. It must be comprehensive in the sense that it encompasses all areas of environmental protection co-operation, ranging from early identification and assessment of environmental threats and risks and the elaboration of emergency preventive action to defining ways to address existing long-term environmental problems and creating intern~tional maChinery for urgent assistance in environmantal emergencies. The stt&tegy will be realistic providing, when it is PUt together, all economic, political, social, scientific, technical and legal aspects of this problem, as well as the specific circulIIS'tances and possibilities of individual countries and qroups of countries, are taken into. (Mr. Belonoqov, USSR) account, providinq it contains economic and legal guarantees to ensure compliance by all St.ates with the rules of an environmentally sound world cot\ll\unity, and finally, and perhaps most important, providing it is capable of responding to the scale and urgency of the modern global environmental situation. Our ability to carry out effectively and expeditiously the task of safeguarding environmental security on the hasis of a universal balance of interests and pronotion of the principle of multilateralism in solving global problems is to a considerable degree dependent upon enhancement of the institutional framework of international environmental co--operation and, above all, prollDtion of the role and effectiveness of the United Nations, its organs and organizations. We see possible ways of strengthening United Nations potential in this area by enhancing the co-ordinating functions and material basis of the United Nations &2vironment Programme (UNEP), while giving due weight to the decisions and recommendations of its Governing Council. Ther.e is also considerable potential in e"hancement of the co-ordination of all the organizations of the United Nations family, primarily, UNEP, the World Meteorological Organhation, the Wodd Heal th Organization, the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator (UNDRO), the regional economic commissions, the tttited Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and other development agencies. The Economic and Social Council, as the central co-ordinating hoc1y in the United Nations system, is also called upon to play a major role here. So far the potential of auch principal organs of the United Nations .. the Security Council and the International Court of Justice have not been used for purposes of environmental protection. We are referring here not to the punitive functions of these organs hut rather to their inherent preventive potential and their considerable political role in ~~~ constructive development of international co-operation. (Mr. Belonogov, USSR) The Soviet tbion is ready to conldde.r most carefully and constructivelY any proposals to change or improve United Nations machinery in the environmental sphere, including initiatives concerning the creation of additional bodies. There is another consideration in this regard. The genuine risk of environmental emergencies and accidents with serious consequences for the environment places on our agenda the auestion how to ensure a high degree of preparedness on the part of the internaUonal community to eliminate them speedily and provide assistance to people in distress. This is the ratiol1lale of the Soviet proposal to establish withu1 the tklited Nations, a centre for emergency environmental assistance, which initially could quite easily he organized on the basis of existing thited Nations structures and without any financial implications for the regUlar budget. One major aspect of preparations for the oonference is provision of the necessary material infrastructure for conducting large-scale international activities to protect the environment, including the provision of appropriate assistance to developing countries. This infrastructure should include ways and means of ensuring the introduction and wide dissemination on preferential ter_ of up-to-date conservation and environmentally sound technologies, and at the same time of raising additional funds. I stress that we see in saving financial l'esources through ar1ll8 control and disarmament and world-wide convetaion of a part ef military production to meet the needs of environmental protection an enor1llOU8 positive potential both for alleviating the environmental threat as a whole and for: 80bilising financial and technological ~esources. Of particular importance are Qu&'t:tions regar:dlng th& transparency of enVironmental information, the wide dissemination of scientific data and experience, regular r.eporting by States on their conservation activities and notification of all envitonmental accidents. Glunost in these utters la a (Mr. Be1onogov, USSR) I sine-Cfua non if we are to internationalize efforts to protect the environment. At the same time it is a potent conf.idence-buUdlng factor, and a basis for the expeditious aooption of effective measures to prevent or mitigate threats to the environment. Interrelated with these challenges are the auestions of promoting a new ecological awareness among the population, educa ting the young in this new spidt and co-operating effectively with national and international non-governmental organizations and .. ""vementa that champic the cause of keeping our planet. clean. Recently, particularly during the current session of the General Assembly, many States have moo a number of far-reaching and interesting initiatives on the environment, both relating to preparations for the 1992 conference and focusin9 on more general issues. We are encouraged by this abundance of ideas and proposals. It is noteworthy that not only are there virtually no contradictions among them, but they cOlllplement and enrich each other. we are convlnce~ 'that all these initiatives represent the uniaue contribution of various countries to a collective treasure-house of ecological wisdom and that therefore they should he most carefully taken into consideration and brought to a common denominator when preparing for the conference. What should natter here is not so nuch who was the author of any particular idea or whose initiative will carry off the palm, as it were, but the extent to which the idea serves the overall task of building an environmentally safe world. (,!r.~ Belonogov, USSR) We are in favour of Brazil as the venue for the conference - thia venue ia supported alao by the Non-Aligned Movement - and express our appreciation to ~he Government ~f that highly respected country for its offer to serve as host to such a prestigious international forum. The main thing now, we think, is to proceed without delay and in a constructive spirit to the practical conceptual stage in preparing for the conference 0 We attach political importance to the quality of the preparations that precede this major international conference, which the Soviet union proposes should be held at the hiqhest level. That will make it possible to promote international dialogue on this vital problem to a fundamentally new level, as well as laying the groundwotk for an environmentally sound world for the twenty-first century and providing safeguards for mankind's ecological survival. To achieve results at the conference, which is intended to be the climax if global environmenal co-operation, it is important that all upcoming international ecological meetings and activities on the environment be aimed at preparing for the conference and contributing to it. Quite understandably, it is efforts on the national leve~. that serve as a basis for successful and fruitful international co-operation in solving glohal problems. Purposeful nature-conservation activities are a major component of perestroilta in our country. For us it b of major importance to complete by 1990 our own nation-wide environmental programme, which is now being drawn up, taking full account of the specific realities of the environmental situation in the country as well as practical measures to integrate the nature-~on8ervationfactor into economic activities, and, most importantly, of the exalted and well-founded demands voiced at the First Congress of the People's Deputies of the USSR. We underetand that it is only on that basis that we ean honestly and openly (Nr•. Belon09ov« USSa) ~rtl~lpate In !nt.rnational co-operation. Mlkhatl Sergeyevlch Gorbachev state4 Quite eocthrightly that in the environmental sphere -The Soviet tkllon "Ul act strictly within the fra_work of exisUn9 agreeaants and international prQ9rammes and will 800n join in those of theM to which it has not been a party until now·. The two and ~ hilllf years that separate us from thf! confC!tence wUl undoubtecUy be a period of intenA and complex work whORe preparation "Ul feaulre trelleftdous intellectual effort and political will. At the same time, we ar.e convinced that lUny practical issues regarding the way to foster international co-operation in the envlronllental field can be resolved even prior to the conference. Two and a half years is not a short period when we cCf~s;'der the dynamism of our tll1lGs and the ongoing nature of our environmental dis~se. The time we still have to defuse the envircrullental delayed-action bomb is rUM 1n9 out. In the present conditions of an extr.eme environmental time-pressure, prompt action must he taken. ORG\NIZATION OF WORK !!le PRESID~T. I should like to inform delegations that agenda item 32, entitled -The situation 1n Af~~anistan and tts implications for international peace and security·, will be taken up at the morning ~lenary meeting on Wedn£sday, 2S October 1989, as the first i tern. A draft resolution on this item wUl be circulated tomorrow as document A/44/L.17. AGENDA rrEM 82 (~ntinued) DEWWlMENT AY> INTSNATIONAL E(J)NCMIC OO-oPERA'1'lON (f) I!NVIROtl4I!NT. REPORT or THE SECRETARY-GENERAL (A/44/2S6 and Corr.1 and Md.l and 2) Mr. DING Yuanh0ll9 (China) (interpretation froll Chinese), Wc welcome the inclusion in the agenda of the current General Assembly session of the item on the (Hr. B&tonogov, USSR) United Nations conference on environment and developa'lent in 1992. This decision showlS how much attention and iMportance the international co_unity has ficcorded to the Question of environ_nt and developmant. we appreciate the sUbstantial introduction to this QUEStion contained 1n the Secretary-General's report. We have also noted the systematic exposi ticns on the Question of the envlronllent in tha state-ents of many delegations at this session. Quite a few constructive proposals have been put forward. All this, in OUt view, is very useful for our del1berdtions on this agenda itell.. In recent years the question of the environment has aroused ever-increasifig concern in the international conununity. It features more and more prominently on the agenda of United Nations hodies. Last year the General Assenbly at its forty-third session adopted by consensus resolution 43/196 on the convening of a United Nation3 conference on environment and development. That decision to hold a _cone) conference on human environment 20 years after the Stockholm Conference reflected the common aspiration of United Nations Member States to strengthen international co-operation in protecting the human environ,ment. We support that decision and hope that the convening of this conference will hecome a new milestone for international efforts to achieve sustainahle development and a better human environment by providing new guidelines for international co-operation in this field during the 1990s and beyond. The Chinese delegation has on many occasions expounded on its principled pos! tion on the proposed conference. Here I wish to outline some of the key points of that position. On the venue of the conference, the Chinese delegation favours the holding of the 1992 conference in a developing country with a view to directing greater international attention to the environmental and development problene facing developi~ eountdes, where the overwhelming majori ty of the "odd'8 population (Mr. Din9 YUanhong, China) 11v... Ne have notod with appreciation that Brazil hu offered to play hCl8t to this conference - a ge.ture thalt is support.ed by the Group of 71 and the non-aligned countries. China al~ supports the 8ra.i1ian proposal. On the conference'. objective, scope and content, the Chinese delegation beUeves that in the consideration of those points the following QuestiONI should not be neglected. First, the environ_ent issue and the development issue should he approached aB an organic whole wi th economic deva10pllent and protection of the envirOl\ll8nt pursued in a synchronized and co-ordlnllted fashion. Separating the two wU1 end up hurting both. Protection of the flnviroruDent cannot be truly effective without econo_lc developaent, while neglect of protection of the environment wUl in the end retard s\Btainable developllll!nt.* * Mr. Al-Anbarl (IrftQ), Vice-President, took the Chair. secondly, there ate stUl .....y unjust and irrational ele-ents in existing international econ01l1c relQUone, with acute illlbalances in the production and connuaptlan patterns as between the developin«J co....tries on the one b~d and the developed countries on the other., In addressing the QUlest10n of global enviromaent these elements should be taken fully into account so that the ~c:tions taken in this f1~ld will Pl'OlllOte balanced develqlllent of the world econollY. In the loog run, only by bringing about an international economic environment that is j~t and ~,1du(IJive to sustainable developaent in all countries can ther~ be a fundamental change in the state of poverty, underdevelopment and powerlessness with regard to environmental protection in the dev~·oping countries. Thirdly, as the question of the environlllent involves the comlllOn Md long-term interests of mankind as a whole, international co-operation should be strengthened. World wide the daJl8ga to the environIL'\\i\t at present is caused mainly by the developed industrial countries. T~.,refore they should bear the principal responsibility for improving the global environment. At the same time, the developed countries should help the developin3 countries with their tasks of environllental protecl:ion by taking more concrete action in such areas 218 transfers of capital and technology. Ira this respect, the developed countries and ~ international financial institutions should provide new funds for development assistance to developing countries without imposing additional oonditional!ty on the ground of environmental considerations. Fourthly, poverty reraa.ina an important cause of deterioratian of the environ.ent in the developing countries. In these countt leo, the achieve_nt of appropriate economic growth and of the ability to meet the population'c basic needs constitute the necessary prereauisite for effective environmental protection .d iaprowement." ObVioualy, it would be unrealistic to talk these countries into protecting thtir envlron_nt withClUt at the ea_ tille ad,1rellSing their develop_nt (Mr. Din, lUanhon" O\ina) concer.ns. It should be pointed out emphatically that envl~on_ntal protection should not be pursued at the expense of the developllent of the developing countries. Still less should it be used as an excuse for wilful interference in the developlent strategy of the developing countries or: encroactullent upon their per.anent sovereignty o~er their natural resources. Pifthly, it is undoubtedly imperative to step up intornatior!al legislation on the environment question. Protection of the global environment is the COIDIDOn responsibility of the entire international coDl1\unity. Therefore relevant laws and st.ttutes should be formulated 111 th the broadest possible participation of all countries, especially the developing countries. Full account should be taken of the special difficulties and needs of the developing countries and of their social and economic ability to sustain possible consequences while p~otectin9 their crucial interests from undue damage. In this respect the tbited Nations can play a greater role. The Chinese delegatio~ believes that these points are essential to the succeus of the scheduled conference. Concerning the preparatory work for the conferenca, we are in favour of creating broadly representative IMchinery for this purpose. '1b facilitat.e wider particlpatior! by all Member States, such machinery should carry out its activities _lnly in New York. Where financial resources permit, however, its meetings could also b~ h~ld in a number of other places with a view to raising public &wareneas of environment and development. issues in all parts of the world. We have noted with satisfaction that the United Nations Envi1'onment Pr09ra_e (UNEP) hAS done a good deal of ~"OrlC in preparatien for the conference. We hope that it wl11 continue to play its important role in the preparatory proc.ess and contribute its expertise to ensur~ the success of the conference. At the sa_ organlaatlon. within the United watloftc syste.,. China va•• ~..apoJUlor of r:naluti(\ft 43/196, ..4 the Chin.co Glwem-.st attache. CJrat i.~r:tano. to Inter:natlcnal co-operation in the 1Ift91.ronanul field 1Il4 to the 19.2 confe:4itftce. !'he Oi!noH delQgat10A baa be••etl"elf lr.vo1wtd In the Pl'.~atory work ao far:. we look for_gel to ..nlngful eu.alogue and COMultatlona with all perU. c1udhg tt.ll1 ....ion an qu_t1ona concunlnrJ the conferenc., wltb a vl_ to r..ching a ccnHn." en th.a. Mr. AClJILAR (Venesuela) (interpretation frOll Sp_i..1a With the O'Iltec!l lfation. Confarence on the Hu.n 8ftV'lrOfi...t, hold 1ft Stockhola In 1972, tber. btttU .. uportlllt proce•• of CJfOtlllilg a".r.e~. at the polltic.1, ec:ono-ic ..d aocwl 1.el. in OU~ countri•• of the d.OIIe lntenelat10nahip of un and hi••.,l~OftMftt. A ~bate begin In all sphere.., Clft ...'. l.pact en the eSWlcMMnt, Wiidi led b the conclusion that it "a. nece••~r:y to adopt a fre.h approactl to that relation8lllp, ~~ch vu a denl.l of tile -:Ior role the envlt",...t play. in the .xiatenc. of ...,. Since thiln, there has been a 9~..t deal of activity, whlcb hall produeea SUM clUing•• in that orientation. UnfortllMte1y, however, .,. hay. to rttC09nl~CI that thft ~oce•• of environuntal cJtter101'aUon has ape_diad up and reached a ~uly a1ar.lng One of th• .a.t 1.po~tant feature. of the developaent of the .nv1~oA.-ntal pcobl_ 18 ita lnternatioftaUsation. Indeed, it CM be aald thAt tber_ III ,,1c1e t8CC9nltlon of the fact that envlron.catal proble. are pc••el'lt in and l1rr.oct to· "IIry uea of huaan acti"ity. Of cour••, that iaBt6rnatlonal dl...sf.on .at not 1.d u. to Ignore tbe re.ponsibility ..4 the 1'01. of the VUiON actors in thi. interaction of un lOa hi_ 8ftvlronaent. The C1lbligat!CX\ to face the consequences of the indifference of the past, and to some extent of the present, should not .erely be recognized, as it has been in the Uni ted Nations, but should be translated into a poli tical COIIlIitllent to bP.gin the rebuUding and conservation of the environment. That co_it:ment .ust be shouldered _inly by the developed coamtries, which have the lIeans of checking tile deterioration that we are now experiencing. Developing countries such as Venezuela have accepted their responsibility, although it is NUch less than that of the developed countries, no~ithstanding the difficulties our ecohOllies are experiencing. This was demonstrated recently by the draft general budget of public revenue and expenditure adopted by the Council of Ministers of lIy country and submitted fo: consideraticn by the NaUcmal Congress. SO_ 2.8 per cent of the total budget has been earaarked for the activities of the Hinistryof the EnvironlllHlt and Renewable Natural Resources, which was created in 1916 and haiS since played a _10" role in the intensive work being done in connection with conservation and monitoring Q! the environment. We continue to persevere on the path we have chosen to prevent and control ecological da_ge.. For this purpose, we are prepared to enter into the necessary international agreements, but we also have to deal with our need for growth and overall economic development. The idea of an international conference on environment llIld develop_nt see_d to us a JIlOSt felicitous initiative. From the very outset, we have lent our support to tha~ idea, because we are convinced of the global and interdependent nature of any possible solution to environmental issues. The conrorence will have to take a look at aU the experience accumulated and steps taken to data in the real. of the t.1lvirOllUllent in order to evaluate the degree of environmental deterioration and the effectiveness of the struggle that has been waged by the international colIIIWlity at all levels to fight further deterioration. In the light of the experience gained, proposals IIUSt be worked out Md lead to specific action by the international The stages of evaluation and proposilll of measures aust consistently incorporate the 1inkage wi th the development process. In 0 ther words, the conference IlUst not be handled as a technocratic exerciae where funda_ntally -environmentalist- recommenda tions are hammered out, recom_nda tions that do not take into consideration the nexus between the environment and p3verty, between the environllent and the generation of a dynamic, O'Iera11 development process. Whatever the course of action followed by both developed and developing regions in the years ahead, there can be no Cluestion but that the clOfle ties between economic and social elemants and those of the environment IlUst be taken into account. «:ne of these _jor eloments is external debt. The enviranMntal conservationist factor has been incorporated as ill major goal in national development plans, but at the same tille, investments in the realm of protecting against environmental degradation have been acheduled. So_ have called this ....aging development, wherein envircnmental app~caches have to take into accoll1t, in an integr&l way, a process that tries to achieve the greatest possible output with a m1nllUJD of environmental destruction and waste. This integrated process that calls for: significant investments in the area of training people and creating (Mr. lIguUar, Venezuela) and aCClUiting new technC';ogy, inter alia, is being prevented from taking shape now and eor the foreseeable future because there is still a negative transfer of reoources that deprives debtor developing countries of the flnanci~l resources they need to finan~ sustainable development ~s envisaged by the Group of 77 in the caracas Declaration this year. These negative circu1ftStances of internal indebtedness, which compel us to take a new approach to national planning, are compounded by outside reQuire1llents such as those imposed by international financing institutions which, as they establish new requirelllents, still further restrict the ability of the debtor countries to make additional efforts In the environmental realm, and therefore in the area of development in general. Environment Is not confined, in terms of its interrelations, to economi~ factors, but also has links with social factors. The conference must pay attention to the participatory nature of our societies as we seek to manage the environment. The thinking to co_ out of the conference must lead people to spur forward the global process of develcpaent of the vorld""'Wide ecosystem while avoiding giVing short shrift to environmental issues, as has been the tendency to da te. In our judgeDlent, the world conference on environmant and development, a title that we believe accur:ately describes the scope and nature of this international dialogue, should be held 1n one of the beautiful citiee in Brazil in 1992. The conference should last for two weeks, with a part being devoted to things technical and another to bringing together plenipotentiaries. The technical phase would be set aside for the process of refining and perfecting arrangements or commitments worked out within a preparatory collllittee, which \1Ould have open-ended melllbership. This coanittee might be a co_lttea of the Whole of the General Assembly. in other tIOrds, an intergovernmental co_ittee assisted by a general secretariat drawn froll (Mr. !guilar, Venezuela) bOdies throughout the system that deal v1 th envircnaental IInd Cievelopllent issues, including principally the United Ratione Environ_nt Programe (UNEP). The general secretariat should have its headQuarters at the sa. place where the meetings of the preparatory =_ittee would be held - which, in our opinion, should be United tlltions HeadQuarters here in New York. The eo_ittee of the whole Should not be only a bOdy that co-ordinates steps to be taken at other levela where examination and preparct!Gfi of recoa.ndations to be iSSUed in various a~eas would be carded out, it should also be a centt:e for negotiation and deciaion__king prior to the halding of the conference itself. The other levels of authority should h&ve a predominantly teehnioal focus. Beyond that, we believe the conference should produce an overall collllitllent to undertake actual steps at variou8 levels - international, regional and national alike. we would be open to examining the. suitability of the various ways such couitllents a1ght be expressed, "hethe~ in the forlll of a global convention or some other instru..nts with varying degrees of bindingness. This will depend, In lcrge _asure, on the evolution of the preparatory process. The conference will have to deal with environmental iS8ues bOth on Earth and in outer space, in keeping with the degree of urgency deriving fro. the degradation already witnessed. The subjects of tsarine resources, the atllOSphere, deforestation, illegal international trafficking In and duwplng of toxic products and waste, human, technological and financial resources, conservation of international watersheds, are just a few of the issues the conference will have to deal with decisively 1f we truly wilib to bring about 8ubstl!lntlve chanCje in the environnental field and to sti.ulate appropriate development. Venezuela is keenly interested in 1I&king this conference a 8ucce8S, given the far-reaching illpact it vUl have 1n all areas of our national and international life. BnvironJlefttal preservation, ~itodng and restoration are 188ue8 we (Mr. !guilar, Venezuela) approach with resolve and a sens. of reaponBibUity towards our neighbours, our region, and the world as a whole. we see in the 1992 conference a .rvellous oppott...ity to harllOft1:e and rationalbe the ever-el\Ml91ng nature of development and ita per_nent relationship with the envi.ran_nt. Mr. "IAGMI (Japan), The attention Qf the world co01.l\ity is now inr.:reas1ngly focused on the proposed 1992 United Nations conference en environ.nt and developMnt, which will IIark the twentieth anniversary of the Stockholm canference Oft the BUllan Bnvlran_nt, held in 1972. It 18 expected that the conference will fotlllUlate and adopt a set of policy guidelines to addreez urgent envlron_ntal issues, for unless we 8uceeed in collectively 4eciding on actions to be taken in response to 91Gbal environaental problellS in the 1990s and beycad, the ~ery survival of llankind and, indeed, the future of the planet Fartb itself wll1 be jeopardised. Given the gravity of the proble_ besetting tho glebal envirOftMnt, lt 18 lllP8rative that the proposed oonfarence succeed. Throughout the 17 years since the Stoclchola Conference, there has been a growing awareness of the problem of environllental degradation, ana acJvanees 1.n sclentific knowledge have fevealed n~ ai_nsions of the probl., such as global varlling ana ozone depletion, which were not foreseen at that time. Thesa and other pbeno_na are growing IIIOre acute with each pauing clay. If left mmeeked, they _y well destroy fragile ecosysteu, thereby threatening the very foundatiQi'l of sound eccnoaic and social development, particularly in devoloping countries. (Mr. MuUar, Venezuela) The problems are global in nature, their solution, likewise, will require the co~perative efforts of the entire international community, including both developed and ~eveloping countries. As Japan's FOreign Minister, Mr. Nakayama, stated last month, in his address to the General Assellbly, ·Our generation has a solemn responsibility to preserve the natural beauty around us and rebuild a healthy global environment so as to secure the future of coming genera tions. " (A/44/PV.1, p. 32) In the light of that, Japan attaches great importance to the 1992 conference. We bOpe that it will conduct a thorough review of all international endeavours undertaken so far in this area and that it will consider, in a long-term perspective, possible concrete actions to be taken by Governments and international organizations to strengthen efforts to conserve the global environment. In this connection, I should like to note that Japm fully endorses the decision taken at the fifteenth session of the Q)verning Council of the United Nations Environment Programm (UNEP), which addresses all the important elements regarding the proposed conference. Given the increasingly acute awareness of environmental issues worldwide, a number of conferences have been held on environmental problems, including protection of the ozone layer, atmospheric warming and toxic products. Age inst this background, we are ox the view that the conference in 1992 should have two basic purposes. First, it should conduct an intensive and overall review of the measures and ac..tionQ taken so far by (countries and interna tional orgmiza tions in \ their efforts to protect the environment. Secondly, it should provide a forum to study, on the basis of such a review, future actions to be Uken by countries and international organizations in response to global environmental problems. These possible actions should be examined thorooghly at the preparatory stage so as to· ensure, through close co-ordination of ideas between Governments and related (Mc. il.agami, JaPan) international ~z9anizationB, that they will be acceptable to all countries. In this f8CJard, we believe that the strengthening of UNEP and related United Nations bodies vill also merit our consideration. Regarding the scope of the conference, though it might be difficult to define it clearly at this stage, we are of the view that, in the light of the paramount necessity to achieve sustainable development as proposed by the World Commission on Environment and Development, and in ~e liqht of the current trend in public awareness worldwide, the conference should deal with wide-ranging issues havin9 environmental implications, vi th particular emphasis on the following three areas, first, measures to cope with 9lobal warmin9J secondly, management of natural resources, including the protection of tropical forestsJ and, thirdly, assistance to developin9 countries. Regarding the last point, I should like to stress that particular consideration should be given to balancing environmental protection and economic developnent. Our ultimate goal should not be the advancement of one at the cost of the other but, rather, an interactive harmonization of the two. In this connection, I should like to refer to the Tokyo Conference on the Global Environment end Human Response toward Sustainable Development, which was held last month under the auspices of my Government, in co-operation with UNEP. Constructive and scientific discussions were conducted at the conference, and recommendations on such crucial issues as global warming and the relationship between environment Md development in developing countries were put forward in the Chairmants sUl'IIIIary. It is our hope that this document, with its valuable recommendations based on scientific analysis, "ill serve as an important guideline for our discussions ~t this session of the General Assenbly as we prepare for the 1992 conference• .. (Mr. Kagami e Japan) The success of the conference will be determined in l&rc;e part at the preparatory stage. We should make Ilaximull uso, through effective co-ordination, of the existing huun an<1 financial resources, both within Md outside the United Nation. systea. Thus UNEP has a pivotal role to play in preparing for the conference and ensuring its success. We hold the view, in this respect, that it wUl be vital to ensure co-ordination in three areas, first, between the Secretariat of the ~ited Nat:l,ons and those of its related agencies, seccndly, between the lntergovernmenul o)lIIIllttees, and thirdly, in the field of financial Japan, whose people have tradi tionally sought to u'V& in harmony with nature, 18 determined to contribute in mmy ways, and to the best of its ability, to the successful convening of the 1992 conference, for it is acutely aware that we must nurture, without delay and with firm resolve, a sense of patriotism for the earth. The very survival of ftlankind surely depends on it. Mr.TAIMA (Argentina) Unterpreta tiaa fram Spanish) I We are discuaing today the holding in 1992 - 20 years after the United Nations Conference on the Buaan Environment f held In Stockholm - of a thi t:ad Na tions conference on environment and developaent. This discussion is taking place in a climate of general satisfaction at the strengthening of thl! t~ited Ha tions. There ill a new a tmosphere of de tente, Which has IMde it possible for the Organization to focula its attention on issues other than peace-keeping and international securlty, which are, of course Q of fundaMefttal illpOrtance. Indeed, there can be no doubt that peace-keeping and international l',ecurity play a priority part in the stru9gle to preserve the environment. '1OcJay's discussion tberlltfore reflects the deeply felt concern of the international COIIlIlW\lty. AccOrdinglV, I GII honoured to be &ble to address this forum to set (Mr. ragam!, Japan) forth the peeltian that 1IY Govern_nt takes on a s.t of pr:oble. of Sl.lch vital iaportance to hU_nki"4. Bveryone i. avare of the ugnitude of the ecological danger. that 10011 over us and invade every nook Md cranny of this planet. In the at-.pbere, there ia the possibility of profound c11Jlatic change. Tb1. Is reflected In the depletion of the ozone layer .Md 1n acid raln. se far _ the vaters are cQftcernecJ, we see growing pollution of the rivera, lakes, coastal areas and the ~an. theMelve.. On land, we bave seen aesertification, deforestation, the desuuctlon of biological diversity caused by tb& dUlIPlng of baludous waates, the use of toxic cheldeal products, and la whole host of proble. involv16g bioteChnology anti deter 10r&tion of tbe env1l:onant that go hand in band with poverty. Designing strategies to co_ up with solutions to the•• preble. wUl be a genuine cballenge to the Organiaation ever the next 4ecade~ Aa Pr.si6ent Menelll said to the General Auelftbly, -'1bcJay, to defend what la oura we lUst be aware of everyone's world. lIbat was a hu.mltar ian opUcn yesterday la now 1ft lapera tive. We feel that we are all united In the face of great vorld probl_ that require co~perat1on and responaes 1n a spirit of solidarity. ·'l'he~\t is only one world. There ls only one hu_n dignity.1lI (~/44/PV.5, '2.21) (Mr.. Ta 1o.n&, Arpntina) The tltited Mitions WaB set up to maintain international peace and security and, through international economic and social oo-opr..tration, to bring about a better quality of life for all.. Those aspects are part of the international co~nweal. A fundalllental element in the attainment and consolidation of that caa.on heritage is the preservation of the environment. That issue has progressively extended beyond national boundaries, requiring shared understanding and co-ordina t!on a t the interna tional level and a growing effort at co--opera tlon and solidarity in all areas. Until this century, humanity had passively witnessed changes in the enviraull8nt. Only now ilu human activity begl.l'l to influence those processes that were once beyond our grasp or our power to affect. Man's notable technological strides have _de him cbiefly responsible for c:banges in the eccsysum. The problems of the environment we face today are unwanted by-products of the processes of industr ializa t!cn that go hMd in hand with technological progress. Hence it is our inescapable responslbllity today to find ways and means of preserving the envircnlllent for generations to COlle. In this context Argentina has conml.tted itself to achieving a better quality ef Ufe for its people, as it seeka to bring about regional W'lderstandings as well as international action in this area .. We cannot fail to mention that our country, because of its geographical loC&tion, is exposed to real and potential dangers as a result of the deterioration of the environlllent beyond its borders. Eloquent proof is the depletion of the 030ne layer in the Antarctio, essentially triggered by industrial activities in the northern Hemispheref resulting in an adverse impact on significant parts of Argentine territory. (Mr .. Taians, Argentina) A18o, as a developing country, we face the same difficulties .. those of the ovarwhelwdng hjority of the MeJllbers of the Organization as we seek coapatibility between environmentally appropr ia te growth and our potential for develop_nt. In this conneetion, we agree with the Brundtland report, as followsl -Hul'IlIlity has the ability to malee development sustainable - to enllure that it _ets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future genera tions to meet tb,air own needs. The concept of sustainable development does iaply 11laita - not absolute limits but limitations apos@d by the present state of technology and social orgll\iza tien en envlrClftmental resources and by the abUity of the biOSphere to absorb the effeCts of hu.n acti'11ties. But technology and 80cial orgl!ll\lzaticn CM be bOth managed and illProved to make way for a new era of economic growth. - (A/42/427, p. 24). One lIlust also _ntim that the search for appropriate solutions often recruires the kind of scientific know-how and resources that are ..imply not within the reach of the developing world. In this regard, the external indebtedness that is having such an adverse impact on our economies is itself a serious obstacle in the struggle to preserve the ecology, a struggle to which we are fully COIIJ'aitted. Notwithstanding these difficulties, and aware of the dangers looming over us, Argentina is determined to play a leading role in lily international acUm in this arH. In this respect, we note the particular relevance of the United Nations conference on environment and development, to be h~d an the twentieth anniversary of the historic Stockholm gathering, which was a .Ueatene with regard to the eonaidaratlcn of environlDl!lfttal i8SUes Q\ the international level. It led to the United Nations Pa"lr:onMnt Progra.-e, whicb has been resolutely working for all these year8, llI\d of whose Governing COuncil we have been a mellber at various tt_a. As a result of work done In other speclalized agencies throughout the United _tiona syst•• MU! the steps taken by Governaenta at the national and (Mr. 'ratana, Argentina) regicoAl levels, an awarmees of envirQ\lIlental .tters that simply did not exist in 1972 has becoMe firmly established. The di_nsion environllental problems have taken today indicates that we are at a turnlng-points an essential aspect that must be analysed is the relation ootveen environRent and d0velopDent. To achieve a harllOnious rel&t1onship between thell, we IIUSt avoid certain approaches that .y lead to disputes. DevelopJIlent does not supersede protection of the environment, nor does protection of the environment supersede developaents each IiUSt reinforce the other" and we must create conditione that will fester an equitable balance. 'lb do so, we shall need addi tional financial resources for co-operaticn in envirCllllIllel\Ul illStters, free access to scientific know-how ..d alternative non-polluting technology on a non-commercial basis. Hence eaphasis has quite rightly been placed on the need to enjoy the kind of international economic cliMate in support of lasting and stable growth, particularly in developing countries, and facilitating appropriate manage_nt of the environment. The developing ceuntr iea are the least responsible for the wcrld-wide pollu tlon of the environlllel\t, it is thus necessary for the developed countr lee to shoulder their greater responsibility and foster growing co~peration in this field. The holding of the conference en envircolllent and development in 1992 reqUires that we all wo~k oloeely together. That is why we pledge the greetest possible effort to Atuin its goals. Major strides have been _de in preparing for the conference, the IIOst noteworthy being General Aeselllbly resolution 43/196, which my country co-sponsored, as well • dec1s ion 15/3 adopted this year by the Governing council of the United Nations Environment Progral1lrie. Both texts have served to lay (Mr. '!'alan,., Argen!.ina) the nec....r1 foamda ticn for these .greeMnta the G3naral MS.lIbly still h. to In thic respact, it is necessary to set guidelinea for protecting the enviran-.nt through the lJ191e...ta tian of baelc preventive Muur.. such as would take into account the .ctu.l needs faced by developing ClOunUies. There wll1 also ba". to be establilhed a re1atlcn betwe.n national, regional and tJOrld-vide activity, with. vi.., to .chieving for_1 agreementll stipul.ting specific ",lIur•• b) MIce sure that envircn...tal issues beCOIiI part ana parcel of «Seve1op...t pr0Cl8ses. Vith reg.rd to t:..e prepar.tory work, it would be appropriate for us to havQ the widest poulble partlcipaticn of all Gcwern-.ts cClncerned. At the sa. ti., w. favour _king use of exisUng inetitutions and agencies, with a view to avoi~\f'i?J n..en... &Jpl1catian and thU8 achieving appropriate representativeness. Another issue of concern to us involve. the coata of organising the conference. In this regard, as a logical ccncollltant of the pd. respouibUity of the lndust.riallaed countries with eegard to ecolC)!eal probl.., we feel that they mould be.r the bulk of the financial burden 0 JW to tbe venue, we reiterate our support for the invitation i.aued by the Bra.ilian GOwern..nt to host the Conference in 1992. ~Mr. 'l'aian., Argentin.) '!'he holding of the meeting ira tbat neighbouring col..try would for U8 be a re.ffb_tion of the 11!1portance that we developing countries give to envirOlll'&antal My country played an active part 1n the Stockhola Conference of 1972, and in the 20 years since then we have aalntained our keen interest in envlron-.ntal issueB on the national, regional and international levels. In the United Nations fOfu we h~ve sponiJored, with others, General Aaselillbly resolutions en the subject. It .,Ul surprise no one, therefore,. that through my state_nt we are once again renewing our COMmitment to environ-.ntal issuea and declaring oureelves ready to co-operate with the rest of the international co_unity to Mte the 1992 Conference a success. Aa WPo have said before, the environwent i8 the great challenge facing os today, which we can aeet successfully only by our joint efforts in this new phase of international co-operaUon. Mr.· SalLBGBL (Ger_n DeDlOCratic RepUblic) I The GerMn DemoCf&t1C RaPiiblie is in favour of the convening of a lhited Nations conference ~ environunt ancS develOptllent at a high political level. we reaffirll OUE' support for Brazil's offer to host the 1992 conference. Wtt expect of the conference a constructive dialogue on basic strntegie questions concerning the cc~seE'vction of aan's natuf&l environment. Therefore, responsible decisions are required which should serve ae guidelines for internstional co-operation to the end of t~lll century and beyond. The conservation and p&'otectton of the hu.n environment are flle_nury r ccncUtlons fer ensurlr..l security and peace, for C;=owth Md develop-.ent Md for proepedty and well-being. Thus they are of vital lllPOrtance for the exbtence of _nkind. .BYen if there are different views en the priorities, objectiv...d smpe of concrete lleasur.., there is agreement on the fact that the global ent1!ronMntal issue requires global efforts also to solve it. Only through COIIWXl efforts can the continued existence of our planet be ensured for future generations. The German DeDQ~ratic Republic speaks for the elimination of th6 causes leading to the deterioration of the environment. A decisive prerequisite for successful environmental policies consists in countering the arms build-up. Peace and environment are interrelated to a decisive extent. In the long run disarmament must· release the resources t.."lat are needed for the ccstly protection of the environment. It is by no means premature even now to addrass mora emphatically the p~Oblems of converting armament industries into production sites for civi1i6n use, not least production that serves con~ervation of the environment. The German Demcratic: Republic attaches great importance to the furthQl' deve10pnentof co-operation in protection of the environment within the framework of the Ulited Nations syetem a."d in other multilateral forums. We hold the view that the bodies eXisting at present within the framewo~k of the United Nations are well suited to making decisive contributions towards finding ways 8nd means of addressing pressing environmental problems. Fu1! use should be made of all possibili ties of enhLlncing the effecti"eness of those forums. In this context, the United Nations environmen\: Prcgranme (UNEP) hae a key position Olt'ing to ita co-ordinating, catalytic, conceptual and codifying role. Proceeding from wh~t has been achieved so far, thought should be given to whether the present structures, functions and tasks of the forums w111 me~t the grew ing demands of the 19908. To this end numerous suggeations have been made which deserve thorough eonsideration6 but there ls al~o a cle~r view and realism as to what is being sought. At its session in Nairobi the Gbve~nin9 Council of UNEP contributed significantly to ~le long-term preparation fo~ the conference on environment and development.. Governing Council decision 15/3, which was acbpted aftelr ccapl1cated negotiations, contains valid guidelines relating to content and to organizational _tters. Wc! should re_Dber that it was a consensus package. In teru of content, the priorities set in Nairobi showed the right way. MorEl detailed ideas taking account of the specific interests of groups should be elaborated in the further process of preparation and subsequently at the conference. In our view, efforts should be made to prepare a realistic work programme for the conference, which should focus on priority questions. Attention should centre on aecure ecological development through peace, disarmament, development and co-operation. What are needed are economic strategies which include environmental upects. Likewise, problemo of science and technology in the field of environmental protection and new reQ"irements regarding environment education should beCO!le part of this work. Inteneified activity on such crucial isaues as protection of the climate and the ozone layer, protection of biological divcersity, protaction of waters, in particular fresh-water rElsources, and enVironmentally sound management of hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals can brook no further delay. The role of the United Nations and its organs, in particular the United • Nations Environment Program., in analysing environment&! problel!lS md setting ecological targets at the globe! orlrG9ional level, must be daterllinede Further international regulations relating to environmental protection must .be formulated. HcMever, it wuld certainly be Wll'eallstic to expect the confel'ance to give definite and valid answera to all environmental questions. Therefore, the main task is to determine the strategy for in.t&rnational co-operation in the area of environment to the turn of the century and to set substantive prioritieso (Mr. SChl!9.el v Ger.n DellOcratic . RePubil~) In the preparations procedural and organizational aspects should not overlap the utters of content. Even 1f there are certain arguments in favour of Geneva as the seat of the preparatory committee, New York would be acceptable too. The aspect of developaent might best be covered here. Anyway, what matters is that full use be _de of the expertise UNEP is able to bring to the preparation process. The wide range of national, ~egicnal or interregional activities is of great 1.portance for the deba te on environment and thus hu a direct or indirect influence on the conference schedlled for 1992. This is true both of the conference of Statea members of the Economic CO'llllDission for Europe en action for a co-.on future, to be held in Bergen, Norway, in May 1990, and of similar regional conferences in implementation of the Brundtland report. The complex approach to the global environmental problem in that report and in the Environmental perspective to the Year 2000 and Beyond Is an example for future international action. What is needed is a different understanding of security. The interrelationship of development and environment must be taken into account. Without a supportive international eoonomic environment there can be no sustainable growth and no environmentally sound development in all States. (Mr. SChlegel! Gerun De-ocrat:ic Republic) 'l'he deaand _de in the Final Declarat1cn. adopted by the non-aligned countries at their ninth sUMmit conference for decisive policies designed to ccneerve the natural environ.nt and uintain the ecological balance goes right to tha crux of the aatter. EnvironlMtntal aspects must be reflected in national plans" priorities and objectives f1l1ated to development. 'rhey i1lply responsibility for ene's neighbour. However, the formula cannot be that assistance services are macb hostage to condi t10nll for environmental pJ:Otecticn. Such candl tiORS are no i:ec:ipe for sustainable co-operation. Europe, as a continent with highly developed industries, has to face very specific questions of environmental pJ:Ot8ction. '!'he present follow-up meeting in Sofia of the Conference on security and Co-operation in EUrope «(SCE) is Elnpeeted to offer a valid response to that concern. There cannot be any doubt that constructive co-operation in conserving the environment can also st&bl1i:e the poU,tical ell_te. Present scientific findings indicate that world-wide co-operation la of particular iaportance for the protection of the global clili8te. Resolution 43/53, adopted by the General Asselli>lyat its forty-thild session and entitled ·Protection of global cU.te for pres0nt Md future generations of mankind-, has proved to be abreast of the times. The Intergovernaental Panel on Clillate Change (IPCC) is doing a grf!tat deal of work. With the establishment of the IPCC, we have a CCftpetent forum for the exall1natlon of this problem in a realistic and effective manner and the working out of strategies on how to proceed. Its activity deserves further support. The second world climate conference, which is to be held in 1990 and the preparatior18 for which have been ede by the World Meteorological OrCjlftiutian with the collaboration of the United Nations Bnviranllent Progralllle (UNEP) and the United (Mr. SChlec;tel, German Demoratlc Republic) I . I Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESQ»), will consider the report of the nee on a broad scale and w111 discuss international oo"'Operation In the pmtection of the global climate. It will also offer fresh ideas for 1992. The German Democratic Republic wl11 strive to make an active contribution to the 1992 conference. In the c1eba te we shall contribute our national experience gained in the conservation, shaping and protection of our country's en~ironment. En~ir(xullmtal protection is an integral part of national economic development. Much is being done to keep forests green, ri~ers and Inkes pure, and the air clean. However, the results are not yet. satisfactory. As a country that uses lignite as its _in energy and raw-material source - a source \lhich is environlEntally not too sound - we are faced with difficult problems. We are all well aware that environmental protection is expensive. Thus, not all the loog-term ecological rew ire_nts, from the economic point of view, can be fully met now. last March a national conference on •Peace , environment and development· was held in the cap!tal of the German DellDcratic Republic and dealt vith the country' s environllental policies. Environmental issues are very clClElely linked with the econolll1c and social policies of my country. Another important premise is our participation in international co-operation in the field of environment. My country is a party to 34 international agreements and conventions. At the bilateral level it has concluded 36 agreements, which it is consistently implementing. The German Democratic Republic shares the view thAt given the political will SDankind poesesses all the potential necessary for resolving to halt any further deterioration of the environMent. All we have to do is make full use of it. The 1992 conference on environment and developlllent offers a good chance for that. (Mr. SChlegel, Ger_n DelllOcratic Republic) .. Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Library Mr •. -IllBENFELLNBR (Austria) I My delegation welcomes the opportunity to c11scU88 the planned Qlited Hations conference en environllent &'\d development in the plenary General Assemly because we believe that this undertaking - after the nec~S8ary careful preparation - will constitute an 1IIportant factor ald, it is to be hoped, send out a far-reaching signal to improve international co-operation in the environmental field o Let me point out in this conte2tt that last year' s General Assellbly resolution 43/196, which was oo-spoosored by Austria, and decision 15/3 by the Governing Council of the ttlited Nations Environment Programme (ONEP) present us, in our view, with a valuable framework for the preparation, organizational structure, objectives snd cCXltent of the conference. We look forward to a fruitfUl discussion and the acbption of a ex»nsensus resolution en this tnpic dul'ing this forty-fourth session of the General Assembly. Such a resolution should, inter -alia, take a clear decision on the organization of the conference in 1992, its scope and the immediate launching of its preparatory process. We have noted with pleasure the support at the recent nen-aligned summit conference for the candidacy of Brazil to serve as host to this Ulited Nations conference, and we should like to thank Brazil for the invitation. Austria will gladly support any deciaion to that effeete The preparation of the conference must be fully colllllensurate with the aeriousness of the ieeues involved. In accordance with decision 15/3 of UNEP's Governing Council, we therefore believe that there exists an urgent need to strengthen that Governing Council and its catalytic role as the preparatory OOfllllttee of the ex»nference. Owing to the necessity to begin the preparatory process as soen as possible, a conference secretariat ought to be set up in Geneva 1n the nea~ future, it should be responsible, 1n close co-operation with the Executive Director of UNEP, for the organization and co-ordination of national, regional and international preparatory work and activities. In our opinion, the 1992 conference will neither be an encltllive develop.n~ conference nor a conference dealing solely with issues like environmental conservetion or environmental technology. My delega tlon holds the view that the title of last ye&r's General Assemly resolution, ·United Nations conference on environment and development", highlights the thrust - nallely, tile relationship between man and society, on the one hand, and our environmental resource systems, on the other. we therefore have to choose a balanced approach to deal with this obvious but complex relationship in order to put the conference to its best possible use. Diverse proposals and ideas which have been ventilated in the recent past, and in particular during the general debate this year in the Gener~l Assembly, confront us '11th an array of institutional and pol itical options aimed at improving the existing framework and mechanisms for environmental decision-making and co-operation. They clearly highlight the fact that the issue of environment and developDlent has beCOJlle me of mankind's .jor challenges for the next decades.. With a view to the desirable alleviation of the preparatory process of the 1992 conference, it ndght be useful if these proposals could be collected in a compendium and delivered to the organ entrusted with the preparation of this undertak ing • (Mr .. Bohenfellner, Austria) 'l'bese proposals also indicate the increasing awareness that the international co..nlty has to face up to the growing scare! ty of environllental resources. Furthermore, the use of those ever-diminishing resources brings about competitive relationships between the diverse users and thereby the potential for conflict and d18P1tea. tat me refer in this ccmtext to the Rarvard sociologist Carl Wlldfogel, who has _de a brilliant analysis of the development of the "hydraulic societies ll of the Nile, FAlphrates and Tigris, Indus and Yellow River valleys. He points out that those societies, in ooping with a precarious state of resource scarcity, developed institutional structures to deal with the need for improved and extended resource use. My delegation believes that the question of institutional development as well as the issue of coping with financial requirements should be taken up as central themes during the conference. The importance of these themes has been mderlined by var ious 4elegations and we would like to recall here recent in1tia Uvea by, inter·alia, the Soviet Union, New Zealand and India, as well as The Hague Declaration. My country, Austria, has also PIt forward a number of proposals In this c:ontext, such as the establishment of an international environment fund, suggested during the recent Helsinki meeting of the Parties to the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol, and the drawinc; up of an international environment charter as well as the establishment of an enwironmental peace-keeping system. let me elaborate on the Austrian proposal for an environmental peace-keeping system. My delegation holds the View that appropriate disP1te prevention and settlement, including new forms of environment-related faet-finding through the thited R1tions, will become indispensable with the aforementicned competitiveness in the economic use of transnational environmental resCJUtces. Therefore we believe (Mr. Rohenfellner, Austria) that a eystf!l'll of environmental dispute settlement &'ld prevention or investigation into certain environmental situations should be created. Such a system could consist of a register of environmantal fact-finding experts established wi thin UNEP. Panels of those technical experts would. become acti~e at the request either of countries involved in a sH:uation which could lead to a dispute or of countries already party to a dispute. In cases in which environmental situations, in the opinion of the Secretary-General could either threaten the maintenance of international peace and security or the preservation of the global commons, such fact-finding missions could also be initiated by the secretary-General. These panels would conduct on-site fact-finding and present a report containing their findings and recommendations for action. In the sane way as in traditional peace-keeping procedures, the consent of the parties concerned would form an essential element for the deployment of those missions. Austr 18 believes that such environmental fact-finding could constitute a first step in the direction of rational dispute prevention cnd settlement on the basis of objective evidence lind informed expel:t opinion. The report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, with its focus on the interdependence of environment and development, has clearly constituted an important factor in r~ising the level of awareness of the steady deterioration of our environment. It also provides us with a valuable conceptual framework both for national policies and for future steps on the international plane. we agree wi th the Brundtlald report's the ust that there is an urgent need to embark on policies leading to long-term sustainable and environmentally sound development, in order to prevent a further erosion of our common future. The concept of sustainable development, which we fully support, should be one of the central pillars of the conference's deliberations. (Mr. Bo~enfellner, Austria) Inother important task of the conference w111 be to arrive at a better understanding of the econClllic dimension in the relationship between _n and environaent. We believe that the concept of the envirC!l\lIent as an eCalomic resource needs further elaboration and discussion. Overall, any elaboration of .ultidisciplinary strategies for the achievement of sustainable developaent ought to take into account the necessity for: long-term environaent&l aanagement, the improvement of the socio-ecanomic situaticn of developing countries and the tackling of the consit'{uences of population growth. Bnviccnmental issues transcend all levels and all sectors of human and soc!etal activities. Any national, regional or global progr81111le concerning the envirClnllent will depend for its success on the co-opera ticn of a mu1 tipl1city of public and private actors. For the first time the survival of this planet is threatenf" not only by the one-time application of the destructive overkill c:ap.mc1ties of a few single actors but also by the continuous action of every hUlIllSn be!~. we therefore believe that the issue of environment and developm.ent must be put on a broad basis both in the preparatory stage and in the follow-up to the conference. we also believe that environmental education, in ~rticular, aimed at inducing improvements in environmental awareness and behaviour is a pre-eondition of handling effectively these issues in our delllOcratlc political processes. The inclusion of a broad variety of actors therefore seems a necessary Mans to increase the impact of the conference and facilitate its follow-up work. Non-governaental organizations and parliallent.&rians ought to be included. FurthertDOre, understanding of environm.ental resource systems as a basic input to all hUIIDn production of colllllOdt.t1es would also necessitate the participation of ecmo!lic representatives, inter alia, frOll the fields of energy, 1n4uetry, transport and agriculture. (Mr. Bohenfellner, Austria) Finally, we also consider science and technology to be a decisive factor in ra1s1n9 the level of environmental resource use and achieving opti.l _nagellent results in the environmental fiel.d. I quote in this centlext Badruddin Aga IbMI "Bcological equilibriulI in the fields of 8011, water and forest conbervation, of enerCJY dissipation or pollutiOl\, of genetic erCl8ien in the plant and animal klngdollS, of eli_tic changes, is vital to 910bal security, and delltU\ds a new approach. Scientists will incr:easin91y need to contribute to~ards the elaboration of 80cial and political pollcies which seek to control thClSe processes which threaten our future. "ere our wisci)m is inadaquate for our knOilledge, we IIUst seek to redress the balance. The planet and not the nation state should be our focus." Therefore the process of dealing with the issue of environment and development and the 1992 conference must inclut3e the scientific and technological collDumity in SOIIIe proll1nent way. One possible way to incorporate this variety of illPOrtant actors in the process could be the organization - in addition eo the intergovernmental conference at the highest level - of three parallel events. 'these accompanyin9 events should be in the form of foru_ or symposiurtS and could consist of a forum of non-govern1l8ntal organizations and parliamentarians, an econolll1c forum and a sY1Rpoeium en environmental science and tec:hnolo9Y. They could be or9anized by intergovernmental and/or non-governmental international organizations in co-orcUnation with the work of the preparatory coaftlittee and the conference secretariat. We are standing at a point in our history at which the urgent need to take technical, leg1alative and political steps to achieve bet~r adaalnistra tion and _nagellBnt of our ecological affalre 18 evident. We sincerely hope that the United (Mr. Bohenfellner, Austria) NIltitM8 conference en envlrcnllent and development w111 open up the necessery paths and serve as a long-term laW\ching-pad for ecologically 8alnd development/l i1llProved -.sltUateral co-operaticn and reversal of the diverse prcceesea of envircoaental degrl!adation. The challenge seems mormous but the potential consSQuences for present and future generations of success, namely, the guarantee of our common future, ought to be enticing and rewarding enough to warrant decisive action. (Mra Hohenielln.r, Austria) Mr;, .GRARBKHl\N (India). We "Ire meeting in plenary Asselbly today to consider an event, the proposed 1992 conference on envircn.nt and developlIlent, that, given co-operative effort, should prove to be a moaentouB experience in this field. The report of the Secretary-General (A/44/256 and Corr.l and Acli.l and 2) have given us useful information and the views of Me1lber States on the various aspects of tbe conference. The Galrerning COuncil of the United Nations Environment Progra.. (UNSP) provided valuable suggestions through its decision 15/3. and the Bconolllc and Social COuncil, which discussed the Question, adopted resolution 1989/81, by which the UNEP Governing Council's decision, together with views of MeIlber States, was transmitted to this session of the General Assembly for approprlate action. My delegation welcomes the atmosphere in which the issue of environment is being discussed. we attach the utmost importance to the need to keep environment a subject of global co-operative study and action. Environmental degradation has transnational repercussions, hence environmental protection, in positive contrast, should bring benefits for all. In fact, partial environmental protection is no protect:ion. Alongside this is the inescapable ~ueBtion how such protection is to be organized. we do not, as someone stated in this context, aSk a starvi09 man to lIind his cholesterol levels. The environment can be pf:oteeted provided the means to do 80 are made available to those that do not have them. "'other important aspect is the nature of the problem we are addressing or going to addreu. At the United Nat1on~ Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972, the 50rmer Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi stated. -wa do not wish to impoyel'1sh the environment any further and yet we cannot for a moment forget the grim poverty of large numbers of people. Are not poverty and need the greatest pollutors? For instance, unless .. are in a poelticn to provide eaployant and purcbuing pover for the daUy neeeattt•• of the tribal people ana those who live in and around our jungles, we cannot prevent thea frOlR coJlbing the forest for food and livelihood, fcOII pcaching and despolling the vegetation. When they the_elves feel deprived, how ean we urge the preaervation of ani1lala? Bow can we speak to thoae who live In v11l8gee and in sluII8 about keeping the oceans, the rivers and t.he air clGln when their own Uves are eontardnated at the source? The envircn_nt cannot be improved in conditions of poverty. Nor can poverty be eracticated without the use of science and technology.· Those words, which recognized the crucial link between environment and development, are truer today than ever before. Flowing from the aforementioned it follows that the proposed conference should not focus only en technical questions rela ting to the envirQllleftt, although these are important in thellSelves. The developmental dillensiOn needs to be underacore4 as well. The two are in many ways facets of the BaBe coin. It sy not be productive at this stage of our discussions to engage in controversies on whether the conference should focus on environment in the developmental context or !.ice !'.!£.!!, for the two are inseparably interUnked. The developing countries in particular cannot view environment as divorced from the developllehtal process, it must be viewed as an integral part of the latter. Nor should the develope~ world, we feel, sever development frOll its environmental diJlt8nsion. Se that as it may, further refinement on the Interllnkages or the relative degree of eaphasia to be given to ene or the other aspect could be left to the preparatory process itself. I abould like at this stage to express rry hope that environment wiU continue to be an area of consensus, a mifying concern, in the discussions here in the GenerAl Assembly. We should avoid making it appear Ul though en\l'lr~.nt and developmnt. were ..tually exclUl!live. Let us work for global (Mr. Ghar.ekhan," India) agree_nt en both so that the benefits created have universal rather than selective application. The latter would only erode the results aChieved. Decisions on environmental protection at the global level should be made within the universal framework of the United Nations. The concerns of all - I repeat, all - need to be addressed adequately in any such global endeavour, not only because they are lec;itimate but also because not addressing them would :~eave Cl large and potentially disastrous lacuna in whatever environmental safeguards the conference might agree on. Hence international measures to deal with the problem should lead ne! ther to a freeze on de-.relopment and progress at the present unequal and iniauitous levels, nor indeed to half-hearted efforts at safeguarding our endangered p~.ftl\et. The developing countries, it is obvious, have far less capacity to deal with probleM of environmental degradatim on account of the state of their poverty and underdevelopment. Added to this is the fact that their i:'esponsibility for the present state of global envirmmental degradation is clearly far less thm that of the developed countries. This has been clearly recognized by the General Assellbly 10 its resolution 43/196, ampted last year by consensus. ConseQuently it is only fair that developing countries should not be called upon to undertake a dual burden I that of development - an enorDOUS responaibili ty in itself - and that of ..eting stringent environmental prescriptions for ~ose fUlfilment they do not have the resources ~d whose formulation has not taken their basic concerns into account.. In. any convention Cl' agreement on the various facets ef environmental protection it is necessarJ to ensure that the obligations and commit_nts of Member. States are co~nsurate with both their responsibility and their capacity. This is the only way of ensuriDJ that global solu tiOM to envlrm_ntal problems wUl be equitable, symaetrical and the result of truly co-operative efforts. (Mr. Gharekhan, India) The Economic and Social Council, at its second regular session, acbpted by consensus a welcome decis ion, resolution 1989/101, on the provision of addi tional _ I stress, additional - financial resources to developing countries for strengthening international co-operation on environment. It recognized that new and additiausl financial resources need to be provided to developing countries for environmental programmes and projects to ensure that their development priorities are not adversely affected. The preparatory process for the 1992 conference should CGnsider the question carefully so that the conference itself can establish mechanisms for effective and continuous mani toring of the provis ion of such new and additional resources. Another area of crucial importance is that of development and transfe~ of environmentally safe technologies. If developing cOllptries are tto join in the universal campaign against environmental degradation, they have to bypass technologies that have caused cumula tive damage to the environment. (Mr. Gharekhan, India) For this, they must ba enabled to leap-frog to the new technologies that are environment-friendly. tbre than 90 per cent of the manufacture andconaumption of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons, which pose a ser ious danger to the ozene layer, is in the developed countr tea. The per capita annual consumption in some of these countries is more than 1 kilogi:am. The per capita annual consumption in most of the developing countries is less than 0.005 kilogram. Substitutes being developed are going tn prove highly expensive. Chemical giants of the developed world are now spending hundreds of millions of dollars to develop such substitutes. These substitutes themselves may turn out to be costlier than the CFes and halms. In add! tion, the modifications necessary in the equii?Ment which uses these chemicals also have enormous cost implica tions. Conservation and recycling can reduce demand for the CFCs, but here again the technology as well as the IIOdif!ca tions necessary to the equipment will be prohibi tively expensive. The costs involved are thus truly gigantic. We cannot ignore the cost and technology availability aspect. We know that environmentally sound technologies are being developed, and we hope that they w111 be available to all for this worldwide endeavour. Let me assure the Assembly that developing countries like mine stand ready to participa te in the global endeavour to develop environmentally sound alternative technologies. We in India have done considerable work in developing such technologies, for example, in solar energy. we look forward to the developed world responding to our co~perat1ve urge by providing us with the tools for such co~peratim, namely, by shar1ng new technologies. It is with these considerations in mind that my Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi B proposed, at the ninth Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Countries held in Belgrade in September this year, the creation of a planet protection fund • (!r. Gharekhan, India) '!'he proposal, which has received wide attention and support, envisages a femd to which. all countries, developed and developing, will contribute, except the least developed countries. The fund will be used to finance the research, development and acquisition of conservation-compatible technologies .in critical areas, which can then be brought into the public domain for the benefit of bOth developed and developing countries. In our view, such a fund, which will bring developed and developing countries tlOgether in an active partnership, wUl be a ccncrete, tangible expression of our ool'llDOn endeavour to protect the environment. The method or rate of conttibutim can be agreed upen through consulta tionso My Prime Minister has suggested one possible formula. Another possible formula is the one Ruggested in informal consultations by our Director-General for Developm.,t and International Economic Co-operation, Mr. Blanca .. and, to Quote him, his formulo! is, -From each according to his means, to each according to his needs-. I am taking the liberty of circulating the relevant extracts from the speech of my Prime Minister at the r,n-Aligned Summit in Belgrade. My delegatial trusts the General Assellbly vill lend its weight to this proposal. !At me now turn to t!lIe orgmizational aspects of the 1992 conference. India was among the first to welcome the offer of the Q)\-ernment of Br~zil to host the Conference, and has already supported it in the forums of the Group of 71 and the Non-Aligned Movement. I should like to make a few coJllftents about the preparatory process leading up to the 1992 conference, taking into account the manifold aspects of the environment issue and its inextricable interrelationship with the development process. My delega tiCl\ does not approach this I18tter from any praconceived notion, rather .. we keep before us certain criteria which should be satisfied while deciding this procedural questiCl'l, which has substantive implications. The first requirement is that every Member of the United Nations (Mr. Gharekhan, India) lihould be in a pod tlm to particips te actively and effectively in the prepara tory process. This means that the preparatory mechanism should be located at a place where the BBxhllJli number of countries have resident missions. Another consideration is that all - I repeat, all - the countries should have the opporttmity and ehe right to participate in the preparatory mechaom. This suggests a collllittee of the Whole. Also, a committee of the whole would enable us tU do fuller and greater justice to the complex and wide-ranging issue:s which will have to be addressed during the preparatory process. Furthermore, it will be essential for delegations to remain in cCX\t1nuous ccmtaet, both form&lly and informally, throughout this process. They would thus be able to exchange views and explore possible approaches informally It in between formal meetings of the preparatory colIIDittee of the whole. The ~reparatory work cannot and should not be of an episodic nature, confined to formal meetings. Indeed, the success of the formal meetings can be ensured only if there is a regular and continuous cross-fertilize ticn of ideas in between the formal meetings. There ls yet another aspect. The preparatory work will inevitably involve Questions e"ttending to areu lyin; ClUtside the strictly technical aspects of environmental issues. They will be connected inescapably with question of, among others, durable and sustained gfOVth and development, social welfare, legal issues and even the financial and budgetary position of the United Nations. Some idea of the interconnections between environment and other questions figuring prominently 1n the United Nations agenda can be had by a mere glance at the chapter headings of the report of the WOrld commiu ien on Env1Jcnment and Development. De1ega tlons will require a range of expertise to deal with these issues in an integrated fashiono For most 1f not all delegations, this range of expertise ls available in the required measure only at United Nations Headquarters. (Mr. Gharekhan,'lndia) All these considera tions strongly suggest that the prepara tory n:ec:hanls. should be a ClOlIIll1ttee of the whole of the General Assemly based in New York. No doubt, subject to availability of flnllil'lcial resources, the CClIIUftittee's meetings can be held in a nUJlt)er of places, with the added objective of raising public awareness of the environment and development issues in various parts of the world. The United Nations Environment Progralllfte, unde.r the able and dynamic leadership of its BJilecutive Director, Mr. Mostafa 'l'Olba, will naturally be intiDll!ltely associated with the preparatory process in all its stages. There seems to be near unanimity that the conference should be held in 1992. It would, happily, coincide with the twentieth anniversary of the Stnckholm Conference. My delegation mtoleheartedly supports this. Let us, however, remind ourselves that the successful. completion of the prepara tory work in titre for 1992 w111 depand on the availability of funds, aa indicated by the Seoretary-General in his report. This rela ted question should receive serious considera ticn at the present session. My delegetton stands ready to participate in the discussions and consultations en this questicn at the current session of the General Assembly and will apprasch the various issues from the perspective outlined by me. (Mr~ Gharekhan, India) Mr. ,N)GUEIRA..eATISTA (Brazilh The decision we shall shortly be taking at the current session of the General Asselllbly to convene a United Nations conference on environment and development wUl certainly constitute a t1ajor etep in the organization of the international cOllUflUnity's response to the fundamental question of enviroMental degradation at the world level. The problem is so serious that it does not call for a fragmented apprQlchl stUl less does it call for the resp)nsibility for indicating solutions to be assumed by a limited numer of States as self-appointed guardians of the planet. There is clearly a need for a globsl and integrated assessment of the problem, to be followed by an eQually glObal and integrated response to the many challenges with which all States, big or s_ll, seem to be faced. For such an exercise to be conducted in a useful and orderly manner, the universal forum of the United Nations i8 undoubtedly the most appropriate framework fOi: tltlat may he one of the most important collllllon endeavours to be undertaken by the international community. Jlnd surely the tkait:ed Nations, through its eXisting institutions or through new ones, will be convoked to assume a large share of responsibility in the implementation ef amy decisions to be adopted by the 1992 confer.nce. If the United Nations conference on environment and developaent is to prove successful, it will have by necessity to apprCl8ch the question of envirOl\JIlental <legradation frolft a world..."ide perspective. The conference should be used as a unique opportunity to deal vith the central issue of the global threats to the environment colfting froll the patterns of production and conawaption in the induatrial societies, particularly as regarde energy products. The conference should thUS not be seen ae a North-South exercise through "'ieh the United Nations could be used in the _In as ., instrument for the developed countries to influence the development policies of the developing one8, as if the poorer ccuntries constituted the _t iaport.mt Md i_inent threat to the world enviran.nt. Bnvirmmental degradation in the developing world is essentially a problem of local dimensions. Seldom can we speak in that connection of transboundary envirmmental effects, especially of a global nature. Envirmmental problems in those countries are, generally speaking, a direct consequence in most cases of the absence of development itself. Developing countries surely have no interest in inflicting damage on their own environment. Their indigenous efforts to protect the envircnment should be supported by any assistance, technical or financial, compatible with their development aspirations. In fact, underdevelopment being at the root of their environment problems, the reversal of the net outflow of resources from the developing to the developed countries would certainly be the IDOSt significant contdbutim that could be made to third-world countries to enable the. to preserve their respective environment.s. IlIch has been said - md this is one of the messages that the poorer nations IIOst fr.eQ'uently get from the richer ones - about our living in an interdependent world as far as finance and trade are concerned. Developing countries are told that by accepting full integration in those global inarkets they would surely stand to gain in terlll8 of econOlllic development, even if at the cost of their sovereignty. The glaring Oleymmetries between developing and developed nations, however, make it a hard propositim to accept in a world wh~re the _t powerful countries are less and less inclined to SUbordinate even a modest part of their national autonCllly in the tormulation and implementation of economic policy to any sort of international discipline. In the caBe of the envlronaent, we appc9ar to have a new opportunity to regulate international relations Q\ the basis of 1ft effectively accepted pre_ise of lntercSependence. we ae••, in that connection, to be confronted with fa clear global threat, to which nothing short of a global response ..y suffice. A nett 1110& of International relations effectively baeed on 80lidarity should be developed to cope (Mr. Nogueira-Batista, Brazil) "ith the threat to the global envirCll\JDent. If solidarity is to prevail, nationtl "ill have to assume full responsibility for the transboundary environmental impact of their actions once universally agreed standards can be established. However, sucb a new mode of international relations cannot and should not be nArrowed to the exchanges between the developed and the developing countries. It cannot and should "not be based on the strange notion that only the economic development of developing countries must be put to the test of environmental sustainability. It would be politically naive and certainly morally unsustainable to expect only the poorer countries to use natural resources in a maMer in which the ecological balance is not affected and natural resources are not depleted. '1b have any meaning, the concept of environmental slBtainability must first be tested against the patterns of production and consumption of the already industrialized societies. That is particularly true as regards energy products.. The consumption of energy products is, on the one hand, by far the main source of global environmental degradation Md, on the other h8nd, is taking place in the industrialized North at disproportionately high levels that do not take into account the physical or econCllllic availability of those products. The environmental interdependence of the world will not be served by narrCMing the apprQllch to the global ecological threat with which we appear to be faced to control the economic developmeilt and the demographic growth of developing countries. The United Nations and the international financial agencies will indeed be gravely and negatively affected if they allow thellBelves to be used for the selfish purposes of those who sC!em to wish to safeguard at any cost their IIlOre than colliCrtable levels of welfare. The clarification of the concept of environmentally sustainable development could well be one of the major outcomes of the 1992 conference. (Mr. Nogueira-Batista, Brazil) The cross-sectoral nature of the theme of the 1992 conference will require contributions to the preparatory process from all competent agencies, inside and outside the ihited Nations system, within their respective mandates, and from social agents like non-governmental organizations, trade unions and enterprises, a1lOng others. Those contidbutions should be made available to the preparatory committee through the independent conference secretariat to be established by the Secretary-General. Moreover, owing to its complexity, the negotiating process should be concentrated in the preparatory committee in order to ensure an integrated approach to the various issues at stake. That would ensure that the committee would operate as a genuine \Diveraal forum, a focal point for the preparation of the conference. '1b meet that requirement the preparatory cotllDittee and the secretariat should be located in a place allowing for the full participation of all countries - which of ClOurse points to United Nations Beadquartars. We believe that the results reached at internaUma! conferences and meetings concerning the issues to be dealt with by the 1992 conference should be made available to the preparatory doJllllittee. If that were done, that committee would be in a poeition to work out consistent recolllllendations for the conference. In that context" tht: role of the secretariat will be vital, particularly in co~rdinatin9 the contributions of various international agencies and in colIIDiseioning studies that may be requested by the preparatory committee fo~ the best fulfilment of its mandate. The complexity of the negotiations and the need for careful preparation of the conference will demand a Bureau that is sufficiently representative to steer the pi'eparatory committee effectively. The United Nations conference (Xl environment and development will be a unique opport\Dity for the intetna tional community to carry on an in-depth assessment of (Ur.'Nogueira-Batista, Brazil) the problems rela ting to enviraunent and development and to hammer out specific .reconmendations to solve those problems. Brazil will be honoured to host that important event. We are very grateful to all the countries that have endorsed our candidacy to date. We were very pleased to hear today that the Nordic countries and the member States of the European commwlities as well as the Soviet Ution, China, Austria and the Democratic RepUblic of Germany, among others, are also in a position to support our offer. (Mr. Nogueira-Batista, Brazil) 'rhe endorsement of our candidacy by the Beads of State or Gov~rnmmt of the meBbers of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries and by the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and the support we have received from the Group of 77 reinforce our belief that hoating the conference will enable us to contribute directly to sharpening the world perception of environmQntal problems and to work together with the international community to find ade~uate responses to the challenges that confront us all. Mr.' PAOLILLO (Uruguay) U.nterpretatiun from Spanish) I Since 1972, when the international commnity first took co-ordinated action to deal with the growing deterioration of the environment, much has happened in this field and we have learned a great deal. We have a better understmding of the nature Md Jl8gnitude of the many aspects of the phenomenon of ecological degradation» we have a more precise idea of its lethal consequences for the well-being, if not the very survival survival, of mankind» and we have identified a numer of ways in which to defend the environment against the assaults upon it. There can be no doubt that we are better prepared today than we were 20 years ago to defend the environment's integrity, but it is also true that some of the old ecological dangers have grown worse and new ones have appeared, dangers which if not overcome will lead us to a catastrophe with unforeseeable consequences. Therefore, 1n the light of the new circulIBtances, the time has come for the internat~al community to make a second concerted effort to rescue the planet and the space surrounding it from inminent disaster. The conference on environment and development, which is to be held in 1992 - in Brazil, we hope - is a key element in this new effort at co-operation and solidarity, without prejudice to any activities. already begun Ot yat to be begun and whiCh must continue to develop. The conference wlll be an opportunity for (Mr. Nogueira-Batista, Brazil) r I Governments to meet to update ald complete the work done in Stockholm in the light of the changes that have taken place in the past two decades. Governments will be able to examine every aspect of the world's present ecological situation, the areas in which the environment has suffered the worst attacks, the origin of those attacks, their consec:ruences for the Ufe of the planet and its inhabitillts, and future trends. On the basis of that review States will have to take decisions to regulate human activity, with the aim of halting the process of ecological deterioration and ensuring the preservation of our habitat. It is clear that the inte~national community has an enorllDus and difficult task which we must now get down to tackling. After all, we are scarcely two years from the beginning of the conference. That is not long, bearing in inind that in the interim we shall have to resolve such complex questions as the scope and objectives of the conference, prepare all the documentation Md informative material and tackle other major policy and organizational issues. The decisions on those matters taken by the Assembly and the body responsible for the preparatory work will be crucial to the the succesr of the conference. The &:onomic and Social Council md the United Nations Environment Ptogralnme (UNEP), among other bodies, have already made valuable contributions towards the taking of those decisions. I should now like to explain briefly our views on some of the principles that we believe should guide our future work. First, the main purpose of the conference should be to adopt specific principles and recommendations, as well as practical measures, to provide States with the foundation for action to protect the environment, whether unilaterally or in co-operation with other States. It would seem sensible to guide the work of the conference and the preparatory conmittee by drawing up a selective list of the itelllS that should receive the greatest attention, such as the list proposed in the annex to decision 15/3 of UNEP's Governing Council, which Uruguay regards as a ~~. Paolillo, Uruguay) sound basis for deciding the conference's scope. The list includes some of the aatters of greatest concern to Uruguay, such as climate changes, global warming, depletion of the ozone layer, transboundary atmospheric pollution and pro~ction of fresh-water resources, the oceans and the coastal areas, and their resources. In any event, whatever list of issues ls agreed, it will have to be merely indicative, not eXhaustive, so that it will not prevent the CX)nferenc:e or the preparatory cCllllllittee from considering tJIlly matter not now foreseen that may arise in tbe future as a matter of importance. Secondly, to ensure that the CX)nference's resolutions are implemented it will have to be organized on the basis of the participatial on an eaual footing of all States. That also applies to the preparatory stages of the organization of the conference. Uruguay believes that the body set up to cb the preparat....;.:y work should be made up of the States MeJJbers of the United Nations, the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency and should be responsible for taking all the policy decisions concerning the holding of the conference and keeping the General Assembly informed of these. Thirdly, the conference will need complete, up-to-date and precise information on the world ecological situation and its futuce evolution. The preparation of all the material and documentation will reQuire the participation not only of the States Members, bodies, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system and other competent intergovernmental bodies, but also of academic and scientific institutions, non'"90vernmental organizations, trade unions, industrial associations and, generally, all bodies that in one way or another are involved in promoting environmentallY sound sustainable development. Pburthly, the conference will have to take into account the progress made in recent decades in knowledge of social and economic factors and their (Mr. Paolillo, Uruguay) interrelationship. Because of th~t tnowledge we are already aware that the development of the developing countries and the conservation of the environmemt are intilGtely linked and that it wonld be a great mistake to try to solve the 8OO1091al crisis without paying due at~ntion to the economic and social problems of tbfl developing countries. Protection of the environment should be seen not as ao_thing unrelated to the economic and social development of the developing countries, but as an integral part of it. The work of the conference and its outcome must reflect this close rl!lationship, as indicated, indeed, by the name proposed for the conference.. . Pifthly, this concept of the integrated nature of environmental and development problems should .also influence the allocation of responsibili ties and tasks in the impl~mentat1on of the strategy decided upon for the conservation of the environllent. -.rhe economies of the industrializsd countries, with the models of industrialization and patterns of consumption that they create, produce pollution cnd lead to over-exploit~tionof scarce natural resources. c:m the other hand, '.~nderdeveloPllentand poverty also have a negative impact on the environment t;lrough d\e lnappropr late use of scarce natural resources resut ting from lack of financial Gnd technological raeans. Therefore, the causes of environmental degradation may esaentially be placed in two categories. those resul ting from production and the e~joyment of we&lth and those resulting from the oppressive impact of poverty. The first of those two categories is fomd within a system of production and @Dnaumptlon practised by a limited number of societies with a minority percentage @t: the world's popul&tiGn. Nevertheless, they have produced the greatest c:s:ologlcal upheavals" The second category is the inevitable result of ways of life <:sL"ilt vast sections of maM:Lnd have been compelled to follow in order to survlveG The actions in the former category are volmtary and deliberate .. reflecting an option frequently exercised in the pursuit of frills or, f!~ least, of other than vital purposes. The actions in the latter are inevitable and necessary and reflect the elementary survival instinct. It is obvious that, whereas in the first there is the possibility for alternative conduct, in the second there is not. COnsequently, it is also obvious that it must be the industrialized countries which - given their greater responsibility for generating ecological problems and because of their grea ter potential for adopting alternative policies and modes of conduct - will have to contribu te most to the effol't of restor ing the heclth of our ecology. They will have, inter alia, to p~ovide developing countries with access to add!tional financing that may be necessary for implementing envi£'onmentally sound development policies, along with access to environmentally appropriate technologies. The struggle for the preservation of our environment cannot be carried out only on the ecological froot. That strugcrle will turn into a missiQ'l impossible so long as there persists a contrast in excesses characterizing the current international economic order. There ~ill be no definitive solution of the problem of ecological deterioration so long as there continues unbridled the unfolding of production means and consumption styles in industrialized coUiltries that entaU waste, pollution and overexploitation and so long as the developing countries continue to endure the poverty that is afflicting vast sectors of their peoples because of the general deterioration of their economies crushea by the burden of externa! debt and their growing inability to share in the benefits of progrees owing to the technological abyss separating them from the industrialized world. The challenge before the 1992 conference is to provide a solution oommenaurate with the oolllP1exity of the problem. (Mr;, . Paol11lo; .Uruguay) DaIDe Ruth' Nit& .BARRQl (Barbaoosh This is a time of night when we need a mental shake-up as we come to the close of a lMg day. B1t I could not begin my statement without expressing my personal compliments on the skilful way in which the President, with the assistance of the vice-presidents, have so far guided the work of the General Assellbly. We are considering what has certainly become the most well debated, publicized an4perhaptJ ccntentious issue ca the global agenda. Almost daily, in newspaper:", periodicals and on television and radio, many learned and often highly ellDtion-eharged discussions Q'l the envirooment may be heard and fOlBld. There can be no doubt that the environment i.J an issue that is well placed on the agenda of the Assembly - the manifestation of manls struggle to bequeath a better world to our children. we must, however, be careful lest these emotions find their way into our deliberations and get the better of us, the only certain result will be acrimony and deadlock on an issue which demands our urgent attention. Mlch of the deba te at the envirClllment has focused Cb the Calcept of sustainable developillent, as elaborated by the WOrld COJllllisston ClIl Environment and ~velopment, knotin as the Btmdtland Commission. The Commisaim and its distinguished Chairperson deserve our accolades for providing such substantive food for thought en this critical issue. Regrettably, the concept has sometimes been misrepresented. Too often attention has focused Q'l the element of "sustainabllity" whereas the "development" side of the equation has not been highlighted quite as much, too often it ls seen to be synClllYmoU$ witb conserve ti<m and preservatlcn of the envircnment and mch lees eo ln relation to proper management of the environment for current and future developmrmt. It 18 no secret that for many developing countrieB the concept of sustainable dflveloplI&nt Is viewed with 8uspiciCfto Some of these cCftcerris are well founded, for in essence developing countries fear that we are being pressured to make drastic changes in our development strategies - strategies we have fought hard to adopt and adapt to our own circumstances. Now we are being told in effect that these strategies for development are not quite so good as we had. been led to believe, we are being told to adopt more enlightened approaches to development, and this at a time when the burdens of debt, the net reverse flow of resources, protectionism and declining terms of trade are creating insurmountable obstacles to our development. One author has likened this paradox to a football match in which for most of the time allotted ale team dicta tes all the rules and is thus able to score most of the goals, whether by fair or foul maans, and to build up a commanding lead. Then fifteen minutes before the close of play that team calls time-out and decides that the rest of the game should be played fa ir. The pattern of development across much of the globe reflects just such a state of affairs. While some have commanding leads in industrial development, production, accumulation of resources, provision of services for their people and enjoy otherwise enviable levels of consumption, others are marked by poverty, severe infrastructural deficiencies and human resource needs. capacities to adjust to more enlightened development strategies are clearly unequal. The sooner this fact is integrated fUlly into our discussions and into the various programmes of actim en the environment, the sooner will true progress be seen on the enVironment. In essence Sta tea such as my own are seeking a fuller apprec!a ticn of and support for their development objectives as' an integral part of efforts to protect and preserve the environment, we seek a more equitable sharing of the burdens of adjusting to JIOre sustainable and el.'Niroomentally somd development. (Dame Rnth .Nita Barrow. Barbacbs) An essential part of this will be the acbptlon of a frem approach to technology transfers from developed to developing countries" Environm\tntal probleu, Bum as global warll1ng and the depletion of the ozone layer, ~re open to solution or at least amelioration if only the appropriate technology could be developed and _at ave llable. By and large, developing countries are well behind developed countr lea in the research efforts to find colIDustion technologies that cause less pollution md Substitutes for chlorcfluorocarbons, among others. Some mechanlsm must be worked out to make such new developments available on concessional terms to developing countries. Perhaps the search for such substitutes should be taken out of the realm of the free market and a more co-operative apprCi!lch adopted. It violates all precepts of equity for developing countries to replace polluting technologies - purchased in the first place at market prices from developed comtrles - with new, cleanar technologies, also purchased under similar condi tions. The protection of the environment Md indeed the survival of mat*lnd cannot simply be left to the vagaries of the market-place. In this regard proposals such as that for the establishment of a planet protection fund _de by the PriDe Minister of India at the ninth Summit of the Non-Aligned Countries deserve our fullest consideration and elaboration. The representative of India haa now made it available to those of us who did not have it. It must be recognized, however, that technological solutions in the.elves do not cover the fUll range of environmental problelM confronting the internat1on&l (Dame ~Jth Nita Barrow, Barbados) Indeed, perhaps it has been man's unenl1ghtened dependence CIl technology that has brought us to tbls state of affairs.. New and additional financial resources vUl also be necessary for environ.ental programmes and projeet8 geared towards identifying the nature of threats to the environment and devising safe ways of addreaaing them.. Md! t10nal resources will be needed for the training of personnel fro. developing countr.leo to undertake the varied facets of environmental .-age_nt. particularly in the case of small States with limited capacities: financl81land other, considerable assistance vUl be necessary to enhance capabili ties to plan for and respond to environmental diaae tars. It is somewhat ironic that at the very time the need !Or additional assistance is greatest developing countries are faced with measures that could reduce such flows. Barbados has recognized that in the interest of sustainable development envircn_ntal concerns must be integrated into our c!&velop_nt planning. we, however, strongly advocate a non-confrontational approach to this issue - one which g1geo full recognition to development needs. '!'he Gover..UIlent of Bsrbados has recognized the neeel for action in at loast one other area to address environmental problems. In the final .."lysis all en'liromaental probleR8 _1 be traced to one source - namely, p!ople, their attitudes towards their environment and their capacities to adopt environmentally sound IIIInagellent methods. Measures b) protect the Elnvironlleftt vUl involve, to III greet extent, the reshaping of attitudes, ve view thia to be as relevant to the vealthy industrialist, stOCkbroker, or computer epeclalist enjoying a high standard of living aa it 18 to the poor peasait in a da'1eloping comtry. 'lbe only clifference is in the relative ability to adopt nev, lIore enVironmentally conscious patterns of production met consWlptlon. (04_ Ruth Rita Barrow, Barbados) With that 1n mncl, the eovem-.nt has erabatked upon an envlrcn-mtal ect1cation and public awar~neSG progra.... The recently launched Plblicatlon Barbados Bnvircn_nt· News will seek to keep the Barbadian public abr.Mt: of events end nev develosaanta in envirooental conservation and protection at the local, regional _ international luela. Tbere ace also plans for an envircn.mt paster that will focus attention on threats to the en"iron.-t and the need for proper ..nag.Mlnt of our Ualted natural resources so .. to ensure future 8\8tainable 4evelop.-nt.. Barbados hopes that the 1992 conference on envlrOftlleftt and dev.lepaent, to be held in BraaU, vUl include these i8sues &DDng thOM it vill address. The confel'enc<t offerB the opportunity for a truly global approoch to be taken to proble_ that ispinge upon mll_inCI's very existence. Above all we believe that the conference - including all ita preparatory stages - 8hou1cS endeavou: to break do~ the barriers between en"ircn.ental preservation and ~oteetion en the one hand and the fulfllMnt of devel0i8_t objectives Oft the other. It is e.sential that the efforts to protect Ift4 preeene the environaent not have a negative effect upon the dev.lopaent pdorit1•• of developing countries. Every effort lIhould be _de to reach agr...nt an ..~ures to .upport the efforts of developlng countries to play a goreater part in pr••erving the envlranEnto Indeed, if dweloping countries are to MIce the sacrifices nee•••ary to help pr•••r. the environMnt for future generations, we aust be ..sured that In 80 doing OQ~ future generat~n. are not exposed to the pove~ty and - inequality that we have vitn••sed. 'l'he conference .uat alsO! be aetion-orienud and IIOre than _ oce.. ion f« 1ft eXchMge of rhetoric f&gol'dlng the origins of envlronaental prOble.. It shou14 prOlrlde the opportunity for fir. agr...ent Oft pl,\'$~'!'" of action, lnclucllft!1 technical support ..d the provision of 'the nec.oary n_ and adaitional financial .ssistance to addr.s. various envlrae.ental prObl.... (Da. Ruth Nita BaUCM, BarbacJos) Indeed, we ••t endeavour to devote attentiQ1 to a vide rlnge of proble. that confront us. Allcng thellle .y be incl uded the threet to the ozone layer, global v.fIling, the preservation ",d aanage.nt of genetic resources, land-use planning and co-orcUnatlon, ancl forest and watershed .nage.nt. The rise in sea level, the pollution of the oceans, dtC)l'adation of the coastal .d madne environllent, soUd and liquid vaste ..nage.n~ have also all been .entioned by other. tonight. In the v1_ of Barbados, the (kIited Nations Environamnt Prograll. (WEP) p as the united Nations body charged with primary responsibility for the envlren.nt, _t play fa central md leading role in the preparations for the conference. It .et be recognized, however, that other agencies and bodies in the fields ef .teorology, bealth, fOOlS IlI\d agriculture, hu.an settle_nts, marine affairs, science and technology and energy, allOftg others, are engaC)ed in work that ii1 relevlftt to the envlron_nt. '!bob' CQfttrlbuticn cannot be e2!cludecJ. It .at be recognhed" too, that given the global nature of the proble. ve conf~ont nothing lea than global pazotlcipatiaa 1n the preparatory process for the conf~r.nca .,ill be acceptable. That has been IItressed again &nc! ageln. Sull developing nations suCh I3a ey o. Ill1lit be assured of acce. to the var!oWl seclretarlat support .true:tu~es as ve prepare for the conference. Sillilarly, deapite our deep intereat, but given our lillited -eana, Barbados ald othec .ull States .y find it difficult to participate fully in a preparatory process that is widely dispersed. In this regard attention should be given, as suggested by the Governing COUncil of tJRBf at its fUteenth aesslon, to the establishaerat. of a voluntary fund to support the partici.pation of developing comtri. in the conference and in ita preparatory process. OUr cllacuaslons en the preparations for the 1992 conference on 8lvlronMftt and d...lop-.nt _t take place 1n 1ft atllC8phere of Calli -.d re.on, ve IIUIIt re._1n conacloua of the need to work together and to sSlPPQrt each other. In th18 .teta (Da_ Ruth Nita Barrow, Barbados) no one teaa can win, no utter hew great its lead, so. ccncesaions In.t be given to ensure the achieve_nt of the ultillate goal, a better life for our children. Slallar1y, Dme of us can re.ln spectators, it Is ~ process 1n which all must participate. An exhibition on war and peace has just opened In the pubUc lobby of the United .Nat.ions. It has a considerable section Q\ the environment. A buttal that 1. distributed there has on it a Kenyan prcwerb that Is very appropriate to our d1.c...10ns. It says, -Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it vas loaned to you by your children-. Mr. 'MOBIUDDIN (Bangladesh) lOver two years ago the World eoMlssicn on Bnvil'onment and DevelopMent - the Brundtland Co..18sion - drew our attention to the gathering crisis concerning our environ.-nt. Since then we have witnessed a surge of awareness about the challenge that this unprecedented 01'1&18 poses for our cca.xa future. 'Between then and now, slowly but au~ely, wc!! have begw to define the broad outlines of our collective response to this chAllenge. Several processes are now under way to strengthen national actions me! Pl'o.,te regional me! international co-operation en the environllent. We have alao co_ a long way in further developing and providing cClftcrete shape for our ideas on a tbl ted Hations conference on en"iron_nt and de.elqaent in 1992. '!'be decisial to devote this IIHting of the forty-fourth session of the General As••llbly to discusslng utter. relating to that conference, including its preparations, attests to ite great iapol'tance. It also refleeta the degrM of ••rlcvu~n.ss with _ich we would like to prepare ourselves for: the occasion. Like other delegation., that of Bangladelh intends to participate actively in di.cu.alons on various aspects of tbe propo••d conference. we co_it our fUllest cc-opel'atlcm to the promtlon of agre.lI8nt on all outstanding tuue•• (DaM Ruth Nita Barrow, Barbados) i 'I 'I ','I . ,,::; The 1992 COnference should consider the environmental problems afflicting our planet in their broad socio-economic context. Valuable experience gained since the 1982 Stockholm Conference, ideas and recommendations contained in the EnvirCXlmental perspective to the Year 2000 and Beyond and the report of the Brundtland CoJtmbston have all understood this importa\t necessity. It has beeone increasingly evident that challenges to our ecosystem must be considered in the light of present production and consumption patterns in the world, particularly in the developed countries. It is also being increasingly appreciated that the complex challenges may require, in response, radically different apprcsches and emphases in different parts of the world. In the developing countries, for example, nature ill threatened by underdevelopment itself. This root cause of environmental degradation must be attacked frontally if our environment is to be preserved. The scope of the 1992 conference on environment Md development must allow a full Md ser tous disCU'38 ion of this aspect of the global environmental crisis. From this perspective i the relevant preamular and opera tive paragraphs of General Aasellbly resolution 43/196 appear to be of particular relevance for our deliberations. We agree that, taken together, they should set out the scope and general objectives for the conference. The last session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (tJNEP) also made some valuable recollllDendations, which ai:e contained in its decision 15/3. The list annexed to this decision identifies a nuJrber of important environmental problems for consideration. We are positive that the forthcoming conference will address them subatantively. It should be one of the foremost objectives of the 1992 conference to identify the sources of these problems and s~rlously considar the most appropriate way to overcome them. The task that lies ahead in this regard is I!lIOBt definitely a coaplex one reQuiring actions an several fronts. There is thus a need to aChieve agree.ent on international legal norms and guidelines for protecting the (Mr. Mohiuddin, Bangladesh) environ1llent md to put in place mechanisms for mooitoring md surveillance of specific cases of environmental degradation. There is also a need to identify strategies, to be co-ordinated. as appropriate. globally Md regima11y, to intensify national lind international actions. This exercise should lead to forUl agreements on specific commitments to deal with major environmental and developmental issues. we are convinced that the mandate given to the 1992 conf"rance by the General Assembly this fall will take due note of these imperative needs. &lvlronmental problems will certainly de.nd increasing resources. Many of our discussions during recent months have underscored this point. The confer-.nce .must naturally Quantify the financial reauirements for successful implementation of its decisions and recommendations. The efforts to be made during the conference to identi fy possible sources of additional resources "Ul indeed be of the utmost importance. But. as has been stressed, the conference ml.llt not limit itself to this, it must take a further step and agree on specific coftlll!tments on the transfer of add! tional resources to developing countries to enhance their ability to implement conference decisions. The development of environmentally sound technologies and the wide diffusion and application of these technologies should also be high Clft the agenda for the 1992 conference. Bangladesh strongly supJ.X)rts the view that, during deliberations on preparations for the 1992 conference" special emphasis should be given to thie matter. We emphesize that steps to facilitate and support the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, particularly to the developi~ eOWltdes on non-eo.-ercial. and concessional terms, wUl be of particular relevance. Govern.nts, industries l:hd scientific COIlmunl ties should be actively dra1ll'l into the preparations on this issue. (Kr. flbh iuddin. Bangladesh) I There is a1so an urgent need to promte develop~t CI'ld s trengthen appropr ia toe institutions at the national, regional and global lwels to address envi~onmental problems in the context of soc:lo-economic development processes. The entire Unibtd' Nations system needs to be strengthened to enhance its capacity to cope with the . fast-evolving global environmental crisis. These md other questions related to .- .-' hew best to organize future international co-operation in the field of environment and development must be seriously addressed. Much of the success of the 1992 conference in dealing with this complex set of issues hinges on careful and sUbstantive preparations. Several ideas have been advanced on how best to proceed with such preparations. Of all the optiono suggested, we are particularly attracted to the idea that substantive preparations for the conference should be entrusted to an open-ended preparatory committee with "",,"versal participation. This would not only ensure the maxi!ll1Jll possible participation in the preparatory process but also provide the opportunity to approach seemingly intractable environmental problems erom the broadest possible perspective. We should note that the preparatory work will inevitably involve questions extending outside the strictly technical aspects of issues to be considered. These will inescapably be linked to questions of growth and development, leqal issuea and even the financial and budgetary position of the tbited Nations. This is a major consideration in favour of entrusting the preparatory work to a preparatory committee that would ensure wiversal participation. Bangladesh, howeve'r, relllllins flexible about the nUilber of meetings to be held by the preparatory coillllittee. Bangladesh strongly believes that all United N&tlona bodies, particularly UNEP, should continue to play a 'prominent role dur ing the preparatory -process and enrich the preparations for the 1992 conference by both contributing inputs on substantive issues and extending technical support. we are alao particularlY (Mr. Mohiuddin, Ban21adeeh) mindful ef the need to ensure the active partlcipation of the least developed countries in the preparatory process through appropriate financial arrangements and support. We are pleased that much of the initial differences on the title of the 1992 conference have dissipated. We should now be able to take a decision on the matter. It is our firm conviction that the same w111 alao be possible for the venue ana the eJate of the conference. Bangladesh has already welcomed and aupported Brazil'a offer to host the conference. We hope that a decision to this effect wUl be ad:)pted during the current sess ion of the General Assembly. We also support the date for the conference rec:onmended in ONEP Governing Council decision 15/3. '1b conclude, I would like to state ai'ld stress that Bangladesh has g~eat expectations of the conference. Our interest in the success of the conference ste_ from our deep concern ewer the present state of the world's climate and the worrying prospect of its further deterioration. In keeping with this serious concern, only recently, during the summit of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries in Belgrade, our President, Hussain Muhammad Ershad, called for the· early conclusion of as convention on the glObal climate. OUt:' Govecnment has also ini t1ated important steps to integrate envlrcnmental concerns In our policy-making process. The recent formation of our Ministry of Environment is one step that we have taken in this regard. We are aware that neither these small steps in themselves nor the 1992 conference '11111 801ve all our environmental problems. we feel, however, that a significant and important beginning has been made. Given our: wUl to act with a due sense of urgency and cOlllJllitment, these ini tial steps will def!ni tely help us achieve concrete results. We are confident that the 1992 conference on environment (Hr. Mohiuddln, &lngladesh) and development will spur the necessary global effo~ts on a significant scale. These are now needed more critically than ever before to stem and reverse the pace of nature's degradation before it is too late. (Mr. Mohiuddin, ~nglade8h) v_Jdlctlcns 1n i:ecent years have turned the issues of en;1irCllment and development llcJ(:o SOlle of the IIOstchalleng1ng and burning problems of our time. All of us are J1u~,Jr:euingly aware that the delicate balClllce of forces on which the very wzc;aervation of life on thi.s planet rests is neM being threatened by the increasing on'loitation of its limited resources, growing population pressure, unrestrained ~:=::t.Ui1lption and uneontrolled disposal of the waste products of human activity. The oc)~'lronMntal challenges facing mankind are human in origin and global in nature. {Il,JC attellPts to solve them will therefore require both human intervention and ~)lcba1 action and co-operatim. Notwlthstandi.ng the calls for action and international co-operation in n~2aating the alarming deterioration of the Earth's envirmment issued by the first {JJlii'.~d Nations Conference on the Human Envirexlment, held at Stockholm in 1972, the tJtiK?l14vide enviroomental decline - rather than being reversed - has been In highly developed, affluent societies unrestrained demands for ever-larger (lj~G3tities of CjOCK'Je and services md the huge aUIllt!ty of fumes, gases Md m0JQlJatrial and household wastes have resulted in acid rain and -in air, soil and taot)r polluUan and have become the main causes of the global greemouse effect and t~uc depletion of the Earth's ozone layer. Moreover, current patterns of growth in inu~l~t...y ..d develop_nt in those countries are leacling to an increasing spread of too>mic and ha....rul StmstaficeS into the human food chain and into the underground ~ROCft v~tG~ supplies. In 1.a-de\Veloped countries Q\vironmental degradation is gene~ally a symptom cnB1i1tal nor ...na of production often have no choice bqt to exploit to tile fUll the fta'Gcal ...'-01lro•• - laneS. fQrests, fi.edes - to which they have aceess. phyaical environaent. At the sa. tiE, the deterioration of the enviraulent accentuate3 under~velClpDentand poverty. The envlr~aGntal constraints closing in on the world co_unity bave already produced significant changes in the policies of GovernMnts and a new awareneas of the lillita within which world dev&los-ent can progrese. Internatimal G:l-operation and cOllllit-..t are essential to solve envlrcnMntal ps:obl_. At the sue ti.., action is u1t:l1late1y crucial at the nation&! 16ge1• • All countries auet take effective raeasur.es.. in accord.-ace with their respective capabilities, to solve algorent environmental and clevelopaental probleJIiJ. Baeh cowatry,,111 no doubt have its 01Cl ellvircnmental Ind &veloplIeDtel problell9, its own pdorit1s8 for dealiag with thell, its O1in teehnical sUiidar:&!l and policy The indu8t~lali=ed count~ias bear a profound re6ponaibi1ity to Dake the necessary aumgeaets Md to redirect their 4!nergiea alang a'O~e sustainable paths. Countries where pollution and hazardous wastes originate to the greatest extent should ,IUISU_ the _jel: p&r:t ef the burden 1n coJlll:;§ating pollution and disposing of WBste.. They suet also prcwlc!e the financial and technical resources needed to help leas-4eveloped countries eU.inste emdordevolep-.nt, attack poverty and revitalbe their econoll1es. Por th~e whoee concern Est be surYival in the near futuV!, the CaJts of erwircn...tllUy sOWld developsent Id.ght bill untent.lble. That ..as that success in co.mating and reversing environll8Jltal degradation in deve1aping countries Md 1n solving proble.. of a global nat~re w111 require not only changes in perceptions and approaches but a~o &44i t10nal resources and atrengthenea international oo-aperation. For too lcng now hUMnity has been fraught with eUvlsions and illbalances that not cmly perpetuate env1rcnMntel decay but alllO threaten to cause intensified 'I',I .' . ~ regional and global conflicts. The new developments in international life and early steps towards a reversal of the global arms race hold out the promise that, increasingly, human resources and energies may be redirected towards ~he immense challenge of finding and implementing new patterns of economic and ~ocial development .that can be sustained without further envirQ'lmental deterioration. And yet environmental concern cannot be considered in a vacuum and in disregard of the constraints currently impeding the development process, especially in the developing countries. That is why we welcome the decision of the General Assembly that the twin themes of the 1992 conference should be envirQ'lment and development. We are also happy that the proposal concerning the responsibility of States for the protection of the enVirCiiUllent submitted at the forty-third session of the General Assembly by Romania has met with such wide approval. That proves that environmentally sound development is of great importance to all countries, industrialized or developing. whatever their stage of development. The ongoing discussions about the scope and themes of the future conference clearly show that existing and future problems in this field, as in other important areas, cannot a.'ld will not be corrected automatically by the opera tion of market forces. Intervention by public figures is essential. In certain cases intervention by a single Government in the form of taxes, bans Q'l the use of certain materials or the implementation of environmental standards, will suffice. In other cases collective actions by a group of cOllltries or global action will be necessary. We believe that the 1992 conference on environment and development, apart from taking stock of developments since the first conference, should examine the following priorities, first, restraining and halting soil degradation, (Mr. Tanasie, Romania) deforestation and the process of desertificatiooJ second, management of fresh-water resources and reducing water pollution, third, control of marine pollution and proper management of coastal areas, fourth, caltrol of atmospheric pollution and prevention of climatic problems, such as climate change, depletion of tha ozone layer and &cid r~in, fifth, conservation of biological diversity, sixth, reduction of hazardous wastes t"orough development of low- and non-waste technologies and environmentally sowd management of hazardous wastes and potentially toxic chemicals, seventh, prevention and reduction of disasters, eighth, development and transfer of environmentally sound technology. ninth, institutional changes in the United Nations system to cope with the new environmental challenges. Those iaBuea should also be incorpora ted in the new interna tional development strategy for the last decade of this century and become the object of a concerted approach to and search for collective solutions by all Meni,:)er States. Romania wholeheartedly supports the generous offer of the Government uf Brazil to act as host to the 1992 conference. We earnestly hope that that conference will represent a historic turningapoint in mobilizing individual and collective efforts and the tremendous reserves of human knowledge to make our planet a healthier and safer place to live, not only for today's generation but for many genera tions to cone. The meeting rose at 8~20 p.m.