A/RES/40/200 GA

154 General Assembly- Fortieth Session report on the implementation in the Sudano-Sahelian region of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification. l l 9th plenary meeting 17 December 1985 40/199. Co-operation between the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Pro- gramme The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 32/ l 62 of 19 December 1977 and 35/77 B of 5 December 1980, Having considered resolution 8/14 adopted by the Com- mission on Human Settlements on 8 May 198588 and deci- sion 13/ l 2 adopted by the Goveming Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on 23 May 1985,83 Decides to discontinue the annual meetings of the Exec- utive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the bureau of the Commission on Human Settlements with the Executive Director ofthe United Nations Environment Programme and the bureau of its Governing Council. l 19th p/enary meeting 17 December 1985 40/200. International co-operation in the field of the environment The General Assembly, Recognizing the intemational dimension of environ- mental problems, the role of environmental factors in the broader economic and social context, and the importance of taking environmental considerations fully into account in the implementation of the Intemational Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Dec- ade, 22 Having considered the report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on the work of its thirteenth session, 82 Having considered a/so the report of the Executive Director of the United Nations Env1ronment Programme on intemational conventions and prv:ncols in the field of the environment,89 Noting with deep concern that the harmful consequences of the drought and desertification seriously affecting many countries, in particular African countries, are exacerbated by the continued erosion of the resource base for the development of those countries, Reaffirming the importance of the interrelationships between resources, environment, people and development, and the need to take those interrelationships into account in development policies and strategies, Stressing the importance of an international exchange of experience and knowledge conceming the protection ofthe environment, Noting the activity of the United Nations Environment Programme on the subject "The arms race and the envi- ronment", in accordance with its programme of work as adopted by the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Goveming Council of the United Nations Environment Programme, 88 See Official Rtcords of the General Assembly, Fortieth Session, Supple- ment No. 8" (A/40/8 and Corr.1 ). anncx I, sect. A. 89 UNEP/GC.13/1 O. Mindful of the sovereign rights of States o ver their natu- ral resources, including their forests, Noting a/so the activities of the United Nations and other intemational organizations, as well as the intema- tional initiatives being taken that are directed towards the important objective of rational management, protection and rehabilitation of the world's forests, Reca/ling its resolution 38/ l 6 l of 19 December 1983 on the process of preparation of the Environmental Perspec- tive to the Year 2000 and Beyond, 1. Takes note of the report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on the work of its thirteenth session and endorses the decisions contained therein,82 as adopted; 2. Welcomes the decision ofthe Governing Council to change to a biennial cycle of sessions on an experimental basis and in this regard takes note of the establishment of the open-ended Committee of Pennanent RepresenLltives to facilitate this process;90 3. Invites the Governing Council, when reviewing the experiment with the organization of a biennial work pro- gramme, to consider changes that may in consequence be necessary in the functioning of the Council. mcluding the term of membership; 4. Welcomes section lII of decision 13/ l of 23 May 1985,83 and decision 13/10 of24 May 198583 by which the Governing Council initiated steps towards the preparation of the system-wide medium-term environment pro- gramme for the period 1990-1995 and invited the Admin- istrative Committee on Co-ordination to review and fur- ther develop the methodology in the light ofthe experience gained in the system-wide medium-term cnvironment programme for the period 1984-1989; 5. Takes note of the work done by the Special Com- mission on the Environmental Perspective to the Year 2000 and Beyond, which has adopted the name World Commission on Environment and Development, and by the Intergovemmental Inter-sessional Preparatory Com- mittee on the Environmental Perspective to the Year 2000 and Beyond in the prepara t. .,n of their reports. and recalls the relationship between the Commi~1oion aHJ the Com- mittee, as set out in General Assembly resolution 38/161; 6. Takes note ofthe progress on international conven- tions and protocols in the field of the environment during 1985, including the aJoption of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and of an interna- tional protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, on sulphur emissions and fluxes, and the organization ofthe first meeting ofthe Con- ference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conserva- tion of Migratory Species of Wild Animals; 7. Considers that measmes to deal with the erosion of the natural resource base in countries affected by drought and desertification should have as one oftheir major aims the sustainable exploitation and increased productivity of that natural resource base; 8. Welcomes the importance attached by the Govern- ing Council to regional approaches and programmes relating to international co-operation in the field of the environment, and in this context stresses the relevance of specific regional planning identified hy the regions them- selves; 9. Notes with appreciation the convening of the first African Ministerial Conference on the Environment at Cairo from 16 to 18 December 1985; 90 See Officia/ Records of the General Assernhl>•· Fortieth s ... ,.,wn. Supp/,•. ment No. J5 (A/40/2~). annex, decision 1312. V. Resolutions adopted on the reports of the Second Committee ISS 10. Ca/Is upon the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme to co-ordinate further the activities ofthe Programme with those of other organi- zations ofthe United Nations system, to co-operate appro- priately with the organizers of the intemational initiatives on the future of the forests, and to report thereon to the Goveming Council; 11. Reaffirms the need to strengthen the co-ordinating role of the United Nations Environment Programme and the need for additional resources to assist developing countries in dealing with serious environmental problems, and urges the Executive Director of the Programme, in consultation with Govemments and the intemational organizations concemed, to accelerate and intensify his efforts in that field; 12. Expresses its appreciation to the Govemments that continue to contribute to the Fund of the United Nations Environment Programme, particularly those that have increased their contributions, and urges those Govem- ments that have not yet paid their pledged contributions to the Fund for 1985 or made pledges for 1986 to do so in the near future. 119th plenary meeting 17 December 1985 40/201. Living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories The General Assembly, Recalling the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settle- ments, 1976,91 and the relevant recommendations for national action92 adopted by Habitat: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, Recalling also its resolution 39/ l 69 of 17 December 1984, Taking note of Commission on Human Settlements res- olution 8/3 of 10 May 1985,88 Grave/y alarmed by the continuation of the Israeli settle- ment policies, which have been declared null and void and a major obstacle to peace, Recognizing the need to identify priority development projects needed for improving the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories, 1. Takes note with concern of the report of the Secre- tary-General on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories;93 2. Takes note a/so of the statement made on 25 October 1985 by the observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization;94 3. Rejects the Israeli plans and actions intended to change the demographic composition of the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly the increase and expan- sion of the lsraeli settlements, and other plans and actions creating conditions leading to the displacement and exo- dus of Palestinians from the occupied Palestinian terri- tories; 4. Expresses its a/arm at the deterioration, as a result of the Israeli occupation, in the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; 5. Affirms that the Israelí occupation is contradictory to the basic requirements for the social and economic 9I Report of Habita/: United Natwns Conference on Human Selllements. Vancouver, 31 May-11 June 1976 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.76.IV.7 and comgendum), chap. l. 92 /bid., chap. 11. 93 A/40/373-E/1985/99 development of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories; 6. Requests the Secretary-General: (a) To organize, by April 1987, a seminar on priority development projects needed for improving the living con- ditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestin- ian territories, including a comprehensive general housing programme, as recommended in resolution 8/3 of the Commission on Human Settlements; (b) To make the necessary preparations for the semi- nar, providing for the participation ofthe Palestine Libera- tion Organization; (e) To invite experts to present papers to the seminar; (d) To invite also relevant intergovemmental and non- govemmental organizations; (e) To report to the General Assembly at its forty-first session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the preparations for the seminar; (/} To report to the General Assembly at its forty- second session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the seminar. l 19th p/enary meeting 17 December 1985 40/202. Human settlements A REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN SETILEMENTS The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and 3202 (S-VI) of 1 May 1974, containing the Declaration and the Pro- gramme of Action on the Establishment of a New Intema- tional Economic Order, 3281 (XXIX) of 12 December 1974, containing the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States, and 3362 (S-VII) of 16 September 1975 on development and intemational economic co-operation, Recalling a/so its resolutions 32/ l 62 of 19 December 1977 on institutional arrangements for intemational co- operation in the field ofhuman settlements and 34/116 of 14 December 1979 on the strengthening of human settle- ments activities, Conscious of the very substantial gap between the resources available through voluntary contributions to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the needs of developing countries requesting assist- ance from the Centre, Having considered the report of the Commission on Human Settlements on the work of its eighth session,95 1. Takes note of the report of the Commission on Human Settlements on the work of its eighth session; 2. Takes note with appreciation of the progress which the Commission and its secretariat, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), have continued to make in providing guidance and assistance to Govem- ments in their efforts to provide adequate shelter and serv- ices to their people, particularly the poor and disadvan- taged; 3. Calls upon all Govemments to accord the requisite priority in their development and development assistance 94 Offic1al Records of the Genera! 1sseml>ly, Fortieth Se.rnon, Second Com mi/lee, 17th meeting, paras. 93-99 95 ll>1d .. Fortieth Sesswn. Su¡,p,eml'nt No. 8 (A/40/8 and Corr.1 ).

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