A/RES/42/184 GA

V. Resolutions adopted on the reports of the Second Committee 139 3. Calls upon ali Governments to co-operate in the pre- vention and control of illegal traffic in toxic and dangerous products and wastes -that is, traffic in contravention of national legislation and relevan! international legal instru- ments -as well as traffic not carried out in compliance with internationally accepted guidelines and principies. 96th plenary meeting I I December 1987 42/184. International co-operation in the field of the en- vironment The General Assembly, Having considered the report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on the work of its fourteenth session,49 Having also considered the report of the Executive Di- rector ofthe United Nations Environment Programme on international conventions and protocols in the field of the environment, 50 Taking note of the Environmental Perspective to the Year 2000 and Beyond 51 and the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, 12 Noting the implications for the work of the United Na- tions Environment Programme of the Nairobi Forward- looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women36 and ofthe system-wide medium-term plan for women in devel- opment,52 Aware that serious environmental problems are arising in both developed and developing countries, Reaffirming the importance of taking fully into account the interrelationships between resources, environment, people and development in development policies and strategies, Conscious that environmental considerations must be taken into foil account by each country in framing and im- plementing its development plans in accordance with its development objectives, Recognizing the importance of the international ex- change of experience and knowledge and of the promotion of the transfer of technology for the protection and en- hancement ofthe environment in accordance with respec- tive national laws, regulations and policies, l. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on the work of its fourteenth session49 and en- dorses the decisions contained therein,46 as adopted; 2. Expresses its appreciation for the development of in- ternational co-operation in the field of the environment and the work of the United Nations Environment Pro- gramme during the fifteen years since the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held at Stock- holm from 5 to 16 June 1972, and calls for further action- oriented co-operation for the protection and enhancement of the environment; 3. Takes note with appreciation of Governing Council decision 14/13 of 19 June 1987,46 by which the Council adopted the Environmental Perspective to the Y ear 2000 and Beyond,51 and Council decision 14/14 of 19 June 49 Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-second Session, S"f!lement No. 25 (A/42/25 and Corr.l). UNEP/GC.14/18 and Corr.l and Add.l. 51O.ffecíal Records of the General Assembly, Forty-second Session, Suff.1ement No. 25 (A/42/25 and Corr.l), annex 11. See Economic and Social Council resolution 1987 /86 of 8 July 1987. 1987, 46 in which the Council accepted the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development12 as a guideline to be taken into account in further work of the United Nations Environment Programme; 4. Considers that evaluation is an integral part of the programming cycle of the United Nations Environment Programme and should be undertaken using a methodol- ogy developed in consultation with the partners of the Programme in the United Nations system and with Gov- ernments; S. Welcomes the annual reports on the state of the world environment, in particular the report for 1987, 53 fif- teen years after the United Nations Conference on the Hu- man Environment, and requests that these reports be given wide dissemination and be drawn upon fully in the preparation of reports within the United Nations system on the world economic and social situation; 6. Agrees with the Governing Council that the United Nations Environment Programme should attach impor- tance to the problem of global climate change and that the Executive Director should ensure that the Programme co- operates closely with the World Meteorological Organiza- tion and the International Council of Scientific Unions and maintains an active, influential role in the World Cli- ma te Programme; 7. Takes note of Governing Council decision 14/26 of 17 June 198746 regarding the rationalization of interna- tional conventions on biological diversity, in which the Council requested the Executive Director, in consultation with Governments and within available resources, to es- tablish an ad hoc working group of experts to investigate in close collaboration with the Ecosystems Conservation Group and other international organizations the desirabil- ity and possible form of an umbrella convention to ration- alize current activities in this field, and to address other areas which might fall under such a convention; 8. Welcomes the importance given by the Governing Council to forest ecosystems and, bearing in mind existing programmes and expertise in this field, welcomes section I of Governing Council decision 14/1 B of 17 June 1987,46 in which it took note of and welcomed the initiative of the Executive Director to pursue consultations among coun- tries owning tropical forests and other forest ecosystems, and other interested countries, aimed at finding ways and means to consider, through the appropriate intemational mechanisms, including the Intemational Tropical Timber Organization, practica( collaborative action for the sus- tainable use and conservation of significant areas of forest ecosystems and the genetic resources they contain; 9. Expresses its appreciation for the leading role played by the United Nations Environment Programme in achieving the entry into force ofthe Agreement on the Ac- tion Plan for the Environmentally Sound Management of the Common Zambezi River system, the adoption of the Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region, the entry into force ofthe Convention for the Protection and Devel- opment of the Marine Environment of the Wider Carib- bean Region and, in particular, the adoption of the Mont- real Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, and encourages the United Nations Environment Pro- gramme, through its Governing Council, to continue such etforts; 10. Welcomes Goveming Council decision 14/30 of 17 June 1987,46 in which the Council approved the Cairo Guidelines and Principies for the Environmentally Sound 53 UNEP/GC.14/6 and Add.l, Add.2 and Corr.l, and Add.3. 140 General Assembly-Forty-second Session Management ofHazardous Wastes,48 and the steps taken by the United Nations Environment Programme to de- velop a global convention on environmentally sound transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, supports the Goals and Principies of Environmental Impact As- sessment54 adopted by the Governing Council in its deci- sion 14/25 of 17 June 1987 and its recommendations re- garding their application, welcomes the adoption by the Governing Council in its decision 14/27 of 17 June 1987 of the London Guidelines for the Exchange of Informa- tion on Chemicals in International Trade47 and encour- ages further steps in this regard; 11. Expresses its satisfaction at the results achieved at the first and second sessions of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, held, respectively, at Cairo, from 16 to 18 December 1985, and at Nairobi, from 4 to 6 June 1987, the first Arab Ministerial Conference on Environmental Considerations in Development, held at Tunis from 13 to 15 October 1986, and the fifth Intergov- ernmental Regional Meeting on the Environment in Latin America and the Caribbean, held at Montevideo in April 1987; 12. Agrees with the Governing Council on the desira- bility of creating and operating regional networks of non- governmental environmental organizations, especially in the developing countries; 13. Reaffirms the need for additional financia) re- sources from donor countries and organizations to assist developing countries in identifying, analysing, monitor- ing, preventing and managing environmental problems in accordance with their national development plans, priori- ties and objectives; 14. Reaffirms the need for developed countries and ap- propriate organs and organizations of the United Nations system to strengthen technical co-operation with the de- veloping countries to enable them to develop and enhance their capacity for identifying, analysing, monitoring, pre- venting and managing environmental problems in accor- dance with their national development plans, priorities and objectives; 15. A/so reaffirms the need for technical co-operation among developing countries in the field of the environ- ment, and invites the appropriate organs and organiza- tions ofthe United Nations system to assist, upon request ofthe parties concerned, in the promotion and strengthen- ing of such co-operation; 16. Concurs with Governing Council decision 14/6 of 17 June 1987,46 in which the Council decided that the clearing-house mechanism within the United Nations En- vironment Programme should focus its efforts on strengthening the capacity of developing countries to pro- mote sustainable development by supporting policy plan- ning and institution building, enabling the developing countries to give adequate priority to environmental con- siderations, and that it should, inter afia, support a limited number of programmes of regional significance; 17. Takes note of Governing Council decision 14/10 of 18 June 198746 on the environmental impact of apart- heid on Black agriculture in South Africa; 18. Recalls the essential catalytic and co-ordinating role of the United Nations Environment Programme within the United Nations system concerning the environ- ment, requests that that role be further developed in the light, particularly, of Governing Council decisions 14/ 13 and 14/14, and calls upon the Designated Officials for En- 54 UNEP/GC.14/17, annex III. vironmental Matters to improve their effectiveness, bear- ing in mind those decisions; 19. Agrees with the Governing Council on the impor- tance it attached, in the annex to its decision 14/12 of 18 June 1987,46 to the preparation of the system-wide medium-term environment programme for the period 1990-1995, guided by the Environmental Perspective to the Year 2000 and Beyond, and urges the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination to develop an effective way of monitoring the implementation ofthe system-wide pro- gramme and of evaluating critica] programmes therein that involve a number of organizations; 20. Expresses its appreciation to those countries which have contributed regularly to the Environment Fund, and urges ali countries that have not contributed to the Fund to do so for 1988 and in future years so that the financia! base of the Fund may be expanded; 21. Urges ali contributing countries to increase their contributions to the Environment Fund for 1988 and in future years so as to enable the approved programme of activities to be fully implemented. 96th plenary meeting 11 December 1987 42/185. Biennial cycle of sessions of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 2997 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972, by which it decided to establish the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme and specified the duration of the term of office of members of the Council, Mindful that one of the main functions and responsibili- ties it entrusted to the Council in resolution 2997 (XXVII) was to review and approve annually the programme ofuti- lization of resources of the Environment Fund referred to in section 111 of that resolution, Recalling its decision in section I, paragraph 3, of reso- lution 2997 (XXVII) that the Governing Council should report to the General Assembly annually through the Eco- nomic and Social Council and its request in paragraph 5 of resolution 3436 (XXX) of 9 December 1975 that the Gov- eming Council should keep the Assembly informed annu- ally of any new international convention concluded in the field of the environment and of the status of existing con- ventions, Bearing in mind its resolution 38/32 D of 25 November 1983, in which it requested its subsidiary organs to con- sider meeting and reporting on a biennial basis, and its resolution 40/200 of 17 December 1985, in which it wel- comed the decision of the Governing Council to change to a biennial cycle of sessions on an experimental basis, Taking note with satisfaction ofGoverning Council deci- sion 14/4 of 18 June 198746 on the periodicity and dura- tion of sessions of the Council, Having considered the possibility of changing the dura- tion of the term of office of members of the Governing Council in recognition of the change to a biennial cycle of sessions, 1. Decides that there shall be no regular session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme in 1988 and that, beginning in 1989, the regu- lar sessions of the Council shall be held only in odd- numbered years;

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