The fifty-seventh session
of the General Assembly considered a number
of issues related to environment and sustainable
development, and thus of direct relevance
to the work of UNEP. Only a few weeks after
the World Summit on Sustainable Development,
and with the priority accorded to implementation,
as expected the outcome of the Summit permeated
most of the discussions and impacted the decisions
taken on environment and sustainable development
as they relate to substantive matters as well
as to institutional ones. The General Assembly
also considered the Report of UNEP’s
Governing Council at its seventh special session,
held in Cartagena in February 2002, including
matters related to international environmental
governance.
UNEP’s New York Office closely followed
these discussions, as well as additional items
related to UNEP’s activities, such as
the follow up to the outcome of the Millennium
Summit, as well as environmental impact assessments
in Palestine and Afghanistan.
Statement
of the Executive Director
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
It is a privilege for me to
once again have this opportunity to address
the Second Committee on behalf of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and to
introduce for your consideration the
report of the seventh special session of our
Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment
Forum (GC/GMEF) held in early February
2002 in Cartagena, Colombia. I would also
like to take this opportunity to highlight
our future plans in response to the challenging
international priorities defined and agreed
upon during this very rich year of progress
and constructive commitments reached at the
major international conferences.
Mr. Chairman, distinguished
delegates,
The uncertain international
atmosphere and the difficult situation of
the world economy have been highlighted in
your debate. In response to this assessment...............more
Issues
arising for UNEP from the resolutions of the
General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session.
Resolutions
of major significance to UNEP
The General Assembly adopted
resolution
57/251, entitled,
‘Report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme
on its seventh special session’, on 20 December.
Taking into account the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation of the
World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD), and recalling that therein
the Assembly was invited to consider the important
but complex issue of establishing universal
membership for UNEP’s Governing Council/Global
Ministerial Environment Forum, the Assembly
underlined its unique role, as the United Nations’
(UN) highest intergovernmental decision-making
body, in giving consideration to the issue and,
therefore, the need for a thorough analysis
by Member States and the relevant UN system
bodies to enable it to fully consider all its
legal, political, institutional, financial and
system-wide implications, before making a decision.
Reaffirming the role of UNEP as the principal
body within the UN system in the field of
environment, which should take into account,
within its mandate, the sustainable development
needs of developing countries as well as countries
with economies in transition, the Assembly
took note of the report of UNEP’s Governing
Council on its seventh special session, and
the decisions contained therein, and expressed
appreciation to the Open-ended Intergovernmental
Group of Ministers or Their Representatives
on International Environmental Governance
for its report as adopted by the Governing
Council.
Recalling the decision made at WSSD to fully
implement the outcomes of decision 1 on international
environmental governance adopted by UNEP’s
Governing Council, the Assembly invited Member
States, the Governing Council, and relevant
UN system bodies to submit their comments
on the important but complex issue of establishing
universal membership for the Governing Council/Global
Ministerial Environment Forum, including its
legal, political, institutional, financial
and system-wide implications, to the Secretariat,
and requested the Secretary-General to submit
a report incorporating those views to the
Assembly before its sixtieth session.
The General Assembly reiterated its desire
to be informed on the work of the Environment
Management Group. It also requested UNEP,
within its mandate, to continue to contribute
to sustainable development programmes and
the implementation of Agenda
21 at all levels, bearing in mind the
mandate of the Commission on Sustainable Development
(CSD). The Assembly also reiterated the
need for stable, adequate and predictable
financial resources for UNEP, and in this
regard underlined the need to consider adequate
reflection of all UNEP’s administrative and
management costs in the context of the UN
regular budget. The Assembly requested the
Secretary-General to keep the resource needs
of UNEP and the United Nations Office at Nairobi
(UNON) under review so as to permit the delivery
of necessary services to UNEP and other UN
organs and organizations in Nairobi in an
effective manner.
By its resolution
57/253 of 20 December 2002,
on the ‘World Summit
on Sustainable Development’, the General Assembly, reaffirming the commitment to achieving the internationally
agreed development goals, including those contained
in the UN
Millennium Declaration, and in the outcomes
of the major UN conferences and international
agreements since 1992, welcomed the adoption
by the Summit
of the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable
Development and the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation. The Assembly expressed its satisfaction
that the Summit and its preparatory committee
provided for the active participation of, inter alia, all States Members, and various
intergovernmental organizations, including the
funds, programmes and specialized agencies of
the UN system, at the highest level, as well
as the major groups representing all regions
of the world. The Assembly reaffirmed the need
to ensure a balance between economic development,
social development and environmental protection
as interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars
of sustainable development, and that poverty
eradication, changing unsustainable patterns
of production and consumption, and protecting
and managing the natural resource base of economic
and social development are overarching objectives
of, and essential requirements for, sustainable
development. It also noted with interest the
partnership initiatives voluntarily undertaken
by some Governments, international organizations
and major groups, announced at the Summit.
Expressing
its profound gratitude to the Governments
and the peoples of Indonesia and South Africa
for hosting, respectively, the fourth preparatory
committee meeting and the Summit, the Assembly
took note with satisfaction of the report
of WSSD, and endorsed the Johannesburg Declaration
on Sustainable Development and the Johannesburg
Plan of Implementation.
The
Assembly decided to adopt sustainable development
as a key element of the overarching framework
for UN activities, in particular for achieving
the internationally agreed development goals,
including those contained in the UN Millennium
Declaration, and to give overall political
direction to the implementation of Agenda
21 and its review. The Assembly urged Governments
and all relevant international and regional
organizations, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC),
UN funds, programmes and regional economic
commissions, specialized agencies, international
financial institutions, the GEF, as well as
other intergovernmental organizations and
major groups, to take timely actions to ensure
the effective follow-up and implementation
of the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable
Development and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation,
and encouraged the implementation of partnership
initiatives voluntarily undertaken by some
Governments, international organizations and
major groups, and called for further discussion
of this matter within CSD. The Assembly also
called for the implementation of the commitments,
programmes and time bound targets adopted
at the Summit and, to this end, for the fulfillment
of the provisions of the means of implementation
as contained in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
ECOSOC was requested
to ensure that the CSD holds an organizational
meeting in January 2003 and its next session
in April/May 2003, and the Secretary-General
was requested to prepare a report containing
proposals on the modalities of the future
work of CSD, taking into account the decisions
contained in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
ECOSOC was requested to implement the provisions
of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
relevant to its mandate, in particular to
promote the implementation of Agenda 21 by
strengthening system-wide coordination. The
Secretary-General was requested to take into
full account the WSSD outcomes, in particular
the decisions made on the institutional framework
for sustainable development as contained in
chapter XI of the Plan of Implementation,
in the ongoing process of reform of the UN
and in his contribution to the integrated
and coordinated implementation of and follow-up
to the outcomes of major UN conferences and
summits in the economic, social and related
fields, and he was asked to submit a report
on the implementation of the resolution to
the fifty-eighth session.
In resolution
57/51 on the ‘Question
of Antarctica’, adopted
on 22 November 2002, the General Assembly,
conscious of the particular significance of
Antarctica to the global and regional environment,
its effects on climate conditions, and scientific
research, recognized the value of the Antarctic
Treaty in furthering the purposes and principles
of the UN Charter. The Assembly noted with
satisfaction the entry into force of the Madrid
Protocol on Environmental Protection,
under which Antarctica has been designated
as a natural reserve devoted to peace and
science, and its provisions regarding the
protection of the Antarctic environment and
dependent and associated ecosystems, including
the need for environmental impact assessment
in the planning and conduct of all relevant
activities in Antarctica. The Assembly
also welcomed the continuing cooperation among
countries undertaking scientific research
activities in Antarctica, which may help to
minimize human impact on the environment.
