Three separate resolutions were adopted on
21 December 2001 dealing respectively with
the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD) (56/197),
the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (56/199),
and the United Nations Convention
to Combat Desertification in those Countries
Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification,
particularly in Africa (UNCCD) (56/196).
In each of the resolutions, the Assembly encouraged
the conferences of the parties (COPs) to and
the secretariats of the three multilateral
environmental agreements, and other international
instruments related to environment and sustainable
development, as well as relevant organizations,
especially UNEP, to continue their work for
enhancing mutual complementarities with full
respect for the status of the secretariats
of the conventions and the autonomous decision-making
prerogatives of the COPs to the conventions
concerned, to strengthen cooperation with
a view to facilitating progress in the implementation
of those conventions at the international,
regional and national levels and to report
thereon to their respective COPs. The Assembly
also invited the COPs, when setting the dates
of their meetings, to take into consideration
the schedule of meetings of the Assembly and
the CSD so as to ensure the adequate representation
of developing countries at those meetings.
Resolution 56/197,
dealing with the ‘Convention
on Biological Diversity’, recognized
the importance of the signature of the Cartagena
Protocol by 103 parties to the Convention
by 5 June 2001, and the ratification thereof
or accession thereto by seven parties to date.
The Assembly also noted the outcome of the
first meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working
Group on Access and Benefit-sharing, which
addresses the appropriate access to genetic
resources and the fair and equitable sharing
of benefits arising out of its utilization,
held from 22 to 26 October 2001 in Germany,
and the outcome of the second meeting of the
Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety, held at Nairobi from
1 to 5 October 2001.
The Assembly welcomed the decision of the
COP regarding its programme of work on forest
biological diversity, and encouraged the parties
to and the secretariat of the CBD to cooperate
with the UN Forum on Forests. It also took
note of the fact that the provisions of the
Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights and the Convention are interrelated.
The Assembly noted that it looks forward to
the contribution of the CBD to the preparations
of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
The Assembly also called on parties to the
Convention to settle urgently any arrears
and to pay their contributions in full and
in a timely manner so as to finance the ongoing
work of the COP, the subsidiary bodies and
the Convention secretariat. The Assembly also
called on parties to the Convention to become
parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
as soon as possible.
In resolution 56/199
entitled, ‘Protection of global
climate for present and future generations
of mankind’, the Assembly expressed
its appreciation to the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for its excellent
work in preparing the Third Assessment Report,
and encouraged UNFCCC parties to make full
use of the information contained therein.
The Assembly recalled the Millennium Declaration,
in which Heads of State and Government resolved
to make every effort to ensure the entry into
force of the treaty’s Kyoto Protocol,
preferably by the tenth anniversary of the
United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) in 2002, and to embark
on the required reduction of emissions of
greenhouse gases; and called on all States
parties to continue to take effective steps
to implement their Convention commitments,
in accordance with the principle of common
but differentiated responsibilities. The Assembly
stressed the importance of capacity-building,
as well as of developing and disseminating
innovative technologies in respect of key
sectors of development, particularly energy,
and of investment in this regard, including
through private sector involvement, market-oriented
approaches and supportive public policies,
as well as international cooperation, emphasizing
that climate change and its adverse impacts
have to be addressed through cooperation at
all levels.
The Assembly took note of the Marrakesh
Accords, adopted by the seventh UNFCCC COP,
held at Marrakesh, Morocco, from 29 October
to 9 November 2001, complementing the Bonn
Agreements on the implementation of the Buenos
Aires Plan of Action, and paving the way for
the timely entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol.
The Assembly also took note with appreciation
of the Marrakesh Ministerial Declaration,
as a contribution to the preparatory process
for the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
The Assembly also approved the continuation
of the institutional linkage of the secretariat
of the Convention to the UN, and related administrative
arrangements, for a further five-year period,
and requested the Secretary-General to review
the functioning of that linkage by 31 December
2006, in consultation with the Convention
COP.
In Assembly resolution
56/196 on the ‘Implementation
of the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing
Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly
in Africa’, the Assembly welcomed
the outcomes of the fourth and fifth sessions
of the treaty’s COP. The Assembly welcomed
the decision of the COP to submit to the preparatory
process of the World Summit on Sustainable
Development: the Chairman’s summary
of the ministerial and high-level interactive
dialogue sessions held at the fifth COP session,
which includes the challenges of and opportunities
in combating desertification, controlling
land degradation and mitigating the effects
of drought in affected developing countries,
including those relating to financial resources
and achieving sustainable development; and
the comprehensive report of the ad hoc working
group for the in-depth review and analysis
of reports submitted at the third and fourth
sessions of the COPs.
The Assembly also welcomed the decision
of the Council of the Global Environment Facility
(GEF) to consider proposed amendments to the
GEF Instrument to designate land degradation,
primarily desertification and deforestation,
as a focal area of the Facility, as a means
of enhancing its support for the successful
implementation of the Convention with a view
to the Council recommending approval of such
amendments by the GEF Assembly at its meeting
in October 2002. The Assembly also called
upon the international community to contribute
to the implementation of national, subregional
and regional action programmes. It approved
the continuation of the current institutional
linkage and related administrative arrangements
between the UN Secretariat and the Convention
secretariat for a further five-year period,
to be reviewed by the Assembly and the COP
by 31 December 2006. The Assembly invited
all parties to pay promptly and in full the
contributions required for the core budget
of the Convention for the biennium 2002-2003,
and urged all parties that have not yet paid
their contributions for the year 1999 and/or
the biennium 2000-2001 to do so as soon as
possible to ensure continuity in the cash
flow required to finance the ongoing work
of the COP, the secretariat and the Global
Mechanism.
