United Nations

A/RES/S-19/2

General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

19 September 1997

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

Nineteenth special session
Agenda item 8

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

[without reference to a Main Committee (A/S-19/29)]

S/19-2. Programme for the Further Implementation
of Agenda 21

The General Assembly

Adopts the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21
annexed to the present resolution.

11th plenary meeting
28 June 1997

ANNEX

Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21

Adopted by the General Assembly at its nineteenth special session
(23-28 June 1997)

CONTENTS

Paragraphs

I. STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT .............................. 1 - 6

II. ASSESSMENT OF PROGRESS MADE SINCE THE UNITED NATIONS
CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT ............ 7 - 21

III. IMPLEMENTATION OF AGENDA 21 IN AREAS REQUIRING URGENT
ACTION ............................................... 22 - 115

A. Integration of economic, social and environmental
objectives ....................................... 23 - 32

B. Sectors and issues ............................... 33 - 75

C. Means of implementation .......................... 76 - 115

IV. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS ............. 116 - 137

A. Greater coherence in various intergovernmental
organizations and processes ...................... 117 - 121

B. Role of relevant organizations and institutions
of the United Nations system ..................... 122 - 129

C. Future role and programme of work of the
Commission on Sustainable Development ............ 130 - 132

D. Methods of work of the Commission on Sustainable
Development ...................................... 133 - 137

Appendix. Multi-year programme of work for the Commission
on Sustainable Development, 1998-2002


I. STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT

1. At the nineteenth special session of the United Nations General
Assembly, we - heads of State or Government and other heads of
delegations, together with our partners from international
institutions and non-governmental organizations - have gathered to
review progress achieved over the five years that have passed since
the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and to
re-energize our commitment to further action on goals and objectives
set out by the Earth Summit.

2. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was a
landmark event. At that Conference, we launched a new global
partnership for sustainable development - a partnership that respects
the indivisibility of environmental protection and the development
process. It is founded on a global consensus and political commitment
at the highest level. Agenda 21, 1/ adopted at Rio de Janeiro,
addresses the pressing environment and development problems of today
and also aims at preparing the world for the challenges of the next
century in order to attain the long-term goals of sustainable
development.

3. Our focus at this special session has been to accelerate the
implementation of Agenda 21 in a comprehensive manner and not to
renegotiate its provisions or to be selective in its implementation.
We reaffirm that Agenda 21 remains the fundamental programme of action
for achieving sustainable development. We reaffirm all the principles
contained in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development 2/
and the Forest Principles. 3/ We are convinced that the achievement
of sustainable development requires the integration of its economic,
environmental and social components. We recommit to working together
- in the spirit of global partnership - to reinforce our joint efforts
to meet equitably the needs of present and future generations.

4. We acknowledge that a number of positive results have been
achieved, but we are deeply concerned that the overall trends with
respect to sustainable development are worse today than they were in
1992. We emphasize that the implementation of Agenda 21 in a
comprehensive manner remains vitally important and is more urgent now
than ever.

5. Time is of the essence in meeting the challenges of sustainable
development as set out in the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21. To this
end, we recommit ourselves to the global partnership established at
the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and to
the continuous dialogue and action inspired by the need to achieve a
more efficient and equitable world economy, as a means to provide a
supportive international climate for achieving environment and
development goals. We therefore, pledge to continue to work together,
in good faith and in the spirit of partnership, to accelerate the
implementation of Agenda 21. We invite everyone throughout the world
to join us in our common cause.

6. We commit ourselves to ensuring that the next comprehensive review
of Agenda 21 in the year 2002 demonstrates greater measurable progress
in achieving sustainable development. The present Programme for the
Further Implementation of Agenda 21 is our vehicle for achieving that
goal. We commit ourselves to fully implementing this Programme.


II. ASSESSMENT OF PROGRESS MADE SINCE THE UNITED NATIONS
CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT 4/, 5/

7. The five years that have elapsed since the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development have been characterized by
the accelerated globalization of interactions among countries in the
areas of world trade, foreign direct investment and capital markets.
Globalization presents new opportunities and challenges. It is
important that national and international environmental and social
policies be implemented and strengthened in order to ensure that
globalization trends have a positive impact on sustainable
development, especially in developing countries. The impact of recent
trends in globalization on developing countries has been uneven. A
limited number of developing countries have been able to take
advantage of those trends, attracting large inflows of external
private capital and experiencing significant export-led growth and
acceleration of growth in per capita gross domestic product. Many
other countries, however, in particular African countries and the
least developed countries, have shown slow or negative growth and
continue to be marginalized. As a result, they generally experienced
stagnating or falling per capita gross domestic product through 1995.
In these and in some other developing countries, the problems of
poverty, low levels of social development, inadequate infrastructure
and lack of capital have prevented them from benefiting from
globalization. While continuing their efforts to achieve sustainable
development and to attract new investments, these countries still
require international assistance in their efforts directed towards
sustainable development. In particular the least developed countries
continue to be heavily dependent on a declining volume of official
development assistance for the capacity-building and infrastructure
development required to provide for basic needs and more effective
participation in the globalizing world economy. In an increasingly
interdependent world economy, the responsible conduct of monetary and
other macroeconomic policies requires that their potential impact on
other countries be taken into account. Since the Conference, the
countries with economies in transition have achieved significant
progress in implementing the principles of sustainable development.
However, the need for full integration of these countries into the
world economy remains one of the crucial problems on their way towards
sustainable development. The international community should continue
to support these countries in their efforts to accelerate the
transition to a market economy and to achieve sustainable development.

8. Although economic growth - reinforced by globalization - has
allowed some countries to reduce the proportion of people in poverty,
for others marginalization has increased. Too many countries have
seen economic conditions worsen and public services deteriorate; the
total number of people in the world living in poverty has increased.
Income inequality has increased among countries and also within them,
unemployment has worsened in many countries, and the gap between the
least developed countries and other countries has grown rapidly in
recent years. On a more positive note, population growth rates have
been declining globally, largely as a result of expanded basic
education and health care. That trend is projected to lead to a
stable world population in the middle of the twenty-first century.
There has also been progress in social services, with expanding access
to education, declining infant mortality and increasing life
expectancy in most countries. However, many people, particularly in
the least developed countries, still do not have access to adequate
food and basic social services or to clean water and sanitation.
Reducing current inequities in the distribution of wealth and access
to resources, both within and among countries, is one of the most
serious challenges facing humankind.

9. Five years after the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, the state of the global environment has continued to
deteriorate, as noted in the Global Environment Outlook 6/ of the
United Nations Environment Programme, and significant environmental
problems remain deeply embedded in the socio-economic fabric of
countries in all regions. Some progress has been made in terms of
institutional development, international consensus-building, public
participation and private sector actions and, as a result, a number of
countries have succeeded in curbing pollution and slowing the rate of
resource degradation. Overall, however, trends are worsening. Many
polluting emissions, notably of toxic substances, greenhouse gases and
waste volumes are continuing to increase although in some
industrialized countries emissions are decreasing. Marginal progress
has been made in addressing unsustainable production and consumption
patterns. Insufficient progress has also been identified in the field
of environmentally sound management and adequate control of
transboundary movements of hazardous and radioactive wastes. Many
countries undergoing rapid economic growth and urbanization are also
experiencing increasing levels of air and water pollution, with
accumulating impacts on human health. Acid rain and transboundary air
pollution, once considered a problem only in the industrialized
countries, are increasingly becoming a problem in many developing
regions. In many poorer regions of the world, persistent poverty is
contributing to accelerated degradation of natural resources and
desertification has spread. In countries seriously affected by
drought and/or desertification, especially those in Africa, their
agricultural productivity, among other things, is uncertain and
continues to decline, thereby hampering their efforts to achieve
sustainable development. Inadequate and unsafe water supplies are
affecting an increasing number of people worldwide, aggravating
problems of ill health and food insecurity among the poor. Conditions
in natural habitats and fragile ecosystems, including mountain
ecosystems, are still deteriorating in all regions of the world,
resulting in diminishing biological diversity. At the global level,
renewable resources, in particular fresh water, forests, topsoil and
marine fish stocks, continue to be used at rates beyond their viable
rates of regeneration; without improved management, this situation is
clearly unsustainable.

10. While there has been progress in material and energy efficiency,
particularly with reference to non-renewable resources, overall trends
remain unsustainable. As a result, increasing levels of pollution
threaten to exceed the capacity of the global environment to absorb
them, increasing the potential obstacles to economic and social
development in developing countries.

11. Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, extensive efforts have been made by Governments and
international organizations to integrate environmental, economic and
social objectives into decision-making by elaborating new policies and
strategies for sustainable development or by adapting existing
policies and plans. As many as one hundred and fifty countries have
responded to the commitments established at the Conference through
national-level commissions or coordinating mechanisms designed to
develop an integrated approach to sustainable development.

12. The major groups have demonstrated what can be achieved by taking
committed action, sharing resources and building consensus, reflecting
grass-roots concern and involvement. The efforts of local authorities
are making Agenda 21 and the pursuit of sustainable development a
reality at the local level through the implementation of "local Agenda
21s" and other sustainable development programmes. Non-governmental
organizations, educational institutions, the scientific community and
the media have increased public awareness and discussion of the
relations between environment and development in all countries. The
involvement, role and responsibilities of business and industry,
including transnational corporations, are important. Hundreds of
small and large businesses have made "green business" a new operating
mode. Workers and trade unions have established partnerships with
employers and communities to encourage sustainable development in the
workplace. Farmer-led initiatives have resulted in improved
agricultural practices contributing to sound resource management.
Indigenous people have played an increasing role in addressing issues
affecting their interests and particularly concerning their
traditional knowledge and practices. Young people and women around
the world have played a prominent role in galvanizing communities into
recognizing their responsibilities to future generations.
Nevertheless, more opportunities should be created for women to
participate effectively in economic, social and political development
as equal partners in all sectors of the economy.

13. Among the achievements since the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development have been the entry into force of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 7/ the
Convention on Biological Diversity 8/ and the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing
Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa; 9/
the conclusion of the Agreement on the Implementation of the
Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of
10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and Management of
Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks; 10/ the
adoption of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of
Small Island Developing States; 11/ the elaboration of the Global
Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from
Land-based Activities; 12/ and the entry into force of the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 13/ Implementation of
these important commitments and of others adopted before the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development by all the parties
to them, remains however, to be carried out, and in many cases further
strengthening of their provisions is required as well as the
mechanisms for putting them into effect. The establishment,
restructuring, funding and replenishment of the Global Environment
Facility were a major achievement. However, its levels of funding and
replenishment have not been sufficient fully to meet its objectives.

14. Progress has been made in incorporating the principles contained
in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development - including the
principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, which
embodies the important concept of and basis for international
partnership; the precautionary principle; the polluter pays principle;
and the environmental impact assessment principle - in a variety of
international and national legal instruments. While some progress has
been made in implementing United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development commitments through a variety of international legal
instruments, much remains to be done to embody the Rio principles more
firmly in law and practice.

15. A number of major United Nations conferences have advanced
international commitment for the achievement of long-term goals and
objectives directed towards sustainable development.

16. Organizations and programmes of the United Nations system have
played an important role in the progress made in the implementation of
Agenda 21. The Commission on Sustainable Development was established
to review progress achieved in the implementation of Agenda 21,
advance global dialogue and foster partnerships for sustainable
development. The Commission has catalysed new action and commitments
and has contributed to the deliberations on sustainable development
among a wide variety of partners within and outside the United Nations
system. Although much remains to be done, progress has also been made
at the national, regional and international levels in implementing the
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development Forest
Principles, including through the Commission's Ad Hoc
Intergovernmental Panel on Forests.

17. Provision of adequate and predictable financial resources and the
transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries
are critical elements for the implementation of Agenda 21. However,
while some progress has been made, much remains to be done to activate
the means of implementation set out in Agenda 21, in particular in the
areas of finance and technology transfer, technical assistance and
capacity-building.

18. Most developed countries have still not reached the United
Nations target, reaffirmed by most countries at the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development, of committing 0.7 per cent
of their gross national product to official development assistance or
the United Nations target, as agreed, of committing 0.15 per cent of
gross national product as official development assistance to the least
developed countries. Regrettably, on average, official development
assistance as a percentage of the gross national product of developed
countries has drastically declined in the post-Conference period, from
0.34 per cent in 1992 to 0.27 per cent in 1995, but official
development assistance has taken more account of the need for an
integrated approach to sustainable development.

19. In other areas, results have been encouraging since the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development. There has been a
sizeable expansion of private flows of financial resources from
developed to a limited number of developing countries and, in a number
of countries, efforts have been made in support of domestic resource
mobilization, including the increasing use of economic instruments to
promote sustainable development.

20. In many developing countries, the debt situation remains a major
constraint on achieving sustainable development. Although the debt
situation of some middle-income countries has improved, there is a
need to continue to address the debt problems of the heavily indebted
poor countries, which continue to face unsustainable external debt
burdens. The recent World Bank/International Monetary Fund Heavily
Indebted Poor Countries Initiative could help to address that issue
with the cooperation of all creditor countries. Further efforts by
the international community are still required to remove debt as an
impediment to sustainable development.

21. Similarly, technology transfer and technology-related investment
from public and private sources, which are particularly important to
developing countries, have not been realized as outlined in Agenda 21.
Although increased private flows have led to investments in industry
and technology in some developing countries and economies in
transition, many other countries have been left behind. Conditions in
some of these countries have been less attractive to private sector
investment and technological change has been slower, thus limiting
their ability to meet their commitments to Agenda 21 and other
international agreements. The technology gap between developed
countries and, in particular, the least developed countries has
widened.


III. IMPLEMENTATION OF AGENDA 21 IN AREAS REQUIRING URGENT ACTION

22. Agenda 21 and the principles contained in the Rio Declaration on
Environment and Development established a comprehensive approach to
the achievement of sustainable development. While it is the primary
responsibility of national Governments to achieve the economic, social
and environmental objectives of Agenda 21, it is essential that
international cooperation be reactivated and intensified, recognizing,
inter alia, the principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities as set forth in Principle 7 of the Rio Declaration.
This requires the mobilization of stronger political will and the
invigoration of a genuine new global partnership, taking into account
the special needs and priorities of developing countries. Such an
approach remains as relevant and as urgently needed as ever. It is
clear from the assessment above that, although progress has been made
in some areas, a major new effort will be required to achieve the
goals established at the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, particularly in areas of cross-sectoral matters where
implementation has yet to be achieved. The proposals set out in
sections A to C below outline strategies for accelerating progress
towards sustainable development. The sections are equally important
and must be considered and implemented in a balanced and integrated
way.


A. Integration of economic, social and environmental objectives

23. Economic development, social development and environmental
protection are interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of
sustainable development. Sustained economic growth is essential to
the economic and social development of all countries, in particular
developing countries. Through such growth, which should be broadly
based so as to benefit all people, countries will be able to improve
the standards of living of their people through the eradication of
poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy and the provision of adequate
shelter and secure employment for all, and the preservation of the
integrity of the environment. Growth can foster development only if
its benefits are fully shared. It must therefore also be guided by
equity, justice and social and environmental considerations.
Development, in turn, must involve measures that improve the human
condition and the quality of life itself. Democracy, respect for all
human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to
development, transparent and accountable governance in all sectors of
society, as well as effective participation by civil society, are also
an essential part of the necessary foundations for the realization of
social and people-centred sustainable development.

24. Sustainable development strategies are important mechanisms for
enhancing and linking national capacity so as to bring together
priorities in social, economic and environmental policies. Hence,
special attention must be given to the fulfilment of commitments in
the areas set out below, in the framework of an integrated approach
towards development, consisting of mutually reinforcing measures to
sustain economic growth, as well as to promote social development and
environmental protection. Achieving sustainable development cannot be
carried out without greater integration at all policy-making levels
and at operational levels, including the lowest administrative levels
possible. Economic sectors, such as industry, agriculture, energy,
transport and tourism, must take responsibility for the impact of
their activities on human well-being and the physical environment. In
the context of good governance, properly constructed strategies can
enhance prospects for economic growth and employment and at the same
time protect the environment. All sectors of society should be
involved in their development and implementation, as follows:

(a) By the year 2002, the formulation and elaboration of national
strategies for sustainable development that reflect the contributions
and responsibilities of all interested parties should be completed in
all countries, with assistance provided, as appropriate, through
international cooperation, taking into account the special needs of
the least developed countries. The efforts of developing countries in
effectively implementing national strategies should be supported.
Countries that already have national strategies should continue their
efforts to enhance and effectively implement them. Assessment of
progress achieved and exchange of experience among Governments should
be promoted. Local Agenda 21s and other local sustainable development
programmes, including youth activities, should also be actively
encouraged;

(b) In integrating economic, social and environmental objectives,
it is important that a broad package of policy instruments, including
regulation, economic instruments, internalization of environmental
costs in market prices, environmental and social impact analysis, and
information dissemination, be worked out in the light of
country-specific conditions to ensure that integrated approaches are
effective and cost-efficient. To this end, a transparent and
participatory process should be promoted. This will require the
involvement of national legislative assemblies, as well as all actors
of civil society, including youth and indigenous people and their
communities, to complement the efforts of Governments for sustainable
development. In particular, the empowerment and the full and equal
participation of women in all spheres of society, including
participation in the decision-making process, are central to all
efforts to achieve such development;

(c) The implementation of policies aiming at sustainable
development, including those contained in chapter 3 (Combating
poverty) and in chapter 29 (Strengthening the role of workers and
their trade unions) of Agenda 21, may enhance the opportunities for
job creation, thus helping to achieve the fundamental goal of
eradicating poverty.

An enabling international economic climate

25. A mutually supportive balance between the international and the
national environment is needed in the pursuit of sustainable
development. As a result of globalization, external factors have
become critical in determining the success or failure of developing
countries in their national efforts. The gap between developed and
developing countries points to the continued need for a dynamic and
enabling international economic environment supportive of
international cooperation, particularly in the fields of finance,
technology transfer, debt and trade, if the momentum for global
progress towards sustainable development is to be maintained and
increased.

26. To foster a dynamic and enabling international economic
environment favourable to all countries is in the interest of all
countries. Moreover, issues, including environmental issues, that
bear on the international economic environment can be approached
effectively only through a constructive dialogue and genuine
partnership on the basis of mutuality of interests and benefits,
taking into account that, in view of the different contributions to
global environmental degradation, States have common but
differentiated responsibilities.

Eradicating poverty

27. Given the severity of poverty, particularly in developing
countries, the eradication of poverty is one of the fundamental goals
of the international community and the entire United Nations system,
as reflected in Commitment 2 of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social
Development, 14/ and is essential for sustainable development.
Poverty eradication is thus an overriding theme of sustainable
development for the coming years. The enormity and complexity of the
poverty issue could very well endanger the social fabric, undermine
economic development and the environment, and threaten political
stability in many countries. To achieve poverty eradication, efforts
of individual Governments and international cooperation and assistance
should be brought together in a complementary way. Eradication of
poverty depends on the full integration of people living in poverty
into economic, social and political life. The empowerment of women is
a critical factor for the eradication of poverty. Policies that
promote such integration to combat poverty, in particular policies for
providing basic social services and broader socio-economic
development, are effective as well since enhancing the productive
capacity of poor people increases both their well-being and that of
their communities and societies, and facilitates their participation
in resource conservation and environmental protection. The provision
of basic social services and food security in an equitable way is a
necessary condition for such integration and empowerment. The 20/20
initiative as referred to in the Programme of Action of the World
Summit for Social Development 15/ is, among other things, a useful
means for such integration. However, the five years since the Rio
Conference have witnessed an increase in the number of people living
in absolute poverty, particularly in developing countries. In this
context, there is an urgent need for the timely and full
implementation of all the relevant commitments, agreements and targets
already agreed upon since the Rio Conference by the international
community, including the United Nations system and international
financial institutions. Full implementation of the Programme of
Action of the World Summit for Social Development is essential.
Priority actions include:

(a) Improving access to sustainable livelihoods, entrepreneurial
opportunities and productive resources, including land, water, credit,
technical and administrative training, and appropriate technology,
with particular efforts to broaden the human and social capital basis
of societies so as to reach the rural poor and the urban informal
sector;

(b) Providing universal access to basic social services,
including basic education, health care, nutrition, clean water and
sanitation;

(c) Progressively developing, in accordance with the financial
and administrative capacities of each society, social protection
systems to support those who cannot support themselves, either
temporarily or permanently; the aim of social integration is to create
a "society for all";

(d) Empowering people living in poverty and their organizations
by involving them fully in the formulation, implementation and
evaluation of strategies and programmes for poverty eradication and
community development and by ensuring that these programmes reflect
their priorities;

(e) Addressing the disproportionate impact of poverty on women,
in particular by removing legislative, policy, administrative and
customary barriers to women's equal access to productive resources and
services, including access to and control over land and other forms of
property, credit, including micro-credit, inheritance, education,
information, health care and technology. In this regard, full
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action 16/is essential;

(f) Working together of interested donors and recipients to
allocate increased shares of official development assistance to
poverty eradication. The 20/20 initiative is an important principle
in this respect, as it is based on a mutual commitment among donors
and recipients to increasing resources allocated to basic social
services;

(g) Intensifying international cooperation to support measures
being taken in developing countries to eradicate poverty, to provide
basic social protection and services, and to approach poverty
eradication efforts in an integral and multidimensional manner.

Changing consumption and production patterns

28. Unsustainable patterns of production and consumption,
particularly in the industrialized countries, are identified in Agenda
21 as the major cause of continued deterioration of the global
environment. While unsustainable patterns in the industrialized
countries continue to aggravate the threats to the environment, there
remain huge difficulties for developing countries in meeting basic
needs such as food, health care, shelter and education for people.
All countries should strive to promote sustainable consumption
patterns; developed countries should take the lead in achieving
sustainable consumption patterns; developing countries should seek to
achieve sustainable consumption patterns in their development process,
guaranteeing the provision of basic needs for the poor, while avoiding
those unsustainable patterns, particularly in industrialized
countries, generally recognized as unduly hazardous to the
environment, inefficient and wasteful, in their development processes.
This requires enhanced technological and other assistance from
industrialized countries. In the follow-up of the implementation of
Agenda 21, the review of progress made in achieving sustainable
consumption patterns should be given high priority. 17/ Consistent
with Agenda 21, the development and further elaboration of national
policies and strategies, particularly in industrialized countries, are
needed to encourage changes in unsustainable consumption and
production patterns, while strengthening, as appropriate,
international approaches and policies that promote sustainable
consumption patterns on the basis of the principle of common but
differentiated responsibilities, applying the polluter pays principle,
and encouraging producer responsibility and greater consumer
awareness. Eco-efficiency, cost internalization and product policies
are also important tools for making consumption and production
patterns more sustainable. Actions in this area should focus on:

(a) Promoting measures to internalize environmental costs and
benefits in the price of goods and services, while seeking to avoid
potential negative effects for market access by developing countries,
particularly with a view to encouraging the use of environmentally
preferable products and commodities. Governments should consider
shifting the burden of taxation onto unsustainable patterns of
production and consumption; it is of vital importance to achieve such
an internalization of environmental costs. Such tax reforms should
include a socially responsible process of reduction and elimination of
subsidies to environmentally harmful activities;

(b) Promoting the role of business in shaping more sustainable
patterns of consumption by encouraging, as appropriate, the voluntary
publication of environmental and social assessments of its own
activities, taking into account specific country conditions, and
actions as an agent of change in the market, and actions in its role
as a major consumer of goods and services;

(c) Developing core indicators to monitor critical trends in
consumption and production patterns, with industrialized countries
taking the lead;

(d) Identifying best practices through evaluations of policy
measures with respect to their environmental effectiveness, efficiency
and implications for social equity, and disseminating such
evaluations;

(e) Taking into account the linkages between urbanization and the
environmental and developmental effects of consumption and production
patterns in cities, thus promoting more sustainable patterns of
urbanization;

(f) Promoting international and national programmes for energy
and material efficiency with timetables for their implementation, as
appropriate. In this regard, attention should be given to studies
that propose to improve the efficiency of resource use, including
consideration of a 10-fold improvement in resource productivity in
industrialized countries in the long term and a possible factor-four
increase in industrialized countries in the next two or three decades.
Further research is required to study the feasibility of these goals
and the practical measures needed for their implementation.
Industrialized countries will have a special responsibility and must
take the lead in this respect. The Commission on Sustainable
Development should consider this initiative in the coming years in
exploring policies and measures necessary to implement eco-efficiency
and, for this purpose, encourage the relevant bodies to adopt measures
aimed at assisting developing countries in improving energy and
material efficiency through the promotion of their endogenous
capacity-building and economic development with enhanced and effective
international support;

(g) Encouraging Governments to take the lead in changing
consumption patterns by improving their own environmental performance
with action-oriented policies and goals on procurement, the management
of public facilities and the further integration of environmental
concerns into national policy-making. Governments in developed
countries, in particular, should take the lead in this regard;

(h) Encouraging the media, advertising and marketing sectors to
help shape sustainable consumption patterns;

(i) Improving the quality of information regarding the
environmental impact of products and services and, to that end,
encouraging the voluntary and transparent use of eco-labelling;

(j) Promoting measures favouring eco-efficiency; however,
developed countries should pay special attention to the needs of
developing countries, in particular by encouraging positive impacts,
and to the need to avoid negative impacts on export opportunities and
on market access for developing countries and, as appropriate, for
countries with economies in transition;

(k) Encouraging the development and strengthening of educational
programmes to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns;

(l) Encouraging business and industry to develop and apply
environmentally sound technology that should aim not only at
increasing competitiveness but also at reducing negative environmental
impacts;

(m) Giving balanced consideration to both the demand side and the
supply side of the economy in matching environmental concerns and
economic factors, which could encourage changes in the behaviour of
consumers and producers. A number of policy options should be
examined; they include regulatory instruments, economic and social
incentives and disincentives, facilities and infrastructure,
information, education, and technology development and dissemination.

Making trade and environment mutually supportive

29. In order to accelerate economic growth, poverty eradication and
environmental protection, particularly in developing countries, there
is a need to establish macroeconomic conditions in both developed and
developing countries that favour the development of instruments and
structures enabling all countries, in particular developing countries,
to benefit from globalization. International cooperation and support
for capacity-building in trade, environment and development should be
strengthened through renewed system-wide efforts, and with greater
responsiveness to sustainable development objectives, by the United
Nations, the World Trade Organization and the Bretton Woods
institutions, as well as by national Governments. There should be a
balanced and integrated approach to trade and sustainable development,
based on a combination of trade liberalization, economic development
and environmental protection. Trade obstacles should be removed with
a view to contributing to the achieving of more efficient use of the
earth's natural resources in both economic and environmental terms.
Trade liberalization should be accompanied by environmental and
resource management policies in order to realize its full potential
contribution to improved environmental protection and the promotion of
sustainable development through the more efficient allocation and use
of resources. The multilateral trading system should have the
capacity to further integrate environmental considerations and enhance
its contribution to sustainable development, without undermining its
open, equitable and non-discriminatory character. The special and
differential treatment for developing countries, especially the least
developed countries, and the other commitments of the Uruguay Round of
multilateral trade negotiations 18/ should be fully implemented in
order to enable those countries to benefit from the international
trading system, while conserving the environment. There is a need for
continuing the elimination of discriminatory and protectionist
practices in international trade relations, which will have the effect
of improving access for the exports of developing countries. This
will also facilitate the full integration of economies in transition
into the world economy. In order to make trade, environment and
development mutually supportive, measures need to be taken to ensure
transparency in the use of trade measures related to the environment,
and should address the root causes of environmental degradation so as
not to result in disguised barriers to trade. Account should be taken
of the fact that environmental standards valid for developed countries
may have unwarranted social and economic costs in other countries, in
particular developing countries. International cooperation is needed
and unilateralism should be avoided. The following actions are
required:

(a) There should be timely and full implementation of the results
of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations and full use
of the Comprehensive and Integrated World Trade Organization Plan of
Action for the Least Developed Countries; 19/

(b) An open, non-discriminatory, rule-based, equitable, secure,
transparent and predictable multilateral trading system should be
promoted. In this context, effective measures are called for to
achieve the complete integration of developing countries and countries
with economies in transition into the world economy and the new
international trading system. In this connection, there is a need to
promote the universality of the World Trade Organization and to
facilitate the admission to membership in that organization, in a
mutually beneficial way, of developing countries and countries with
economies in transition applying for membership. Actions should be
taken to maximize the opportunities and to minimize the difficulties
of developing countries, including the net food-importing ones,
especially the least developed countries, and of countries with
economies in transition, in adjusting to the changes introduced by the
Uruguay Round. Decisions on further liberalization of trade should
take into account effects on sustainable development and should be
consistent with an open, rule-based, non-discriminatory, equitable,
secure and transparent multilateral trading system. The relationship
between multilateral environmental agreements and the World Trade
Organization rules should be clarified;

(c) Implementation of environmental measures should not result in
disguised barriers to trade;

(d) Within the framework of Agenda 21, trade rules and
environmental principles should interact harmoniously;

(e) Further analysis of the environmental effects of the
international transport of goods is warranted;

(f) Cooperation and coordination between the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization, the World Trade Organization, the United
Nations Environment Programme and other relevant institutions should
be strengthened on various issues, including (i) the role of positive
measures in multilateral environmental agreements as part of a package
of measures including, in certain cases, trade measures; (ii) the
special conditions and needs of small and medium-sized enterprises in
the trade and environment interface; (iii) trade and environment
issues at the regional and subregional levels, including within the
context of regional economic and trade as well as environmental
agreements;

(g) Cooperation and coordination between the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development and other relevant bodies within
their existing respective mandates should be enhanced, inter alia, on
environment and sustainable development issues. Without prejudice to
the clear understanding in the World Trade Organization that future
negotiations, if any, regarding a multilateral agreement on investment
will take place only after an explicit consensus decision, future
agreements on investments should take into account the objectives of
sustainable development and, when developing countries are parties to
these agreements, special attention should be given to their needs for
investment;

(h) National Governments should make every effort to ensure
policy coordination on trade, environment and development at the
national level in support of sustainable development;

(i) There is a need for the World Trade Organization, the United
Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development to consider ways to make trade and environment
mutually supportive, including through due respect for the objectives
and principles of the multilateral trading system and for the
provisions of multilateral environmental agreements. Such
considerations should be consistent with an open, rule-based,
non-discriminatory, equitable, secure and transparent multilateral
trading system.

Population

30. The impact of the relationship among economic growth, poverty,
employment, environment and sustainable development has become a major
concern. There is a need to recognize the critical linkages between
demographic trends and factors and sustainable development. The
current decline in population growth rates must be further promoted
through national and international policies that promote economic
development, social development, environmental protection, and poverty
eradication, particularly the further expansion of basic education,
with full and equal access for girls and women, and health care,
including reproductive health care, including both family planning and
sexual health, consistent with the report of the International
Conference on Population and Development. 20/

Health

31. The goals of sustainable development cannot be achieved when a
high proportion of the population is afflicted with debilitating
illnesses. An overriding goal for the future is to implement the
Health for All strategy 21/ and to enable all people, particularly
the world's poor, to achieve a higher level of health and well-being,
and to improve their economic productivity and social potential.
Protecting children from environmental health threats and infectious
disease is particularly urgent since children are more susceptible
than adults to those threats. Top priority should be attached to
supporting the efforts of countries, particularly developing
countries, and international organizations to eradicate the major
infectious diseases, especially malaria, which is on the increase, to
improve and expand basic health and sanitation services, and to
provide safe drinking water. It is also important to reduce
indigenous cases of vaccine-preventable diseases through the promotion
of widespread immunization programmes, promote accelerated research
and vaccine development and reduce the transmission of other major
infectious diseases, such as dengue fever, tuberculosis and human
immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS).
Given the severe and irreversible health effects of lead poisoning,
particularly on children, it is important to accelerate the process of
eliminating unsafe uses of lead, including the use of lead in gasoline
worldwide, in light of country-specific conditions and with enhanced
international support and assistance to developing countries,
particularly through the timely provision of technical and financial
assistance and the promotion of endogenous capacity-building.
Strategies at the regional, national and local levels for reducing the
potential risk due to ambient and indoor air pollution should be
developed, bearing in mind their serious impacts on human health,
including strategies to make parents, families and communities aware
of the adverse environmental health impacts of tobacco. The clear
linkage between health and the environment needs to be emphasized and
the lack of information on the impact of environmental pollution on
health should be addressed. Health issues should be fully integrated
into national and subnational sustainable development plans and should
be incorporated into project and programme development as a component
of environmental impact assessments. Important to efforts at national
levels is international cooperation in disease prevention, early
warning, surveillance, reporting, training and research, and
treatment.

Sustainable human settlements

32. Sustainable human settlements development is essential to
sustainable development. The need to intensify efforts and
cooperation to improve living conditions in the cities, towns,
villages and rural areas throughout the world is recognized.
Approximately half the world's population already lives in urban
settlements, and by early in the next century the majority - more than
5 billion people - will be urban residents. Urban problems are
concerns common to both developed and developing countries, although
urbanization is occurring most rapidly in developing countries.
Urbanization creates both challenges and opportunities. Global
urbanization is a cross-sectoral phenomenon that has an impact on all
aspects of sustainable development. Urgent action is needed to
implement fully the commitments made at the United Nations Conference
on Human Settlements (Habitat II) consistent with its report, 22/
and in Agenda 21. New and additional financial resources from various
sources are necessary to achieve the goals of adequate shelter for all
and sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world.
Transfer of expertise and technology, capacity-building,
decentralization of authority through, inter alia, strengthening of
local capacity and private-public partnerships to improve the
provision and environmentally sound management of infrastructure and
social services should be accelerated to achieve more sustainable
human settlements development. Local Agenda 21 programmes should also
be actively encouraged. Global targets could be established by the
Commission on Sustainable Development to promote local Agenda 21
campaigns and to deal with obstacles to local Agenda 21 initiatives.


B. Sectors and issues

33. The present section identifies a number of specific areas that
are of widespread concern since failure to reverse current trends in
these areas, notably in resource degradation, will have potentially
disastrous effects on social and economic development, on human health
and on environmental protection for all countries, particularly
developing countries. All sectors covered by Agenda 21 are equally
important and thus deserve attention by the international community on
an equal footing. The need for integration is important in all
sectors, including the areas of energy and transport because of the
adverse effects that developments in those areas can have on human
health and ecosystems; the areas of agriculture and water use, where
inadequate land-use planning, poor water management and inappropriate
technology can result in the degradation of natural resources and
human impoverishment and where drought and desertification can result
in land degradation and soil loss; and the area of management of
marine resources, where competitive overexploitation can damage the
resource base, food supplies and the livelihood of fishing
communities, as well as the environment. The recommendations made in
each of the sectors take into account the need for international
cooperation in support of national efforts, within the context of the
principles of the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, including, inter alia, the principle of common but
differentiated responsibilities. It is likewise understood that these
recommendations do not in any way prejudice the work accomplished
under legally binding conventions, where they exist, concerning these
sectors.

Fresh water

34. Water resources are essential for satisfying basic human needs,
health and food production, and the preservation of ecosystems, as
well as for economic and social development in general. It is a
matter of urgent concern that more than one fifth of all people still
do not have access to safe drinking water and more than one half of
humanity lacks adequate sanitation. From the perspective of
developing countries, fresh water is a priority and a basic need,
especially taking into account that in many developing countries fresh
water is not readily available for all segments of the population,
inter alia, owing to lack of adequate infrastructure and capacity,
water scarcity, and technical and financial constraints. Moreover,
fresh water is also crucial for developing countries in order to
satisfy the basic needs of their population in the areas of
agricultural irrigation, industrial development, hydroelectric
generation, and so forth. In view of the growing demands on water,
which is a finite resource, it will become a major limiting factor in
socio-economic development unless early action is taken. There is
growing concern regarding the increasing stress on water supplies
caused by unsustainable use patterns, affecting both water quality and
quantity, and the widespread lack of access to safe water supply and
suitable sanitation in many developing countries. Because the
commitments of the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation
Decade of the 1980s have not been fully met, there is still a need to
ensure the optimal use and protection of all fresh-water resources, so
that the needs of everyone on this planet, including access to safe
drinking water and sanitation, can be met. This calls for the highest
priority to be given to the serious fresh-water problems facing many
regions, especially in the developing world. There is an urgent need:

(a) To assign high priority, in accordance with specific national
needs and conditions, to the formulation and implementation of
policies and programmes for integrated watershed management, including
issues related to pollution and waste, the interrelationship between
water and land, including mountains, forests, upstream and downstream
users, estuarine environments, biodiversity and the preservation of
aquatic ecosystems, wetlands, climate and land degradation and
desertification, recognizing that subnational, national and regional
approaches to fresh-water protection and consumption following a
watershed basin or river basin approach offer a useful model for the
protection of fresh-water supplies;

(b) To strengthen regional and international cooperation for
technological transfer and the financing of integrated water resources
programmes and projects, in particular those designed to increase
access to safe water supply and sanitation;

(c) To ensure the continued participation of local communities,
and women in particular, in the management of water resources
development and use;

(d) To provide an enabling national and international environment
that encourages investments from public and private sources to improve
water supply and sanitation services, especially in fast growing urban
and peri-urban areas, as well as in poor rural communities in
developing countries; and for the international community to adopt and
implement commitments to support the efforts to assist developing
countries in achieving access to safe drinking water and sanitation
for all;

(e) To recognize water as a social and economic good with a vital
role in the satisfaction of basic human needs, food security, poverty
alleviation and the protection of ecosystems. Economic valuation of
water should be seen within the context of its social and economic
implications, reflecting the importance of meeting basic needs.
Consideration should be given to the gradual implementation of pricing
policies that are geared towards cost recovery and the equitable and
efficient allocation of water, including the promotion of water
conservation, in developed countries; such policies could also be
considered in developing countries when they reach an appropriate
stage in their development, so as to promote the harmonious management
and development of scarce water resources and generate financial
resources for investment in new water supply and treatment facilities.
Such strategies should also include programmes assigned to minimize
wasteful consumption of water;

(f) To strengthen the capability of Governments and international
institutions to collect and manage information, including scientific,
social and environmental data, in order to facilitate the integrated
assessment and management of water resources, and foster regional and
international cooperation for information dissemination and exchange
through cooperative approaches among United Nations institutions,
including the United Nations Environment Programme, and centres for
environmental excellence. In this regard, technical assistance to
developing countries will continue to be important;

(g) For the international community to give support to the
efforts of developing countries, with their limited resources, to
shift to higher-value, less water-intensive modes of agricultural and
industrial production and to develop the educational and informational
infrastructure necessary to improve the skills of the labour force
required for the economic transformation that needs to take place if
use of fresh-water resources is to be sustainable. International
support for the integrated development of water resources in
developing countries, and appropriate innovative initiatives and
approaches at the bilateral and regional levels are also required;

(h) To encourage watercourse States to develop international
watercourses with a view to attaining sustainable utilization and
appropriate protection thereof and benefits therefrom, taking into
account the interests of the watercourse States concerned.

35. Considering the urgent need for action in the field of fresh
water, and building on existing principles and instruments,
arrangements, programmes of action and customary uses of water,
Governments call for a dialogue under the aegis of the Commission on
Sustainable Development, beginning at its sixth session, aimed at
building a consensus on the necessary actions, and in particular, on
the means of implementation and on tangible results, in order to
consider initiating a strategic approach for the implementation of all
aspects of the sustainable use of fresh water for social and economic
purposes, including, inter alia, safe drinking water and sanitation,
water for irrigation, recycling, and waste-water management, and the
important role fresh water plays in natural ecosystems. This
intergovernmental process will be fully fruitful only if there is a
proved commitment by the international community to the provision of
new and additional financial resources for the goals of this
initiative.

Oceans and seas

36. Progress has been achieved since the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development in the negotiation of agreements and
voluntary instruments for improving the conservation and management of
fishery resources and for the protection of the marine environment.
Furthermore, progress has been made in the conservation and management
of specific fishery stocks for the purpose of securing the sustainable
utilization of these resources. Despite this, the decline of many
fish stocks, high levels of discards, and rising marine pollution
continue. Governments should take full advantage of the challenge and
opportunity presented by the International Year of the Ocean in 1998.
There is a need to continue to improve decision-making at the
national, regional and global levels. To address the need for
improving global decision-making on the marine environment, there is
an urgent need for Governments to implement decision 4/15 of the
Commission on Sustainable Development, 23/ in which the Commission,
inter alia, called for a periodic intergovernmental review by the
Commission of all aspects of the marine environment and its related
issues, as described in chapter 17 of Agenda 21, and for which the
overall legal framework was provided by the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea. There is a need for concerted action by all
countries and for improved cooperation to assist developing countries
in implementing the relevant agreements and instruments in order that
they may participate effectively in the sustainable use, conservation
and management of their fishery resources, as provided for in the
Convention and other international legal instruments, and achieve
integrated coastal zone management. In that context, there is an
urgent need for:

(a) All Governments to ratify or to accede to the relevant
agreements as soon as possible and to implement effectively such
agreements as well as relevant voluntary instruments;

(b) All Governments to implement General Assembly resolution
51/189 of 16 December 1996, including the strengthening of
institutional links to be established between the relevant
intergovernmental mechanisms involved in the development and
implementation of integrated coastal zone management. Following
progress on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and
bearing in mind Principle 13 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and
Development, there is a need to strengthen the implementation of
existing international and regional agreements on marine pollution,
with a view in particular to ensuring better contingency planning,
response, and liability and compensation mechanisms;

(c) Better identification of priorities for action at the global
level to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the marine
environment, as well as better means for integrating such action;

(d) Further international cooperation to support the
strengthening, where needed, of regional and subregional agreements
for the protection and sustainable use of the oceans and seas;

(e) Governments to prevent or eliminate overfishing and excess
fishing capacity through the adoption of management measures and
mechanisms to ensure the sustainable management and utilization of
fishery resources and to undertake programmes of work to achieve the
reduction and elimination of wasteful fishing practices, wherever they
may occur, especially in relation to large-scale industrialized
fishing. The emphasis given by the Commission on Sustainable
Development at its fourth session to the importance of effective
conservation and management of fish stocks, and in particular to
eliminating overfishing, in order to identify specific steps at
national or regional levels to prevent or eliminate excess fishing
capacity, will need to be carried forward in all appropriate
international forums including, in particular, the Committee on
Fisheries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations;

(f) Governments to consider the positive and negative impact of
subsidies on the conservation and management of fisheries through
national, regional and appropriate international organizations and,
based on these analyses, to consider appropriate action;

(g) Governments to take actions, individually and through their
participation in competent global and regional forums, to improve the
quality and quantity of scientific data as a basis for effective
decisions related to the protection of the marine environment and the
conservation and management of marine living resources; in this
regard, greater international cooperation is required to assist
developing countries, in particular small island developing States, to
operationalize data networks and clearing houses for
information-sharing on oceans. In this context, particular emphasis
must be placed on the collection of biological and other
fisheries-related information and the resources for its collation,
analysis and dissemination.

Forests

37. The management, conservation and sustainable development of all
types of forests are a crucial factor in economic and social
development, in environmental protection and in the planet's life-
support system. Forests are one of the major reservoirs of biological
diversity; they act as carbon sinks and reservoirs; and they are a
significant source of renewable energy, particularly in the least
developed countries. Forests are an integral part of sustainable
development and are essential to many indigenous people and other
forest-dependent people practising traditional lifestyles, forest
owners and local communities, many of whom possess important
traditional forest-related knowledge.

38. Since the adoption of the Forest Principles at the Rio
Conference, tangible progress has been made in sustainable forest
management at the national, subregional, regional and international
levels and in the promotion of international cooperation on forests.
The proposals for action contained in the report of the Ad Hoc
Intergovernmental Panel on Forests on its fourth session, 24/ which
were endorsed by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its
fifth session, 25/ represent significant progress and consensus on a
wide range of forest issues.

39. To maintain the momentum generated by the Intergovernmental Panel
process and to facilitate and encourage the holistic, integrated and
balanced intergovernmental policy dialogue on all types of forests in
the future, which continues to be an open, transparent and
participatory process, requires a long-term political commitment to
sustainable forest management worldwide. Against this background,
there is an urgent need for:

(a) Countries and international organizations and institutions to
implement the proposals for action agreed by the Intergovernmental
Panel, in an expeditious and effective manner, and in collaboration
and through effective partnership with all interested parties,
including major groups, in particular indigenous people and local
communities;

(b) Countries to develop national forest programmes in accordance
with their respective national conditions, objectives and priorities;

(c) Enhanced international cooperation to implement the
Intergovernmental Panel's proposals for action directed towards the
management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of
forests, including provision for financial resources,
capacity-building, research and the transfer of technology;

(d) Further clarification of all issues arising from the
programme elements of the Intergovernmental Panel process;

(e) International institutions and organizations to continue
their work and to undertake further coordination and explore means for
collaboration in the informal, high-level Inter-agency Task Force on
Forests, focusing on the implementation of the Intergovernmental
Panel's proposals for action, in accordance with their respective
mandates and comparative advantage;

(f) Countries to provide consistent guidance to the governing
bodies of relevant international institutions and instruments with
respect to taking efficient and effective measures, as well as to
coordinating their forest-related work at all levels, in respect of
incorporating the Intergovernmental Panel's proposals for action into
their work programmes and under existing agreements and arrangements.

40. To help achieve this, it is decided to continue the
intergovernmental policy dialogue on forests through the establishment
of an ad hoc open-ended Intergovernmental Forum on Forests under the
aegis of the Commission on Sustainable Development to work in an open,
transparent and participatory manner, with a focused and time-limited
mandate, and charged with, inter alia:

(a) Promoting and facilitating the implementation of the
Intergovernmental Panel's proposals for action;

(b) Reviewing, monitoring and reporting on progress in the
management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of
forests;

(c) Considering matters left pending as regards the programme
elements of the Intergovernmental Panel, in particular trade and
environment in relation to forest products and services, transfer of
technology and the need for financial resources.

The Forum should also identify the possible elements of and work
towards consensus on international arrangements and mechanisms, for
example, a legally binding instrument. The Forum will report on its
work to the Commission on Sustainable Development in 1999. Based on
that report, and depending on the decision of the Commission at its
eighth session, the Forum will engage in further action on
establishing an intergovernmental negotiation process on new
arrangements and mechanisms or a legally binding instrument on all
types of forests.

41. The Forum should convene as soon as possible to further elaborate
its terms of reference and decide on organizational matters. It
should be serviced by a small secretariat within the Department for
Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development of the United Nations
Secretariat supported by voluntary extrabudgetary contributions from
Governments and international organizations.

Energy

42. Energy is essential to economic and social development and
improved quality of life. However, sustainable patterns of
production, distribution and use of energy are crucial. Fossil fuels
(coal, oil and natural gas) will continue to dominate the energy
supply situation for many years to come in most developed and
developing countries. What is required then is to reduce the
environmental impact of their continued development, and to reduce
local health hazards and environmental pollution through enhanced
international cooperation, notably in the provision of concessional
finance for capacity development and transfer of the relevant
technology, and through appropriate national action.

43. In developing countries, sharp increases in energy services are
required to improve the standard of living of their growing
populations. The increase in the level of energy services would have
a beneficial impact on poverty eradication by increasing employment
opportunities and improving transportation, health and education.
Many developing countries, in particular the least developed, face the
urgent need to provide adequate modern energy services, especially to
billions of people in rural areas. This requires significant
financial, human and technical resources and a broad-based mix of
energy sources.

44. The objectives envisaged in this section should reflect the need
for equity, adequate energy supplies and increasing energy consumption
in developing countries and should take into account the situation of
countries that are highly dependent on income generated from the
production, processing and export, and/or consumption, of fossil fuels
and that have serious difficulties in switching to alternative sources
of energy, and the situation of countries highly vulnerable to the
adverse effects of climate change.

45. Advances towards sustainable energy use are taking place and all
parties can benefit from progress made in other countries. It is also
necessary to ensure international cooperation for promoting energy
conservation and improvement of energy efficiency, the use of
renewable energy and research, and the development and dissemination
of innovative energy-related technology.

46. Therefore there is a need for:

(a) A movement towards sustainable patterns of production,
distribution and use of energy. To advance this work at the
intergovernmental level, the Commission on Sustainable Development
will discuss energy issues at its ninth session. Noting the vital
role of energy in the continuation of sustained economic growth,
especially for developing countries, be they importers or suppliers of
energy, and recognizing the complexities and interdependencies
inherent in addressing energy issues within the context of sustainable
development, preparations for this session should be initiated at the
seventh session and should utilize an open-ended intergovernmental
group of experts on energy and sustainable development to be held in
conjunction with inter-sessional meetings of the eighth and ninth
sessions of the Commission. In line with the objectives of Agenda 21,
the ninth session of the Commission should contribute to a sustainable
energy future for all;

(b) Evolving concrete measures to strengthen international
cooperation in order to assist developing countries in their domestic
efforts to provide adequate modern energy services, especially
electricity, to all sections of their population, particularly in
rural areas, in an environmentally sound manner;

(c) Countries to promote policies and plans, bearing in mind the
specific needs and priorities of developing countries, that take into
account the economic, social and environmental aspects of the
production, distribution and use of energy, including the use of
lower-pollutant sources of energy such as natural gas;

(d) Evolving commitments for the transfer of relevant technology,
including time-bound commitments, as appropriate, to developing
countries and economies in transition so as to enable them to increase
the use of renewable energy sources and cleaner fossil fuels and to
improve efficiency in energy production, distribution and use.
Countries need to systematically increase the use of renewable energy
sources according to their specific social, economic, natural,
geographical and climatic conditions and cleaner fuel technologies,
including fossil fuel technologies, and to improve efficiency in
energy production, distribution and use and in other industrial
production processes that are intensive users of energy;

(e) Promoting efforts in research on and development and use of
renewable energy technologies at the international and national
levels;

(f) In the context of fossil fuels, encouraging further research,
development, and the application and transfer of technology of a
cleaner and more efficient nature, through effective international
support;

(g) Encouraging Governments and the private sector to consider
appropriate ways to gradually promote environmental cost
internalization so as to achieve more sustainable use of energy,
taking fully into account the economic, social and environmental
conditions of all countries, in particular developing countries. In
this regard, the international community should cooperate to minimize
the possible adverse impacts on the development process of developing
countries resulting from the implementation of those policies and
measures. There is also a need to encourage the reduction and the
gradual elimination of subsidies for energy production and consumption
that inhibit sustainable development. Such policies should take fully
into account the specific needs and conditions of developing
countries, particularly least developed countries, as reflected in the
special and differential treatment accorded them in the Uruguay Round
of multilateral trade negotiations Agreement on Subsidies and
Countervailing Measures;

(h) Encouraging better coordination on the issue of energy within
the United Nations system, under the guidance of the General Assembly
and taking into account the coordinating role of the Economic and
Social Council.

Transport

47. The transport sector and mobility in general have an essential
and positive role to play in economic and social development, and
transportation needs will undoubtedly increase. Over the next twenty
years, transportation is expected to be the major driving force behind
a growing world demand for energy. The transport sector is the
largest end-user of energy in developed countries and the fastest
growing one in most developing countries. Current patterns of
transportation with their dominant patterns of energy use are not
sustainable and on the basis of present trends may compound the
environmental problems the world is facing and the health impacts
referred to in paragraph 31 above. There is a need for:

(a) The promotion of integrated transport policies that consider
alternative approaches to meeting commercial and private mobility
needs and improve performance in the transport sector at the national,
regional and global levels, and particularly a need to encourage
international cooperation in the transfer of environmentally sound
technologies in the transport sector and implementation of appropriate
training programmes in accordance with national programmes and
priorities;

(b) The integration of land-use and urban, peri-urban and rural
transport planning, taking into account the need to protect
ecosystems;

(c) The adoption and promotion, as appropriate, of measures to
mitigate the negative impact of transportation on the environment,
including measures to improve efficiency in the transportation sector;


(d) The use of a broad spectrum of policy instruments to improve
energy efficiency and efficiency standards in transportation and
related sectors;

(e) The continuation of studies in the appropriate forums,
including the International Civil Aviation Organization, on the use of
economic instruments for the mitigation of