General assembly is told alleviation of global poverty essential if sustainable Bridesmaid Dresses:http://www.jb3.co.uk/ development goals are to Prom Dresses be reached Special session hears statements from more government leaders, environment ministers, national and agency representatives without alleviating the extreme and increasing poverty that pervades the world, sustainable develoPment is both unrealistic and impossible, the general assembly was told by several speakers, as it resumed its nineteenth special session this afternoon.Poverty, it was said, precipitates social, political and economic instability;Many environmental problems stem from the search for food and other povertyrelated behaviours.The increasing scarcity of environmental resources, such as drinkable water, can lead to conflict if not halted through careful management and technological transfer, speakers warned.Industrialized countries were said to have largely failed to meet the commitments they entered into through agenda 21, the programme of action adopted by the united nations conference on environment and develoPment(Unced), held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.While those commitments were made voluntarily, compliance had been grudging.Consumption and production patterns remained unsustainably high, while international assistance to developing countries had declined.Many countries stressed that implementation of agenda 21 required financial resources for developing countries and technologysharing.Statements this afternoon were made by the prime ministers of gabon, benin, singapore and estonia, as well as the president of guyana.The vice presidents of el salvador and colombia also addressed the assembly, as did the deputy prime minister of thailand and the governorgeneral of saintKitts and nevis.Also this afternoon, the assembly heard statements by the minister of the environment and tourism of namibia;The minister of the environment, science and technology of ghana;The ministers of the environment of cote d'ivoire, slovakia and luxembourg;The minister of the environment and forests of india;The minister of environmental protection, natural resources and forestry of poland;The first deputy foreign minister of armenia;The chairman of the delegation of djibouti;The permanent representative to the united nations of turkey;The chairman of the observer delegation of palestine;The executive director the united nations environment programme;And the executive director of greenpeace international.Tomorrow to resume its general debate on the implementation of agenda 21.Special session work programme the nineteenth special session of the general assembly resumed this afternoon, to continue its review of the implementation of agenda 21, the programme of action adopted by the united nations conference on environment and develoPment(Unced)Held in rio de janeiro in 1992.Statements paulin obame nguema, prime minister of gabon:Gabon reaffirms its faith in the hopes of rio five years ago.The partnership between the developed and the developing world in this endeavour confers certain shared responsibilities essential to the implementation of agenda 21.Gabon is currently establishing standards and regulations according to the standards established in rio.As a forest country, gabon is trying to provide the best protection for its forests.Rio reached the conclusion that develoPment cannot be speeded up if the developing world remained burdened with debts.That remains true today.For the realization of the hopes of that summit, we must recommit ourselves strongly to its principles and fulfil the commitments which we made.To attain the best wishes of that summit will continue to be more difficult if the resources for doing this continue to drop off.Agenda 21 is the only viable option for mankind.Adrien houngbedji, prime minister of benin:The creation of the benin agency for the environment reflected the influence of the rio conference.A partnership with the government of netherlands is undertaking many useful environmental projects.Concerted action byThe international community is needed to combat the impact of desertification.Sustainable develoPment requires the elimination of poverty.Over the next five years, benin will work towards the protection of vulnerable groups and will combat desertification.The financing of develoPment is primarily a national responsibility, butThe international community particularly the most developed members must do their share and honour their commitments.The assistance of benin's develoPment partners is very much appreciated.Sustainable develoPment requires a longterm, global approach.Necessary decisions should be taken now at both the national and international level.Enrique borgobustamante, vice president of el salvador:Military activity in el salvador has been replaced by political activity.Central america accepted the principle of sustainable develoPment by establishing the central american alliance for sustainable develoPment.That effort is based general assembly plenary 3 press release ga/9266 nineteenth special session env/dev/432 4th meeting(Pm)24 June 1997 upon equity and the participation of many different social sectors business, labour, academia, NGOs and political parties.El salvador's civil society has responded to the challenge of sustainable develoPment.The establishment of a ministry of the environment was a major government contribution to that effort.Only a healthy, educated population can improve the quality of life in el salvador.For that reason, a programme of"Healthy schools"Has been established by cooperation between students, teachers and parents.The government of el salvador is strengthening local capacities at the regional and local levels.It has ratified the conventions on biodiversity and on climate change, and the desertification convention is now before the national conference.Over the past five years, el salvador has addressed environmental problems through a series of initiatives assisted by international organizations and governments.Many countries had the political will and capacity to provide 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product(Gdp)For the purposes of official develoPment assistance, but assistance has not been arriving as foreseen.International cooperation will allow the children of el salvador to enjoy the fullness of life.Samuel a.Hinds, president of guyana:Global challenges must be addressed through joint and coordinated action.Small island states face particular difficulties.The caribbean sea has a direct impact on 25 member states, and some 15 nonindependent territories.The caribbean community has intensified its efforts for sustainable develoPment.The international community should provide assistance in making the caribbean sea a nuclearfree zone, and also in making it a special area for sustainable management and develoPment.Guyana has been implementing agenda 21 since 1992, the same year that the country restored democracy and began national reconstruction.But efforts to improve the lives of the guyanese and protect the natural environment are constrained byThe international climate.In 1989, guyana voluntarily donated almost 1 million acres of its rainforests toThe international community for study of systems of sustainable management.The iwokrama international rain forest programme requires international support if it is to be implemented.Is less than 3 cents per acre an unreasonable investment byThe international community to learn and develop models of sustainable develoPment?The unprecedented global levels of relative and absolute poverty have not been deals on Dresses for Weddings addressed.Globalization of the world economy is proceeding without appropriate safeguards for small developing economies.Regional develoPment funds and nonreciprocal trading arrangements for such economies should be general assembly plenary 4 press release ga/9266 nineteenth special session env/dev/432 4th meeting(Pm)24 June 1997 considered.The globalization of the world economy has also expanded expectations and aspirations worldwide.People in developing countries see through the media how those in developed countries live;This raises expectations.Living standards for persons in developing countries must be similar to those in the developed countries in the near future.Carlos lemossimmonds, vicepresident of colombia:UnderdeveloPment generates social and economic instability.In the past five years, poverty has escalated.Economic and technological power is concentrated in a few countries and in a few hands.Problems of environment and develoPment are global and therefore require a global response, with specific measures and commitments designed to benefit developing countries.Developed countries must direct additional financial resources to developing nations.Environmentallysound technology must be transferred on preferential terms.A full 10 per cent of the world's biodiversity is located in colombia.The government has taken concrete actions to promote conservation and awareness at all levels.Some 17 per cent of colombia's forests has been designated as forest conservation areas.Similar initiatives by other countries are welcome.Effective compensation for the global services provided by forests must be accorded to those countries which provide those services.The united nations environment programme should be strengthened.Opening up trade is an indispensable supplement to, but not a substitute for, official cooperation.Markets do not replace political will and commitment.Trade liberalization and economic globalization do not guarantee resources for develoPment.Developing countries must be relieved of the burden of their foreign debt.The amount and servicing of such debt must be brought to a sustainable level in order to allow developing countries to pursue economic recovery and sustainable growth.Private capital should be not be regarded as a panacea to achieve the inflow of resources required by agenda 21.The international community must implement changes in consumption and production patterns.Technological and resource transference is of utmost importance.Special priority should be given to the eradication of poverty in developing countries.Goh chok tong, prime minister of singapore:Since the rio summit, there has been a deeper awareness that countries must work together to meet the global problems that affect all people.Yet recognizing the problems does not guarantee their solution, and the"Grand bargain"Struck at rio may unravel.Commitments made at rio have not been fulfilled, and the political will to provide assistance that developing countries urgently need to implement agenda 21 is weakening.Many industrialized countries are struggling to restructure their economies while coping with slow growth and high unemployment.Global general assembly plenary 5 press release ga/9266 nineteenth special session env/dev/432 4th meeting(Pm)24 June 1997 environmental problems seem remote to many of their citizens, who are more concerned with perceived threats to their standard of living.The south correctly feels that sacrificing growth will only perpetuate injustice.Furthermore, developing countries believe it is unreasonable that they are required to address longterm environmental problems at the expense of immediate needs.It is unfair to expect the poor to bear the main costs of reducing global environmental risks, especially when most of those risks are attributable to past actions by the most affluent countries.Singapore defines itself as being between the developed and developing worlds.While its economy has relatively sophisticated service and industrial sectors, singapore is more vulnerable than most to unfavourable external develoPments.Environmental interdependence is a stark and inescapable reality, and a concerted and continuing international effort is needed.Singapore has announced domestic programme on technical assistance for sustainable develoPment aimed at sharing singapore's experience with other countries from the developing world.The programme focuses on training of officials in the areas of urban planning, park management and transportation.Singapore hopes that this programme will help developing countries implement some aspects of agenda 21, and it offers the programme as a tangible token of its seriousness to promote greater cooperation in sustainable develoPment.Mart siiman, prime minister of estonia:For estonia, the environmental aspects of agenda 21 have been the easiest to implement.In the economic sector, changes have occurred at a slower pace as they are dependent on the privatization process and on the availability of investment capital.The most difficult and complicated element has been the social agenda, which requires a fully stabilized economy.In that respect, estonia's transition period has not yet ended.It will not be possible to implement the principles of the sustainable develoPment programme without international cooperation.Since the rio summit, estonia has joined a number of international organizations dealing with sustainable develoPment and the environment.Because of limited resources, estonia attaches the highest priority to its responsibilities under conventions already ratified and has not signed as many international agreements as possible.Estonia has also been active at the subregional level, most notably at the council of baltic states.The baltic region agenda 21 programme should identify specific sustainable develoPment goals, assess the progress made towards those goals and indicate areas where improvement is necessary.The final result should be a sustainable develoPment strategy for the baltic region that identified goals, means, and methods as well as timetables and financing proposals.General assembly plenary 6 press release ga/9266 nineteenth special session env/dev/432 4th meeting(Pm)24 June 1997 Estonia's experience in implementing sustainable develoPment measures shows that it is indeed possible for countries in transition from a centrally planned economy to a free market economy to preserve the environment and reduce the burden of pollution in all economic sectors, including agriculture, thereby fulfilling the requirements set forth in Agenda 21.Cuthbert sebastian, governorgeneral of st.Kitts and nevis:The object of the special session is to consolidate collective efforts and to concentrate on developing a more pragmatic and mutually beneficial relationship so that, in the years ahead,The international community can tack the problems already identified in previous conferences and at the national level.The results of previous conferences are obvious reminders of the power of collective strategizing, and the central role for the united nations in amicably wedding the interests of its member.Innovative strategies that encourage the flow of resources to the south must be devised in order to accelerate sustainable develoPment in poorer countries.The review and appraisal of agenda 21 is about real change.That means the integration of economics and the environment and reflects new consumption and production patterns;It means a closer monitoring of environmental performance and encourages greater cooperation in develoPment, and it also suggests pragmatic and close scrutiny of sectoral issues, including energy, transport, toxic chemicals, hazards of nuclear energy and its transshiPment, urbanization, biotechnology and education.Sustainable develoPment demands thatThe international community attack the root causes of poverty and commit to its eradication.The alleviation of poverty in any given society is a longterm investment in a civil and productive society, and it contributes to sustainable peace, justice and progress of humankind.The developing world requires a reinvigorated commitment to education and a cohesive approach to agriculture and poverty.By eradicating poverty, people are empowered so they can better protect and improve their health and are made more able to acquire improved housing and a richer quality of life.Gert hanekom, minister of environment and tourism, namibia:DeveloPment does not mean achieving a certain gross national product(Gnp)Or per capita income.Rich countries with unsustainable production and consumption patterns, impoverished biodiversity and high pollution levels are inappropriate role models for sustainable develoPment.Sadly, however, lifestyles based on high levels of consumption are what poor nations aspire to achieve.Namibia's priorities are to eradicate poverty and halt environmental degradation.Conditions for sustainable develoPment include peace, security, democracy and human rights.The legacy of namibia's past is apparent in its general assembly plenary 7 press release ga/9266 nineteenth special session env/dev/432 4th meeting(Pm)24 June 1997 socioeconomic indicators:About 5 per cent of the population earns 70 per cent of the income.The international community must create an enabling environment to complement the national efforts of developing countries.International priorities must be ecoefficiency, access to environmentallyfriendly technology and changing patterns of unsustainable consumption and production.International trade practices must support sound environmental management and not undermine it, as subsidies often do.The commitments made at rio by the industrialized countries for develoPment assistance must be realized.A charter of global ethics should be developed in support of sustainable develoPment.Millions of people live in abject poverty in degraded environments.Local, national and international efforts to fight poverty and rehabilitate the environment are investments in a better future.John afful, minister for the environment, science and technology, ghana:Ghana's develoPment strategy is based on three pillars of sustainable develoPment:Social, economic and environmental.The programme is human centred and relies on coordination between governmental agencies.Recognizing that many environmental problems are the result of poverty, ghana places great importance on poverty eradication.Its government's efforts in this regard have been constrained by inadequate financial, human and institutional resources.The global environment is no better now than it was in rio five years ago, primarily because commitments made in rio largely remain unfulfilled, particularly those pertaining to pollution emissions, unsustainable production and consumption patterns, provision of adequate financial resources, technical assistance and the transfer of environmentallysound technologies.The outcome of this special review session should address poverty, external debt, financial resources for developing countries, market access for exports, capacitybuilding and technology transfer.The best way to ensure implementation of the convention to combat desertification is Wedding Party Dresses UK to establish a global financial mechanism, similar to the global environment facility, to generate financial resources.A forest convention requires further consideration, given the divergent positions taken by various parties.Albert kakou tiapani, minister of the environment of cote d'ivoire:The national plan for the environment in cote d'ivoire has been charged with followup to agenda 21, as well as to environmental conventions and agreements signed since rio.The plan is also charged with monitoring and evaluating environmental impact and information campaigns.A new code on the environment has established a legal framework for environmental management.There is a new network of national parks and wildlife and other reserves.More than 1, 500, 000 hectares of forest reserves are being managed jointly with local general assembly plenary 8 press release ga/9266 nineteenth special session env/dev/432 4th meeting(Pm)24 June 1997 farmers.An integrated management plan is being drafted for coastal communities.The internat
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