** Topic: ngo input to us csd report **
** Written 12:14 pm Oct 8, 1993 by unaofusa in cdp:csd.general **
US NGO INPUT SOUGHT FOR US NATIONAL REPORT TO CSD
The Clinton Administration has established an interagency process, led
by the State Department, to produce a US national report to the United
Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). The report
will summarize US efforts to implement Agenda 21 (the action plan
adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit) in specific issue areas which are on
the CSD's `94 agenda.
The CSD secretariat has circulated a format which they have asked
governments to use in preparing the national reports; they also have
asked that the reports be limited to about 50 pages and be submitted to
the secretariat no later than the end of November 1993.
At an October 7, 1993 briefing for US nongovernmental organizations
on the reporting process at the State Department, Administration
officials said they welcomed input on the U.S. national report from
U.S. citizens and U.S. nongovernmental organizations.
The following are the issues included in the report, along with names
and contact information for the federal government offices assigned to
draft that portion of the report.
(1) Sectoral Issues:
-- Health: Sharon Hemond, Department of State
tel: 202-736-7526; Fax: 202-736-7336
-- Human Settlements: John Geraghty, Department of Housing
and Urban Development; tel: 202-708-0770; fax: 202-708-5536
-- Freshwater: Mark Kindall, Environmental Protection Agency
tel: 202-260-8446; fax: 202-260-4470
-- Hazardous Wastes: Mark Kindall, Environmental Protection
Agency; tel: 202-260-8446; fax: 202-260-4470
-- Toxic Chemicals: Dave Ogden, Environmental Protection Agency
tel: 202-260-6633; fax: 202-260-4470
-- Radioactive Wastes: Bill Danker, Department of Energy
tel: 202-586-5624; fax: 202-586-7259
(2) Cross-Sectoral Issues:
-- Financial Flows: Bob Ford, Department of State
tel: 202-647-1561; fax: 202-647-0217
-- Consumption Patterns: Bob Ford, Department of State
tel: 202-647-1561; fax: 202-647-0217
-- International policies to accelerate sustainable development:
Bob Ford, Department of State
tel: 202-647-1561; fax: 202-647-0217
-- Technology Cooperation: George Herrfurth, Department of State
tel: 202-647-9266; fax: 202-647-5947
Issues of international law, institutions, and the roles of major groups
(including NGOs) also are on the CSD's `94 agenda. However, they
are supposed to be integrated into other sections of the report, not
reported on separately.
OTHER WAYS TO KEEP UP OR GET INVOLVED:
(1) The State Department plans to hold a series of briefings in
Washington, DC for NGOs on the CSD process: late November or
early December 1993 (on the results of the U.S.-Colombia Preparatory
Meeting on Environmentally Sound Technologies); late January or early
February 1994 (on U.S. strategy for CSD working group
intersessionals on financial flows and technology cooperation); early to
mid-April 1994 (on results of February intersessional working groups
and U.S. strategy for May CSD meeting); and mid- to late June 1994
(on results of the May CSD meeting).
(2) Efforts are underway to organize working groups within the
Citizens Network for Sustainable Development on these issue areas.
For more information, contact the Citizens Network for Sustainable
Development, 75 Spring Street, #402, New York, N.Y. 10012; tel:
212-431-3922; fax: 212-431-4427; email: citizensnet@igc.org
** End of text from cdp:csd.general **
Additional Note for SANET:
Specifics of EPA Briefing re Freshwater, Hazardous Wastes and Toxic
Chemicals:
Freshwater section will focus on both water quality and quantity
efforts of US; Toxics to address chemical classification and labeling; prior
informed consent; risk reduction; capacity building; illegal traffic;
community right to know; toxic release prevention; 3350 program and
food safety policy.
It would be useful for EPA to receive info on what NGOs are doing in these
and related areas so that they can report on the role of NGOs in
sustainable development in the US.