February 9, 1994
The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
met for the first time in June 1993 to set its work schedule
through 1997. The CSD was formed after the Earth Summit to
coordinate the progress of governments and international
institutions in implementing Agenda 21. Almost 500 NGOs (non-
governmental organizations) from around the world attended this
first meeting. The 1994 session, set for May 16 - June 3 in New
York, will focus on toxics and hazardous waste, fresh water,
health and human settlements. Sustainable agriculture and rural
development are scheduled for discussion in 1995. Participating
countries are now considering how best to coordinate local and
national efforts with this international forum of governments.
In addition, a number of upcoming "intersessional" meetings,
designed to contribute to the work of the annual CSD session,
are directly relevant to toxics and the impact of chemicals in
water, including:
- the International Conference on Chemical Safety dealing with
risk assessment and management of chemicals, in Stockholm,
Sweden, on April 25-29, 1994, and
- a Ministerial Conference on Drinking Water and Environmental
Sanitation in The Netherlands on March 22-23, 1994. An NGO
submission to this conference has been prepared that commits
signatory NGOs to work with governments and international
institutions to raise awareness about the crises of inadequate
drinking water supplies, water contamination and degradation of
aquatic ecosystems, and to make specific recommendations to the
CSD regarding these topics.
According to Linda Elswick of the World Sustainable Agriculture
Association, concern is growing that the Commission is not
being taken seriously enough to make it the facilitator of
progress toward sustainability that it was originally
envisioned to be. For example, Annual National Reports from
each country must be submitted to the CSD Secretariat at the
UN. These reports, which are limited to 50 pages, are supposed
to describe actions to implement the policies of the particular
chapters in Agenda 21 under review for that year. The reports
are due several months in advance of each session (the deadline
for the May 1994 session was November 30, 1993). To date, few
governments have met this requirement, although reports
continue to come in slowly. It is thus important that NGOs
continue (or begin) to focus on both national departments
responsible for the National Reports (these vary country by
country), and on the CSD itself to ensure follow-through.
CSD Planning: On-line and Face-to-Face
A detailed update on preparations for the 1994 CSD meetings is
available on-line via Econet at cdp:csd.general. (The NGO
submission to the March 1994 Ministerial Conference mentioned
above is also available there.) The Earth Negotiations Bulletin
(enb@cdp.apc.org) and other electronic conferences also post
CSD-related information.
Plans are also underway to focus NGO input on sustainable
agriculture and rural development at the 1995 session; this
information will be posted on a variety of conferences and
networks in the very near future. NGOs present at the '94
session will be able to meet and strategize for 1995, including
strategies for influencing National Reports.
Written Input from NGOs
The CSD Secretariat has received little input from NGOs to
date, although it has encouraged submissions from "all major
groups so long as the inputs are relevant to the 1994
themes..." IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO SUBMIT INPUTS TO THE 1994
SESSION, BUT QUICK ACTION IS NEEDED. Last minute contributions
will be accepted through March 1994. Direct them to CSD
Secretariat, One UN Plaza, 10th Floor, New York, NY, 10017,
USA; fax: 212-963-1267; email: dpcsd@cdp.apc.org. Ms. Zehra
Aydin is the Major Groups Focal Point. Her telephone number is
(212) 963-8811.
Accreditation for Future CSD Sessions
A number of criteria apply as to how NGOs can participate in
the work of the CSD. NGOs accredited for participation in the
Rio conference and/or the 1993 CSD session do not need to file
separate accreditation applications for 1994, however they do
need to inform the NGO Unit of the DPCSD in writing, as soon as
possible, so that ground-passes can be arranged. Contact:
DPCSD, NGO Unit, Two UN Plaza, Room 2340, New York, NY, 10017,
USA; fax (212) 963-3892.
NGOs without credentials for past CSD meetings or the Rio
Conference can apply to the UN by writing the DPCSD at the
above address for an application form. However, these
accreditation applications are processed only once a year, and
applications are now being processed for the 1995
sessions/meetings (applications for the 1995 sessions must be
received by June 1, 1994). YOU MUST ACT NOW TO BE ABLE TO
PARTICIPATE IN PERSON AT THE 1995 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
SESSION.
Source/contact: Linda Elswick, World Sustainable Agriculture
Association, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Suite 907 N,
Washington, D.C. 20004, USA; phone (202) 347-0637; fax (202)
347-0654; email: wsaadc@igc.apc.org
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