Environment Conference (Hansard, 13 May 1991)

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the second preparatory committee meeting of the United Nations conference on environment and development.

§ Mr. Trippier
The second meeting of the preparatory committee for the United Nations conference on environment and development—UNCED—took place in Geneva from 18 March to 5 April 1991. The preparatory committee examined a series of reports on environment and development topics and instructed the conference secretariat to prepare further reports, focusing on potential areas for action by Governments and international organisations, in time for the third meeting of the preparatory committee in Geneva from 12 August to 4 September 1991.
The preparatory committee made progress in a number of areas, including agreement on the participation of non-governmental organisations in the preparatory meetings and on the examination of options for a global consensus on forests by the committee at its third meeting. This decision could lead to a statement of guiding principles on the management of the world's forests for endorsement by world leaders at UNCED. Working group III of the preparatory committee was established and began its examination of legal, institutional and related matters. The preparatory committee had an initial discussion of the secretary-general's proposals for a programme of work for the international community in the period following the 1992 United Nations conference.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance has been made available to non-governmental organisations to participate in the preparatory meetings for the 1992 United Nations conference on environment and development.

§ Mr. Trippier
My Department is providing financial assistance for the programme of non-governmental preparations for UNCED which is being organised by the International Institute for Environment and Development on behalf of the United Kingdom committee for the United Nations Environment Programme—UNEP-UK. The United Kingdom delegation to the first two meetings of the preparatory committee for UNCED included a non-governmental adviser from UNEP-UK.