HC Deb 19 January 1993 vol 217 cc155-6W
Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which will be the lead Government Department for the newly created UN Commission on Sustainable Development.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

At present, the FCO leads within Whitehall on institutional aspects of the follow up to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, including the establishment of the Sustainable Development Commission.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he is proposing to hold with British non-governmental organisations on the creation of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and other changes currently taking place in the UN system as a result of the UN Conference on Environment and Development.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department of Environment attended a meeting with non-governmental organisations on 15 September, chaired by the International Institute for Environment and Development. Representatives of non-governmental organisations subsequently participated in the United Kingdom delegation at the UN General Assembly discussions on Rio follow-up. The United Kingdom will host an international non-governmental organisation conference "Implementing the Rio Agenda: Partnerships for Change", in Manchester in September.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account he has made of whether the work of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development will be adequately funded under financial arrangements recently agreed in New York.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

UN General Assembly resolution 47/191 called for the Sustainable Development Commission to befunded from the UN regular budget and depend to the maximum extent possible upon existing budgetary resources. We await the Secretary General's detailed proposals.