§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the progress made in the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development since its establishment; and if he will place in the Library the reports issued by the commission to date; [12396]
(2) what proposals the United Kingdom plans to put to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development at its next inter-sessional meeting. [12397]
§ Mr. GummerThe Commission on Sustainable Development was established following the Earth summit to review progress with the implementation of agenda 21. It has met five times and at its last meeting, in April and May last year, it completed its first programme of work which included a review of each of the chapters of agenda 21. The Secretary-General of the United Nations presents reports to the commission on each of the issues under consideration and the commission has negotiated a series of decisions resulting from these reports. Two of the most significant of the Commission's decisions were the decision in 1995 to establish an inter-governmental panel on forests and the decision in 1996 relating to the global consideration of oceans issues. The United Kingdom Government played a significant part in the framing of both decisions. A copy of the full set of decisions from the 1996 session of the Commission has been placed in the Library. Copies of decisions from the previous sessions will follow shortly.
The meeting of the Commission in April this year will be devoted to preparations for the United Nations General Assembly special session in June this year which will review progress since the Earth summit. The Government believe that the commission's mandate should be renewed at the special session and are working with their partners in the European Union to ensure the success of the special session and that the future work of the Commission concentrates on the key priorities for future action. The Government have published on 30 December a consultation document which sets out the Government's position on these matters. Comments are invited by 31 January. Copies of the consultation paper were placed in the Library.
The commission's secretariat has in past years invited Governments to make reports each year on the matters to be covered in the forthcoming session of the commission. Copies of the Government's reports to the commission were placed in the Library.