UN Earth Summit II (Hansard, 5 March 1997)

§ Ms Walley
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department has taken to involve other Government Departments in preparations for the UN's earth summit II. [18394]

§ Mr. Clappison
"Agenda 21", the blueprint for sustainable development agreed at the Rio earth summit, covers the activities of most Government Departments. We are, therefore, ensuring that these Departments are involved in all aspects of the preparations for the special session of the UN General Assembly in June.

§ Ms Walley
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will support proposals for negotiations at the UN's earth summit II on a forest convention. [18395]

§ Mr. Clappison
It is the Government's view that the special session of the UN General Assembly in June should be used to review progress since the Rio earth summit, and to take a forward look, seeking to renew the political momentum for achieving sustainable development. The Government believe that negotiations634W on a forest convention should begin as soon as possible. We want the UN General Assembly special session to endorse this.

§ Mr. Yeo
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will support proposals for negotiations on (i) a freshwater convention and (ii) a forest convention at the Earth summit II. [18497]

§ Mr. Clappison
The Government believe that negotiations on a forest convention should begin as soon as possible. We want the special session of the UN General Assembly to endorse this.
Negotiations on a global convention on the non-navigational uses of transboundary watercourses commenced last autumn in the sixth committee of the UN General Assembly. The proposed convention, which is the result of long work in the International Law Commission, addresses most significant aspects of freshwater. The United Kingdom supports, and is making constructive contributions to these negotiations, which are planned to resume just before Easter.

§ Mr. Yeo
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what preparations his Department is making for Earth summit II; and for the preparatory conferences leading up to the summit. [18499]

§ Mr. Clappison
Preparations for the special session of the UN General Assembly began in June 1996 with a seminar involving Government, business, non-governmental organisations and local government. A consultation paper was issued in December 1996, setting out the Government's approach to the special session. Comments on this are now being considered, and a revised version will be published in due course. A report setting out the United Kingdom's progress since Rio, together with some of our objectives for future action, is also being prepared for presentation to the special session. The current intersessional meeting, and the main session in April, of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development will be used to prepare the ground for the special session.