Environment 743

Chapter XVI

Environment

The United Nations Environment Programme

(UNEP) was able to make scant headway against the

rising tide of environmental destruction in 1984,

according to the UNEP Executive Director. It un-

dertook a global campaign to engender a better un-

derstanding of the central role of environmental issues

in the broader economic and social context.

The Governing Council of UNEP held its twelfth

session in 1984. After reviewing implementation

of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification

from 1978 to 1984, the Council noted with great

concern that desertification was continuing to

spread, particularly in Africa; it proposed further

measures to ameliorate the problem. By resolu-

tion 39/208, the General Assembly called on the

international community, particularly the devel-

oped countries, to assist countries stricken by

desertification and drought. The Economic and

Social Council (resolution 1984/65) and the As-

sembly (resolution 39/168 A) urged increased as-

sistance to those countries. The Assembly also em-

phasized the need to redouble efforts to combat

the problem in the Sudano-Sahelian region (reso-

lution 39/168 B). To develop a joint policy for com-

bating desertification, the 21 countries affected

held a regional Ministerial Conference in Sene-

gal in July.

The Economic and Social Council, by resolu-

tion 1984/72, urged the Assembly to expand the

scope of work of the United Nations Sudano-

Sahelian Office (UNSO) to assist additional States

to tackle desertification.

The Global Environmental Monitoring System

of Earthwatch, the assessment arm of UNEP, con-

tinued to monitor renewable resources, climate,

health, pollutants and oceans. A Convention for

the Protection of the Ozone Layer was drafted.

The International Register of Potentially Toxic

Chemicals continued to expand its global infor-

mation network. Draft guidelines were being de-

veloped for the management of hazardous wastes.

Other UNEP activities included world climate im-

pact studies, management of tropical forests and

world soil resources, wildlife conservation, protec-

tion of the marine environment, and linkages be-

tween environment and development, industry,

population and human settlements.

By resolution 39/229, the Assembly decided that

a list of products whose consumption and/or sale

had been banned, withdrawn, severely restricted

or not approved by Governments should be issued

annually. By resolution 39/167, it regretted that no

concrete measures had been taken to solve the

problem of material remnants of war and re-

quested the Secretary-General to assist countries

affected in their efforts to detect and clear them.

Forty-eight new projects were approved by the

Environment Fund in 1984; 53 projects were con-

cluded. The Fund disbursed $17 million for pro-

gramme act ivi t ies ; government contr ibut ions

totalled $29.5 million.

Topics related to this chapter . Africa: co-

operation with the Organization of African Unity.

Asia: Iran-Iraq armed confl ict . Middle East:

Mediterranean-Dead Sea canal project. Economic

as s i s t ance , d i s a s t e r s and emergency r e l i e f :

drought-stricken areas of Africa. Regional eco-

nomic and social activities: environment. Natural

resources: water resources. Energy resources:

nuclear energy. Health. Human settlements.

Programme and f inances of UNEP

The twelfth session of the Governing Council

of UNEP was held at UNEP headquarters, Nairobi,

Kenya, from 16 to 29 May 1984. The Council

adopted 26 decisions on environmental and ad-

ministrative matters.

P rog ramme po l i cy

On 28 May,(1) the UNEP Council took note of

the reports of the UNEP Executive Director on

emerging environmental issues(2) and on environ-

mental events in 1983(3) and requested him to up-

date annually the list of emerging issues; it found

that air pollution in cities of developing countries

and biotechnology should be taken into account

w h e n p r e p a r i n g U N E P ' S b i enn i a l p rog ramme

budgets.

The Council decided that a comprehensive

report on the state of the environment should be

prepared every 10 years, the next such report to

be submitted in 1992. It further decided that popu-

lation and the environment and environmental

aspects of emerging agricultural technology should

be examined in the Executive Director’s 1985

report.(4) The Council also took note of his inten-

tion to produce a final version of the state-of-the-

environment report for 1984.(5)

744 Economic and social questions

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION

In July, the Economic and Social Council, on

the recommendation of its First (Economic) Com-

mittee, adopted decision 1984/179 without vote.

Report of the Governing Council of the

Uni ted Nat ions Envi ronment Programme

on the work of its twelfth session

At its 49th plenary meeting, on 26 July 1984, theCouncil took note of the report of the Governing Councilof the United Nations Environment Programme on thework of its twelfth session and decided to transmit it tothe General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session for con-sideration.

Economic and Social Council decision 1984/179

A d o p t e d w i t h o u t v o t e

Approved by First Committee (E/1984/145) without vote, 20 July (meeting 14); oral

proposal by Chairman: agenda item 14.

Two draft resolutions concerning international

co-operation on the environment were introduced

in the First Committee and later withdrawn. By

the first,(6) introduced by Norway on behalf of 18

nations, the Council would have welcomed the es-

tablishment of a Special Commission on the En-

vironmental Perspective to the Year 2000 and Be-

yond (see below), and would have noted with concern

the meagre pledg es made to the UNEP Fund. By

the other draft,(7) submitted by a Vice-Chairman

on the basis of informal consultations on the first,

the Council would have recalled in the preamble

that in a 1983 Assembly resolution(8) it had been

stated that the continuing increase in the produc-

tion, stockpiling and risk of use of weapons of mass

destruction not only posed a major threat to the

environment and even to life on earth, but also com-

peted for limited resources that could be better used.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

In December, the General Assembly, on the

recommendation of the Second (Economic and

Financial) Committee, adopted decision 39/429

without vote.

E n v i r o n m e n t

At its 103rd plenary meeting, on 17 December 1984,the General Assembly, on the recommendation of theSecond Committee:

(a) Took note of the report of the Governing Coun-cil of the United Nations Environment Programme onthe work of its twelfth session;

(b) Took note of the note by the Secretary-Generaltransmitting the report of the Executive Director of theUnited Nations Environment Programme on interna-tional conventions and protocols in the field of the en-vironment.(9)

General Assembly decision 39/429

Adopted without vote

Approved by Second Committee (A/39/79O/Add.9) without vote. 14 December (meet-

ing 60): oral proposal by Chairman; agenda item 80 (i).

Meeting numbers. GA 39th session: 2nd Committee 37,50,54,58,60; plenary 103.

In the Committee, Norway submitted and sub-

sequently withdrew a draft resolution on interna-

tional co-operation in the field of the environment

on behalf of 20 nations.(l0) It would have had the

Assembly welcome the establishment of the Spe-

cial Commission on the Environmental Perspec-

tive; note with concern the status of government

pledges to the UNEP Fund; and endorse a series

of Governing Council decisions.

The USSR proposed inserting a preambular

p a r a g r a p h r e f e r r i n g t o t h e t h r e a t p o s e d b y

weapons of mass destruction to the environment

and life on earth.(11) Pakistan orally proposed

revising the amendment to state that the continu-

ing arms accumulation in many regions and the

risk of their use was a major danger for the en-

vironment and competed for limited resources.

Iraq proposed revising Pakistan’s text to refer to

the stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction (see

below, under “Arms race and the environment”).

State of the environment

In response to a May 1983 UNEP Council deci-

sion,(12) the Executive Director submitted a report

on the state of the environment in 1984.(13) The

topic selected for consideration was environment

in the dialogue between and among developed and

developing countries. Among other things, the

report discussed interdependence between eco-

nomic and environmental issues, and environmen-

tal standards in relation to international invest-

ment and trade.

The report concluded that a broad understand-

ing of the economic and social context, one in

which the environment was seen to play an all-

pervading role, was required. Environmental and

resource management issues transcended interna-

tional boundaries; solutions to those problems re-

quired extensive international co-operation and

mutual assistance. The dialogue between devel-

oped and developing countries was crucial in that

respect . Since many environmemal problems

tended to be technical and politically neutral, en-

vironmental agreements could have a unifying im-

pact and help create a favourable cl!imate for at-

tacking more controversial problems.

Three addenda to the report concerned emerg-

ing environmental issues,(2) preparat ion and

presentation of environmental data(14) and en-

vironmental events in 1983.(3)

By a decision of 28 May 1984,(5) the UNEP

Council noted with appreciation the Executive

Director’s intention to produce a final version of

the report, taking into account government views.

It encouraged him to continue suggesting specific

action, encouraged governmental bodies to con-

tinue their efforts for sustained global progress

with special focus on developing countries’ needs,

Environment 745

and agreed to continued support by UNEP for the

dialogue between developed and developing countries

(see also below, under “Environmental aspects of

political, economic and other issues”). As requested

by the Council, the final report was to be trans-

mitted to the General Assembly, its Committee on

the Review and Appraisal of the Implementation

of the International Development Strategy for the

Third United Nations Development Decade and

other United Nations bodies.

In July, UNEP organized a workshop in London

to discuss the publication of environmental indi-

cators, requested in a UNEP Council decision of 28

May.(15) The workshop was attended by represen-

tatives of the International Institute for Environ-

ment and Development, the Monitoring and As-

sessment Research Centre of the University of

London, and the World Resources Institute, which

were to co-operate with UNEP in compiling the data.

Publication was planned for 1986.

Environmental Perspective

In 1984, the UNEP Council again took up the

question of preparing an Environmental Perspec-

tive to the Year 2000 and Beyond, to be submitted

in 1987. In March 1984, the Executive Director

reported on the state of the preparations.(16) Pur-

suant to a December 1983 General Assembly reso-

lution,(17) an Intergovernmental Inter-sessional

Preparatory Committee was being set up to assist

the Council in preparing the Perspective; a 22-

member Special Commission, also known as the

World Commission on Environment and Develop-

ment, would develop proposals. An interim spe-

cial account for voluntary contributions, from which

disbursements were to be made for the Special Com-

mission, was established in February 1984.

On 29 May,(18) the UNEP Council decided on the

30 members of the Committee. The Commission

held at Geneva an organizational meeting in May

and an inaugural meeting in October (see APPEN-

DIX III).

Regional activit ies

Regional activities in Africa, Asia and the Pa-

cific, and Latin America and the Caribbean were

dealt with in UNEP Council decisions of 28 May.(19)

The Council welcomed the outcome of a meeting

of the African subregional environment groups (Lu-

saka, Zamba, l0-13 April), in particular its draft

programme of action on the African environment,

and requested the Executive Director to continue

assisting in convening an African ministerial con-

ference to approve a regional plan of action, to

strengthen the Regional Office for Africa and to

study the establishment of subregional offices, con-

sidering the offer of Morocco to host the subregional

office for North Africa.

The Council also requested him to continue to

accord high priority to the programmes of the Asia

and Pacific region and to intensify his efforts to

seek funds for them, while urging that he use his

discretionary authority to increase funds for the

high-priority regional seas programme.

The Council thanked Peru for convening the

third (1984) Regional Intergovernmental Meeting

on the Environment in Latin America and the

Caribbean, and the Executive Director for the

Meeting of High-level Experts Designated by

Governments to Review Regional Environmental

Programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean

(Lima, Peru, 8-12 April). It requested him to pro-

vide financial support for strengthening regional

activities, to set in motion as soon as possible

regional programmes of common interest, and to

incorporate those in the 1986-1987 budget. It called

his attention to the request by the Meeting of

High-level Experts that he compile information on

innovative means of financing, while Governments

and international organizations were urged to in-

tensify their support to the following programmes

co-ordinated by UNEP: the Action Plan for the

Caribbean Environment ; the Environmental

Training Network for Latin America and the

Caribbean (see p. 771); and the Action Plan for

the Protection of the Marine Environment and

Coastal Areas of the South-East Pacific.

The Council, in another decision of 28 May,(20)

urged States to support fully regional conventions

and protocols for the protection and development

of the marine environment and coastal areas (see

“Regional seas programme” below).

Towards regional and technical co-operation,

the Executive Director pointed out in his annual

report,(21) UNEP continued to provide support to:

staff of UNEP regional offices, including regional

advisers; individual experts from developing coun-

tries wishing to participate in environment-related

meetings, symposia, workshops and seminars; the

environment co-ordinating units in the United

Nations regional commissions; and a limited num-

ber of small technical co-operation projects. The

importance of regional co-operation was also

stressed in the area of education and training. A

regional approach was also taken in combating

desertification (see p. 756).

Co-ordinat ion

United Nations co-ordination

In a report to the UNEP Governing Council at

its 1984 session on co-ordination of environment

activities,(22

) the Administrative Committee on Co-

ordination (ACC) continued to keep under review

preparation of the Environmental Perspective to

the Year 2000 and Beyond, reiterating that mem-

ber organizations were ready to participate in the

746 Economic and social questions

process. It decided to contribute to the ongoing

review of the environment component of the In-

ternational Development Strategy for the Third

U n i t e d N a t i o n s D e v e l o p m e n t D e c a d e ( s e e

p. 391), and noted that a clearing-house facility

established by UNEP to act as intermediary be-

tween donors and recipients in helping develop-

ing countries deal with environmental problems

was becoming operational (see below).

Reviewing preparations to assess the progress

in implementing the 1977 Plan of Act ion to

Combat Desertification, ACC noted with con-

cern that, although there was growing conscious-

ness of the need to combat the problem, particu-

larly in the Sudano-Sahelian region, insufficient

financing was seriously limiting United Nations

efforts to implement the Plan (see p. 756).

In an addendum to the report, ACC reviewed,

within the context of the International Develop-

ment Strategy, the evolution of United Nations

system-wide co-ordination on the environment

(see p. 392).

On 28 May 1984,(23) the UNEP Council ex-

pressed appreciation for the report and noted the

progress made by UNEP in its co-ordinating role.

On 23 October,(24) ACC approved its report to

the 1985 UNEP Council session.

Dur ing 1984 , 87 U N E P Fund projects were

being implemented in co-operation with other

United Nations agencies and organizations, in-

cluding F A O (22 projects) , U N E S C O (17) , W H O

(13), WMO (8) and UNSO (6).

Co-operation with UNCHS

Noting the report of the Executive Director(25)

on the s ixth joint meet ing of UNEP and the

United Nations Centre for Human Settlements

(UNCHS) in December 1983,(26

) the UNEP Coun-

cil, on 28 May 1984,(23) requested him to in-

crease co-operation between both entities and

reaffirmed that such meetings were no longer

necessary.

In its report on co-ordination of environment

activi t ies (see above), ACC pointed out that

U N E P and U N C H S had prepared guidel ines for

developing human settlements along environ-

mentally sound lines. It was envisaged that tech-

nical and other assistance to developing coun-

t r i e s i n app ly ing the gu ide l ines wou ld be

increased. However, ACC noted that very little

progress had been made in improving the en-

vironmental aspects of human set t lements in

those countries (see p. 768).

UNEP clearing-house mechanism

O n 2 8 M a y 1 9 8 4 , (2 7

) t h e U N E P C o u n c i l

decided to extend for three years the clearing-

h o u s e m e c h a n i s m f o r t h e m o b i l i z a t i o n o f

resources over and above regular contributions

to meet serious environmental problems in de-

veloping countries. The clearing-house concept,

which had emerged in 1982,(28) incorporated

programming and technical assistance elements,

with UNEP acting as a catalyst and co-ordinator,

rather than as a financing agency. Also on 28

May, the Council requested the Executive Direc-

tor to establish a Clearing-house Unit with no

more than live Professional staff plus support

s e r v i c e s ; t o s e e k f u n d i n g f o r l o n g - t e r m

programmes; to ini t ia te programmes for in-

tegrating environmental considerations into de-

velopment planning processes; to consider other

means of promoting the clearing-house concept;

and to ensure that clearing-house projects were

formulated in co-ordination with other United

Nations organizations, bilateral donors and non-

governmental organizations. The Council called

on Governments for support in cash or in kind.

In extending the clearing-house experiment,

the Council followed a suggestion by the Execu-

tive Director in a March progress report.(29)

Describing different types of projects, the report

concluded that the mechanism was not only suc-

cessful in promoting environmental improve-

m e n t b u t w a s a l s o a n i n n o v a t i v e f i n a n c i a l

mechanism.

Several projects presented for financing in

1 9 8 4 f o c u s e d o n s p e c i f i c e n v i r o n m e n t a l

problems, improving nat ional environmental

legislation, training central government adminis-

trators, and organizing nation-wide discussions

of environmental priorities. Early in 1984, long-

term strategies for tackling serious environmen-

tal problems were completed in Botswana, Indo-

nesia, Jordan and Peru. During the year, funds

were committed or pledged to the clearing-house

by Argentina, the Federal Republic of Germany,

the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the Arab

Gulf Programme for United Nations Develop-

ment Organizations. Discussions continued with

Argentina, which established a five-year line of

credit for use by other developing countries in

dealing with environmental problems. Malaysia

offered facilities and staff for training technicians

of other countries in environmental controls in

the palm-oil and rubber industries.

Co-ordination with

intergovernmental organizations

The number of intergovernmental organiza-

tions participating in environmental activities

cont inued to grow in 1984. Several worked

closely with UNEP in such areas as regional seas,

desertification, toxic and contaminated matter,

and environmental education and training.

In Europe, the Council for Mutual Economic

Assistance (CMEA) joined with the UNEP Interna-

tional Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals and

Environment 747

the ILO/WHO/UNEP International Programme on

Chemical Safety in a training seminar (Moscow,

19-30 November) on the optimal use of health risk

evaluations. UNEP took part in the twentieth ses-

sion of the CMEA Board for Environmental Pro-

tection (Poznan, Poland, 25-28 April) and in the

environmental activities of the Council of Europe

and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation

and Development (OECD), including the OECD In-

ternational Conference on Environment and Eco-

nomics (Paris, 18-21 June).

Outside the industrialized world, UNEP con-

tinued to act as a focal point for intergovernmen-

tal co-operation. It provided a secretariat for the

third Regional Intergovernmental Meeting on the

Environment in Latin America and the Caribbean

(Lima, April). In Asia and the Pacific, it collabo-

rated with the Association of South-East Asian

Nations (ASEAN), giving technical assistance in

nature conservation, environmental impact assess-

ment, and education and training. UNEP regional

seas specialists continued to assist the ASEAN

countries with projects on oil pollution, chemical

dispersants and ambient oceanographic and

meteorological phenomena. In the South Pacific,

UNEP worked with the South Pacific Commission,

the South Pacif ic Bureau for Economic Co-

operation and individual Governments in develop-

ing the South Pacific Regional Environment Pro-

gramme and a regional seas plan of act ion.

Moreover, it was involved in the South Asia Co-

operative Environment Programme as well as the

launching of the South Asian Seas programme.

In the Middle East, UNEP continued to col-

laborate with the League of Arab States, particu-

larly the Conference on Environmental Pollution

and Its Problems in Arab Countries (Amman, Jor-

dan, July); the Conference proposed that a meet-

ing of Arab ministers on the environment be or-

ganized in 1985. Long-standing ties with the Arab

League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Or-

ganization (ALECSO) were formalized by UNEP in

a memorandum of understanding in January;

UNEP was also working with ALECSO in regional

seas activities for the Red Sea and the Gulf of

Aden, environment projects in the Mediterranean,

and green belt projects in North Africa and the

Syrian desert.

In Africa, UNEP co-operated with the Organi-

zation of African Unity and various subregional

governmental organizations.

Relations with NGOs

On 28 May,(23

) the UNEP Council welcomed

U N E P ’ s i n c r e a s i n g c o - o p e r a t i o n w i t h n o n -

governmental organizations (NGOS) and endorsed

the efforts of the Executive Director to extend that

co-operation.

UNEP continued in 1984 to provide financial as-

sistance to the Nairobi-based Environment Liai-

son Centre (ELC), which maintained a network of

more than 6,000 NGOs dealing with environment

issues. A substantial part of that assistance was

used for ELC'S programme of collecting and dis-

seminating information.

Preparatory work for a Global Meeting on En-

vironment and Development for NGOs was sup-

ported financially by U N E P through E L C ; the

preparatory committee met at Nairobi (27-30 Sep-

tember).

UNEP gave priority to NGO activities in a num-

ber of ways. Several NGOs participated in about

20 projects on nature conservation and terrestrial

ecosystems, information and publicity campaigns,

and meteorological and oceanographic research.

UNEP continued to support the World Resources

I n s t i t u t e , p a r t i c u l a r l y i t s d a t a c o l l e c t i o n

programmes, and maintained close co-operation

with the Global Tomorrow Coal i t ion, which

brought together a large number of community

groups and NGOS in the United States.

With financial support from UNEP and under

the auspices of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, 98

delegates from 44 parliaments met at UNEP head-

quarters to exchange views on environmental

management and legislation.

A World Industry Conference on Environmen-

tal Management (Versailles, France, 14-16 Novem-

ber) was jointly sponsored by UNEP, major indus-

tries and the International Chamber of Commerce

(see below, under “Environmental activities”).

UNEP Fund

During 1984, the Environment Fund disbursed

$22,254,930 for programme activities-excluding

$588,348 for activities under the programme

reserve-in the following areas: environmental

awareness, $3,709,109; Earthwatch, $3,088,379;

oceans, $2,761,444; environment and develop-

m e n t , $ 2 , 5 8 9 , 9 7 6 ; t e r r e s t r i a l e c o s y s t e m s ,

$2,582,074; hea l th and human se t t lements ,

$2,509,876; desertification, $2,314,359; regional

and technical co-operation, $2,107,614; water,

$477,098; and arms race and the environment,

$115,000.

Forty-eight new projects were approved in 1984,

compared with 44 in 1983; 53 projects were closed.

At the end of 1984, 294 projects were still open.

Geographical distribution of Fund commitments

was as follows: global, $14,013,559 (61 per cent);

regional, $6,596,354 (29 per cent); and inter-

regional, $2,233,365 (10 per cent).

On 28 May,(30) the UNEP Council authorized

the Executive Director to draw up a programme

of Fund activities resulting in project expenditures

of about $50 million in 1986-1987, and requested

748 Economic and social questions

him to present the programme at the Council’s

1985 session in such a way as to facilitate the con-

sideration of programme priorities. Also on 28

May,(31)

the Council approved his recommenda-

tion to set the financial reserve of the Fund at $6.86

million in 1984 and $7.35 million in 1985, and re-

quested him to report in 1985 on the usefulness

of an increased reserve in reducing undercommit-

ment of funds. The Council confirmed the ap-

propriation of $26,020,000 for programme and

programme support costs for 1984-1985, and re-

quested the Executive Director to continue to at-

tempt to limit those costs to within 33 per cent of

estimated contributions in 1984.

Cont r ibu t ions

On 28 May,(30)

the UNEP Council requested the

Executive Director to seek increased contributions

to the Fund so that projects costing about $50 mil-

lion in 1986-1987 could be implemented.

Accounts for 1982-1983

As at 31 December 1983, total income of the

U N E P F u n d f o r 1 9 8 2 - 1 9 8 3 a m o u n t e d t o

$ 6 2 , 9 3 9 , 4 1 8 , w h i l e e x p e n d i t u r e s t o t a l l e d

$65,886,931, leaving an excess of expenditure over

income of $2,947,513.

Commenting on the audited accounts,(32

) the

Board of Auditors noted that some pledges for

1980-1981 remained unpaid and that in certain

cases expenditure was incurred either in excess of

or without a l lotments . There was a need to

strengthen the periodic review and follow-up

procedure for settling overdue accounts. Further,

in one project substantial expenditure had been

unnecessarily incurred owing to inadequacy in the

project design; also, reporting on various projects

was not timely, and inventory control and monitor-

ing of project activities inadequate. In contraven-

tion of existing rules, internationally recruited

General Service staff members were being paid 70

per cent of their salary in convertible currency.

The Advisory Committee on Administrative

and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), in a Septem-

ber 1984 report,(33

) noted that the maximum

proportion authorized by United Nations Head-

quarters for payment in convertible currency to

such staff was 25 or 50 per cent, depending on de-

pendency status. ACABQ had been informed that,

so far as was known at Headquarters, the situa-

tion was restricted to some 30 UNEP staff; consul-

Amount

(in US dollars)Amount

Country (in US dollars)

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNEP FUND, 1984

(as at 31 December 1984)

CountryCountry

Algeria

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Bahamas

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belgium

Benin

Botswana

Brazil

Bulgaria

Byelorussian SSR

Canada

Chile

China

Colombia

Congo

Costa Rica

Cyprus

Czechoslovakia

Democratic Yemen

Denmark

EgyptFinland

France

German Democratic

Republic

Germany, Federal

Republic of

SOURCE: UNEP/GC.14/2.

Amount

fin US dollars)

11,000

70,000

386,775

300,000

500

5,167

1,000

171,375

1,713

902

20,000

10,152

16,666

903,000

5,000

96,552

35,000

7,370

103

2,000

24,773

1,840

322,047

24,340

600,000

758,586

133,787

1,596,028

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Italy

Ivory coast

Japan

Jordan

Kenya

Kuwait

Lao People’s

Democratic Republic

Lesotho

Luxembourg

Malawi

Malaysia

Malta

Mexico

M o n g o l i a

Morocco

Nepal

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nigeria

Norway

Oman

Pakistan

Panama

7,000

21,041

4,500

100,000

12,000

19,234

249,420

4,211

4,000,000

5,000

45,000

200,000

6,000

388

5,218

1,291

15,000

1,526

29,494

880

10,277

1,000

502,076

63,066

20,289

772,211

10,000

4,984

3,500

Philippines 2,349

Poland 24,590

Portugal 3,000

Qatar 10,000

Saudi Arabia 500,000

Seychelles 100

Singapore 1,000

Somalia 203

Spain 258,876

Sri Lanka 3,000

Swaziland 1,074

Sweden 2,079,168

Switzerland 491,135

Syrian Arab Republic 12,721

Thailand 10,000

Trinidad and Tobago 5,000

Tunisia 15,180

Turkey 6,000

Ukrainian SSR 41,026

USSR 3,361,540

United Kingdom 915,000

United States 9,924,938

Venezuela 100,000

Yugoslavia 8,640

Zambia 7,353

Zimbabwe 5,134

Total 29,407,309

Environment 749

tations were being carried out between Head-

quarters and UNEP.

In resolution 39/66, accepting the 1983 finan-

cial reports of various United Nations funds and

programmes, including the Environment Fund,

the General Assembly concurred with ACABQ’s

observations and requested remedial action.

O t h e r a d m i n i s t r a t i v e q u e s t i o n s

UNEP publ ic in format ion

Significant progress in reforming the UNEP in-

formation programme was achieved during 1984,

the Executive Director reported.(21) Among the

priorities was the development of a production

schedule for the newsletter UNEP News, which was

to be published every two months in English,

French and Spanish beginning in January 1985,

in accordance with a UNEP Council decision on

the reform of the UNEP Information Service (see

below). UNEP issued 20 publications during 1984.

Bilateral publications and information support

p r o g r a m m e s c o n t i n u e d w i t h C h i n a a n d t h e

USSR. A publications support programme was in-

itiated with France for the translation, editing,

publishing and distribution of selected UNEP pub-

lications in French.

An audio-visual catalogue of all films, video-

tapes and slide shows available on loan from UNEP

was produced. A colour transparency library of

10,000 photographs was catalogued. Arabic ver-

sions of the films The State of the Planet and Water:

A Vital Resource were distributed.

The Desertification Information Campaign was

a major UNEP activity A total of 6,000 media packs,

with a selection of articles on the implementation

of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification (see

p. 759), were distributed world-wide. A film on deser-

tification, Seeds of Despair, made in Ethiopia, elicited

widespread interest in Europe and contributed to

a large-scale fund-raising effort in the United Kingdom

for famine relief. In Japan, it helped to raise $5.2

million. The Campaign stimulated the creation of

a Television Trust for the Environment, aimed at

promoting public understanding of environmen-

tal issues, which was sponsored by UNEP and Central

Independent Television of the United Kingdom.

Representatives of the international media visited

a drought-affected area in northern Kenya where

desertification control methods were demonstrated

(Marsabit, 16-18 March). To promote environmental

awareness, UNEP worked with a number of press

and media agencies.

Following recommendations of the first meet-

ing of the Advisory Committee of the International

Referral System for sources of environmental in-

formation (INFOTERRA) (Athens, Greece, October

1983), four special sectoral sources were estab-

lished in 1984 on environmental legislation, water

supply, sanitation and renewable energy, toxic

chemicals, and- the impact of industry on the en-

vironment.

An on-l ine I N F O T E R R A information search

service was set up; a Thesaurus of Environmental Terms

and a supplement to the International Directory of

Sources on some 1,000 environmental topics were

published.

During the year, INFOTERRA conducted six na-

tional seminars, three training courses, and a

workshop on the role of environmental informa-

tion in decision-making.

Reform of the Information Service

By a decision of 28 May,(34

) the UNEP Council

agreed with the Executive Director(35

) that reform

of the Information Service should be gradual. The

priorities were: identification of information needs,

in particular those of the developing countries;

streamlining the publications programme; identifi-

cation of non-traditional forms of information; in-

tensification of UNEP use of United Nations infor-

mation centres and services; co-operation with

NGOs; and establishment of environmental infor-

mation training fellowships. The Council consid-

ered that a regular flagship publication was cur-

rently not essential and therefore agreed to replace

UNITERRA and Report to Governments with a news-

letter; it also decided to discontinue at the end of

1984 support for Mazingira, a journal published every

two months which provided news and comments

on environment and development issues, and to

apply the resources to regional information activities

and non-traditional forms of information. The Coun-

cil further decided that concise information on newly

approved projects, evaluation of closed ones and

in-depth evaluation of selected projects should be

distributed to Governments twice a year.

UN accommodat ion a t Na i rob i

The UNEP Council, on 28 May,(36

) welcomed the

announcement by the President of Kenya, on 21

May, granting an additional 40 acres of land for

United Nations accommodation at Nairobi, and

recommended that the General Assembly accept

the donation. It also welcomed Kenya’s announce-

ment that access roads would be improved, and com-

mended the Executive Director for the completion

of the accommodation on schedule and within the

approved cost estimates.

(For further details on accommodation at Nairobi,

see ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUDGETARY QUESTIONS,

Chapter IV).

S m o k i n g i n m e e t i n g r o o m s

The UNEP Council decided on 28 May 1984 that

a no-smoking rule would be observed in all its meet-

750 Economic and social questions

ing rooms beginning with the 1985 session, and

encouraged all meetings on environmental issues

to observe the same restriction.(37

)

REFERENCES

(1)A/39/25 (dec. 12/3 B). (2)UNEP/GC.12/11/Add.l.(

3)UNEP/GC.12/11/Add.3. (

4)A/39/25 (dec. 12/3 C).

(5)lbid. (dec. 12/3 A). (6)E/1984/C.1/L.4. (7)E/1984/C.1/L.10.

(8)YUN 1983, p. 769, GA res. 38/165, 19 Dec. 1983.(9)A/39/432. (10)A/C.2/39/L.24/Rev.l. (11)A/C.2/39/L.55.

(12)YUN 1983, p. 771. (13)UNEP/GC.12/11 & Corr.l,2.

(14)UNEP/GC.12/11/Add.2. (15)A/39/25 (dec. 12/11).(16)UNEP/GC.12/3/Add.1. (17)YUN 1983. D. 771. GA

res. 38/161, 19 Dec. 1983. (18)A/39/25 (dec.12/1). (19)Ibid.

(dec. 12/17 A-D). (20

)Ibid. (dec. 12/12). (21)UNEP/GC.13/2 &Corr.1. (

22)UNEP/GC.12/8 & Corr.1. (23)A/39/25 (dec. 12/2).

(24

)ACC/1984/DEC/14-22 (dec. 1984/22). (25)UNEP/GC.12/10.(26)YUN 1983, D. 774. (27)A/39/25 (dec. 12/4). (28)YUN 1982,

p. 999. (29)

UNEP/GC.12/4. (30)A/39/25 (dec. 12/18). (31)Ibid:(dec. 12/19). (32)A/39/5/Add.6. (33)A/39/510.

(34)A/39/25

(37

)Ibid. (dec. 12/8).

(dec. 12/15). (35)UNEP/GC.12/6 & Add.1. (36)Ibid. (dec. 12/9).

Environmental activities

Environmental monitor ing

Environmental assessment and monitoring con-

tinued to be one of the key tasks of UNEP in 1984.

Its environment assessment programme, Earth-

watch, was designed as a global system of national

facilities and services to study the interaction be-

tween man and the environment, provide early

warning of potential environmental hazards and

determine the state of selected natural resources.

The corner-stone of Earthwatch was the Global

Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS), a col-

lective international effort to acquire the data

needed for rational management of the environ-

ment. The activities of GEMS, operational since

1975, were divided in 1984 into f ive major

programmes: renewable resource monitor ing,

c l ima te - r e l a t ed mon i to r ing , hea l th - r e l a t ed

monitoring, long-range transport of pollutants

monitoring, and ocean monitoring.

Also on 28 May,(3) the Council addressed nine

issues concerning environmental management:

marine mammals, the World Soils Policy, tropi-

cal forest and woodlands, water, genetic resources,

wildlife conservation and management, industry

and environment, marine pollution and regional

seas (see below).

Pro tec t ion aga ins t harmful p roduc ts

UNEP activities. Following a 1982 UNEP Coun-

cil decision,(4) an Ad Hoc Working Group of Ex-

perts for the Exchange of Information on Poten-

tially Harmful Chemicals (in Particular Pesticides)

in International Trade was established and held

its first session (Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands, 26-

30 March 1984).(5) As global guidelines for such

an information exchange, the Group recom-

mended a provisional notification scheme for

banned and severely restricted chemicals, which

was adopted by the Council on 28 May.(6) It

called on Governments and the Executive Direc-

tor to bring the scheme into effect as soon as pos-

sible, and requested him to report in 1986 on

Governments’ experience in implementing it.

Among G E M S projects in 1984 was a pi lot Among reports considered by the Working

project conducted jointly with UNESCO and WMO Group was one on the state of information on

on integrated monitoring in temperate forest bi- potentially harmful chemicals in international

osphere reserves, focusing on the behaviour of pol- trade, which described the work of UNEP’S Inter-

lutants in the various ecosystem “media”: soil, air, national Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals

water, plants and animals. The project involved and its attempts to facilitate access to information

data collection in the Torres del Paine Biosphere on chemicals and promote international proce-

Reserve in Chile and the Olympic National Park dures for collection, validation, processing and ex-

in the United States as well as exchanges of infor- change of data necessary for hazard assessment

mation and specialists between the two countries. and control of chemicals in commerce.(7)

Data on sulphates in precipitation were exam-

ined. A project was begun with the Economic

Commission for Europe (ECE) to assess the effects

of acidifying deposition on forest resources in the

ECE countr ies , and to recommend a unif ied

Another report summarized national legislation

and regulatory programmes, as well as activities

and programmes of international organizations

and bodies, related to the exchange of informa-

tion on potentially harmful chemicals.(8)

methodology of assessing damage to forests from

air pollution. Other ongoing activities included

glacier observation and assessment of radioactivity

in the South Pacific.

On 28 May,(1) the UNEP Governing Council in-

vited the Executive Director to begin publication

in 1985 of as many as possible of the environmen-

tal indicators listed in his report on the prepara-

tion and presentation of environmental data,(2)

continuing with routine updates and presenting

the indicators so as to highlight trends in the global

environment. He was also invited to start compil-

ing a list of selected environmental data sources;

to continue the publication of assessments of im-

portant environmental problems; and to utilize the

annual environmental indicators publications in

preparing comprehensive reports on the state of

the environment. The Council also dealt with

other aspects of environmental monitoring, such

as protection against harmful products (see below).

Environment 751

The use of pesticides in agriculture had been

growing in both developed and developing coun-

tries, the Executive Director pointed out in his an-

nual report.(9) That growth had led to an increase

in the health problems of rural communities, par-

ticularly in countries with agriculture-based econ-

omies. The principal cause was misuse or abuse

of pesticides by farm workers who were often un-

aware of their health hazards or the safety proce-

dures to be observed during application. Many of

those toxic chemicals, though freely sold in de-

veloping countries, were banned or tightly con-

trolled in their countries of origin.

The situation had been aggravated by the de-

velopment of resistant strains of pests and vectors,

demanding increases in dosage as well as the in-

troduction of new, usually more toxic, chemicals.

As a result, NGOs, headed by the Pesticide Action

Network, had demanded that industry make more

information available to the public.

The FAO/UNEP Panel of Experts on Integrated

Pest Control held its twelfth session (Rome, Italy,

22 and 23 October) and published guidelines on

integrated control of cotton pests and on the eco-

nomic aspects of integrated pest control research.

The FAO Committee of Experts on Pest Control

(third session, Rome, 24-26 October) guided ac-

tivities under the Co-operative Action Programme

on Plant Heal th ( including UNEP-supported

programmes on integrated pest control).

F A O , I A E A , t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s C e n t r e o n

Transnat ional Corporat ions, U N E P , U N I D O and

WHO held a thematic programming meeting on

pesticides (Rome, 10 and 11 April), identifying ac-

tivities for 1986-1987.

The UNEP Council, on 28 May 1984,(1) noted

the report of the Executive Director on the list of

environmentally dangerous chemical substances

and processes of global significance.(10) It re-

quested him to obtain comments on the report

from Governments, international organizations,

industry and NGOS and to submit an updated ver-

sion in 1987, evaluating the extent to which de-

veloping and developed countries participated in

the production, distribution and release of en-

vironmentally dangerous chemical substances.

Reports of the Secretary-General. In accord-

ance with a December 1983 General Assembly re-

quest,(11) the Secretary-General submitted in June

1984, to both the Economic and Social Council

and the Assembly, a report on the exchange of in-

formation on banned hazardous chemicals and un-

safe pharmaceut ical products .( 1 2 )

The repor t

reviewed activities of United Nations bodies and

other organizations, which could be grouped in

three principal categories: the establishment of

mechanisms for information exchange; the de-

velopment of guiding instruments; and the prepa-

ration of technical information. Among recent de-

velopments of special interest were: the provisional

notification scheme for banned and severely re-

stricted chemicals (see above); draft guiding prin-

ciples being developed in OECD on the exchange

of information related to export of banned or se-

verely restricted chemicals; the work of the Council

of Europe with regard to the sale of European

pharmaceutical products in developing countries;

and the preparation by the Organization of Ameri-

can States of a list of substances prohibited or sig-

nificantly restricted in the United States.

There was an increasing awareness by both im-

porting and exporting countries of the need for in-

formation exchange on internal control measures

taken by exporting countries, the report concluded.

The principle of notifying importing countries of

measures designed to ban or severely restrict specific

products had gained wide acceptance, but further

negotiations were needed. The provisional notifi-

cation scheme was an important step towards har-

monizing the different positions, while improved

use of the WHO Certification Scheme on the Quality

of Pharmaceutical Products Moving in International

Commerce adopted in 1975 would enhance the qual-

ity and safety of imported pharmaceuticals. A code

of conduct on the distribution and use of pesticides,

drafted by FAO, was submitted to Governments for

review.

Progress appeared to have been made with

regard to the legislative and administrative capa-

bil i ty of developing countries to control the

manufacture, import, sale and use of chemical and

pharmaceutical products. In addition to techni-

cal co-operation assistance by various organiza-

tions, developing countries could benefit from ex-

change of information on adminis trat ive and

legislative models followed by other countries; in

that context, the activities of FAO and WHO should

be noted.

Also requested by the Assembly in December

1983(11) was a report on a consolidated list of

products whose consumption and/or sale had been

banned, withdrawn, severely restricted or, in the

case of pharmaceuticals, not approved by Govern-

ments. In the report, submitted in September

1984, the Secretary-General described the role and

content of the list and steps taken in its prepa-

ration.(13)

The first issue of the list had been transmitted

to Governments on 31 December 1983. A revised

first issue contained information on regulatory de-

cisions by 60 Governments relating to nearly 500

pharmaceutical products, agricultural and indus-

trial chemicals, and consumer products. Also in-

cluded was information provided by NGOS.

However, the report stated, the list still needed

to be expanded, both in terms of the numbers of

countries included and products reported. Further

information was needed from Governments on

752 Economic and social questions

legislative measures and the regulatory context in

which, and the health or environmental reasons

for which, those measures were taken, as well as

on the nature of l imitat ions imposed on the

manufacture, import, sale and use of products.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION

In decision 1984/176 of 26 July, the Economic

and Social Council took note of the Secretary-

General’s report on the exchange of information

on banned hazardous chemicals and transmitted

it to the Assembly.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 18 December, on the recommendation of the

Second Commi t t ee , t he Gene ra l Assembly

adopted resolution 39/229 by recorded vote.

Protection against products harmful

to hea l th and the envi ronment

The General A.ssembly,

Reaffirming its resolutions 37/137 of 17 December 1982

and 38/149 of 19 December 1983,

Taking note with! satisfaction of the report of the Secretary-

General on products harmful to health and the en-

vironment,

Bearing in mind the report of the Secretary-General on

the exchange of information on banned hazardous chem-

icals and unsafe pharmaceutical products, and welcom-

ing the effort being made in various international fo-

rums with regard to the exchange of information on such

products,

1. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General

and commends him for the distribution of the first issue

of the consolidated list of products whose consumption

and/or sale have been banned, withdrawn, severely re-

stricted or, in the case of pharmaceuticals, not approved

by Governments;

2. Reiterates its appreciation for the co-operation ex-

tended by Governments in the preparation of the con-

solidated list, and urges all Governments that have not

yet done so to provide the necessary information for in-

clusion in the updated versions of the list;

3. Notes with satisfaction the co-operation provided by

the appropriate organs, organizations and bodies of the

United Nations system and other intergovernmental or-

ganizations in the issuance of the list and urges them,

particularly the Food and Agriculture Organization of

the United Nations, the World Health Organization,

the International Labour Organisation, the United

Nations Environment Programme, the General Agree-

ment on Tariffs and Trade and the United Nations

Centre on Transnational Corporations, to continue to

co-operate fully in the preparation of the updated ver-

sions of the list;

4. Expresses its appreciation for the co-operation

provided by non-governmental organizations in this

regard, and urges them to continue to extend co-

operation to the Secretary-General in the preparation

of the consolidated list, particularly in the identification

of potential sources of information among national

Governments and in obtaining governmental informa-

tion on relevant regulatory actions;

5. Decides that:

(a) An updated consolidated list should be issued an-

nually and that the data should be made available to

Governments and other users in such a form as to per-

mit direct computer access to it;

(b) In order to keep costs to a minimum, the con-

solidated list should be published and made available

in all the official languages of the United Nations in sets

of alternating languages each year, with no more than

three languages per year and with the same frequency

for each language;

(c) The format of the consolidated list should be kept

under continuing review with a view to its improvement,

in accordance with General Assembly resolution 37/137.

in co-operation with the relevant organs, organizations

and bodies of the United Nations system, taking into

account the complementary nature of the list, the ex-

periences obtained and the views expressed by Govern-

ments on this matter, and that the next review should

be submitted by the Secretary-General to the General

Assembly at its forty-first session;

(d) The review of the consolidated list should cover

particularly the advantages and disadvantages of in-

troducing to the list such information as the legal, pub-

lic health and commercial context of the regulatory ac-

tions, as well as complementary information on safe uses

of the products;

6. Urges importing countries, bearing in mind the

extensive legal, public health and safety information al-

ready provided to the United Nations Centre on Trans-

national Corporations, the United Nations Environment

Programme, the International Labour Organisation, the

Food and Agr icu l tu re Organiza t ion of the Uni ted

Nat ions , the Wor ld Hea l th Organ iza t ion and the

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; to avail them-

selves of the information provision facilities of those or-

ganizations, which include, in some cases, direct com-

puter access;

7. Requests the Secretary-General, with the assistance

of the appropriate specialized agencies, to submit to the

General Assembly at its forty-first session a report on

a review of the various information exchange schemes

now in operation within the United Nations system;

8. Requests the Secretary-General and the competent

organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations

system to continue to provide the necessary technical

assistance to the developing countries, at their request,

for the establishment or strengthening of national sys-

tems for managing hazardous chemicals and phar-

maceutical products, as well as for an adequate monitor-

ing of the importation, manufacture and use of those

products;

9. Also requests the Secretary-General, through the

Economic and Social Council, to inform the General

Assembly at its forty-first session and every three years

thereafter about the implementation of resolutions

37/137 and 38/149 and of the present resolution;

10. Further requests the Secretary-General to take the

necessary measures for the implementation of the

present resolution.

General Assembly resolution 39/229

18 December 1984 Meeting 104 147-1 (recorded vote)

Approved by Second Committee (A/39/789/Add.1) by recorded vote (127-41).10 De-

cember (meeting 58); draft by Sweden (A/C.2/39/L.135), orally revising draft by

Vice-Chairman (A/C.2/39/L.125), based on informal consultations on draft by Al-

Environment 753

geria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt,

Honduras India, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar,

Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay.

Venezuela, Viet Nam (A/C.2/39/L.25); agenda item 12.

Financial implications. 5th Committee, A/39/831; S-G, A/C.2/39/L.127. A/C.5/39/89.

Meeting numbers. GA 39th session: 2nd Committee 38, 58; 5th Committee 49;

plenary 104.

Recorded vote in Assembly as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Aus-

tria, Bahamas Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia,

Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,

Byelorussian SSR, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,

China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic

Kampuchea, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecua-

dor, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon,

German Democratic Republic, Germany, Federal Republic of, Ghana, Greece,

Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,

Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,

Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia,

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives,

Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,

Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,

Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Por-

tugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint

Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Sene-

gal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,

Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago,

Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emirates, United

Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam,

Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against: United States.

The text was based on a draft submitted by a

Committee Vice-Chairman following informal

consultations on a text introduced by Venezuela

on behalf of 24 nations. The Vice-Chairman’s

draft was withdrawn, but reintroduced by Sweden

with several oral revisions. Those revisions in-

cluded the addition, at the end of paragraph 4,

of the words “particularly in the identification of

potential sources of information among national

Governments and in obtaining governmental in-

formation on relevant regulatory actions”. From

paragraph 5 (d), the words “and also give due con-

sideration to the possible advantages and disad-

vantages of streamlining its content, so that users,

when alerted to the potential hazards of a product,

may be directed to sources of more complete in-

f o r m a t i o n ” w e r e d e l e t e d . P a r a g r a p h 7 w a s

replaced; by the Vice-Chairman’s draft, the As-

sembly would have invited the specialized agen-

cies to provide an evaluation of the information

collection and dissemination procedures in oper-

ation, bearing in mind the need to increase their

efforts to make available to Governments informa-

tion on national regulatory action taken with

regard to products within their respective spheres

of responsibility, and would have requested a

report in 1986 on the results of that evaluation.

Deleted from the Vice-Chairman’s draft were

five preambular paragraphs, referring to the need

for access to information on products in interna-

tional trade that had been banned or severely re-

stricted; recognizing that several specialized agen-

cies had programmes on the collection, evaluation

and dissemination of information related to the

hazards associated with products in international

trade, and noting UNEP'S provisional notification

scheme for exchange of information on potentially

harmful chemicals, in particular pesticides; not-

ing that the May 1984 World Health Assembly had

called for an expert meeting in 1985 on the rational

use of drugs; noting that FAO was preparing a code

of conduct on the distribution and use of pesti-

cides; and seeking to gain full participation by

Governments in response to a 1982 Assembly reso-

lution on protection against harmful products(14)

and to resolve outstanding issues.

Apart from those and other drafting changes,

the adopted text differed from the original 24-

nation draft in that it did not contain a paragraph

requesting the Secretary-General to strengthen ar-

rangements to provide for legal analysis, risk as-

sessment, commercial marketing analysis, and liai-

son with Governments and organizations, and for

the improvement in quality and quantity of inter-

national product safety information. Also, instead

of a review of the consolidated list, as called for

in paragraph 5 (d) of the adopted text, the origi-

nal draft would have had the Assembly consider

that the list be developed further, with particular

emphasis on the legal, public health and commer-

cial context of regulatory actions and with infor-

mation on safe uses of products. In addition, the

final version did not include preambular provisions

by which the Assembly would have reiterated that

products banned from domestic consumption and

sale should be sold abroad only on request from

an importing country, and that countries which

had severely restricted or not approved domestic

consumption and sale of specific products should

make available full information on them, includ-

ing clear labelling in a language acceptable to the

importing country.

On 13 December, the Fifth (Administrative and

Budgetary) Committee decided by a recorded vote

of 91 to 4, with 2 abstentions, to inform the As-

sembly that, should it adopt the draft resolution,

additional appropriations of $89,700 would be re-

quired under the 1984-1985 budget. In making that

decision, the Committee followed the Secretary-

General’s estimates, as orally endorsed by ACABQ.

Before the vote in the Fifth Committee, the

United States reiterated its objection to the request

for additional funding. For the States members of

t h e E u r o p e a n E c o n o m i c C o m m u n i t y ( E E C ) ,

Ireland stated that the financial implications had

been incorrectly presented in the original state-

ment to the Second Committee; it hoped that that

would not be a precedent. Venezuela said the

Secretariat had recognized that it had begun to

implement the 1982 resolution on the subject(14)

with insufficient resources. The USSR remarked

that, as far as the draft’s budgetary aspects were

concerned, the Secretary-General’s statement gave

the impression that activities would be starting

from scratch while, in fact, they were already in

754 Economic and social questions

progress and could be pursued with exis t ing

resources and staff.

In the Second Committee, the United States

agreed that Member States should have a refer-

ence source for identifying regulatory actions by

other States, but warned that sketchy information,

as contained in the current consolidated list, was

inappropriate and dangerous. Inquiries should be

directed to the sources of complete information

both in the notifying countries and in the compe-

tent specialized agencies. The United States also

objected to the financial implications of the text

which, it said, endorsed an ongoing project already

provided for in the 1984-1985 budget; a draft reso-

lution should have financial implications only

when it provided for substantial new activities.

Canada felt that the consolidated list should be

continued, but considered it important to avoid dupli-

cation and unnecessary expansion. Ireland, on behalf

of the EEC members, asserted that they had always

been in favour of a consolidated list; at the same

time, many issues relating to the list-including that

of information duplication-remained to be resolved.

Venezuela stated that the sponsors of the original

24-nation draft would have preferred an expansion

of the consolidated list with respect to the legal, public

health and commercial context of regulatory ac-

tions concerning the products on the list; nevertheless,

they believed that the adopted text was a very im-

portant step forward.

The Ukraiman SSR, also on behalf of Bulgaria,

the Byelorussian SSR, Czechoslovakia, the Ger-

man Democratic Republic, Hungary, Mongolia,

Poland and the USSR, declared that they attached

great importance to providing developing coun-

tries with information on unsafe chemicals or

harmful pharmaceutical products, banned in the

West but marketed abroad by transnational cor-

porations. Necessary resources for implementing

the text should be found through savings and

redeployment of existing resources, with no in-

crease in the regular budget.

International Register

of Potentially Toxic Chemicals

The International Register of Potentially Toxic

Chemicals (IRPTC), established in 1976, continued

in 1984 to expand the global information network

on chemicals and their effects on health and the

environment. New contacts were made with or-

ganizations, national institutions and industry.

During the year, IRPTC prepared an update of

its loose-leaf manual on toxic chemicals, and con-

tinued to develop its computerized profiles of

chemicals of international significance; 450 of

those profiles were currently stored in its data

bank.

The IRPTC Query-Response Service received

more than 200 inquiries on chemicals, mostly

agrochemicals, 36 per cent from developing coun-

tries. The Legal File, published in 1983 and con-

taining data on regulatory measures and recom-

mendations for hazard control on 400 chemicals

covering 12 countries and six international organi-

zations, was expanded to include all the chemi-

cals for which regulatory information was avail-

able. Waste management data were collected for

500 chemicals on the IRPTC Working List of

Selected Chemical Substances.

Two issues of the IRPTC Bulletin were published

in English, French, Russian and Spanish and dis-

tributed to about 9,000 recipients; the Bulletin con-

tained information on the activities of IRPTC and

other organizations in relation to chemicals, the

results of risk assessments of chemicals, and chem-

icals that were causing concern or were the sub-

ject of controls or bans. An I R P T C / I N F O T E R R A

directory of information sources on chemical safety

was published; it provided descriptions of more

than 400 institutions, bibliographies on chemical

safety and hazard control, lists of IRPTC national

correspondents and INFOTERRA focal points. With

ILO, IRPTC updated the ILO publication Occupa-

tional Exposure Limits for Airborne Toxic Substances,

which contained data on more than 1,100 sub-

stances from 19 countries and one international

organization. In co-operation with the USSR,

IRPTC continued publishing the series Scientific

Reviews of Soviet Literature on Toxicity and Hazards of

Chemicals, which comprised 79 publications; an

English version of a reference book, Problems of In-

dustrial Toxicology, and a collection of lectures deli-

vered during a 1983 training course in preventive

toxicology were published in 1984 under this co-

operative arrangement.

A training seminar was conducted by CMEA,

the International Programme on Chemical Safety

and IRPTC on the optimal use of international

health risk evaluations (Moscow, 19-30 November).

A three-week training course (Geneva, Oc-

tober/November) aimed at assisting developing

countries to establish national information systems

on chemicals.

In response to a 28 May UNEP Council deci-

sion,(1) IRPTC prepared a final report on the list

of environmentally dangerous chemical substances

and processes and submitted it to (Governments

and organizat ions. I R P T C also assisted in im-

plementing the provisional notification scheme for

chemicals (see above). By the end of the year, 40

Governments had designated national authorities

for participation in implementing the scheme.

IRPTC also assisted in preparing the consoli-

dated list of products whose consumption and/or

sale had been banned, withdrawn,, severely re-

stricted or, in the case of pharmaceuticals, not ap-

proved by Governments (see above). Jointly with

the Directorate-General for Employment, Social

Environment 755

Affairs and Education and the Environmental

Chemicals Data and Information Network of the

Commission of the European Communities, it un-

dertook a study of substances to which workers

were exposed at the workplace and which were eas-

ily absorbed through the skin.

Draft guidelines for

management of hazardous wastes

In accordance with a 1982 UNEP Governing

Council decision,(4) an Ad Hoc Working Group of

Experts on the Environmentally Sound Manage-

ment of Hazardous Wastes met (first session,

M u n i c h , F e d e r a l R e p u b l i c o f G e r m a n y , 2 8

February-5 March 1984;( 1 5 )

second session,

Geneva, 3-7 December(16)) to develop guidelines

for transfrontier movements, storage and disposal

of hazardous wastes.

On 28 May,(6) the UNEP Council expressed

satisfaction at the results of the session; requested

the Executive Director to continue the work in-

itiated by the Group and to continue collaborat-

ing with other United Nations bodies in elaborat-

ing the guidelines; and called on Governments to

participate actively.

The draft guidelines( 1 7 )

were to be further

reviewed by the Group in 1985.

Health and environment

In 1984, UNEP promoted increased awareness

of environmental health problems through publi-

cations, training and demonstration programmes.

The Internat ional Programme on Chemical

Safety (IPCS), sponsored jointly by ILO, UNEP and

WHO, provided evaluations of chemicals and their

effects on human health and the environment.

Fourteen reports in the series “Environmental

Health Criteria” were published in 1984, bring-

ing the total to 42. A food inspection manual was

produced with FAO. A network of IPCS national

focal points was being established to facilitate the

dissemination of information.

At the fourth meeting of the IPCS Programme

Advisory Committee (Nairobi, 1-5 October), a

new memorandum of understanding between the

three part icipat ing agencies was formulated,

broadening IPCS activities to include the effect of

chemicals on species other than man and on

natural and man-made resources . The four th

meeting of the FAO/UNEP/WHO Panel of Experts

on Environmental Management for Vector Con-

trol was held (Geneva, 1-5 October).

Further to a programme developed in 1983 byUNEP in co-operation with the Egyptian Academy

for Scientific Research and Technology on the con-

trol of water-borne diseases in rural areas, a meet-

ing of national institutions from Brazil, Egypt,

Ethiopia, the Federal Republic of Germany,

Kenya, the Sudan, the United Kingdom and the

United States was held (Cairo, Egypt, 12-15 March

1984).

A training course on food contamination con-

trol, with emphasis on mycotoxins, was held for

1 6 p a r t i c i p a n t s f r o m d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t r i e s

(Moscow and Tbilisi, USSR, 2 April-2 June).

In September, the Secretary-General submitted

to the General Assembly a report on

harmful to health and the environment,(13)

which

described the role and content of a consolidated

list of products whose consumption and/or sale had

been banned, withdrawn, severely restricted or, in

the case of pharmaceuticals, not approved by

Governments. In June, (12) he reported on the ex-

change of informat ion on banned hazardous

chemicals and unsafe pharmaceutical products

(see above).

A t m o s p h e r e

Protection of the ozone layer

Preparations for a global convention for the pro-

tection of the ozone layer neared completion in

1984. The Ad Hoc Working Group of Legal and

Technical Experts for the Elaboration of a Global

Framework Convention for the Protection of the

Ozone Layer (Vienna, Austria, 16-20 January;(18)

Geneva, 22-26 October(19)

) continued elaborating

a draft convention and a draft protocol on chlo-

rofluorocarbons. A further meeting was to be held

in January 1985.

UNEP supported the work on the draft conven-

tion with up-to-date assessments of ozone layer

modification and its impacts. An assessment of

ozone layer depletion, prepared by the UNEP Co-

ordinating Committee on the Ozone Layer in

April 1983,(20)

was published in January 1984.

Because, in the mean time, advances in under-

standing atmospheric chemistry had taken place,

a new assessment was undertaken by the Commit-

tee at its seventh session (Geneva, 15-19 October).

The UNEP Council, on 28 May,(6) requested the

Executive Director to convene in the first quarter

of 1985 a diplomatic conference to finalize and

adopt a global convention and consider a report

concerning further work on a protocol. It called

on Governments and organizations to participate

and appealed to Governments to provide finan-

cial resources and facilities. It asked the Co-

ordinating Committee to continue to provide

evaluations and to examine, if possible within two

years, the likely effects of the substances listed in

an annex to the draft convention.

Climate impact studies

The World Climate Impact Studies Programme

(WCIP) of UNEP concentrated in 1984 on three

areas: improving methodologies to be applied in

the studies; reducing the vulnerability of food sys-

756 Economic and social questions

tems to climate; and assessing the carbon diox-

ide/climate issue.

studies on the climatic effects of nuclear war pub-

lished up to 31 July 1985.

WCIP’s Scientific Advisory Committee, which

held its third: meeting at Stockholm, Sweden,

noted that reliable methodologies were the linch-

pins of successful climate impact study. A major

volume on climate impact assessment, concerning

the interaction of climate and society-a joint

project of the Scientific Committee on Problems

of the Environment and UNEP—was in the final

stages of preparation.

E c o s y s t e m s

Terres t r ia l ecosys tems

Desertification control

Another project, developed jointly by the Inter-

national Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

and UNEP, was concerned primarily with food

production in different types of climate-sensitive

regions.

The 17-year-old Sudano-Sahelian drought in-

tensified severely in 1984, causing famine in Chad,

Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, the Niger and the

Sudan and severe food shortages in the other coun-

tries of the region.(21)

The implementation plan for an international

satellite land surface climatology project was com-

pleted. Project activities in 1984 included a series

of workshops to develop a field experiment to vali-

date ways of using satellite data for determining

climate-related variables at the Earth’s surface and

a workshop on vegetation indices (Graz, Austria,

27 June), in conjunction with the Committee on

Space Research Symposium on Space Observa-

tions for Climate Studies.

In a February report to the UNEP Governing

Council assessing progress in implementing the

1977 Plan of Action to Combat Desertification (see

below), the Executive Director confirmed the scale

and urgency of the problem of desertification

which continued to spread and intensify. The

Council on 28 May also noted with great concern

that desertification had continued to spread, par-

ticularly in Africa.(22)

A number of WCIP projects were concerned pri-

marily with agriculture. Under a study on the

reduction of the vulnerability of food systems to

climate in eastern India, jointly sponsored by the

United Nations Research Institute for Social De-

velopment and UNEP, data on rainfall, tempera-

ture, f loods, agricul tural pract ices and food

production were analysed. A new project, started

in late 1984 by UNEP and the UNESCO/WMO/FAO

Inter-Agency Group on Agricultural Biometeorol-

ogy, sought to evaluate the impact of climate on

socio-economic systems in the tropics of South

America.

An inter-agency planning committee was estab-

lished for a second assessment of the role of car-

bon dioxide in climate variations. At a Scientific

Round Table on the Climatic Si tuat ion and

Drought in Africa (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 20-23

February), organized by U N E P , the Economic

Commission for Africa (ECA) and other organiza-

tions, a Regional Plan of Action to Combat the

Adverse Impacts of Drought in Africa was drafted,

which was adopted by the ECA Conference of

Ministers in May (see p. 508).

Desertification control was part of the pro-

gramme of the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian

Office (UNSO), jointly sponsored by the United

Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and

UNEP (see p. 509). With the inclusion of Ghana

and Togo among those receiving assis tance,

UNSO’s desertification mandate covered 21 coun-

tries. Parallel to emergency relief operations,

U N S O h e l p e d c a r r y o u t r e h a b i l i t a t i o n a n d

medium- to long-term programmes aimed at

mitigating the effects of drought and preventing

future similar disasters; project commitments to-

talling $17.8 million were made in the form of cost-

sharing and project-specific funds through the

Trust Fund for Sudano-Sahelian Activities. A mis-

sion was sent to Ghana in November to formu-

late a project for the development of agro-forestry.

UNSO also took part in a UNDP mission to Ethio-

pia in December to design a programme for cop-

ing with future droughts; the programme was

being financed with a contribution of $25 million

to $27 million from Italy.

The UNDP Governing Council, in a 29 June de-

cision(2 3

) on implementat ion in the Sudano-

Sahelian region of the 1977 Plan of Action, urged

all countries of the affected areas to intensify their

co-ordination efforts in combating desertification.

A second edition of the UNEP inventory of cli-

mate impact studies was circulated to the scien-

tific community for updating before distribution

to Governments.

In resolution 39/148 F on the climatic effects of

nuclear war: nuclear winter, the General Assem-

bly requested the Secretary-General to compile

and distribute as a United Nations document ex-

cerpts of all national and international scientific

On 24 August 1984,(24

) Senegal transmitted to

the Secretary-General a request from a Ministerial

Conference on desertification (Dakar, Senegal, 18-

27 July) that an item on countries stricken by

desertification and drought be included in the

agenda of the 1984 General Assembly session. By

a memorandum transmitted on 20 September,(25)

Senegal explained the history and causes of deser-

tification and its effects. On 26 September,(26

) it

transmitted the final resolution adopted by the 21

Environment 757

nations attending the Conference (Algeria, Benin,

C a p e V e r d e , C h a d , G a m b i a , G h a n a , G u i n e a ,

G u i n e a - B i s s a u , I v o r y C o a s t , L i b e r i a , M a l i ,

Maur i t an ia , Morocco , Niger , Niger ia , Senega l ,

Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Upper Volta)

on a jo in t po l icy to combat deser t i f ica t ion .

Other action. Three resolutions on desertifica-

tion control were ado ted by ECA on 26 May (see

p . 617) . By the f i r s t , (27) E C A recommended tha t

A f r i c a n G o v e r n m e n t s p r o m o t e t e c h n i c a l c o -

operation, information exchange, and expertise for

combat ing deser t i f ica t ion . By the second, (28) i t

a d o p t e d a R e g i o n a l P l a n o f A c t i o n t o c o m b a t

drought (see above) and urged increased funds and

a s s i s t a n c e t o t h e a f f e c t e d c o u n t r i e s . B y t h e

th i rd , (29) i t u rged member S ta tes to suppor t the

development of national meteorological services in

order to help mitigate the effects of drought and

other weather - re la ted d isas te rs in Afr ica .

T h e T r a d e a n d D e v e l o p m e n t B o a r d o f t h e

U n i t e d N a t i o n s C o n f e r e n c e o n T r a d e a n d D e -

velopment (U N C T A D) , on 21 Sep tember , (30) re -

ques ted the U N C T A D Secre ta ry-Genera l to ca r ry

out a s tudy , in co l labora t ion wi th UNSO, on the

impact of drought on the foreign trade of the af-

fected countries (see p. 510).

ence called for the organization of a scientific round-

table on the climatic situation and drought in Africa,

and resolution 474(XVIII), adopted on 2 May 1983 by

the Conference of Ministers, in which the Conference

called for the strengthening of African capabilities in

environmental matters, especially the environmental co-

ordination capabilities of the Commission, and for the

encouragement of the development of environmental

education and training programmes in member States,

Urges the General Assembly to consider seriously:

(a) The inclusion of reference to the United Republic

of Tanzania in the terms of reference of the United

Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office in order to enable that

country to receive assistance in the implementation of

programmes for combating desertification;

(b) The expansion of the scope of the work of the

United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office so as to ena-

ble it to assist the States members of the Southern Afri-

can Development Co-ordination Conference in im-

plementing the recommendations of the United Nations

Environment Programme on combating desertification

and drought, in the same way as the Office is currently

assisting the States members of the Permanent Inter-

State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel.

Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/72

27 July 1984 Meeting 50 Adopted without vote

Approved by First Committee (E/1984/142) without vote, 23 July (meeting 16); draft

by ECA (E/1984/112 & Corr.1-3); agenda item 9.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 27 July, on the recommendation of its First

C o m m i t t e e , t h e E c o n o m i c a n d S o c i a l C o u n c i l

adop ted reso lu t ion 1984 /72 wi thou t vo te .

On 17 December, on the recommendation of the

S e c o n d C o m m i t t e e , t h e G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y

adopted reso lu t ion 39 /208 wi thou t vo te .

Envi ronment and development in Afr ica

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 35/56 of 5 De-

Countries stricken by desertification and drought

The General Assembly,

cember 1980, containing the International Development

Strategy for the Third United Nations Development

Decade, which, inter alia, calls for methods to be devised

to assist interested developing countries in dealing more

adequately with the environmental aspects of develop-

ment activities, for the international community to in-

crease substantially its financial and technical support

to drought-stricken countries suffering from desertifi-

cation, for consideration to be given by all countries to

the environmental aspects of industrialization in the for-

mulation and implementation of their industrial poli-

cies and plans and for the improvement of the quality

of life and the environment through, inter alia, the

strengthening, in the context of human settlements plan-

ning, of measures to improve housing conditions,

Deeply concerned about the tragic consequences of the

acceleration of desertification, combined with a persis-

tent drought-the most serious recorded this century—

which have been reflected in a substantial drop in

agricultural production in many developing countries

and which, in particular, have contributed to the wor-

sening of Africa’s current economic crisis,

Noting with great anxiety that desertification continues

to spread and intensify in developing countries, partic-

ularly in Africa,

Taking note of decisions 10/4 and 10/6 of 31 May 1982

of the Governing Council of the United Nations En-

vironment Programme, in which the Governing Council

called for assistance to be provided to developing coun-

tries in addressing serious environmental problems

related to poverty and underdevelopment,

Deeply alarmed by recent trends indicating that far-

reaching climatic changes have taken place in Africa and

are making the current situation extremely critical, as

demonstrated, in particular, by the disturbing outlook

noted by the Scientific Round Table on the Climatic Sit-

uation and Drought in Africa held at Addis Ababa from

20 to 23 February 1984,

Recalling also resolution 446(XVII), adopted on 30

April 1982 by the Conference of Ministers of the Eco-

nomic Commission for Africa, on the need to intensify

regional co-operation for combating desertification in

Africa, resolution 473(XVIII), adopted on 2 May 1983

by the Conference of Ministers, in which the Confer-

Recalling its resolutions 32/172 of 19 December 1977,

35/73 of 5 December 1980, 38/163 and 38/164 of 19 De-

cember 1983 and 38/225 of 20 December 1983,

Aware that desertification and drought problems are

increasingly assuming a structural and endemic charac-

ter and that real and permanent solutions must be found

in increased global efforts based on concerted action by

the stricken countries and the international community,

Bearing in mind that the majority of the countries af-

fected by desertification and drought are low-income

countries and, for the most part, belong to the group

758 Economic and social questions

of the least developed countries, particularly those in

Africa,

Noting the efforts made by the affected countries them-

selves and by the international community, including

the organizations of the United Nations system, to com-

bat desertification and drought, particularly in Africa,

Bearing in mind the results of the Ministerial Confer-

ence for a joint policy to combat desertification in the

countries of the Permanent Inter-State Committee on

Drought Control in the Sahel and the Economic Com-

munity of West African States, in the Maghreb coun-

tries and in Egypt and the Sudan, held at Dakar from

18 to 27 July 1984,

Aware that the prime responsibility in the struggle

against desertification and the effects of the drought rests

with the countries concerned and that such action is an

essential component of their development,

Considering the interdependence between developed

countries and those affected by desertification and

drought, and the negative impact of those phenomena

on the economies of the countries concerned,

Noting the positive action taken by the United Nations

Sudano-Sahelian Office as part of a joint effort by the

Uni ted Nat ions Development Programme and the

Uni ted Nat ions Envi ronment Programme to he lp

twenty-one African countries, on behalf of the United

Nations Environment Programme, in implementing the

Plan of Action to Combat Desertification,

Welcoming the praiseworthy efforts of the Permanent

Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel

in lighting the drought in the Sahel region and its fruitful

co-operation with Governments and with organizations

and agencies of the United Nations system,

Taking note of the decision made by six East African

countries-Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, the

Sudan and Uganda—to set up an intergovernmental

body in order to combat the effects of the drought in

those countries,

Recognizing that, given the scope and intensity of deser-

tification, the attainment of the objectives of programmes

to tight it requires financial and human resources be-

yond the means of the affected countries,

1. Welcomes the results of the Ministerial Conference

for a joint policy to combat desertification in the coun-

t r ies of the Permanent In te r -Sta te Commit tee on

Drought Control in the Sahel and the Economic Com-

munity of West African States, in the Maghreb coun-

tries and in Egypt and the Sudan, convened at Dakar

on the initiative of the President of Senegal, and notes

with satisfaction the final resolution adopted by the Con-

ference;

2. Recommends that high priority should be given in

the development plans and programmes of the affected

countries themselves to the problem of desertification

and to problems resulting from drought;

3. Recognizes that particular attention should be given

to countries stricken by desertification and drought and

that special efforts should be made by the international

community, particularly the developed countries, in sup-

port of action taken individually or collectively by the

affected countries;

4. Recommends that the international community,

above all the developed countries, should continue to

provide coherent short-term, medium-term and long-

term assistance to the countries stricken by desertifica-

tion and drought in order to support effectively the re-

habilitation process-in particular through intensive

reafforestation—and the renewal of growth of agricul-

tural production in the affected countries, particularly

in Africa;

5. Recommends that, within the framework of bilateral

and multilateral aid programmes, the fight against deser-

tification and drought should be granted priority in view

of the extent of those problems;

6. Takes note of decision 12/10 of 28 May 1984 on

desertification, adopted by the Governing Council of the

United Nations Environment Programme, calls for its

full and speedy implementation, requests the Adminis-

trator of the United Nations Development Programme

to have the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office es-

tablish specific biennial programmes for the ongoing im-

plementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Deser-

tification, with the requirement that these programmes

be submitted for the consideration and joint approval

of the Administrator of the United Nations Develop-

ment Programme and the Executive Director of the

United Nations Environment Programme, and, lastly,

emphasizes the urgent need for increased financial sup-

port by the international community for the activities

of the Office and of the United Nations Environment

Programme;

7. Emphasizes the fundamental importance of all

forms of South-South co-opera t ion in execut ing

programmes to combat desertification and drought;

8. Appeals to all members of the international com-

munity, organs and agencies of the United Nations sys-

tem, regional and subregional financial institutions, as

well as non-governmental organizations, to continue to

provide full support, in all forms-including financial,

technical, or any other form of assistance—to the de-

velopment efforts of countries stricken by desertification

and drought;

9. Welcomes the decision of the Trade and Develop-

ment Board to request the Secretary-General of the

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

to prepare a study on the impact of desertification and

drought on the external trade of the countries affected;

10. Requests the appropriate organs and agencies of

the United Nations to provide the Secretary-General

with all relevant studies carried out in their respective

spheres of competence, in particular with respect to food

and agricultural production, development of water

resources, industrialization and raw materials, for trans-

mission to the stricken countries;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that in

the activities of the organs and agencies of the United

Nations, emphasis should also be placed on scientific

knowledge of the causes and effects of the phenomena

of desertification and drought and on the use of the most

appropriate technology to overcome them;

12. Also requests the Secretary-General to place greater

emphasis on the situation and prospects of the coun-

tries stricken by desertification and drought in the World

Economic Survey,

13. Further requests the Secretary-General to take all

necessary steps to ensure the implementation of the

different activities mentioned above and to report to the

General Assembly, at its fortieth session, through the

Economic and Social Council, on the evolution of the

situation in these countries, and to formulate proposals

for specific, co-ordinated action.

Environment 759

Genera l Assembly r e so lu t ion 39 /208

17 December 1984 Meeting 103 Adopted without vote

Approved by Second Committee (A/39/652) without vote, 2 November (meeting

33); draft by Vice-Chairman (A/C.2/39/L.26), based on informal consultations

on 84-nation draft (A/C.2/39/L.16 and Corr.1); agenda item 141.

Meeting numbers. GA 39th session: 2nd Committee 24, 25, 27, 31, 33; plenary 103.

The adopted text differed from the original draft

in that paragraph 6 was redrafted to specify the

responsibilities of the competent United Nations

bodies.

As urged by the Economic and Social Council

in resolution 1984/72 (see above), the Assembly

in resolution 39/168 A requested the UNEP Coun-

cil to examine in 1985 possible inclusion of the

United Republic of Tanzania in the terms of refer-

ence of UNSO.

Plan of Action to Combat Desertification

A first general assessment of the 1977 Plan of

Action to Combat Desertification(31

) was carried

out by UNEP in 1984.( 3 2 )

The Plan presented a

detailed set of recommendations for sustaining co-

operative efforts to reinforce and integrate na-

tional, regional and global actions against deser-

tification, both inside and outside the United

Nations system. The period 1978-1984 was chosen

for implementation of the immediate action re-

quired, with a general assessment of progress at

the end of those first seven years.

UNEP Council action. Two reports on im-

plementation of the Plan of Action, and specifi-

cal ly on i ts implementat ion in the Sudano-

Sahelian region, were submitted by the UNEP Ex-

ecutive Director. The reports were transmitted to

the General Assembly in September 1984.(33

)

On 28 May,(22)

the UNEP Council reconfirmed

the validity of the Plan. It endorsed the Executive

Director’s view that implementation had to be

more focused on the most affected countries and

on action to arrest desertification, and authorized

him to assist Governments in applying land-use

policies. It urged Governments and international

bodies to examine ongoing and planned projects

to ensure maximum effectiveness in combating

desertification, revising policies which impeded

local control and establishing national monitoring

mechanisms.

The Council reaffirmed UNEP’S central role in

co-ordinating and assessing implementation of the

Plan. It invited the General Assembly to expand

the role of the Consultative Group for Desertifi-

cation Control and Governments to become more

involved in the Group’s work. It requested the Ex-

ecutive Director to examine the functions of the

Inter-Agency Working Group on Desertification

and to recommend in 1985 changes to ensure full

co-operation between United Nations agencies.

The Council decided that a further overall assess-

ment of progress in implementing the Plan should

be carried out in 1992. In the mean time, the Ex-

ecutive Director would report to the Council an-

nually.

Following an invitation by the Assembly in De-

cember 1983,(34

) the Council decided to include

Ghana and Togo among those eligible to receive

assistance through UNSO in implementing the

Plan, bringing the number of countries covered

by UNSO’s desertification mandate to 21.

UNDP action. In April 1984, the UNDP Ad-

ministrator submitted to the UNDP Council his

annual report on UNSO assistance to the countries

in the Sudano-Sahelian region in implementing

the Plan of Action.(35

) As called for in the Plan,

UNSO also helped prepare an assessment of deser-

tification in the region, scheduled for review by

the UNEP Council together with a global assess-

ment. The assessment showed that the most suc-

cessful areas in which the Plan had been carried

out had been in sensitizing Governments and

population to the importance of anti-desertification

measures and national planning, as well as institu-

tional machinery, projects with a specific focus

such as sand-dune fixation, and projects which al-

lowed for involvement of the people affected.

The UNDP Governing Council, on 29 June,(23

)

endorsed the UNEP Council decision to include

Ghana and Togo among those eligible for UNSO

assistance and commended the UNDP Administra-

tor on the progress achieved in assisting the coun-

tries of the region in implementing the Plan.

Governments, United Nations bodies and organi-

zations were urged to intensify their assistance,

and the Administrator was requested to continue

to report annually on implementation of the Plan.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION

On 26 July, on the recommendation of its First

Committee, the Economic and Social Council

adopted resolution 1984/65 without vote.

Implementation of the Plan of Action

to Combat Desertification

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 32/172 of 19 De-cember 1977, by which the Assembly approved the Planof Action to Combat Desertification,

Recalling also paragraph 8 of General Assembly reso-lution 38/165 of 19 December 1983. by which the As-sembly welcomed the decision of the Governing Coun-cil of the United Nations Environment Programme to

devote two days, during its twelfth session, to a detailed

assessment of the implementation of the Plan of Action

to Combat Desertification,

Having considered the reports of the Governing Coun-

cil of the United Nations Environment Programme on

the general assessment of progress in the implementa-

tion of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification,

1978-1984, on the implementation of the Plan of Action

to Combat Desertification, submitted in response to

General Assembly resolution 32/172 and subsequent

760 Economic and social questions

resolutions, in particular resolution 37/218 of 20 December

1982, and on the implementation in the Sudano-Sahelian

region of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification,

submitted in response to paragraph 7 of General Assembly

resolution 38/164 of 19 December 1983,

I

Implementation of the Plan of Action

to Combat Desertification

1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the

Governing Council of the United Nations Environment

Programme on the general assessment of progress in the

implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Deser-

tification, 1978-1984, submitted pursuant to paragraph

9 of the Plan of Action approved by the General As-

sembly in resolution 32/172, and transmits it to the As-

sembly for consideration;

2. Takes note with appreciation also of the report of the

Governing Council on the implementation of the Plan

of Action to Combat Desertification, submitted pursuant

to General Assembly resolution 37/218, and transmits

it to the Assembly for consideration;

3. Takes note of Governing Council decision 12/10 of

28 May 1984;

4. Expresses its deep concern that, during the seven years

since the United Nations Conference on Desertification

in 1977, desertification has continued to spread and in-

tensify in developing countries, particularly in Africa;

5. Welcomes the reconfirmation by the Governing

Council of the validity of the Plan of Action to Combat

Desertification, the reaffirmation of the central role of

the United Nations Environment Programme in catalys-

ing, co-ordinating and assessing the implementation of

the Plan of Action at the international level, and the ap-

proval by the Governing Council of concrete, time-

bound activities to combat desertification over the next

fifteen years;

6. Concurs with the invitation of the Governing

Council to the General Assembly to expand the role of

the Consultative Group for Desertification Control,

which is financed from voluntary contributions, and in-

vites all Governments, particularly those of donor mem-

bers, to become more involved in the work of the Con-

sultative Group;

7. Urges Governments of countries prone to or suffer-

ing from desertification to give priority to the establish-

ment of national programmes to combat desertification

and to cons ider se t t ing up appropr ia te na t iona l

machinery or assigning responsibility to existing national

machinery, where appropriate, to that end;

8. Urges all Governments to increase their assistance,

through appropriate channels, to countries suffering

from desertification, including the financing of regional

and subregional programmes;

9. Welcomes the decision of the Governing Council

that a further overall assessment of progress in the im-

plementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Deser-

tification should be carried out in 1992;

I I

Implementation in the Sudano-Sahelian region of

the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification

10. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the

Governing Council of the United Nations Environment

Programme on the implementation in the Sudano-

Sahelian region of the Plan of Action to Combat Deser-

t&cation, submitted pursuant to General Assembly reso-

lutions 33/88 of 15 December 1978, 34/187 of 18 De-

cember 1979 and 38/164 of 19 December 1983, transmits

it to the Assembly for consideration, and notes the de-

cision of the Governing Council to include Ghana and

Togo among the countries eligible to receive assistance

through the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office;

11. Expresses its satisfaction at the positive assessment

by the Governing Council of the activities carried out

by the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office, as a joint

venture of the United Nations Environment Programme

and the United Nations Development Programme, to

assist the countries of the Sudano-Sahelian region, on

behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme,

in implementing the Plan of Action to Combat Deser-

tification;

12. Welcomes the decisions of the Governing Coun-

cils of the United Nations Environment Programme and

the United Nations Development Programme on the

continuation of the joint venture of the two Programmes,

aimed at ensuring the timely and effective provision of

assistance to the group of designated countries by the

United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office, on behalf of

the United Nations Environment Programme, in com-

bating desertification in the Sudano-Sahelian region;

13. Expresses its appreciation to Governments, organi-

zations of the United Nations system, and intergovern-

mental and non-governmental organizations that have

contributed to the implementation in the Sudano-Sahelian

region of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification;

14. Urges all Governments, organizations of the

United Nations system and other intergovernmental and

non-governmental organizations to strengthen their

financial and technical support to the countries of the

Sudano-Sahelian region to assist them in the implemen-

tation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification.

Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/65

26 July 1984 Meeting 49 Adopted without vote

Approved by First Committee (E/1984/145) without vote, 17 July (meeting 10); draft

by Vice-Chairman (E/1984/C.1/L.7), based on informal consultations on draft by

Algeria, Bahrain, Botswana, Canada, Congo, France, Gabon, Germany, Federal

Republic of, Ghana, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, Senegal, Sudan,

Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Yugoslavia (E/1984/C.1/L.3); agenda

item 14.

The original draft did not note in paragraph 6

that the Consultative Group for Desertification

Control was financed by voluntary contributions;

and in paragraph 7 it did not mention existing na-

tional machinery. In paragraph 14 of the original,

the Council would have called for support bilater-

ally, or through UNSO or any other intermediary.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 17 December, on the recommendation of the

Second Commi t t ee , t he Gene ra l Assembly

adopted resolution 39/168 A without vote.

Implementation of the Plan of Action

to Combat Desertification

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 32/172 of 19 December 1977,

by which it approved the Plan of Action to Combat

Desertification,

Environment 761

Recalling also paragraph 8 of its resolution 38/165 of

19 December 1983, by which it welcomed section VIII

of decision 11/1 of the Governing Council of the United

Nations Environment Programme, in which the Council

decided to devote two days, during its twelfth session,

to a detailed assessment of the implementation of the

Plan of Action to Combat Desertification,

Taking note of Economic and Social Council resolu-

tion 1984/65 of 26 July 1984 on the Implementation of

the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification,

Having considered the views of the Governing Council

of the United Nations Environment Programme on the

general assessment of progress in the implementation

of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification during

the period 1978-1984,

Having also considered Economic and Social Council

resolution 1984/72 of 27 July 1984 on environment and

development in Africa,

Bearing in mind the current serious problem of

prolonged drought and desertification that has con-

tributed to the widespread economic catastrophe in a

large number of African countries south of the Sahara,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the views of the

Governing Council of the United Nations Environment

Programme on the general assessment of progress in the

implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Deser-

tification during the period 1978-1984;

2. Also takes note with appreciation of the report of the

Governing Council on the implementation of the Plan

of Action to Combat Desertification;

3. Takes note with interest of Governing Council deci-

sion 12/10 of 28 May 1984 on desertification;

4. Notes with great concern that, during the seven years

since the United Nations Conference on Desertification

in 1977, desertification has continued to spread and in-

tensify in developing countries, particularly in Africa;

5. Welcomes the reconfirmation by the Governing

Council of the United Nations Environment Programme

of the validity of the Plan of Action to Combat Deser-

tification, the reaffirmation of the central role of the Pro-

gramme in catalysing, co-ordinating and assessing the

implementation of the Plan of Action at the international

level, and the approval by the Governing Council of con-

crete, time-bound activities to combat desertification

over the next fifteen years;

6. Decides to expand the role of the Consultative

Group for Desertification Control, which is financed

from voluntary contributions, to include explicitly

responsibility for advising the Executive Director on:

(a) The progress and effectiveness of activities im-

plemented under the Plan of Action, identifying con-

straints and possible solutions to problems, taking ac-

count of relevant evaluations and case-studies;

(b) Programme priorities of the United Nations En-

vironment Programme related to problems of desertifi-

cation;

(c) Measures required to improve implementation

of the Plan of Action on a regional and world-wide basis:

Recalling its resolutions 36/190 of 17 December 1981,

37/216 of 20 December 1982 and 38/164 of 19 Decem-

ber 1983,

7. Calls upon the Consultative Group for Desertifi: Taking note of decision 12/10 of 28 May 1984 of the

cation Control to intensify further its efforts to assist Governing Council of the United Nations Environment

the Executive Director of the United Nations Environ- Programme on desertification,

ment Programme in the mobilization of resources for Taking note of Economic and Social Council resolu-

the implementation of the Plan of Action; tions 1984/65 of 26 July 1984 on the implementation

8. Urges Governments of countries prone to or suffer- in the Sudano-Sahelian region of the Plan of Action to

ing from desertification to give priority to the establish- Combat Desertification and 1984/72 of 27 July 1984 on

ment of national programmes to combat desertification the environment and development in Africa,

and to cons ider se t t ing up appropr ia te na t iona l

machinery or assigning responsibility to existing national

machinery, where appropriate, to that end;

9. Requests the Governing Council of the United

Nations Environment Programme to examine, at its

thirteenth session, the possibility of:

(a) The inclusion of reference to the United Republic

of Tanzania in the terms of reference of the United

Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office in order to enable that

country to receive assistance in the implementation of

programmes for combating desertification;

(b) The expansion of the scope of the work of the

United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office so as to ena-

ble it to assist the States members of the Southern Afri-

can Development Co-ordination Conference in im-

plementing the recommendations of the United Nations

Environment Programme on combating desertification

and drought, in the same way as the Office is currently

assisting the States members of the Permanent Inter-

State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel;

10. Urges all Governments to increase their as-

sistance, inter alia, by financing regional and subregional

programmes, through appropriate channels, including

the Special Account created under General Assembly

resolution 32/172 of 19 December 1977, to countries

suffering from desertification;

11. Endorses the decision of the Governing Council

in paragraph 28 of its decision 12/10 that a further overall

assessment of progress in the implementation of the Plan

of Action to Combat Desertification should be carried

out in 1992.

General Assembly resolution 39/168 A

17 December 1984 Meeting 103 Adopted without vote

Approved by Second Committee (A/39/790/Add.9) without vote (parts A and Btogether), 30 November (meeting 54); draft by Vice-Chairman (A/C.2/39/L.92,

part A), based on informal consultations on draft by Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia,

Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanza-

nia, Yemen, Zambia (A/C.2/39/L.20); agenda item 80 (i).

Meeting numbers. GA 39th session: 2nd Committee 37, 50. 54; plenary 103.

By the original draft, the Assembly, in paragraph

3, would have endorsed the UNEP Council decision

on deser t i f i ca t ion . In paragraph 8 , i t a l so would

have urged Governments to accord priority to com-

bat ing deser t i f ica t ion in the i r deve lopment p lans

and in their requests for development assistance.

In the original, subparagraph 9 (b) was not included.

Also on 17 December , the Assembly adopted

resolution 39/168 B without vote.

Implementation in the Sudano-Sahelian region of

the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification

The General Assembly,

762 Economic and social questions

Taking note also of the inclusion of Ghana and Togo in sary arrangements at each session for submitting a report

the list of countries to be covered by the United Nations to the General Assembly, through the Economic and SocialSudano-Sahelian Office under the Plan of Action to Com- Council, on the implementation in the Sudano-Sahelian

bat Desertification, region of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification.Having considered the report of the Governing Council

of the United Nations Environment Programme on the

implementation in the Sudano-Sahelian region of the Plan

of Action to Combat Desertification,

Bearing in mind the special review undertaken by the

Governing Council of the progress made in implementing

the Plan of Action, based, inter alia, on the general as-

sessment by the Executive Director of progress in the im-

plementation of the Plan of Action during the period 1978-

1984, and on the document on the assessment of deser-

tification in the Sudano-Sahelian region,

General Assembly resolution 39/168 B

17 December 1984 Meeting 103 Adopted without vote

Approved by Second Committee (A/39/790/Add.9) without vote (parts A and B together),

30 November (meeting 54); draft by Vice-Chairman (A/C.2/39/L.92, part B), based

on informal consultations on draft by Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Egypt,

Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo

(A/C.2/39/L.23, orally revised); agenda item 80 (i).

Meeting numbers. GA 39th session: 2nd Committee 37, 50, 54; plenary 103.

Aware that the prime responsibility in the struggle against

desertification and the effects of drought rests upon the

countries concerned, and noting the efforts of those coun-

tries to combat desertification and drought,

The original draft did not contain the last pream-

bu la r pa ragraph o r subparagraph 2 ( c ) .

1. Takes note of the report of the Governing Council

of the United Nations Environment Programme on the

implementation in the Sudano-Sahelian region of the Plan

of Action to Combat Desertification;

In the Declaration on the Critical Economic Sit-

uation in Africa, adopted by Assembly resolution

39/29, the United Nations Member States declared

that urgent international action was needed to sup-

port regional and national efforts to implement the

Plan of Act ion .

2. Notes with concern:

(a) That the persistent drought in the Sahel has in-

tensified and spread into other parts of Africa, assum-

ing the catastrophic proportions of a generalized drought;

(b) That the inadequacy of financial resources con-

tinues to place a serious constraint on the fight against

desertification;

Financing of UNSO-UNDP/UNEP joint venture

(c) That struggle against desertification requires finan-

cial and human resources beyond the means of the af-

fected countries;

3. Expresses its appreciation of the progress made towards

overcoming these obstacles by the United Nations Sudano-

Sahelian Office, on behalf of the United Nations Environ-

ment Programme, as part of a joint action by the United

Nations Environment Programme and the United NationsDevelopment Programme to assist the Governments of

the region in combating desertification;

Approved budgets for the U N S O-U N D P / U N E P

joint venture for 1984-1985 amounted to $1,973,200

for institutional support and $2,000,000 for pro-

gramme support. The UNDP Governing Council

approved on 29 June 1984 revised appropriations

of $2,190,100 gross ($986,600 net) for institutional

s u p p o r t o f t h e j o i n t v e n t u r e d u r i n g t h e b i -

ennium.(36

)

4. Expresses its appreciation also for the efficient and co-

ordinated manner in which the Executive Director of the

United Nations Environment Programme and the Ad-

ministrator of the United Nations Development Pro-

gramme have continued to develop this joint action through

the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office;

Ways of financing the joint venture beyond that

time were examined in an April 1984 report of the

UNDP Administrator.(37

) He concluded that the cur-

r e n t m e t h o d s o f f i n a n c i n g t h e j o i n t v e n t u r e —

involving the use of UNDP’s administrative budget

for institutional support and the Africa and Arab

States’ regional indicative planning figures (IPFs)

for programme support, and the use of UNEP’s En-

vironment Fund for support to both budget

components-remained the most practical for the

time being.

5. Requests the Governing Council of the United

Nations Environment Programme and the Governing

Council of the United Nations Development Programme

to continue to provide and increase their support to theUnited Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office in order to enableit to respond fully to the urgent needs of the countries

of the Sudano-Sahelian region;

6. Expresses its gratitude to the Governments, UnitedNations bodies, intergovernmental organizations and other

organizations which have contributed to the implemen-

tation in the Sudano-Sahelian region of the Plan of Ac-

tion to Combat Desertification;

7. Emphasizes the need to redouble the efforts in orderto implement in the Sudano-Sahelian region the Plan

of Action to Combat Desertification and urges all Govern-

ments to respond favourably to the requests submitted

by the Governments of the countries of the Sudano-

Sahelian region for assistance in combating desertification;8. Requests the Governing Council of the United

Nations Environment Programme to make the neces-

By another decision of 29 June,(38) the UNDP

Council noted with satisfaction the provisions made

to ensure that the costs of UNDP’s participation in

the joint venture for 1984-1985 were fully secured

despite the tight resource situation of the regional

IPF. The Council endorsed the Administrator’s

recommendation that, pending availability of al-

ternative funding sources, the joint venture should

continue to be funded from regional. IPFs and the

UNDP administrative budget, and requested him

to ensure that under the venture additional resources

were made available to the countries of the Sudano-

Sahelian region in their efforts to combat deser-

tification.

Management of tropical forests

World-wide concern about the rapid destruction

of tropical forest ecosystems continued to increase

Environment 763

in 1984. Consequently, UNEP gave high priority

to assisting in environmentally sound management

policies for tropical forest areas.

As a part of joint UNEP/UNESCO activities, pilot

research and training projects were established in

various tropical countries. A project in the Ivory

Coast resul ted in a comprehensive report on

management of a humid tropical forest environ-

ment, which was expected to be useful in promot-

ing conservation of the remaining West African

forests.

A model for planning total resource utilization

in tropical ecosystems was prepared for UNEP by

Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire,

United States). With UNEP support, the Kenya

Wildlife Fund Trustees completed an ecological

survey of the easternmost remnant of the African

equatorial forests, and management guidelines for

the area were formulated. UNEP also sponsored

attendance by participants from Brazil, Malaysia

and Senegal at an International Union of Forestry

Research Organizations Symposium on Human

Impacts on Forests (Strasbourg, France, Septem-

ber). FAO for its part published an updated report

on national and international activities and co-

operation in tropical forestry.

The UNEP Council, on 28 May,(3) welcomed

the adoption of the International Tropical Tim-

ber Agreement in 1983( 3 9 )

and urged Govern-

ments to sign and ratify it to enable it to enter into

force on the appointed date of 1 October 1984. The

Council authorized the Executive Director to co-

operate with the International Tropical Timber

Organization. Despite the Council’s call, the num-

ber of signatures and ratifications remained in-

sufficient for the Agreement to enter into force (see

p. 539).

Soi l management

Implementation of the World Soils Policy

Excessive loss of topsoil from croplands in the

four major food-producing countr ies (China,

India, USSR, United States) was roughly esti-

mated at 13.2 billion tons per year. If the rates of

soil erosion for the rest of the world were similar,

the world was losing an estimated 25.4 billion tons

of soil per year from croplands in excess of new

soil formation, the UNEP Executive Director con-

cluded in his annual report.(9) To meet these

problems, the UNEP secretariat prepared a plan

of Action for the Implementation of the 1982

World Soils Policy.(40

) The Plan was structured

into five major programmes: to enhance interna-

tional awareness of the importance of land degra-

dation and conservation issues; to assist countries

in formulating national soils policies; to provide

assistance to countries through missions, field

projects, training courses, seminars and technical

publications; to develop the technical and scien-

tific knowledge necessary to promote rational use

of the world’s soils; and to collect, compile and dis-

seminate data on the world’s soil resources, their

use and management.

The UNEP Council endorsed the Plan on 28

May 1984.(3) It noted the efforts of the Executive

Director to prepare a financial plan for its im-

plementation; requested him to promote a broad

response to the Plan of Action, to circulate fact

sheets on projects to potential donors and to in-

vestigate the possibility of a regional approach to

funding; and appealed to Governments and inter-

national organizations to make commitments.

Also on 28 May,(41)

the Council decided that,

in the Plan of Action, highest priority should be

given to training national technical cadres for ex-

ecuting national plans on soils policy and that

training and research programmes should be car-

ried out in existing institutions. The Council called

on the Executive Director to assess the feasibility

of convening a world conference to achieve co-

operation in implementing the World Soils Policy.

Other activities

A meeting on integrated land-soil management

in mountain ecosystems was held in March 1984

at Sofia, Bulgaria, and a course to train specialists

from developing countries in the subject was also

given at Sofia from 22 September to 14 October.

A workshop on the impact of agricultural manage-

ment on the environment at the regional level was

held in Georgia, USSR, in October. A joint

UNEP/Zambia project on watershed management,

with special reference to soil and water conserva-

tion, started in October.

In co-operation with FAO, UNEP published a

Spanish version of the Guidelines for the Control of

Soil Degradation. As a result of a project on the im-

pact of agricultural management on the environ-

ment, jointly undertaken by UNEP and the USSR

Commission for UNEP, the first of four volumes

on The Natural Dimensions of Agriculture was

prepared.

Wildlife conservation

Illegal trade, indiscriminate hunting, destruc-

tion of habitats, expansion of agriculture, con-

tinued overgrazing by domestic livestock and the

presence of toxic chemicals in the environment

continued to endanger the survival of many wild

animal and plant species.

Exercising its co-ordinating role in the im-

plementation of the 1980 World Conservation

S t r a t e g y , ( 4 2 )

U N E P c o n t i n u e d t o p r o v i d e

secretariat services to the Ecosystem Conservation

Group (ECG), consisting of FAO, UNESCO, UNEP

and the International Union for Conservation of

Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Expert

764 Economic and social questions

missions were sent to a number of countries to help

prepare national conservation strategies. A project

on wildlands, protected areas and wildlife manage-

ment in Latin America and the Caribbean was

identified as a pilot activity of ECG.

UNEP also continued its support to the IUCN

Species Survival Commission and its more than

60 specialist groups and to the Commission on Na-

tional Parks and Protected Areas, in their roles as

major sources of data for the UNEP-supported

IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre.

According to the Centre, there were nearly

3,000 protected areas in the world, which cov-

ered some 400 million hectares but fell far short

of truly protecting biological diversity. A project

was started in September 1984 to ensure that

guidance was available to Governments on exist-

ing protected areas and their management in the

A f r o - t r o p i c a l , I n d o - M a l a y a n a n d O c e a -

nian/Antarctic realms. With UNEP support, ac-

tion plans were prepared for groups of species,

including Asian elephants and rhinoceroses, cats

and polar bears.

A draft Action Plan for Biosphere Reserves

was adopted by the International Co-ordinating

Council of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere

( M A B) programme in December . The Counci l

then requested the MAB secretariat to submit the

Plan to the governing bodies of FAO, IUCN and

UNEP for implementation during 1985-1989.

In co-operation with FAO, IUCN and UNESCO,

UNEP continued to assist Governments in im-

plementing international and regional measures

for conservation of wild animals and plants and

their habitats. Two regional training seminars on

the implementation of the Convention on Inter-

national Trade in Endangered Species of Wild

Fauna and Flora (CITES) were organized in 1984

( B r u s s e l s , B e l g i u m , J u n e ; K u a l a L u m p u r ,

Malaysia, October). The Standing Committee of

the Conference of the Parties to CITES met from

2 to 6 July at Gland, Switzerland. Its Technical

Committee met in July at Brussels to deal with

several problems, particularly the ivory trade; a

meeting of the regional co-ordinators of the

Technical Committee was held in conjunction

with the Kuala Lumpur seminar.

The UNEP Council, in a 28 May decision on

environmental management,(3) took note of the

report of the Joint Inspection Unit on the contri-

bution of the United Nations system to the con-

servation of the Latin American cultural and

n a t u r a l h e r i t a g e a n d i t s p r o g r e s s r e p o r t o n

regional programmes in the conservation of Afri-

can wildlife, as well as the comments of the Ex-

ecutive Director on the two reports (see p. 617).

In another decision of the same date,(6) the

Council welcomed the intention of the Federal

Republic of Germany to host the first meeting of

the Conference of the Parties to the Convention

on the Conservat ion of Migratory Species of

Wild Animals in 1985 (see p. 770).

Genetic resources

The Internat ional Board for Plant Genet ic

Resources (IBPGR), supported by UNEP, continued

in 1984 to co-ordinate the exploration, collection

and conservation of crop plant generic resources.

Research centres in almost 100 countries were sup-

porting that programme. The material collected

was deposited in various gene banks, including

those forming part of the network housing the

World Base Collection; that network consisted of

38 centres in 29 countries, storing material from

30 crops or groups of crops that produced seeds.

During the year, IBPGR began to designate centres

to hold clonally propagated crops.

A network of centres to collect the seeds of

multi-purpose arboreal species from arid and semi-

arid zones was started by FAO, IBPGR and UNEP.

Eight countries were co-operating in. the network

during 1984: Chile, Democratic Yemen, India,

Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Senegal and the Sudan.

W i t h U N E P s u p p o r t , F A O i d e n t i f i e d t h r e e

countr ies-Cameroon, Malaysia and Peru-for

pilot projects developing and testing methodolo-

gies for in situ conservation of forest geneticresources within existing protected areas.

Similarly, UNEP continued to support the con-

servation of animal genetic resources. In a joint

FAO/UNEP project, the University of Khartoum

(Sudan) was planning the creation of a nucleus

herd of the Kenana cattle breed. The French

Government’s Laboratoire de Clontrôle des

Reproducteurs began collecting semen from the

Gobra breed in Senegal for shipment to the first

F A O/ U N E P gene bank.

UNEP also continued its support to regional

Microbiological Resource Centres in Brazi l ,

Egypt, Guatemala, Kenya, Senegal and Thailand.

The Cen t r e s o rgan i zed t r a i n ing ac t i v i t i e s ,

provided research fellowships and grants, and

produced several state-of-the-art reports. UNEP

identified pilot projects to be carried out by the

Centres for environmental application of microbial

resources for soil fertility, pest and vector control,

degradation of persistent environmental pollutants

and organic residue utilization.

Significant developments took place in the ap-

plication of biological nitrogen fixation for enhanc-

ing soil fertility and increasing legume production

in small farms while moving away from the use

of costly and potentially polluting nitrogenous fer-

tilizers. Activities included the establishment of

pilot plants for Rhizobium inoculant production;tr ials on legume inoculat ion; test ing of peat

resources as inoculant carriers; training of local

Environment 765

biological nitrogen fixation professionals and tech-

nicians; and information dissemination.

The FAO/UNEP Advisory Panel on Biological

Nitrogen Fixation held its first meeting at Nairobi

in conjunction with the first conference of the Afri-

can Association of Biological Nitrogen Fixation

(23-27 July), which was co-sponsored by FAO,

UNDP, UNEP and Nairobi University.

The World Data Centre for Micro-organisms

at Brisbane, Australia-established to promote ac-

cess to information about culture collections and

to produce specialized inventories of microbial

genetic resources of environmental and economic

value-continued to receive support from UNEP.

The first meeting of the Working Group on the

Internat ional Microbial Strain Data Network

(Bangkok, Thailand, 23-25 November) was or-

ganized by UNEP in conjunction with the Fifth

Congress of Culture Collections.

On 28 May,(3) the UNEP Council welcomed the

adoption by FAO in 1983 of the International Un-

dertaking on Plant Genetic Resources,(43)

urged

Governments to support it and authorized the Ex-

ecutive Director to co-operate with the FAO Com-

mission on Plant Genetic Resources in its im-

plementation.

F r e s h w a t e r e c o s y s t e m s

The environmental aspects of water resources

management and freshwater ecosystems were im-

portant areas of UNEP activities in 1984 (see

p. 648).

M a r i n e e c o s y s t e m s

Protection of the marine environment

During 1984, UNEP continued to assess marine

pollution problems; much of that work was carried

out through the regional seas programme (see below).

The Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific

Aspects of Marine Pollution was the main inter-

agency mechanism to review problems of marine

pollution. Through it, hazard evaluations for cad-

mium, lead and tin were completed, and work was

in progress on the evaluation of arsenic, carcino-

gens, major nutrients, mercury and organosili-

cons. The air/sea transport of pollutants in the

Mediterranean region was reviewed; analyses of

marine pollution implications of ocean energy de-

velopment and of the effects of thermal discharges

on the marine environment were completed; and

an oceanographic model for the dispersion of waste

disposal into the sea was prepared. A major review

of the global flux of pollutants from land-based

sources and of the feasibility of integrated global

ocean monitoring was initiated. Guidelines for the

environmental impact assessment of land-based

sources of pollution were applied in two case-

studies, in Chile and Thailand.

The Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts on the

Protection of the Marine Environment against Pol-

lution from Land-based Sources held its second

session at Geneva in November to develop global

guidelines to control marine pollution from sources

such as rivers and coastal outfalls.(44

) The UNEP

Council, on 28 May 1984,(6) expressed satisfac-

tion at the results of the Working Group's first ses-

sion in November/December 1983(45)

and wel-

comed Canada’s offer to host a future session.

Work was undertaken with several agencies on

the formulation and testing of reference methods

for marine pollution studies. The work was con-

ducted under the technical co-ordination of the

IAEA International Laboratory of Marine Radi-

oactivity, which served as the global quality con-

trol (intercalibration) centre for most of the pol-

lutants moni tored through UNEP-sponsored

activities. Approximately 20 reference methods

had been issued, and their application provided

the basis for the global comparability of data col-

lected through the regional seas programme.

UNEP reached an agreement with the Inter-

governmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)

of UNESCO, providing that IOC would co-sponsor

the Group of Experts on Methods, Standards and

Intercalibration. The aim of the agreement was

to ensure the widest possible involvement of ex-

perts in the formulation, testing and application

of reference methods.

A number of global, regional and specialized

directories and bibliographies were published in

co-operation with the FAO Aquatic Sciences and

Fisheries Abstracts system.

The UNEP Council, on 28 May,(3) welcomed

the increased co-operation between UNEP and

IOC. It noted the progress made with regard to

a review of environmental implications of the dis-

posal of radioactive wastes at sea, as requested in

1983, (45

) and urged the Executive Director to con-

tinue to co-operate with IAEA and other organi-

zations in studying the impact of the disposal of

radioactive wastes on the sea-bed as well as sea-

bed mining.

Living marine resources

In 1984, UNEP efforts in regard to living ma-

rine resources focused on a Global Plan of Action

for the Conservation, Management and Utiliza-

tion of Marine Mammals prepared in co-operation

with FAO (see p. 650).

Regional seas programme

Since May 1984, UNEP’s Regional Seas Pro-

gramme Activity Centre had been pursuing ac-

tivities in 10 regions involving more than 120

coastal States, more than 30 global and regional

organizations and a network of approximately 250

national institutions. By the end of 1984, action

766 Economic and social questions

plans had been adopted in eight regions and regional

conventions signed in six. Preparations for the adop-

tion of one more action plan and two more con-

ventions advanced significantly. UNEP continued

to provide overall co-ordination for the regional seas

programme and served as the secretariat for four

ac t ion p lans and three convent ions .

Activities under the regional seas programme

inc luded:

Mediterranean, Assessments were published of

microbial pollution of beaches and shellfish-growing

areas and of pollution by mercury; control measures

were imposed. The regional monitoring programme

was strengthened through national monitoring agree-

ments signed with six countries. The Mediterranean

Trust Fund supported 116 projects.

Kuwait Action Plan region. UNEP continued to assist

the Regional Organization for the Protection of the

Marine Environment to co-ordinate the implemen-

tation of four major projects in co-operation with

IAEA, IOC, IUCN and UNESCO, and to prepare for

negotiations on a protocol on the prevention of pol-

lution from land-based sources. The Marine Emer-

gency Mutual Aid Centre in Bahrain held several

t e c h n i c a l m e e t i n g s t o f o r m u l a t e s u r v e i l l a n c e

programmes to determine the extent of pollution.

Caribbean. The first ratification of the Convention

for the Protection and Development of the Marine

Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region and its

Protocol concerning Co-operation in Combating Oil

Spills, signed in 1983,(46

) was received in 1984. A

total of 10 projects were negotiated with 11 organiza-

tions or Governments for implementation in 1984 and

1985; they dealt with marine pollution monitoring and

control, oil spill preparedness planning, environmental

education and public awareness, tourism development

and environmental management, environmental im-

pact assessment of industrial projects, environmen-

tal training, protected natural areas and endangered

wildlife species.

West and Central Africa. The Convention for Co-

operation in the Protection and Development of the

Marine and Coastal Environment of the West and

Central African Region and the Protocol concerning

Co-operation in Combating Pollution in Cases of

Emergency entered into force on 5 August 1984. Im-

plementation of priority projects dealing with contin-

gency planning for pollution emergencies, marine pol-

lution research and coastal erosion control continued

with the co-operation of FAO, IAEA, IMO, IOC,

UNESCO and WHO.

East Africa. A second meeting of experts was con-

vened (Nairobi, October) to complete negotiations on

a regional convention for the protection, management

and development of the marine and coastal environ-

ment, a protocol concerning protected areas and wild

fauna and flora, and a protocol on co-operation in

combating marine pollution in cases of emergency.

The experts reached consensus on nearly all of the

provisions of those instruments and recommended

that a conference of plenipotentiaries be convened in

1985 for adoption of the final texts.

Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Regional Convention

for the Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

Environment and the Protocol concerning Regional

Co-operation in Combating Pollution by Oil andOther Harmful Substances in Cases of Emergency,

adopted in 1982,( 4 7 )

were ratified by the Sudan.

UNEP continued its support to marine pollution

research and monitoring activities through ALECSO.

South Pacific. Negotiations continued on a draft con-

vention for the protection and development of the

natural resources and environment of the region and

on two protocols. A large number of projects on

research, monitoring, environmental education, train-

ing and information were begun through two networks

of national and regional institutions. Workshops were

convened on trace metal analysis, coastal mapping,

water resources of small islands, and marine pollu-

tion prevention, response and control, the last in co-

operation with IMO and the United States Coast

Guard.

South-east Pacific. A programme for research on and

moni tor ing of mar ine pol lu t ion f rom domest ic ,

agricultural, mining and industrial sources, involv-

ing 15 institutions from all five participating States,

became operational. Global guidelines for environ-

mental impact assessment were applied to a case-study

in Chile in co-operation with the Economic Commis-

sion for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

East Asian seas. The Action Plan was built around

five major projects co-ordinated by the national in-

stitutions of the participating States: assessment of

levels of pollutants and their effects on I he marine and

coastal environment; study of coral resources and their

protection from pollution; research on the toxicity of

oil and oil dispersants; development of regional data

exchange systems; and study of maritime meteoro-

logical phenomena influencing the environment of the

region. The projects were financed by the East Asian

Seas Trust Fund, with matching funds from the En-

vironment Fund.

South Asian seas. A meeting of national focal points

on the development of an action plan was convened

by UNEP, in co-operation with the South Asia Co-

operative Environment Programme, in March 1984.

The meeting considered the geographical scope of the

plan and its main objectives, identified priority areas.

discussed financial arrangements, and agreed on the

preparation of studies and reviews.

UNEP Counci l ac t ion. On 28 May,(3) the

U N E P C o u n c i l n o t e d t h e p r o g r e s s m a d e i n i m -

plementing the regional seas programme. It urged

States to support the adoption and ratification of

regional conventions and protocols and invited

them to pay their contributions to the trust funds

for the regional action plans.

Environmental aspects of poli t ical ,

e c o n o m i c a n d o t h e r i s s u e s

Arms race and the environment

Fol lowing a 1981 U N E P Counc i l reques t ,( 4 8 )

regular analysis of the impact of the arms race on

nature was included in the 1984-1989 system-wide

medium-term environment programme.

767Environment

Work on an annotated bibliography on mili-

tary activities and the human environment con-

tinued in 1984, as a joint project begun in 1983

of UNEP and the Stockholm International Peace

Research Institute. Under the same project, two

books were published in 1984: Environmental

Warfare: A Technical, Legal and Political Appraisal,

and Herbicides in War: The Long-term Ecological and

Human Consequences. A book on mitigating the en-

vironmental effects of explosive remnants of war

was completed.

A UNEP study on collateral damage likely from

chemical warfare was expected to be completed in

1985. Another study examined the impact of the

massive use of lethal anti-personnel nerve agents

on crops, livestock, forest, grassland, wildlife,

aquatic biota and soil biota.

Among other developments, Iran, by a letter of

13 March to the Secretary-General,(49)

charged

that Iraq’s recent use of chemical weapons in its

attacks on Iran (see p. 229) not only endangered

human life and natural resources but polluted the

environment; Iran’s Environmental Protection Or-

ganization expected all international organiza-

tions, particularly UNEP, to condemn such inhu-

man action.

Mater ia l remnants o f war

Pursuant to a December 1983 General Assem-

bly request,(50

) the Secretary-General submitted

in October 1984 a report on the problem of rem-

nants of war.(51

) He stated that the Executive

Director had sought the views of all States on the

recommendations of a July 1983 high-level group

of experts dealing with legal, informational, tech-

nical , inst i tut ional and other aspects of the

problem.(52

) By 28 August 1984, only 10 States

had replied: Angola, Belgium, Burkina Faso,

Liberia , Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand,

Senegal, Sweden, Uganda.

Of those, three said they had no comments. Two

States reiterated their position that the question

should be resolved bilaterally, that the subject had

already been introduced into international law

(Protocol II to the Convention on Prohibitions or

Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional

Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Exces-

sively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects,

adopted in 1980(53)) and that discussions on

re spons ib i l i t y and compensa t i on shou ld be

avoided. As for a United Nations conference or

a meeting of government-nominated experts, two

States considered that a meeting would be con-

venient while two others opposed the proposal.

Two countries considered it convenient to consult

the International Court of Justice, while one in-

dicated its opposition to that procedure. Two States

felt that the United Nations system had a role with

regard to technical assistance. One State suggested

that a tax on the military budgets of the super-

Powers be considered.

The Secretary-General concluded that the

limited responses had made it difficult to comply

with the Assembly’s request that he intensify his

efforts to urge the States concerned to conduct

bilateral consultations leading to agreements.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 17 December 1984, on the recommendation

of the Second Committee, the General Assembly

adopted resolution 39/167 by recorded vote.

Remnants of war

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 3435(XXX) of 9 December1975, 35/71 of 5 December 1980, 36/188 of 17 Decem-

ber 1981. 37/215 of 20 December 1982 and 38/162 of 19December 1983 concerning the problem of remnants ofwar,

Recalling also decisions 80(IV) of 9 April 1976, 101(V)of 25 May 1977, 9/5 of 25 May 1981 and 10/8 of 28 May1982 of the Governing Council of the United NationsEnvironment Programme,

Recalling further resolution 32 adopted by the Fifth Con-ference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned

Countries, held at Colombo from 16 to 19 August 1976,

and resolution 26/11-P adopted by the Eleventh Islamic

Conference of Foreign Ministers, held at Islamabad

from 17 to 22 May 1980,

Convinced that the responsibility for the removal of the

remnants of war should be borne by the countries that

planted them,

Recognizing that the presence of the material remnants

of war, including mines, in the territories of developing

countries seriously impedes their development efforts

and causes loss of life and property,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General

on the problem of remnants of war;

2. Regrets that no concrete measures have been taken

to solve the problem of remnants of war despite the var-

ious resolutions and decisions adopted thereon by the

General Assembly and the Governing Council of the

United Nations Environment Programme;

3. Reiterates its support of the just demands of the de-

veloping countries affected by the implantation of mines

and the presence of other remnants of war in their ter-

ritories for compensation and for complete removal of

those obstacles by the States that implanted them;

4. Requests the Secretary-General, in co-operation

with the United Nations Environment Programme and

other organizations of the United Nations system, within

their mandates, to collect all information on expertise

and available equipment, so as to evaluate, on request,

the actual needs of the developing countries affected and

to assist those countries in their efforts to detect and clear

material remnants of war;

5. Calls upon all States to co-operate with the ap-

propriate organizations of the United Nations system

in carrying out the task assigned to them in paragraph

4 above;

6. Also calls upon those developed countries directly

responsible for the presence of remnants of war to in-

tensify bilateral consultations with the aim of conclud-

768 Economic and social questions

ing, without undue delay, agreements for the solution

of those problems;

7. Requests all States to inform the Secretary-Generalof actions they have taken in the implementation of thepresent resolution;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to theGeneral Assembly at its fortieth session a detailed andcomprehensive report on the implementation of the

present resolution.

Genera l Assembly r e so lu t ion 39 /167

17 December 1984 Meeting 103 121-0-24 (recorded vote)

Approved by Second Committee (A/39/790/Add.9) by recorded vote (105-0-23),30

November (meeting 541; 43-nation draft (A/C.2/39/L.12/Rev.1) agenda item 80 (i).

Sponsors: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape

Verde, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic Yemen, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea,

Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libyn Arab

Jamahiriva, Madagascar, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia,

Morocco; Nicaragua Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Sao Tome and Principe,

Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United

Arab Emirates, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Meeting numbers. GA 39th session: 2nd Committee 37, 50, 54; plenary 103.

Recorded vote in Assembly as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Bahamas, Bahrain,

Bangladesh, Barbadas, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darus-

salam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Byelorussian SSR, Cameroon,

Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica,

Cuba, Cyprus Czechoslovakia, Democratic Kampuchea, Democratic Yemen,

Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon,

German Democratic Republic, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,

Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast,

Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao people’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon,

Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriy, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mal-

dives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozam-

bique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New

Guinea, Paraguay, Paru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia,

Samoa, Sao, Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka,

Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad

and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab

Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam.

Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against: None.

Abstaining: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France,

Gambia, Germany, Federal Republic of, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan,

Luxembourg, Nether lands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Senegal, Spain,

Sweden, United Kingdom, United States

In response to a May 1983 UNEP Council deci-

sion,(54

) the Executive Director submitted in

January 1984 a report on the environmental im-

pacts of apartheid, with specific reference to indus-

try in urban townships and rural bantustans.(55

)

In particular, the report reviewed the impact of

industrial relocation in black areas on the environ-

ment, and discussed the environmental problems

related to black urban townships. According to

available information, compliance with environ-

mental standards required was often lax, but no

hard evidence could be obtained on the extent of

e n v i r o n m e n t a l d a m a g e c a u s e d b y i n d u s t r y .

However, considering that most of the industries

in t he so -ca l l ed home lands we re r e l a t ed t o

manufacturing, a wide spectrum of environmen-

tal pollution could be expected unless preventive

measures were taken. The environment in which

the black population of the urban townships lived

reflected South Africa’s racial laws; although the

G o v e r n m e n t h a d d r a w n u p p l a n s f o r u r b a n

renewal and the provision of housing, the trans-

lation of those plans into action could not be taken

for granted.

Speaking also on behalf of Italy and the United

Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany said

the text raised issues that fell within bilateral re-

lations; reference to the just demands of the de-

veloping countries for compensation was not ac-

ceptable as it prejudged the outcome of bilateral

relations; also, the concept of responsibility of cer-

tain States did not have any foundation under in-

ternational law. In Sweden’s view, the possibility

of practical results would be furthered if the ques-

tion of international responsibility and compen-

sat ion were lef t aside; instead of giving the

Secretary-General tasks which could not be car-

ried out, it would be more constructive to try to

co-operate along lines envisaged in article 9 of Pro-

tocol II to the 1980 Convention on prohibiting the

use of excessively injurious weapons. India pointed

out that the text applied only to actions resulting

from colonial and imperialist wars.

Taking note of the report, the UNEP Council,

on 28 May, noted with concern that ser ious

environmental deterioration was continuing with

the establishment of polluting industries. The

Council reaffirmed its solidarity with the victims

of apartheid and its condemnation of that system.

It requested the Executive Director to continue

monitoring the environmental impacts of apartheid,

including the adverse conditions under which

black people worked, especially in mines, and to

respond, in conjunction with other United Nations

agencies, to appeals from national liberation move-

ments for assistance to the victims.

M e d i t e r r a n e a n - D e a d S e a c a n a l p r o j e c t

O n 2 8 M a y 1 9 8 4 , (5 7

) t h e U N E P C o u n c i l

adopted a decision on Israel’s decision to build a

canal linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead

Sea (see POLITICAL AND SECURITY QUESTIONS,

Chapter IX).

Introducing the draft, Malta said that unex- E n v i r o n m e n t a n d d e v e l o p m e n t

ploded war devices continued threatening life and Guidance on the integration of environmental

property in many developing countr ies and considerations into development decision-making

jeopardizing their economic development; it was was provided by UNEP throughout 1984. Among

time for the countries which had been involved in

the Second World War to join in clearing the war

debris, for they alone had the necessary technol-

ogy. Egypt, on behalf of the Group of 77 develop-

ing countries, said the remnants constituted fur-

ther aggression against the people of the countries

where they had been planted.

Envi ronmenta l aspec ts of apar the id

Environment 769

its activities was an analysis of Japanese experience

in integrating physical and socio-economic plan-

ning with environmental considerations.

A survey of the methods utilized in centrally

planned economies to analyse natural resources in

relation to development goals was undertaken by

UNEP, the CMEA International Institute of Eco-

nomic Problems and the USSR Commission for

UNEP.

Action aimed at demonstrating the feasibility

of integrating nature conservation into major de-

velopment projects was begun by UNEP and the

IUCN Conservation for Development Centre. The

Centre, with UNEP support, prepared a review of

environmental impact assessment procedures used

in developing countries. The review served as a

background paper at an international seminar on

the topic (Feldafing, Federal Republic of Germany,

9-12 April). A survey of the environmental aspects

of the activities of transnational corporations was

prepared by UNEP with the Uni ted Nat ions

Centre on Transnational Corporations.

The fifth meeting of the Committee of Inter-

national Development Institutions on the Environ-

ment (Luxembourg, 13-15 June) reviewed progress

made in implementing the Declaration of Environ-

mental Policies and Procedures Relating to Eco-

nomic Development; three workshops on the en-

vironmental dimension in development planning

were held by UNEP in co-operation with ECLAC in

May (Argentina, Chile, Colombia); a training

course on the evaluation of development projects

from the standpoint of environmental economics

was co-sponsored by UNEP and the East-West En-

vironment and Policy Institute of the University

of Hawaii (Honolulu, United States, 4-15 June).

Regional meetings of employers’ organizations

on environment and development in Asia and the

Pacific (Bangkok, 12-16 March) and in Africa

(Nairobi, 15-19 October) were convened by ILO

and UNEP; an expert group meeting on environ-

mental accounting and its use in development

policy and planning was held by UNEP and the

World Bank (Washington, DC., 5-9 November).

On 28 May, the UNEP Council took note of

the review of the implementation of the environ-

mental aspects of the International Development

Strategy for the Third United Nations Develop-

ment Decade (the 1980s) in a report prepared

under the aegis of the Administrative Committee

on Co-ordination (see p. 392). The Council reiter-

ated the importance it attached to environmental

considerations for the success of the Strategy and

authorized the Executive Director to transmit the

report with the Council’s comments to the Com-

mittee on review and appraisal of the Strategy.

The Council, in another decision of the same

date,(59) encouraged governmental bodies en-

gaged in environmental activities to continue their

efforts for sustained global progress with special

focus on the needs of developing countries, thus

contributing to a continuing dialogue between and

among developed and developing countries. It

agreed to continued support by UNEP of that di-

alogue, with a view to facilitating agreements and

elaborat ing act ions for environmental under-

takings.

The World Commission on Environment and

Development, established to help prepare the En-

vironmental Perspective to the Year 2000 and Be-

yond (see p. 744), held an organizational meet-

ing in May and an inaugural meeting in October

(see APPENDIX III).

Envi ronment and indus t ry

As called for by the Executive Director in

1983,(60) a World Industry Conference on En-

vironmental Management (Versai l les , 14-16

November) was sponsored jointly by world indus-

try and UNEP, in co-operation with the Interna-

tional Chamber of Commerce (ICC); more than

500 representatives from over 70 countries took

part. Emerging from the Conference was that: en-

vironmental management should be an integral

part of economic development; economic growth

could be made compatible with environmental

protection; cost-benefit analysis was an essential

element of environmental decision-making and

should be improved in an attempt to quantify the

value of critical elements in our cultural heritage;

the direct cost of environmental protection as well

as the cost to society of environmental damage

must be considered; and a preventive approach

was preferable to correct ing environmental

problems after they had occurred.

In addition, the Conference agreed on 15 major

recommendations. Of particular interest to UNEP

was that ICC should convene a small group of chief

executive officers representative of both geographi-

cal areas and industrial sectors to serve as advisers

for industry, and case-studies on companies’ ex-

perience in environmental management were to

be prepared under the auspices of UNEP and in-

dustrial associations.

Following the Conference, UNEP co-ordinated

work on a strategy for industrial and intersectoral

environmental planning.

Popula t ion and envi ronment

Environment received significant attention at

the International Conference on Population (Mex-

ico City, August 1984) (see p. 714). The Confer-

ence declared that priority should be given to the

protection of the physical environment and the

prevention of its further deterioration.

On 28 May,(61) the UNEP Council requested the

Executive Director to give priority to the work

770 Economic and social questions

towards harmonious interaction between popula-

tion, resources, development and the environment,

and to treat the issue of population and the en-

vironment in the state-of-the-environment report

for 1985 in the light of the Conference’s results.

H u m a n s e t t l e m e n t s a n d e n v i r o n m e n t

Faced with increasing environmental pressures

on urban regions, UNEP continued to collaborate

with other United Nations agencies , notably

UNCHS (see p. 744), in combating deteriorating

environmental standards. As part of its efforts for

the International Year of Shelter for the Home-

less (1987) (see p. 776), UNEP approved a pilot

project on environmentally sound planning of

human settlements in Democratic Yemen.

A jo in t U N E P / U N C H S p ro j ec t a s s i s t i ng t he

United Republic of Tanzania in planning its new

capital of Dodoma was completed. Technical mis-

sions were undertaken by UNEP and UNCHS to up-

grade slum and squatter settlements in Rio de

Janeiro, Brazil.

An international conference on the ecological

approach to urban planning was held by UNEP

and UNESCO (Suzdal, USSR, 23-30 September).

A third volume of guidelines for environmen-

tal planning and management of human settle-

ments was prepared; the guidelines were being

tested in field projects before their scheduled pub-

lication in 1985.

Envi ronmenta l l aw

Three working groups of experts had been es-

tablished for the priority topics under the 1981

Montevideo Programme for the Development and

Periodic Review of Environmental Law.(62

) The

groups dealt with: protection of the marine en-

vironment; management of hazardous wastes; and

information on potentially harmful chemicals (see

above).

The Working Group of Experts on Environ-

mental Law met (Washington, D.C., 26-29 June

1984) to develop principles and goals for environ-

mental impact assessment.

On 28 May, the UNEP Council welcomed the

financial support by the United States for the

Working Group session and called on Govern-

ments to participate in the Group. The Council

also expressed satisfaction at the results of the first

sessions of the three working groups and requested

the Executive Director to continue co-operation

with other United Nations bodies in preparing in-

ternational guidelines.

The legal status of non-obligatory guidelines

and principles was one of the issues considered at

an expert workshop on the future of international

environmental law, convened in November by the

U n i t e d N a t i o n s U n i v e r s i t y a n d t h e H a g u e

Academy of International Law with UNEP partic-

ipation.

International instruments

Pursuant to a 1975 General Assembly resolu-

tion,(63) the Secretary-General transmitted in Sep-

tember 1984 a report of the Executive Director on

international conventions and protocols in the field

of the environment.(64) The report contained in-

formation on nine recent conventions and pro-

tocols and changes in the status of existing con-

ventions. It recorded the conventions and protocols

for which corrections had been introduced and

other conventions pertaining to the environment.

The Register of international treaties and other

agreements in the field of the environment was re-

vised to reflect membership status as of 15 August;

the revised Register listed 118 multilateral instru-

ments relating to the environment.

By a 28 May decision,(6) the UNEP Council

authorized the Executive Director to transmit his

report and the Register to the Assembly, and re-

quested him to continue collecting and disseminat-

ing information on international and national en-

vironmental law. In accordance with the same

decision, the secretariat of the Convention on the

Conse rva t ion o f Mig ra to ry Spec i e s o f Wi ld

Animals was established at Bonn in October under

UNEP administration with support from the Fed-

eral Republic of Germany. The Council author-

ized the Executive Director to call the first meet-

ing of the Conference of the Par t ies to the

Convention for 1985.

Preparations for a global convention. for the pro-

tection of the ozone layer neared completion, and

global guidelines for transfrontier movements,

storage and disposal of hazardous wastes were

being developed (see above).

Following a request by the States parties to the

1973 Convention on International Trade in Endan-

gered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the

secretariat of the Convention (located at Lausanne,

Switzerland) was administered from November 1984

by the UNEP Executive Director and fully financed

from the trust fund established for that purpose.

In decision 39/429, the General Assembly took

note of the Secretary-General’s note transmitting

the Executive Director’s report on conventions and

protocols.

Envi ronmenta l educa t ion and t ra in ing

Many UNEP projects contained an education

and training component. The UNEP/UNESCO In-

ternational Programme in Environmental Educa-

tion in its ninth year in 1984 promoted general en-

vironmental education through teacher training,

studies, publications, dissemination of technical

materials, workshops, and technical assistance to

Governments. A review of the Programme found

Environment 771

that priority should be placed on the implemen-

tation of activities rather than on further elabora-

tion of a theoretical basis for them; that instruc-

tional and reference materials had to be adapted

and augmented for local use; and that more at-

tention should be devoted to incorporating en-

vironmental education into technical and voca-

tional school curricula.

In addition to specialized environmental train-

ing, there was general training of groups whose

decisions and activities had direct impact on the

environment. During 1984, 200 officials and

professionals received such general training in en-

v i r o n m e n t a l m a n a g e m e n t f r o m U N E P . T h e

seventh and eighth international graduate courses

on resource management and environmental im-

pact assessment in developing countries, organized

by U N E P , U N E S C O and the German Democrat ic

Republic at the Technical University of Dresden,

ended in July and began in October, respectively.

Under a joint ILO/UNEP project started in 1980,

IL0 continued to test training modules at five ILO-

sponsored training institutions in Asia and the

Pacific.

Co-operation between UNEP and the Interna-

tional Centre for Training in Environmental Sciences,

which began in 1975, ended with the dissolution

of the Centre in 1984. Subsequently, UNEP focused

its support on training activities in the Network of

Environmental Training Inst i tut ions in Lat in

America and the Caribbean. The Network concen-

trated on assisting Governments in preparing a

regional environmental training programme.

Recommendations for a programme of action

for environmental educat ion and t ra ining in

Africa, made at an April 1983 meeting of ex-

perts,(65) were submitted to the UNEP Council by

the Executive Director in January 1984.(66) The

recommendations dealt with assessing national

needs, developing national plans, establishing na-

tional co-ordination machinery and steering com-

mittees, and promoting regional co-operation

among national institutions.

The Counci l , on 28 May,(6 7

) endorsed the

recommendations. It requested the Executive

Director to formulate a regional programme in co-

operation with Governments and UNESCO, and to

report in 1985 on progress achieved. The Council

recommended that the countries of Latin America

and the Caribbean agree soon on a general pro-

gramme for the regional Environmental Training

Network and that the environmental training ac-

tivities of various agencies be co-ordinated. It re-

quested the Executive Director to explore the pos-

sibilities of co-operation among the regions that

were undertaking an effort similar to the Network

and urged him to continue budgetary support to

the Network. The Council recommended that the

countries of the region study a co-ordination

project with the aim of attaining the signature of

an instrument that would guarantee financing for

the Network up to 1987.

REFERENCES

(1)A/39/25 (dec. 12/11). (2)UNEP/GC.12/11/Add.2. (3)A/39/25

(6)A/39/25 (dec. 12/14). (7)UNEP/WG.96/2. (8)UNEP/dec 12/12). (

4)YUN 1982, p. 1010. (5)UNEP/WG.96/5.

WG.96/3. (9)UNEP/GC.13/2 & Corr.1. (10)UNEP/GC.12/16.(11)YUN 1983, p. 779, GA res. 38/149, 19 Dec. 1983.

(12

)A/39/290-E/1984/120. (13)A/39/452. (14)YUN 1982, p. 1011,GA res. 37/137, 17 Dec. 1982. (15)UNEP/WG.95/5.(16)UNEP/WG.111/3. (17)UNEP/WG.95/4. (18)UNEP/WG.94/10.(19)UNEP/WG.110/4. (20)YUN 1983, p. 781. (21)DP/1985/50.

(22)A/39/25 (dec. 12/10). (23

)E/1984/20 (dec. 84/27).(

24)A/39/242. (25)A/39/242/Add.l. (26)A/39/530. (27)E/1984/21

(res. 496(XIX)). (28)Ibid. (res. 499(XIX)). (29)Ibid.

(res. 528(XIX)). (30)A/39/15, vol. II (res. 295(XIX)).

(31)YUN 1977,p. 509. (32)UNEP/GC.12/12/9 & Corr.1.(

33)A/39/433. (34)YUN 1983, p. 777, GA res. GA res. 38/164, 19

Dec. 1983. (35

)DP/1984/50. (36)E/1984/20 (dec. 84/32).(37)DP/1984/51 & Corr.l.2. (38)E/1984/20 (dec. 84/291.

(39)YUN 1983, p. 556. YUN 1982, p. 1021. (41)A/39/25

(44)UNEP/WG.109/4. (45)YUN 1983, p. 783. (46)Ibid., p. 784.(dec. 12/13). (42)YUN 1980, p. 717. (43)YUN 1983, p. 1230.

(47)YUN 1982. p. 1022. (40)YUN 1981. p. 835. (49)A/39/132-S/16416. (

50)YUN 1983, p. 786, GA res. 38/162, 19 Dec. 1983.

(51

)A/39/580. YUN 1983. p.. 786. (53)YUN 1980. p. 77.(54)YUN 1983, p. 787. (55)UNEP/GC.12/5. (56)A/39/25

(dec. 12/6). (57)Ibid. (dec. 12/7). (58)Ibid. (dec. 12/2). (59)Ibid.

(dec.12/3). (60)YUN 1983, p. 788. (61)A/39/25 (dec. 12/5).

(62)YUN 1981, p. 839. (63)YUN 1975, p. 443, GA res. 3436(XXX).9 Dec 1975 (64)A/39/432 (65)YUN 1983.

p. 789. (66)UNEP/GC.12/13. (67)A/39/25 (dec. 12/16).