This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Rio de Janeiro 1992, now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Rio de Janeiro 1992, now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 recommended that provision shall be made within the framework of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council in order to enhance and rationalize the intergovernmental decision-making capacity for integration of environment and development issues and to ensure effective follow up to UNCED and the implementation of Agenda 21. It would enable active involvement from organs, programmes and organizations of the United Nations system, governments and non-governmental organizations including industry, business and scientific communities. This could take the form of either:< (1) a high-level Commission on Sustainable Development as the main subsidiary organ of the General Assembly and of ECOSOC for the integration of environment and development issues, reporting directly to the General Assembly on matters of substance and through ECOSOC to the General Assembly on matters related to coordination. It would consist of states elected as members of this Commission; or < (2) the full use of a revitalized ECOSOC, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 45/264, with a recommendation for either the establishment of a subsidiary mechanism such as, in particular, a third sessional committee, or the full utilization of its new high level and coordination segments.
On the basis of the conclusions of UNCED, the 47th session of the General Assembly would determine specific modalities for the work and other organizational aspects of institutional arrangements agreed at the Conference, in conjunction with a review of the complementarity between the role of ECOSOC and the General Assembly in accordance with General Assembly resolution 45/264. In this respect, the Secretary-General was requested to prepare a report with appropriate recommendations, taking into account institutional objectives and functions decided by UNCED.
The intergovernmental functions to be undertaken within the framework of the General Assembly and ECOSOC and any other intergovernmental mechanism that might be established were (a) to monitor progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 and activities related to the integration of environmental and developmental goals throughout the UN system through analysis and evaluation of reports from all relevant organs, organizations, programmes and institutions of the UN system dealing with various issues of environment and development, including those related to finance; (b) to consider reports that might be (periodically) provided by governments regarding the implementation of Agenda 21 including information on activities they undertake and problems they face such as on financial resources and technology transfer; (c) to review progress in the implementation of commitments contained in Agenda 21, including those related to provision of financial resources and transfer of technology; (d) to receive and analyse relevant input from competent non-governmental organizations, including the scientific and private sector, in the context of the overall implementation of Agenda 21; (e) to enhance the dialogue within the framework of the UN with non-governmental organizations and the independent sector and with other entities outside the UN system; (f) to consider reports presented by relevant treaty bodies on the implementation of environmental conventions and/or to consider reports on implementation of environmental conventions which the relevant conferences of parties may wish to provide; (g) to provide appropriate recommendations to the General Assembly on the basis of an integrated consideration of the reports and issues related to the implementation of Agenda 21; and (h) to consider, at an appropriate time, the results of the survey to be conducted expeditiously by the UN Secretary-General of all UNCED recommendations for capacity-building programmes, information networks, task forces and other mechanisms to support the integration of environment and development at regional and sub-regional levels.
This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.
The UN Commission on Sustainable Development, set up to strengthen international institutional arrangements for Agenda 21, was set up according to the following criteria: electing representatives of states as members with equitable geographic distribution; giving observer status to representatives on non-member states; providing for active involvement of UN and other relevant intergovernmental organizations; encouraging the participation of NGO's, including industry, business and scientific groups; convening first meeting of the Commission no later than 1993; determining the Commission's organizational modalities at the 1992 General Assembly session; preparing appropriate organizational proposals for consideration by General Assembly.
The functions of the Commission are: monitoring progress in UN system on the implementation of Agenda 21; monitoring progress on integrating environment and development goals; considering information provided by governments on the implementation of Agenda 21; reviewing progress on Agenda 21 commitments, including funding and technology transfer; reviewing information from NGOs on the implementation of Agenda 21; expanding dialogue with NGOs and the independent sector and entities outside the UN system; considering information on progress made in implementing environmental conventions; making recommendations through ECOSOC to the General Assembly on implementing Agenda 21; considering the Secretary-General's report on regional and sub-regional support programmes; considering giving relevant information to NGOs committed to implementing Agenda 21.