Views and suggestions related to the preparatory process for the 10-year review of progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 put forward by the government of Japan  

Basic views on the scope and nature of the ten-year review

The following points should be considered in an attempt to bring meaningful results to the ten-year review:

Participation of all Member States and all major groups

For the effective implementation of Agenda 21 a multifaceted approach at the local national regional and global levels as well as the continued involvement of not only governments but also major groups such as business and industry, scientific community. and non-governmental organizations are important The United Nations needs to undertake a comprehensive review of progress achieved in the implementation of Agenda 21. assessing the progress in the implementation at those various levels and by stakeholders including governments. identifying priority issues to be addressed and deliberating upon necessary measures.

Consideration and assistance given to developing countries and to countries with economies in transition.

The international community is required to strengthen its assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition in such fields as the provision of adequate and predictable financial resources, the transfer of environmentally-sound technologies and capacity-building to help them implement Agenda 21 effectively and achieve the long-term goals of sustainable development.

Accelerating the implementation of Agenda 2

The Following action are important for accelerating the implementation of Agenda 21 by the international community in years to come.

Identification of constraints in the effective implementation of Agenda 21 at all levels and deliberation of measures to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 21 including those to address the constraints

Identification of momentous issues emerged since UNCED as a result, inter-alia, of globalization and technological progress as well as development of measures or mechanisms to address those issues

Deliberation of effective and efficient ways of following up the ten-year review including improvements in the methods of work of the Commission on Sustainable Development

Recommending the Concrete Strategies oriented to accelerating Sustainable Development Enhancement and promotion of inter-linkages among related activities

As is pointed out in Chapter IV of the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, greater coherence in various intergovernmental organizations and processes need to be pursued. Linkages and coordination among environment-related conventions and institutional arrangements need to be strengthened and promoted. The efforts in these lines are important for maintaining the momentum for global progress towards sustainable development.

Form scope and nature of the preparatory process for the review

In view of the points raised above the preparatory process should include:

Inputs from all 'levels regarding the progress achieved in the implementation of Agenda 21

Inputs from all major groups such as business and industry scientific community and non-governmental organizations in addition to the reports provided by the secretariats of environment-related conventions and international organizations in accordance with General Assembly resolution 54/218.

To ensure adequate inputs, wide dissemination in advance of information relating to the undertaking of the ten-year review as well as pertinent issues and actions on sustainable development is necessary. Internet may as well be made good use of in obtaining inputs.

Stocktaking of information relating to the progress in the implementation of Agenda 21

Stocktaking of information obtained from major groups as indicated in (1) above and of information contained in national reports.

Assessment of the progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 by experts

The information could be processed into case studies by categories and a compilation of best practices.

Establishment of a working group of experts who, from scientific and objective points of view, will analyse and assess the progress in the implementation of Agenda 21, identify priority issues still remaining or emerged since UNCED, and report their findings to the General Assembly, based on the inputs from all major groups and national reports.

Deliberation of measures to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 21

Possible ways of deliberating upon measures to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 21 are:

Convening an ad-hoc preparatory committee and/or a group of eminent persons

The committee and/or the group will deliberate upon measures to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 21 and address the momentous issues identified as emerged since UNCED. focusing on priority ones expected to be taken up at the ten-year review (see 3. below) and explore concrete strategies. based on the report of the working group of experts in (3) above and the Secretary-Generals report on constraints in the implementation of Agenda 21 and how the United Nations system can contribute to accelerated implementation of Agenda 21.

Convening regional meetings of national institutions established to promote the implementation of Agenda 21 such as National Councils on Sustainable Development (NCSDs)

The regional meetings will identify constraints in promoting sustainable development at the national level. and seek the role of the national institutions such as NCSDs and the possibility of strengthened linkages and coordination among them in addressing the constraints from the regional perspective

Japan is prepared to share the experience gained the Asia NCSDs Workshop organized by Japan CounciI on Sustainable Development on 31 January 2000.

Priority issues that the review and its preparatory process should particularly focus

The ten-year review may well be expected to be comprehensive.  To prevent the deliberations at the review from being shallow and desultory, however it will be desirable that. in the preparatory process, priority issues be identified and deliberations on those issues be started with a view to reaching meaningful conclusions. It will also be desirable that deliberations of those issues at the United Nations contribute to enlightening every tier of society in each nation as to the significance of sustainable development. Candidates of such priority issues may include:

National economy in which environmental protection is incorporated as a organic part

To deliberate the possibility and ways of developing national economies in which environmental protection is incorporated in a more organic way to promote sustainable development Style of living that is environmentally sound To make recommendations to the international community, drawing on the debates in relevant United Nations fora and national experiences on consumption and production patterns

Promotion of scientific research and assessment

To identify the areas where consideration of certain subject matters wi II benefit from further scientific research and assessment In some cases, unnecessary divergence of views takes place due to inadequate scientific research and assessment of the issues in question in environment-related fields.

Education on the subject of environmental protection

To identify major issues and deliberate upon ways of addressing the issues to improve in education on the subject of environmental protection drawing on national experiences

Methods of work of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)

To deliberate upon ways of effective and efficient follow-up to the ten-year review including possible improvements in the methods of work of CSD

Enhancement and promotion of linkages among relevant activities

To consider possible areas of further coordination and cooperation among activities of environment-related conventions and international organizations and possible concrete actions based. Inter-alia on the Secretary-Genera" s report on enhancing complementarities among international instruments related to environment and sustainable development requested in the General Assembly resolution 54/217

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