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 By resolution 39/229, the Assembly decided that a list of products whose consumption and/or sale had been banned, withdrawn, severely restricted or not approved by Governments should be issued annually.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 activities; government contributions totalled $29.5 million. Topics related to this chapter. Africa: co- operation with the Organization of African Unity. Asia: Iran-Iraq armed conflict. Middle East: Mediterranean-Dead Sea canal project. Economic assistance, disasters and emergency relief: 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 finances 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. Programme policy 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 when preparing UNEP ' S biennial programme 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 )
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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-
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-
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,
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
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).