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World soils policy
AD HOC MEETING OF SENIOR G O V E R N M E N T O F F I C I A L S EXPERT IN E N V I R O N M E N T A L LAW The Governing Council, Recalling its decision 8/15 of 29 April
1980, on the convening, prior to the tenth session of the Governing Council, of an ad hoc meeting of senior Government officials expert in environmental law, Recognizing that the results of the ad hoc meeting will constitute a major contribution to the development and implementation of the environmental law component of the system-wide medium-term environment programme, Recognizing further that the development of environmental law should be viewed in the broad context of the promotion of international co-operation, 1. Decides that, further to General Assembly resolution 35/74 of 5 December 1980, the Ad Hoc Meeting of Senior Government Officials Expert in Environmental Law shall take place at Montevideo in November 1981, and that the Working Group of Experts on Environmental Law, acting as the preparatory committee for the Ad Hoc Meeting, shall meet at Geneva for two weeks early in Semptember 1981 ; 2. Further Decides that the mandate of the Ad Hoc Meeting shall be: (a) To establish a framework and methods for the development and periodic review of environmental law, by focusing upon: (i) The identification of major subject areas - such as marine pollution from landbased sources, protection of the ozone layer, and disposal of hazardous wastes - suitable for increased global and regional co-ordination and co-operation in elaborating environment law, with particular regard to the interests of developing countries; (ii) The promotion of guidelines or, where appropriate, of principles, or the conclusion of bilateral, regional or multilateral agreements, in relation to such subject areas; (iii) The identification of other subject areas which could be susceptible to the development of such guidelines, principles or agreements; (iv) The identification of subject areas suitable for the elaboration of prevention measures as well as other mechanisms for the implementation of environmental law, including the improvement of remedies available to the victims of pollution; iv) The means for the promotion and provision of technical assistance to developing countries in the field of environmental law; (vi) The identification of means by which environmental law could increasingly be included in curricula; (b) To setouta programme, including global, regional and national efforts, in furtherance of the above elements; 3. Decides also to consider the report of the Ad Hoc Meeting at its tenth session, 4. Requests the Executive-Director: (a) To invite to the Ad Hoc Meeting all States Members of the United Nations and members of the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency which have expressed an interest in participating, and interested United Nations agencies and bodies, as well as other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations; 142
(b) To convene in conjunction with the preparatory committee a meeting to identify the particular interests and concerns of the developing countries in the light of the mandate set out above; (c) To prepare all relevant documentation and transmit it, sufficiently in advance of the meetings of the Preparatory Committee, to the States, United Nations agencies and bodies, and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned. []
WOR LD SOl LS POLICY The Governing Council, Recalling: (a) General Assembly resolution 2997 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972, 3,326 and 3337 (XXIX) of 16 and 17 December 1974 respectively, 31/108 of 16 December 1976 and 32/172 of 19 December 1977, (b) Principles 2 and 3 of the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and recommendations 52, 53, 54 and 55 of the Action Plan for the Human Environment, 1 (c) The conclusions and recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Desertification, (d) Governing Council decisions 1 (I) of 22 June 1973; 6/5 C of 24 May 1978; 7/6 B of 3 May 1979 and 8/10 of 29 April 1980, Bearing in mind the recommendations of the High-level Meeting of Experts on a World Soils Policy held at Rome from 23 to 27 February 1981, 1. Takes note of the progress report of the Executive Director 2 and of the recommendations it contains to the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization concerning the world soils policy in furtherance of Governing Council decision 8/10 of 29 April 1980; 2. Requests the Executive-Director to transmit the above recommendations to the executive heads of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Research Centres of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research, the International Society of Soil Sciences, and other competent organizations within and outside the United Nations system, with a view to obtaining within three months an appraisal of the objectives and the proposed framework of a plan of action for the implementation of a world soil policy. 3. Notes with satisfaction the intention of the Executive Director to transmit to the Governments of Member States his progress report on the work of the High-level Meeting of Experts on a World Soils Policy, as well as the Executive-Director to transmit to the ation with FAO for the formulation of national soils policies. 4, Invites the Governments of countries affected by soil erosion and degradation to initiate the formulation of national soils policies 1 United Nations Publication, Sales No. E.73. II. A. 14, chap. 1, p. 4 a n d c h a p . 2, pp. 1 7 18. 2 UN EP/GC.9/5/Add.5.
as a basic component of their development plans, and to give the implementation of these policies, once formulated, due priority in their requests for multilateral and bilateral financial aid; 5. Requests the Executive Director to cooperate with other organizations of the United Nations system in providing member States with technical assistance in the planning and implementation of their national soil policies, and to continue and intensify supports to research and training at the national level, especially in areas such as soil conservation, assessment and control of erosion in the tropics and in mountaineous areas, definition of criteria for an international soils classification and monitoring systems, studies of the carrying capacity of soils, and identification of legal and soil constraints to proper soil management and conservation. 6. Requests the Executive-Director to report to the Governing Council at its 10th session on the progress made in these respects.. []
C O O R D I N A T I O N A N D FOLLOW-UP OF THE I M P L E M E N T A T I O N OF THE PLAN OF ACTION TO COMBAT DESERTI FICATION The Governing Council, Recalling General Assembly resolutions 32/172 of 19 December 1977, 33/89 of 15 December 1978, 34/184 of 18 December 1979 and 35/73 of 5 December 1980, Recalling also the strong appeal made by the General Assembly to international financial institutions, multilateral financial institutions and Governments of industrialied countries, and of the developing countries in a position to do so, to give their financial support and contribute generously to the Special Account to Combat Desertification, Recalling further its decisions 6/11 of 24 May 1978, 7/13 of 3 May 1979 and 8/17 of 29 April 1980, Having examined the report of the Executive Director on Co-ordination and Follow-up o f the Implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification, t 1. Takes note on the action taken by Governments, the United Nations Environment Programme and other members of the United Nations system for the implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification, and of the action taken by the Executive Director in implementation of General Assembly resolution 35/73 of 5 December 1980, 2. Urges Governments, organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and all other international organizations to augment their efforts to combat desertification so that progress is made in the implementation of the Plan of Action by 1984. []
LOCAL E N V I R O N M E N T A L PLANNING A N D M A N A G E M E N T OF H U M A N SETTLEMENTS The Governing Council, Recalling principles 13, 14, 15 and 17 of
the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, and re1 UN EP/GC.9/8.
E n v i r o n m e n t a l P o l i c y and Law, 7 (1981)
1980, on the convening, prior to the tenth session of the Governing Council, of an ad hoc meeting of senior Government officials expert in environmental law, Recognizing that the results of the ad hoc meeting will constitute a major contribution to the development and implementation of the environmental law component of the system-wide medium-term environment programme, Recognizing further that the development of environmental law should be viewed in the broad context of the promotion of international co-operation, 1. Decides that, further to General Assembly resolution 35/74 of 5 December 1980, the Ad Hoc Meeting of Senior Government Officials Expert in Environmental Law shall take place at Montevideo in November 1981, and that the Working Group of Experts on Environmental Law, acting as the preparatory committee for the Ad Hoc Meeting, shall meet at Geneva for two weeks early in Semptember 1981 ; 2. Further Decides that the mandate of the Ad Hoc Meeting shall be: (a) To establish a framework and methods for the development and periodic review of environmental law, by focusing upon: (i) The identification of major subject areas - such as marine pollution from landbased sources, protection of the ozone layer, and disposal of hazardous wastes - suitable for increased global and regional co-ordination and co-operation in elaborating environment law, with particular regard to the interests of developing countries; (ii) The promotion of guidelines or, where appropriate, of principles, or the conclusion of bilateral, regional or multilateral agreements, in relation to such subject areas; (iii) The identification of other subject areas which could be susceptible to the development of such guidelines, principles or agreements; (iv) The identification of subject areas suitable for the elaboration of prevention measures as well as other mechanisms for the implementation of environmental law, including the improvement of remedies available to the victims of pollution; iv) The means for the promotion and provision of technical assistance to developing countries in the field of environmental law; (vi) The identification of means by which environmental law could increasingly be included in curricula; (b) To setouta programme, including global, regional and national efforts, in furtherance of the above elements; 3. Decides also to consider the report of the Ad Hoc Meeting at its tenth session, 4. Requests the Executive-Director: (a) To invite to the Ad Hoc Meeting all States Members of the United Nations and members of the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency which have expressed an interest in participating, and interested United Nations agencies and bodies, as well as other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations; 142
(b) To convene in conjunction with the preparatory committee a meeting to identify the particular interests and concerns of the developing countries in the light of the mandate set out above; (c) To prepare all relevant documentation and transmit it, sufficiently in advance of the meetings of the Preparatory Committee, to the States, United Nations agencies and bodies, and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned. []
WOR LD SOl LS POLICY The Governing Council, Recalling: (a) General Assembly resolution 2997 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972, 3,326 and 3337 (XXIX) of 16 and 17 December 1974 respectively, 31/108 of 16 December 1976 and 32/172 of 19 December 1977, (b) Principles 2 and 3 of the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and recommendations 52, 53, 54 and 55 of the Action Plan for the Human Environment, 1 (c) The conclusions and recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Desertification, (d) Governing Council decisions 1 (I) of 22 June 1973; 6/5 C of 24 May 1978; 7/6 B of 3 May 1979 and 8/10 of 29 April 1980, Bearing in mind the recommendations of the High-level Meeting of Experts on a World Soils Policy held at Rome from 23 to 27 February 1981, 1. Takes note of the progress report of the Executive Director 2 and of the recommendations it contains to the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization concerning the world soils policy in furtherance of Governing Council decision 8/10 of 29 April 1980; 2. Requests the Executive-Director to transmit the above recommendations to the executive heads of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Research Centres of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research, the International Society of Soil Sciences, and other competent organizations within and outside the United Nations system, with a view to obtaining within three months an appraisal of the objectives and the proposed framework of a plan of action for the implementation of a world soil policy. 3. Notes with satisfaction the intention of the Executive Director to transmit to the Governments of Member States his progress report on the work of the High-level Meeting of Experts on a World Soils Policy, as well as the Executive-Director to transmit to the ation with FAO for the formulation of national soils policies. 4, Invites the Governments of countries affected by soil erosion and degradation to initiate the formulation of national soils policies 1 United Nations Publication, Sales No. E.73. II. A. 14, chap. 1, p. 4 a n d c h a p . 2, pp. 1 7 18. 2 UN EP/GC.9/5/Add.5.
as a basic component of their development plans, and to give the implementation of these policies, once formulated, due priority in their requests for multilateral and bilateral financial aid; 5. Requests the Executive Director to cooperate with other organizations of the United Nations system in providing member States with technical assistance in the planning and implementation of their national soil policies, and to continue and intensify supports to research and training at the national level, especially in areas such as soil conservation, assessment and control of erosion in the tropics and in mountaineous areas, definition of criteria for an international soils classification and monitoring systems, studies of the carrying capacity of soils, and identification of legal and soil constraints to proper soil management and conservation. 6. Requests the Executive-Director to report to the Governing Council at its 10th session on the progress made in these respects.. []
C O O R D I N A T I O N A N D FOLLOW-UP OF THE I M P L E M E N T A T I O N OF THE PLAN OF ACTION TO COMBAT DESERTI FICATION The Governing Council, Recalling General Assembly resolutions 32/172 of 19 December 1977, 33/89 of 15 December 1978, 34/184 of 18 December 1979 and 35/73 of 5 December 1980, Recalling also the strong appeal made by the General Assembly to international financial institutions, multilateral financial institutions and Governments of industrialied countries, and of the developing countries in a position to do so, to give their financial support and contribute generously to the Special Account to Combat Desertification, Recalling further its decisions 6/11 of 24 May 1978, 7/13 of 3 May 1979 and 8/17 of 29 April 1980, Having examined the report of the Executive Director on Co-ordination and Follow-up o f the Implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification, t 1. Takes note on the action taken by Governments, the United Nations Environment Programme and other members of the United Nations system for the implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification, and of the action taken by the Executive Director in implementation of General Assembly resolution 35/73 of 5 December 1980, 2. Urges Governments, organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and all other international organizations to augment their efforts to combat desertification so that progress is made in the implementation of the Plan of Action by 1984. []
LOCAL E N V I R O N M E N T A L PLANNING A N D M A N A G E M E N T OF H U M A N SETTLEMENTS The Governing Council, Recalling principles 13, 14, 15 and 17 of
the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, and re1 UN EP/GC.9/8.
E n v i r o n m e n t a l P o l i c y and Law, 7 (1981)