Enhancing complementarities among international instruments related to environment and sustainable development

Encourages the conferences of the parties to, and the permanent secretariats of, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa, to examine further appropriate opportunities and measures to strengthen their complementarities and to improve scientific assessments of ecological linkages among the 3 conventions; stresses the need for the integrated consideration of linkages, both among sectors and between sectoral and cross-sectoral aspects of Agenda 21; emphasizes the importance of facilitating and supporting the enhancement of linkages and coordination within and among environmental and environment-related conventions, inter alia, by UNEP, with full respect for the status of the secretariats of the conventions and the autonomous decision-making prerogatives of the conferences of the parties to the conventions concerned and supports the proposal of the Secretary-General concerning the establishment of an environmental management group for the purpose of enhancing inter-agency coordination in the areas of environment and human settlements; encourages the secretariats of the various environmental and environment-related conventions and international organizations, with full respect for the status of the secretariat of the conventions and the autonomous decision-making prerogatives of the conferences of the parties to the conventions concerned, to strengthen cooperation with a view to facilitating progress in the implementation of those conventions at the international, regional and national levels.

Adopted without vote, 87th meeting

3 p.

Adopted at the 87th plenary meeting, 22 Dec. 1999.