1. The role of the meeting of the Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Working Group on Integrated Planning and Management of Land Resources; and on Agriculture was to serve as preparation for the eighth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development and to facilitate the Commission’s achieving tangible, action-oriented results on the issues of integrated planning and management of land resources and agriculture. As agreed by the Working Group, the meeting produced two papers each on the two substantive items in its agenda. These papers were prepared by the Co-Chairmen of the Working Group on the basis of the discussions held during the meeting and comments made and proposals submitted on the preliminary drafts by the participants, but were not formally negotiated. The Working Group also authorized the Co-Chairmen, in consultation with the secretariat, to finalize the present report, taking into account views raised at its closing meeting, for submission to the Commission at its eighth session. The report comprises the following papers:

(a) The possible elements for draft decisions on land and agriculture issues that could serve as starting points for further deliberations and negotiations during the eighth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (sects. II.A and III.A below), it being expected that delegations and groups will further study these papers in the period between the meeting of the Working Group and the eighth session of the Commission with a view to formulating their positions in preparation for negotiations in the drafting group during the session of the Commission;

2. The main objectives of activities in the area of integrated planning and management of land resources must be pursued in full accordance with Agenda 21¹ and the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21.² It is important that countries address sustainable development through a holistic approach, such as ecosystem-based management. This approach would address interactions among land resources, water, air, biota and human activities, in order to meet the challenges of desertification and drought, sustainable mountain development, deforestation, climate change, rural and urban land use, and conservation of biological diversity.

3. The importance of integrated planning and management of land resources derives from the unprecedented population pressures and demands of society on land, water and other natural resources, as well as the increasing degradation of resources and threats to the stability and resilience of ecosystems and the environment as a whole. These trends highlight the need to ensure access to land, water and other natural resources. They also affect food security in many developing countries, global environmental balance and the well-being of present and future generations.

4. The challenge is to develop and promote sustainable and productive land-use management systems as part of national strategies for sustainable development and to protect critical resources and ecosystems through balancing land, water and other natural resource uses with the participation of stakeholders. Social and health aspects of land use deserve particular attention and should be integrated into the overall planning process.

2. Priorities for future work

5. The next comprehensive discussion by the Commission on Sustainable Development of integrated planning and management of land resources will take place at the overall review of the implementation of Agenda 21 in 2002. The review will benefit from the outcome of the eighth session of the Commission. Priority areas for future work should include the following:

• Prevention and/or mitigation of land degradation;

• Access to land and security of tenure;

• Critical sectors and issues: biodiversity, forests, arid land, mountain areas, wetlands and coastal zones, natural disasters, and rural-urban interactions;

• Stakeholder participation;

• International cooperation.

3. Prevention and/or mitigation of land degradation

6. Governments and the international community are urged to undertake concerted efforts to alleviate poverty as a crucial means for reducing land degradation, desertification, deforestation and destruction of biological diversity.

7. Governments and the international community are encouraged to promote soil conservation and vegetation protection, and enhancement measures, as a prerequisite of sustainable land management, food production, food security, the protection of biological diversity and the prevention of natural disasters. In this regard, developed countries and international organizations are urged to provide information on appropriate technologies on land degradation and soil conservation measures as well as to promote access to those technologies.

8. Governments are encouraged to strengthen national, regional and local institutional frameworks for cross-sectoral cooperation in the formulation and implementation of land policies, taking into account specific national conditions and legislation.

9. Governments are encouraged — taking into account work being done by, inter alia, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the regional commissions, other United Nations bodies and the Commission on Sustainable Development, as well as national organizations — to further consider the development and use of appropriate land-use indicators and monitoring systems for the purpose of assessing progress in the implementation of programmes for sustainable development.

4. Access to land and security of tenure

10. Governments are encouraged, according to their respective culture and traditions, to adopt policies and implement laws that guarantee well-defined and enforceable property rights and improved access to land and security of tenure, in particular for disadvantaged groups, including people living in poverty, women and indigenous groups.

11. Governments, where appropriate, are encouraged to develop adequate land administration systems supporting sustainable land tenure on the basis of land cadastres, land management, land valuation, land monitoring and supervision of land use.

12. Governments are encouraged to include traditional land owners, land users and the landless as active participants, when undertaking land tenure reform, including the development of land cadastres, so as to focus on making traditional land owners and land users active participants in the planning and development of land resources.

13. Governments are urged to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity,³ bearing in mind that many areas of work under the Convention seek to ensure that land management decisions promote the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. In this regard, Governments and the international community should ensure that the effects of biotechnology products on health and the environment are fully explored before being introduced in the market. To that effect, Governments and the international community are urged to take the necessary steps to ensure that the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention (adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at the resumed session of its first extraordinary meeting, held in Montreal from 24 to 29 January 2000) enters into force.

Forests

14. Governments and the international community are urged to effectively implement proposals for action emanating from the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF)/Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF), in order to prevent negative aspects of unsustainable forest and land-use practices.

Arid Land

15. Governments and the international community are urged to undertake appropriate measures to address the degradation of fragile land resources and the depletion of scarce water resources in arid areas, especially where there are high-population pressures.

Mountain Areas

16. Governments are urged to adequately plan and manage land resources in mountainous areas and associated lowlands, whose ecological processes are highly interdependent, and which are crucial for the integrated management of watersheds. In this regard, Governments and other mountain key players are also urged to recognize that small-scale production systems take the best advantage of the niche economies that characterize fragile and complex mountain environments.

17. In cases where mountain resources are tapped for general use, Governments are further urged to ensure that a significant proportion of derived benefits is reinvested locally, so as to ensure continued conservation and sound management of these critical land areas by local communities.

Wetlands and coastal zones

18. Governments are encouraged to take into account the importance of conserving wetlands and critical coastal zones, including protected areas and other fragile ecosystems, in the formulation of national and subnational sustainable development strategies.

Natural disasters

19. Governments and the international community are encouraged to formulate and implement preventive strategies — including the development of appropriate early warning systems — to deal with natural disasters, such as floods and droughts, as well as disasters associated with phenomena such as El Nińo, which result in land degradation. In this regard, relevant international organizations are urged to provide remedial support to developing countries and those with economies in transition.

Rural-urban interactions

20. Governments are urged to take strategic land management approaches aimed at creating conditions in which the development of human settlements can benefit disadvantaged groups, especially poor people living in rural and urban areas.

21. Governments are encouraged to take into account land-use interdependence between rural and urban areas, and undertake implementation of integrated approaches to their administration, which is essential to sustainable rural and urban development and a more sustainable livelihood for people living in poverty.

22. Governments are urged to take into account the strategic role of local authorities in sustainable land use.

23. The United Nations system is urged to support Governments in further promoting the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,⁴ adopted by the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) (Istanbul, June 1996) and in linking it to the implementation of Agenda 21, including local Agenda 21 programmes.

6. Stakeholder participation

24. Governments are urged to develop or strengthen institutional frameworks for effective access to information and participation of all stakeholders, including women, people living in poverty and indigenous and local communities, in land-use planning and management in both rural and urban contexts.

7. International cooperation

25. Governments and the international community are urged to fulfil the financial commitments as set out in chapter 33 of Agenda 21, in view of supporting the further implementation of integrated planning and management of land resources in developing countries.

26. Governments and the international community are further urged to provide technological assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to implement the integrated planning and management of land resources, as recommended in Agenda 21.

27. Governments are encouraged to strengthen regional and international cooperation in the area of integrated planning and management of land resources and monitoring systems, inter alia, through information exchange and experience sharing, taking into account national, regional and international experiences, including those of United Nations organizations and the regional commissions.

28. Governments are urged to further promote the transfer of appropriate technologies, including geographical information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS), for integrated planning and management of land and other natural resources that are best adapted and suited to local conditions so that capacity-building, particularly in developing countries, is adequate to cope with critical challenges.

29. Governments are urged to promote land-related research, and extension and dissemination of technological information and innovative practices, and to undertake training programmes for farmers and agro-food industries and other relevant stakeholders. In this regard, developed countries and the international community are urged to improve access to up-to-date information and technology by developing countries.

30. The Commission on Sustainable Development encourages all Governments to implement relevant international agreements, including the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa (A/49/84/Add.2, annex, appendix II), as vital instruments for achieving integrated planning and management of land resources, and calls for additional support for their implementation.

31. Governments are urged to sign and ratify the relevant conventions and to take account of the complementarities among the three Rio instruments, namely, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development,⁵ Agenda 21 and the Non-legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests,⁶ as well as other relevant international instruments, in order to improve land-use and land management, to promote sustainable forest and land-use practices and to generate the multiple benefits that may accrue from the implementation of these instruments, in particular with respect to combating desertification, loss of biodiversity and degradation of freshwater resources.

32. Governments are urged to ratify and implement the Kyoto Protocol⁷ to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.⁸

34. As part of the multi-year work programme of the Commission on Sustainable Development adopted by the General Assembly in 1997 at its nineteenth special session,⁹ the Commission’s Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Working Group on Integrated Planning and Management of Land Resources; and on Agriculture met in New York from 28 February to 3 March 2000. The Working Group reviewed progress achieved in the implementation of the objectives for integrated planning and management of land resources as set out in chapter 10 of Agenda 21. It took into consideration the comprehensive review of the implementation of Agenda 21 undertaken in 1997.

35. The discussions of the Working Group were intended as inputs for the consideration of integrated planning and management of land resources by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its eighth session, to be held from 24 April to 5 May 2000.

36. The Working Group’s discussion of the issue was based upon the report of the Secretary-General entitled "Integrated planning and management of land resources" (E/CN.17/2000/6) and its addenda.

37. The integrated planning and management of land resources cover soils, minerals, water, air, biological resources and landscape. Effective planning and management of land resources must take into account economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects of land use. The goals of integrated planning and management of land resources are protection of the environment, economic development, poverty eradication, employment creation, conservation of natural resources, food security, protection of critical ecosystems and biodiversity, and ensuring access to land for vulnerable and marginalized groups. The social and health impacts of land use should also be taken into account.

38. A number of delegations described their national efforts to develop systems for integrated planning and    management of land resources, including decentralization of land management to local levels, with broad stakeholder participation.

2. Land degradation

39. Terrestrial ecosystems and land productivity are being threatened by rapid large-scale changes in land use and land cover, water pollution, climate change, desertification, drought and other natural disasters, and unsustainable practices in agriculture, grazing, forestry and mining.

40. Many problems of land degradation cannot be effectively addressed without the reduction and eradication of poverty and hunger. Poverty is both a consequence, and one of the causes, of land degradation.

41. Soil protection measures are important for increasing food production, ensuring food security and protecting biological diversity.

42. Land degradation is also caused by lack of adequate technologies, information, training and financial resources.

43. Identification of critical areas of actual and potential land degradation can be important for determining priorities for land conservation efforts. Critical areas often include mountain areas, arid zones, upland forests, tourist areas and marginal agricultural land. In general, it is much more expensive to rehabilitate degraded land than to prevent land degradation. Identification and protection of critical ecosystems are crucial for protecting water resources and biodiversity.

3. Land management systems

44. Integrated planning and management of land resources require decision-making frameworks that are interactive, transparent and participatory, including national and local institutions and other stakeholders. Local Agenda 21 programmes can play an important role. Development and strengthening of integrated land planning and management systems in developing countries require increased international and national support.

45. In the planning and management of land resources, economic, social and environmental goals can be mutually supportive.

46. There is a need in many countries to improve the security of land tenure and access to land for vulnerable and marginalized groups, including women, poor people and indigenous people and their communities. Efforts to improve land tenure systems must include traditional land owners and users as active participants. Land tenure arrangements have social, economic and environmental aspects and responsibilities and are governed by culture, tradition and legal frameworks. One delegation expressed the view that in undertaking land tenure reform, a single national policy should be implemented to ensure equal access to land resources for all stakeholders.

47. Extraction of mountain resources can result in enormous costs to society if they are exploited without due regard for the constraints and fragility of mountain environments. Mountain areas are particularly vulnerable to erosion and irreversible degradation, with serious impacts on water supplies downstream. Management of forestry, mining and tourism in mountain areas is particularly important, taking into account the needs of the inhabitants who are often poor and politically marginalized. An integrated management approach to watersheds is of crucial importance because of their role in the supply of freshwater.

48. Integrated planning and management of land resources require integrated information systems accessible to all stakeholders. Information technologies, including GIS, remote sensing and GPS, offer valuable technologies for land planning and management.

49. Sustainable urban planning is of crucial importance both for poor urban residents and for rural people. Managing urban growth, developing urban infrastructure, strengthening urban-rural linkages, and controlling urban sprawl and congestion are essential for creating sustainable livelihoods in both rural and urban areas and promoting sustainable land use.

50. Countries with economies in transition are facing the challenge of developing systems of private land ownership, land registration and land markets, as well as land management systems, taking into account the rights of traditional users of land resources.

51. Integrated planning and management of land resources require broad coordination and participation, including coordination of efforts at the national, ecosystem and community levels, intersectoral coordination, public-private partnerships and multi-stakeholder participation. Specific mechanisms for coordination and participation depend on the particular conditions of each country.

4. Regional and international cooperation

52. Regional strategies and programmes are important for addressing transboundary impacts of land degradation, as well as for addressing common problems. FAO, UNEP and other international organizations can provide valuable support for such regional efforts.

53. The challenge for the United Nations and other international and bilateral development organizations is how to strengthen and support national and regional efforts, through financial support, transfer of environmentally sound technologies, capacity-building, and education and training.

54. Assistance to developing countries in developing information and monitoring systems, including appropriate land-use indicators, can be provided by UNEP, FAO and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).

55. International and regional collaborative programmes can improve understanding of ecosystems and the identification and adaptation of sustainable land planning and management practices.

56. Trade liberalization can have both positive and negative impacts on land resources. Trade policies that result in declining prices for agricultural commodities, fluctuations in exchange rates and unsustainable debt burdens are obstacles to sustainable development and effective land resource management. Trade liberalization to enhance market access, in particular for products of developing countries, in conjunction with appropriate national economic and agricultural policies, can contribute to efforts to protect land resources. Further study is needed of the impacts of trade liberalization policies on sustainable land use.

57. Increased resources and investments are needed for capacity-building for integrated planning and management of land resources in developing countries. The United Nations system, including, inter alia, FAO, UNEP, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), can assist in this process.

58. There is a need for further international exchange of knowledge, information and best practices, using the latest technologies, including information technologies, to advance sustainable land development. International harmonization of land classification and information systems can support the exchange of information and experience.

59. Transfer of new technologies, including information technologies such as GIS, remote sensing and GPS, adapted and suited to local conditions, is crucial for improving the capacity for integrated planning and management of land resources in developing countries.

60. International instruments, including the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, provide a framework for international cooperation in the planning and management of land resources.

61. Many delegations stressed that the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the only convention specifically aimed at redressing land degradation in developing countries, had not received adequate support as a vital instrument of integrated planning and management of land resources. Some delegations noted that a number of African countries had undertaken activities under the Convention with support from donor countries. Implementation of the provisions of the Convention, including forest rehabilitation, with adequate financial backing for the Global Mechanism, following the model of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), could make an important contribution to land planning and management.

62. Progress towards strengthened international cooperation in forest management through IFF and the proposed new international arrangement on forests can also contribute to improved land management.

63. The implementation of the Habitat Agenda, coordinated with the implementation of Agenda 21, is important for urban development and management. The United Nations system and the international community can play an important role in this effort.

 II. Agriculture

65. Agriculture as an economic sector is being considered by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its eighth session from the broad perspective of sustainable development, highlighting the linkages between economic, social and environmental objectives. As contained in Agenda 21, particularly chapter 14, and the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, adopted by the General Assembly at its nineteenth special session, agriculture has to meet the fundamental challenge of satisfying the demands of a growing population for food and other agricultural commodities, especially in developing countries. The particular focus of the discussion has been promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development (SARD), in accordance with the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the internationally agreed objectives contained in chapter 14 of Agenda 21 as well as, inter alia, the Rome Declaration on World Food Security¹⁰ and the World Food Summit Plan of Action¹¹ adopted by the World Food Summit (Rome, November 1996). The basis for achieving SARD in all countries is contained in these and other commitments; what is needed is their full implementation at all levels.

66. Agriculture has a unique place in society because it ensures the production of food and fibre, food security and safety, social and economic development, maintenance of the countryside and conservation of nature, and sustains rural life, ensuring spatially balanced development. The major objective of SARD is to enhance food security (defined as access to the food required for a healthy and productive life) in an environmentally sound way so as to contribute to sustainable natural resource management. Food security — although a policy priority for all countries  — remains an unfulfilled goal. About 790 million people living in developing countries and 34 million in industrialized countries and in countries with economies in transition are undernourished. While some improvement in the situation has recently been noted, the international community must be concerned that the average annual decrease of undernourished people is insufficient to achieve the target set at the 1996 World Food Summit to reduce by half the number of undernourished by 2015 (Plan of Action, para. 7).

67. Food security and poverty are interrelated and sustainable progress in poverty eradication is one of the critical elements in improving access to food. About 1.5 billion people in the world live in poverty and recent trends indicate this number could rise to 1.9 billion by 2015. In addition, the gap between rich and poor is widening, and the poor in general — especially disadvantaged groups, such as women, the rural poor and indigenous communities — are being increasingly marginalized. The inextricable link between hunger and poverty means that the goals of achieving food security in the context of SARD and pursuing the eradication of poverty, among both urban and rural poor, as agreed, inter alia, at the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995), have to be addressed in an integrated manner. It remains essential to continue efforts for the eradication of poverty, through, inter alia, capacity-building to reinforce local food systems and improving food security. The concept of sustainable agriculture and rural development offers such an approach.

68. Governments are encouraged to complete the formulation and elaboration of national strategies for sustainable development as agreed in the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 as soon as possible. In this regard, Governments are encouraged to integrate agricultural production, food security, safety and quality of foods, environmental protection and rural development as central elements in those strategies.

69. All Governments are urged to reaffirm their individual and collective commitments to ensuring food security, through primarily enhancement of domestic food production, combined with the importation and storage of food, and to reaching the important goal to reduce the number of undernourished people by one half by 2015, as agreed at the World Food Summit.

70. Governments should take a cross-sectoral approach to integrating agriculture in rural development frameworks and strategies so as to maximize synergies and improve coherence.

71. Governments are urged to promote agricultural practices based on sustainable natural resource management, including, inter alia, integrated farm input management, agro-ecological, organic, urban and peri-urban agriculture, minimum tillage and agroforestry, that can provide sustainable management of all types of production systems and other benefits, such as soil and land conservation, agro-biodiversity enhancement and carbon sequestration. Organic farming also contributes to SARD and should be promoted, when appropriate. Environmentally sound traditional and local knowledge should be recognized and protected.

72. Governments are urged to develop coherent national policy and legal frameworks for sustainable rural development, with the emphasis on, inter alia, economic diversification, capacity-building, participation, empowerment and partnerships.

73. Governments are encouraged to continue studying the possible role of the multifunctional character of agriculture, as described in chapter 14 of Agenda 21, in promoting SARD, taking into account the discussions in FAO and other international organizations.

74. Governments are encouraged to pursue an ecosystem approach to SARD, taking into account, inter alia, the actions necessary to mitigate the negative impacts and to enhance the positive impacts of agriculture and animal production on natural ecosystems, in particular on those with high biodiversity. The international community is urged to support the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and its Global Mechanism which should also contribute to conserving and rehabilitating the natural resources in lower-potential land and to control land degradation, especially in developing countries.

75. Governments should take account of the effects of agriculture on human health in terms of both consumption and production. Effective health protection is also necessary to ensure food security.

76. The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the governing body of GEF, within their established work programmes, are encouraged to promote the use of their funding mechanisms to support national programmes promoting SARD that result, inter alia, in the conservation and the sustainable use of agro-biodiversity, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased carbon sequestration, as well as increased investments in energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources.

77. The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and Governments are encouraged to support the strengthening and effective implementation of the work programme of the Convention on agricultural biological diversity and to support FAO and other relevant institutions in their roles in the implementation of this work programme.

(b) Access to resources

78. Governments are encouraged to adopt and implement national policies and laws that guarantee equitable ownership, access to land and security of tenure through well-defined and enforceable land property rights, in particular for disadvantaged groups, including people living in poverty, women, indigenous and local communities. Access to credit, particularly through rural microcredit schemes, is also important.

(c) Poverty eradication

79. All Governments and the international community are urged to implement the relevant commitments they have entered into for the eradication of poverty, including those contained in the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development¹² and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development¹³ adopted by the World Summit for Social Development, and to further promote income-generation through agriculture to achieve this goal in accordance with SARD. Special emphasis should be given to those zones with high levels of poverty and high biodiversity.

(d) Financing for SARD

80. Domestic resources will continue to be the main source for financing SARD in many, but not all, countries. All Governments are urged to provide an enabling environment for mobilizing domestic resources and foreign direct investment.

81. The international community is urged to fulfil the commitments undertaken for the provision of financial assistance set out in Agenda 21, with a view to promoting SARD. Developing countries and their partners should make particular efforts to ensure that a larger share of ODA is directed to the agricultural sector, in accordance with national development strategies in recipient countries, given that ODA provided to this sector has been steadily declining during the past two decades.

82. The international community, including the United Nations system, is urged to provide support to institutional reform and development of market infrastructure for achieving SARD in developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

83. Governments and the international community, including the United Nations system, are urged to support developing countries in developing strategies and implementing measures to attract and to promote private capital flows and investment in sustainable agriculture directed to a wider range of developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, and countries with economies in transition, and to support the direction of a larger share of this capital to agriculture and rural areas.

(e) Technology transfer and capacity-building

84. Governments, relevant international organizations and the private sector are urged both to continue and to increase their contribution to capacity-building and facilitating an appropriate technology transfer to developing countries and countries with economies in transition, as well as to promote partnerships for fostering sustainable agriculture and food security and promoting rural development. There is a particular need for the dissemination of environmentally sound technologies held by international organizations.

85. International financial institutions are encouraged to further promote the transfer of technology and capacity-building, with emphasis on the allocation of funds to enable developing countries to achieve food security through enhanced agricultural production.

86. Relevant international, regional and national bodies and the private sector are encouraged to increase research in integrated natural resource management, appropriate technology and sustainable agricultural methods to achieve the objectives of food security and SARD, including participatory approaches, and to disseminate information on the results of their research and its applicability. Research should be carried out in a cooperative way involving both developed and developing countries.

87. Governments and the international community are encouraged to promote and share early warning systems and enhance national capacities to prevent and deal with natural disasters.

(f) Biotechnology

88. Governments are encouraged to cautiously explore the potential of appropriate and safe biotechnology for enhancing food security as well as sustainable agricultural techniques and practices, taking into account the need to enhance food security for all and SARD. This should be based on the precautionary approach, as articulated in principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and take into account concerns about possible adverse effects on the environment and human health.

89. Governments are urged to sign and subsequently ratify, as soon as possible, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity and to support its effective implementation.

90. National Governments are encouraged to develop the appropriate legal frameworks and put into action appropriate strategies for sustainable agriculture, the protection of biodiversity, and the assessment of living modified organisms for deliberate release into the environment.

91. Governments and United Nations organizations are encouraged to promote only those applications of biotechnology that are ethically and environmentally acceptable and do not pose adverse effects on public health for agricultural-related research and production.

(g) Genetic resources

92. Governments are urged to strengthen their efforts for the sustainable use, conservation and protection of genetic resources. In this regard, Governments are urged to finalize the negotiations on the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, as soon as possible, and to implement the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture¹⁴ of the Leipzig Technical International Conference on Plant Genetic Resources, and to implement and actively contribute to the further development of the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources. Governments are further encouraged to strengthen their efforts in effectively implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity.

(h) Integrated pest management and sustainable plant nutrition

93. Governments are urged to eliminate the unsustainable use of plant protection products as well as fertilizers in agricultural production and to develop practical ways to enhance the application of integrated pest management and the sustainable use of fertilizers. All stakeholders, including farmers, the private sector and international organizations, are encouraged to work with Governments to form effective partnerships for this purpose.

94. In this regard, Governments are urged to finalize the negotiations on the international legally binding instrument for the implementation of international action on certain persistent organic pollutants (POPs) as soon as possible.

(i) Desertification and drought

95. Combating desertification and combating drought are crucial elements of SARD. Governments and relevant international organizations should promote the integration of national plans to combat desertification under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification into national strategies for sustainable development.

(j) Access to land and security of land tenure

96. Governments are encouraged to adopt policies and implement laws that guarantee well-defined and enforceable land property rights and improved access to land and security of tenure, in particular for disadvantaged groups, including people living in poverty, women, indigenous groups and the landless.

(k) Emergency preparedness

97. International agencies and other relevant organizations should assist Governments and regional entities in developing and building capacity for effective use of early warning and environmental monitoring systems. Efforts to improve resilience of both agricultural and social systems dealing with natural hazards are also encouraged.

3. International cooperation

(a) Agricultural trade

98. Governments are urged to work towards liberalization of trade in agricultural products, taking into account non-trade concerns, including food security and the need to protect the environment, as well as country-specific conditions, and to avoid unjustifiable trade distortions or trade barriers, in particular those that do not allow small-scale farmers access to industrialized country markets.

99. All relevant parties are encouraged to identify and pursue opportunities for trade liberalization in agricultural products, including addressing trade distorting subsidies and measures, which holds particular promise for promoting SARD.

100. Market access conditions for agricultural products of export interest to least developed countries should be improved, on as broad and liberal a basis as possible, and urgent consideration should be given to the proposal for a possible commitment by developed countries to granting duty-free and quota-free market access for essentially all products originating in least developed countries, coupled with efforts of more advanced developing countries to improve market access for these countries.

101. The Commission on Sustainable Development stresses the need to implement the Marrakesh Ministerial Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least Developed and Net-Food Importing Countries,¹⁵ the comprehensive and integrated Plan of Action for the Least Developed Countries of the World Trade Organization and the joint commitment by the heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the World Trade Organization to work together to assist developing countries in their adjustment process.

(b) Information exchange and dissemination

102. Governments and relevant international organizations are urged to disseminate widely, and to promote the access to farmers and those engaged in agriculture of, information on relevant sustainable agricultural practices, technologies and markets, inter alia, through capacity-building programmes, by utilizing information technology. In this context, special attention must be paid to the needs of women, marginalized groups and indigenous and local communities.

(c) United Nations and other international activities

103. FAO and other relevant international organizations are urged to assist countries in developing concrete policies, regulations and actions for the implementation of Agenda 21 concerning sustainable production and farming methods aimed at achieving the goals of the World Food Summit and of SARD.

104. FAO and other relevant international organizations are also urged to assist countries in developing policies aimed at providing food safety nets.

105. IFAD is encouraged to strengthen its assistance to rural communities in developing countries in support of their efforts to achieve SARD, primarily as a means to alleviate rural poverty.

106. FAO, UNEP, the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant organizations are encouraged to make further efforts in developing methodologies and improving coordination for data collection, analysis, monitoring and evaluation of public and private efforts to support sustainable agriculture.

107. Governments are urged to ratify the relevant international instruments, if they have not already done so, and to implement them in order to promote SARD.

108. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is invited to increase research in integrated natural resource management and to disseminate the results.

(d) Participation

109. Effective implementation of the SARD objectives requires participation of a wide range of stakeholders. Empowerment, participation and partnerships are critical to success in achieving SARD, in particular involvement of women, bearing in mind their important role in SARD. Governments and relevant international organizations are therefore urged, as appropriate, to further develop innovative institutional mechanisms to ensure effective stakeholder participation in decision-making related to SARD.

111. As part of the multi-year work programme of the Commission on Sustainable Development adopted by the General Assembly in 1997 at its nineteenth special session, the eighth session of the Commission will consider the topic of agriculture as an economic sector. In this connection, the Commission’s Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Working Group, meeting in New York from 28 February to 3 March 2000, reviewed progress achieved in the implementation of the objectives for "Promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development" as set out in chapter 14 of Agenda 21. It took into consideration the comprehensive review of the implementation of Agenda 21 undertaken in 1997.

112. The discussions of the Working Group were intended as inputs for the consideration of agriculture as an economic sector by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its eighth session, to be held from 24 April to 5 May 2000.

113. The Working Group’s discussion of the issue was based upon the report of the Secretary-General entitled "Sustainable agriculture and rural development" and its addenda (E/CN.17/2000/7 and Add.1 and 2).

114. The Working Group examined the extent to which SARD policies, strategies and programmes — as outlined in chapter 14 of Agenda 21 — had been implemented and how this progress had helped to promote agriculture as an economic vehicle for attaining the major objectives of SARD and the World Food Summit Plan of Action in the post-United Nations Conference on Environment and Development period. Economic, social and environmental dimensions of SARD were considered.

115. A number of delegations described their national efforts to attain food security for their populations and their efforts to reduce the number of undernourished people. Agriculture sector policy reforms were meant to provide a stable legislative framework and to guarantee ownership of, and access to, productive resources, especially on land; improve the functioning of markets, inter alia, for labour and credit; and sanction property rights and create risk-reduction, among others things.

116. The multifunctional aspects of agriculture, as described in chapter 14 of Agenda 21, and in the World Food Summit Plan of Action, were emphasized by some delegations, while some underlined that consensus on the concept had not been achieved.

2. Food security and poverty alleviation

117. On the basis of current trends, the target established by the World Food Summit of halving the number of undernourished people by 2015 would not be reached. Achieving food security is a global policy objective of the highest priority. The developed countries and the international community should continue supporting food aid. Food-importing countries, when formulating strategies for food security, need to pay careful attention to vulnerabilities in their food supply and to introduce concrete complementary measures such as enhancement of domestic food production, combined with improved food-storage systems.

118. A direct consequence of slow progress in achieving SARD is the persistent increase in the level of poverty in developing countries. This has contributed to widening the gap between rich and poor, and has led to the marginalization of the poor in general and women in particular.

3. Agricultural trade

119. Trade liberalization can have both positive and negative impacts on agriculture and rural development. Trade policies should be geared towards the elimination of environmentally harmful subsidies and any other trade distorting policies, which constitute obstacles to market access for goods, including possible environmental barriers to trade.

120. Trade liberalization can stimulate more efficient use of natural resources and have positive impacts on poverty eradication and the environment, provided that mutually supportive social and environmental measures are adopted. A more open multilateral trading system, consistent with sustainable development, and the elimination of protectionist practices are desirable.

121. A large number of small-scale subsistence farmers in developing countries produce for consumption, do not participate in the market and are left behind by globalization. In addressing issues of sustainability and liberalization of trade in the agriculture sector, a balanced approach is needed, bearing in mind the consensus reached in the series of global conferences.

122. Because the internal market is no longer protected in countries with economies in transition, exporters from other countries with government support are now gaining a greater share in the local market for food.

4. Sustainable production systems

123. Terrestrial ecosystems and land productivity are being threatened by unsustainable practices in agriculture, grazing and forestry. Many problems of land degradation cannot be effectively addressed without the reduction and eradication of poverty and hunger. Soil protection measures are important for increasing food production, ensuring food security and protecting biological diversity. Identification of critical areas of actual and potential land degradation is important for determining priorities for land conservation efforts and for protecting water resources and biodiversity. Good agricultural practices can be part of the solution to environmental degradation.

124. Urban and peri-urban agriculture could improve rural/urban linkages, and rural development could make an important contribution to food security and nutritional status.

125. Regarding the relationship between biodiversity and agriculture, action is needed to mitigate the negative impacts from the expansion of agricultural land and livestock grazing on natural ecosystems, resulting in deforestation and the loss of biodiversity. National and regional strategies and policies should be introduced to reverse these trends and to reclaim and rehabilitate degraded land and protect biodiversity.

126. An ecosystem approach to SARD has been adopted in some countries. This approach views all human activities in the context of the social, economic and ecological environment in which they take place.

127. Unsustainable input use in agricultural production needs to be eliminated, especially the use of chemicals that result in an increase in water and soil pollution. Practical ways need to be developed to enhance the application of integrated pest management and the sustainable use of fertilizers.

128. It is clearly impossible to resolve issues of agriculture and rural development without dealing in a substantial way with the issue of water. In this regard, the reports emanating from Economic and Social Council resolutions 1999/47, 1999/48 and 1999/49 will be before the Commission on Sustainable Development at its April 2000 session.

129. While organic farming had been promoted and used in a number of countries, some countries were cautious on this issue. They felt that there could be limitations and risks in the organic production of food in developing countries, and that this approach should not be considered a solution for developing-country needs. The use of organic agriculture as a basis for setting standards that could lead to trade barriers should be avoided. Nonetheless there are a number of organic agricultural techniques that could be applied to enhance traditional and other agricultural practices to promote SARD. The international community should assist developing countries in using and taking advantage of these techniques.

130. One of the challenges for SARD is the rehabilitation of agricultural and range lands by harmonizing environmental and agricultural policies. Another challenge is the conservation of farm land and reclamation of degraded land by establishing agricultural projects to meet basic food needs and create job opportunities.

5. Biotechnology and biosafety

131. Research has an important role to play in agricultural innovation, and biotechnology could contribute to a great extent to food security. In order to ensure that the use of biotechnology does not threaten the conservation or sustainable use of biodiversity, the precautionary approach, as articulated in principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, should apply. The use of biotechnology should be introduced in such a manner as to ensure that traditional farming practices are respected, equitable access to farm inputs is ensured, the rights of indigenous people and local communities are respected and consumer concerns are met.

132. Governments should encourage investment in research in the public domain for development of affordable technology so as to enhance agricultural productivity. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an important instrument in the research, development and application of biotechnology. It was felt that, because existing plant-transformation technologies were governed by stringent intellectual property rights norms, access to these technologies and databases was too costly to developing countries. There is a need to recognize the issue of facilitated access to plant genetic resources and technology.

133. Genetic approaches, including biotechnology, could be a major avenue towards achieving increased agricultural productivity. The environmental impact of the use of genetically modified organisms for food and agriculture must be subjected to proved tests before their introduction into the international market.

134. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety should be implemented. Appropriate strategies for sustainable agriculture, for the protection of biodiversity and for the assessment of genetically modified organisms should be developed in line with the Protocol. Ways and means to address consumers’ concerns about genetically modified organisms should be examined. Cooperation within the international community is key in the transfer of technology and exchange of information for a better understanding of the harmful effects of genetically modified food products.

6. Participation and empowerment

135. Empowerment, participation and partnerships are critical to success in achieving SARD.

136. Community-based approaches to SARD and natural resource management — where all key stakeholders, including local communities, women and indigenous people, play a part and accept an appropriate level of responsibility for managing resources and implementing appropriate solutions — are crucial. Farmer participation is also critical in agricultural research and extension endeavours. Traditional and local knowledge should be recognized and protected.

137. Security of land tenure provides confidence for investment and management change. A legal framework and institutions are needed to ensure secure, equitable and transparent land tenure and access to land, paying particular attention to gender aspects and the rights of indigenous and local communities.

7. International cooperation

138. Many countries felt that the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which aims at redressing land degradation in developing countries, should receive adequate support, including financial support, as one of the key instruments that would assist in the implementation of SARD.

139. Other international instruments, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, provide a framework for international cooperation in SARD. Some delegations felt that the mechanisms related to these Conventions should be used to enhance the resource and financial flows to SARD.

140. ODA has not reached the level agreed in Agenda 21. It has been consistently declining over the last 20 years, and ODA to agriculture has decreased by 50 per cent in the last 10 years. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has increased, but it has been highly uneven and mainly directed outside the agriculture sector. FDI should be used as a complementary investment to domestic resources and ODA in promoting SARD.

141. International financial institutions should become involved in transfer of technology, with emphasis on allocation of funds to agricultural production and food security. International organizations should encourage developing countries in their efforts to achieve their own food security.

142. United Nations agencies, programmes and funds should provide support to implement Agenda 21 and to achieve the targets of the World Food Summit. It was noted, however, that food aid could have a negative impact on SARD and on small-scale farmers.

143. International agencies, including financial agencies, the private sector and other relevant organizations should assist Governments and regional entities in developing and building capacity for effective use of early warning and environmental monitoring systems. Efforts to improve resilience of both agricultural and social systems in the face of natural hazards are also encouraged.

144. Donor coordination and innovative partnerships, including public-private partnerships, are important for achieving greater investment in agriculture and the rural sector.

145. To ensure food security in a sustainable manner, new environmentally sound technologies, such as integrated pest management and integrated plant nutrition systems, should be adopted and adapted to local conditions. The transfer of such technologies should be promoted to assist developing countries in coping with their challenges.

146. International agencies should assist Governments in promoting sustainable agricultural research and extension services, and in undertaking training programmes for farmers and agro-food industries.

147. Effective international partnerships must be established, when appropriate, among governmental, non-governmental and private sector agencies to transfer and adapt a broad range of knowledge, techniques and experience related to sustainable agricultural development.

148. Action is needed on transfer of technology, capacity-building and implementation of commitments of Agenda 21 and other agreements.

149. The widespread dissemination of technological information and innovative institutional practices to all stakeholders is required to enhance the ability of developing countries to introduce sustainable agricultural practices.

152. At its 6th meeting, on 3 March 2000, the Working Group had before it its draft report (E/CN.17/ISWG.I/2000/L.1) as well as informal papers.

154. The Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Working Group on Integrated Planning and Management of Land Resources; and Agriculture, of the Commission on Sustainable Development, met in New York from 28 February to 3 March 2000, in accordance with Economic and Social Council decision 1999/280 of 29 July 1999. The Working Group held 6 meetings (1st to 6th meetings).

155. The session was opened by the Co-Chairman of the Commission on Sustainable Development, Choi Seok-young (Republic of Korea).

156. The Director of the Division for Sustainable Development of the United Nations Secretariat made an introductory statement.

157. The Chairman of the inter-sessional event "Cultivating Our Future" made a presentation.

160. At its 1st meeting, on 28 February, the Working Group adopted its provisional agenda contained in document E/CN.17/ISWG.I/2000/1 and Corr.1, and approved its organization of work. The agenda was as follows:

1. Election of officers.

2. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters.

3. Integrated planning and management of land resources; and agriculture.

4. Other matters.

5. Adoption of the report of the Working Group.

 

162. The Working Group had before it the following documents:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General on integrated planning and management of land resources (E/CN.17/2000/6);

(b) Report of the Secretary-General on integrated planning and management of land resources:   conservation of biological diversity (E/CN.17/2000/6/Add.4);

(c) Report of the Secretary-General on sustainable agriculture and rural development (E/CN.17/2000/7);

(d) Report of the Secretary-General on sustainable agriculture and rural development: urbanization and sustainable agricultural development (E/CN.17/2000/7/Add.1);

(e) Report of the Secretary-General on sustainable agriculture and rural development: biotechnology for sustainable agriculture (E/CN.17/2000/7/Add.2);

This document has been posted online by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). Reproduction and dissemination of the document - in electronic and/or printed format - is encouraged, provided acknowledgement is made of the role of the United Nations in making it available.