Technology: Decisions of the General Assembly and the Commission on Sustainable Development

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United Nations General Assembly, 6th Session
New York, 22 December 1997 and 20 April to 1 May 1998

Report of the Commission on Sustainable Development on its sixth session  (22 December 1997 and 20 April to 1 May 1998)
E/1998/29 - E/CN.17/1998/20

C. Technology transfer and research cooperation

14. The Commission on Sustainable Development:

(a) Encourages Governments to remove impediments to and stimulate research and development cooperation, together with the development of technologies for sustainable water management and use, and to increase efficiency, reduce pollution and proliferation of aquatic weeds, especially water hyacinths, and promote sustainable agriculture and food production systems. This also applies in the areas of desalination, brackish water treatment, waste-water treatment, management of wetlands, drainage water reuse, improving the chemical quality of groundwater, including the treatment of arsenic and other harmful heavy metals, and desert dew catchment, and in the use of remote sensing techniques and other relevant modern technologies in order to help increase the supplies of freshwater. All this involves the adaptation and diffusion of new and innovative techniques and technologies, both private and public, and the transfer of technologies to developing countries. In this context, the Commission urges developed countries to strengthen research cooperation and to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, the access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies and the corresponding know-how to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights, as well as the special needs of developing countries for the implementation of Agenda 21;

(b) Urges Governments, industry and international organizations to promote technology transfer and research cooperation to foster sustainable agricultural practices that promote efficient water use and reduce pollution of surface water and groundwater. These technologies should include the improvement of crops grown on marginal sites, erosion control practices and the adaptation of farming systems. They should also improve water use efficiency in irrigated areas and improve the adaptation and productivity of drought-tolerant crop species. Farmer participation in farm research, irrigation projects and watershed management should be encouraged. Research results and technologies should be available to both small and large producers;

(c) Urges Governments to promote innovative approaches to technology cooperation projects involving partnerships between the public and private sectors within an effective framework of regulation and supervision;

(d) Calls upon all relevant parties to develop and implement best practices and appropriate technologies, taking into account the local conditions, in the area of water development, management, protection and use. Codes of conduct, guidelines and other voluntary agreements can enhance the positive role that industry and agriculture can play and should cover the activities of companies operating and investing outside their home countries;

(e) Encourages Governments to make the best use of national, regional and international environmentally appropriate technology centres. The use of local and traditional technology and knowledge should be promoted and South/South cooperation encouraged;

(f) Encourages Governments to develop programmes linked to education, especially those relating to water and land management. Water and land users and managers alike need to become more aware of the need to control wastage and factors affecting demand and supply, to realize the scarcity value of water, water-borne diseases and pollution, soil erosion and deterioration, sedimentation and environmental protection;

(g) Urges donor countries and international organizations to intensify their efforts and to accelerate their technical assistance programmes to developing countries, aimed at facilitating the transfer and diffusion of appropriate technologies. The United Nations system, as well as regional groupings, have an important role to play in facilitating the contact between those in need of assistance and those able to provide it. Less formal arrangements may also have a role to play.

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United Nations General Assembly, 6th Session
New York, 22 December 1997 and 20 April to 1 May 1998
E/1998/29 - E/CN.17/1998/20

Decision 6/3. Transfer of environmentally sound technology, capacity-building, education and public awareness and science for sustainable development

1. The Commission on Sustainable Development:

(a) Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General 22/ and related background documents dealing with the transfer of environmentally sound technology, capacity-building, education and public awareness, and science for sustainable development;

(b) Recognizes that the transfer of environmentally sound technology, capacity-building, education and public awareness, and science for sustainable development are critical elements of a national enabling environment necessary to achieve sustainable development, which includes economic and social development and environmental protection;

(c) Reaffirms the importance it attaches to the two overarching themes, eradication of poverty and sustainable consumption and production patterns, for the programme of work of the Commission, adopted at the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly;

(d) Recalls that the Rio Declaration on Environment 23/ and Development and the General Assembly, at its nineteenth special session, recognized that poverty eradication is essential for sustainable development; reaffirms the urgent need for the timely and full implementation of all the relevant commitments, agreements and targets already agreed upon since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development by the international community, including the United Nations system and international financial institutions; and, in this context, notes the efforts to achieve the above targets as well as the target to reduce by one half by 2015 the proportion of people in extreme poverty; 24/

(e) Reaffirms that renewed commitment and political will for mobilizing national and international financial sources of public funds, including official development assistance, and encouraging private investment in all these areas is urgently required, particularly for developing countries, if they are to meet their needs for the transfer of environmentally sound technology, capacity-building, education development and public awareness and scientific capabilities;

(f) Encourages the greater use of public and market-based policy instruments and incentives to promote better management of human and natural resources and the development of national capacities to more effectively develop, adapt, integrate and use new technologies;

(g) Welcomes the trend demonstrated in each of the areas towards greater public participation and decentralization, including broader civil society consultations, citizen empowerment and increasing public/private partnership and networks, resulting in more demand-driven efforts at capacity-building, education and public awareness, science development and transfer of environmentally sound technology;

(h) Recognizes the special needs, skills and experience of girls and women, youth, indigenous people and local communities, as well as vulnerable and marginalized groups, in all areas of capacity-building, education and training, science and the use of environmentally sound technology and stresses the need to ensure their equal access to educational and capacity-building opportunities and greater involvement in decision-making at all levels;

(i) Encourages Governments that have not already done so to elaborate appropriate policies and plans related to the transfer of environmentally sound technology, capacity-building, education and public awareness and science for sustainable development and ensure that they are fully integrated into national sustainable development strategies and programmes of regional and subregional cooperation.

A. Transfer of environmentally sound technology

2. The Commission on Sustainable Development:

(a) Recalls that Agenda 21 25/ and the Rio Declaration 23/ provide a fundamental framework for actions on matters related to the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building;

(b) Welcomes the initiatives of the Governments of the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to organize inter-sessional meetings on issues relevant to technology transfer, cooperation and capacity-building;

(c) Recognizes that the objectives of sustainable development require continuous technological innovation and the widespread adoption, transfer and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies, including know-how and organizational and managerial procedures, as well as equipment, and that the development of human and institutional capacities to adapt, absorb and upgrade technologies, as well as to generate technological knowledge, is essential for technology transfer, management and diffusion;

(d) Notes that public-private partnerships offer a means of increasing access to, and transfer of, environmentally sound technologies;

(e) Recognizes that the creation of enabling environments at all levels provides a platform to support the development and use of environmentally sound technologies, and in this regard:

(i) The design of legal and policy frameworks that are conducive to long-term sustainable development objectives is a key element of this environment;

(ii) Governments should try to facilitate the transfer of environmentally sound technologies by creating a policy environment that is conducive to technology-related private sector investments and long-term sustainable development objectives;

(f) Encourages Governments and industry to work together to build capacity in the developing countries for using and maintaining environmentally sound technologies, taking into account that:

(i) Financing programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises, including micro-credit initiatives, are very important;

(ii) Education and training must also be key priorities in national efforts to develop operating and maintenance skills in the use of environmentally sound technologies;

(g) Calls for the urgent fulfilment of all the commitments of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development concerning concrete measures for the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries. The international community should promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies and the corresponding know-how, in particular to developing countries, on favourable terms, including concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights as well as the special needs of developing countries for the implementation of Agenda 21;

(h) Emphasizes that technology cooperation between and among economic actors of developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition remains a key element in achieving sustainable development objectives. Efforts at enhancing technology cooperation should recognize the critical role of business and industry in technology development, transfer and diffusion, while recognizing the responsibility of Governments to develop policy, legal and institutional frameworks, consistent with sustainable development, in order to promote technology development, transfer and cooperation.

3. The Commission, therefore, decides to include in its future work consideration of policies to promote sustainable production patterns, and, in this context, to consider the concept of eco-efficiency and examples of its application in developed and developing countries, and the transfer of environmentally sound technologies for these purposes. Policy measures should, in particular, focus on the following areas:

(a) National technology strategies and international technology cooperation. In defining policy measures in this area, it is important to identify the potential actors, including Governments, business and industry, research and development institutions and technology intermediaries, and to examine their respective roles, specific interests, capacities and priorities. It is also important to identify barriers and restrictions to the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, in particular to developing countries, and to seek to reduce such constraints, while creating incentives for such transfer, taking into consideration the promotion of cleaner production;

(b) Technology integration, economic competitiveness and environmental management at the enterprise level, including international technology cooperation, at the enterprise level. In defining policy measures in this area, a thorough understanding of the factors that influence companies' environmental and economic performance is needed, including their adoption of best practices in environmental management and the use of environmentally sound technologies in production processes;.

(c) In the context of technology transfer and adaptation, it is important that environmentally sound technologies be transferred to developing countries, with support, including, as appropriate, financial support, from developed countries and relevant international institutions, in cooperation with the private sector. In this regard, the experience of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and other relevant bodies of the United Nations system in establishing cleaner production centres can help facilitate this process.

4. The Commission:

(a) Invites Governments with the assistance of relevant United Nations bodies such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, and in consultation with development assistance agencies, to undertake work on the development of voluntary guidelines on technology partnerships involving economic actors of developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition, in the context of creating and maintaining an enabling environment for the purpose of maximizing the complementary roles of the public and private sectors in the transfer of environmentally sound technologies. Based on experience and emerging opportunities, such guidelines could assist Governments:

(i) In developing policy approaches and implementation strategies for technology cooperation and partnership initiatives;

(ii) In adopting incentives and economic instruments to provide a favourable legal and policy environment for private sector companies from developed countries to participate in technology partnership initiatives with developing countries,supported through an enabling international environment that facilitates access to, and transfer of, environmentally sound technologies and corresponding know-how;

(iii) In applying mechanisms and tools for the assessment of the effectiveness of the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and of technology partnership initiatives with regard to their contribution to achieving economic, social and environmental goals and targets;

(b) Urges Governments, the private sector and research and development institutions of developed countries to identify barriers and restrictions to the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and provide opportunities for technology cooperation, including in research and development, and partnership initiatives involving economic actors from developing countries, particularly African countries and the least developed countries, taking into account conditions and needs of these countries for the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and related capacity-building activities aimed at creating an enabling environment; and welcomes studies in this area;

(c) Encourages Governments of developing countries and countries with economies in transition, with the support of the United Nations system, to develop national strategies for technology innovation, commercialization and diffusion, with a focus on economic or industrial sectors that are particularly important with respect to economic growth, natural resources consumption, efficiency in the use of energy and natural resources in consumption and production patterns and pollution control, taking fully into account the need to create an enabling environment for private sector activities. Regional expert group meetings, jointly organized by Governments and United Nations bodies, including the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Development Programme, can be a useful mechanism to develop guidelines or manuals to assist Governments, upon request, in developing national technology strategies and initiating various forms of partnerships for the implementation of these strategies. The guidance document on national needs assessment for the improved utilization of environmentally sound technologies, adopted by the Commission in 1996, may be useful in developing such guidelines or manuals;

(d) Requests the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme, in cooperation with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, to consider undertaking a study on the effectiveness of incentives to encourage industry to adopt cleaner production technologies. The study should evaluate existing practices and experiences of countries and organizations. The results of the evaluation could be useful to Governments in developing national technology strategies and in ensuring that these strategies are fully integrated into national sustainable development strategies and programmes;

(e) Calls on all Governments, with the support of international organizations and financial institutions, to assist small and medium-sized enterprises, including through funding of feasibility studies on market opportunities and commercial viability of environmentally sound technologies, use of economic instruments, including fiscal incentives, export promotion programmes, trade initiatives, including economically sound technologies-related issues, and assistance in the development of business plans;

(f) Invites interested Governments of developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition to undertake, in particular in the context of promoting regional cooperation and implementing international environmental conventions and agreements, in cooperation with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and other relevant international bodies, a pilot project on opportunities for sector-specific applications of the recommendations on transfer and commercialization of publicly funded environmentally sound technologies made by the International Expert Meeting on the Role of Publicly Funded Research and Publicly Owned Technologies in the Transfer and Diffusion of Environmentally Sound Technologies, hosted by the Government of the Republic of Korea. 26/ The results of this project could be presented to the Commission in 2002. Issues to be considered might include:

(i) Reviewing national legal, institutional, development cooperation and other relevant policies, with a view to removing obstacles to, and providing research and development institutions and the private sector with incentives for, the transfer and commercialization of publicly funded and publicly owned environmentally sound technologies, in particular to developing countries and, as appropriate, countries with economies in transition;

(ii) Assessing existing as well as new technology transfer mechanisms, for example bilateral and multilateral memoranda of understanding and environmentally sound technology pooling or banks, with regard to their potential and use for the transfer and commercialization of publicly funded and publicly owned environmentally sound technologies to developing countries and, as appropriate, countries with economies in transition;

(iii) Considering the creation of additional centres for the transfer of environmentally sound technologies at various levels, including the regional level, which could greatly contribute to achieving the objectives of the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries;

(iv) Examining various policy approaches to commercialize non-patented or uncommercialized technologies that result from publicly funded research activities, including through the promotion of strategic alliances between research and development institutions, development cooperation agencies, enterprises, technology centres and other intermediaries, and to facilitate access to these technologies by developing countries.

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United Nations General Assembly
19th Special Session
New York, 23-27 June 1997

Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly for the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21
(A/S-19/29)] S/19-2

Transfer of environmentally sound technologies:

88. The availability of scientific and technological information and access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies are essential requirements for sustainable development. There is an urgent need for developing countries to acquire greater access to environmentally sound technologies if they are to meet the obligations agreed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and in the relevant international conventions. The ability of developing countries to participate in, benefit from and contribute to rapid advances in science and technology can significantly influence their development. This calls for the urgent fulfillment of all the Conference commitments concerning concrete measures for the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries. The international community should promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies and the corresponding know-how, in particular to developing countries, on favourable terms, including concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights as well as the special needs of developing countries for the implementation of Agenda 21. Current forms of cooperation involving the public and private sectors of developing and developed countries should be built upon and expanded. In this context, it is important to identify barriers and restrictions to the transfer of publicly and privately owned environmentally sound technologies, with a view to reducing such constraints while creating specific incentives, fiscal and otherwise, for the transfer of such technologies. Progress in the fulfillment of all the provisions contained in chapter 34 of Agenda 21 should be reviewed regularly as part of the multi-year work programme of the Commission on Sustainable Development.

89. Technology transfer and the development of the human and institutional capacity to adapt, absorb and disseminate technologies, as well as to generate technical knowledge and innovations, are part of the same process and must be given equal importance. Governments have an important role to play in providing, inter alia, research and development institutions with incentives to promote and contribute to the development of institutional and human capacities.

90. Much of the most advanced environmentally sound technology is developed and held by the private sector. The creation of an enabling environment, on the part of both developed and developing countries, including supportive economic and fiscal measures, as well as a practical system of environmental regulations and compliance mechanisms, can help to stimulate private sector investment in and transfer of environmentally sound technology to developing countries. New ways of financial intermediation for the financing of environmentally sound technologies, such as "green credit lines", should be examined. Further efforts should be made by Governments and international development institutions to facilitate the transfer of privately owned technology on concessional terms, as mutually agreed, to developing countries, especially the least developed countries.

91. A proportion of technology is held or owned by Governments and public institutions or results from publicly funded research and development activities. The Government's control and influence over the technological knowledge produced in publicly funded research and development institutions open up the potential for the generation of publicly owned technologies that could be made accessible to developing countries, and could be an important means for Governments to catalyse private sector technology transfer. Proposals for the further study of the options with respect to those technologies and publicly funded research and development activities are to be welcomed.

92. Governments should create a legal and policy framework that is conducive to technology-related private sector investments and long-term sustainable development objectives. Governments and international development institutions should continue to play a key role in establishing public-private partnerships, within and between developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Such partnerships are essential for linking the advantages of the private sector - access to finance and technology, managerial efficiency, entrepreneurial experience and engineering expertise - with the capacity of Governments to create a policy environment that is conducive to technology-related private sector investments and long-term sustainable development objectives.

93. The creation of centres for the transfer of technology at various levels, including the regional level, could greatly contribute to achieving the objective of transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries. For this purpose, existing United Nations bodies, including, as appropriate, the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and the regional commissions, should cooperate and mechanisms be used, such as technical cooperation among developing countries and economic cooperation among developing countries.

94. Governments and international development institutions can also play an important role in bringing together companies from developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition so that they can create sustainable and mutually beneficial business linkages. Incentives should be provided to stimulate the building of joint ventures between small and medium-sized enterprises of developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition, and cleaner production programmes in public and private companies should be supported.

95.    Governments of developing countries should take appropriate measures to strengthen South-South cooperation for technology transfer and capacity-building. Such measures could include the networking of existing national information systems and sources on environmentally sound technologies, and the networking of national cleaner production centres, as well as the establishment of sector-specific regional centres for technology transfer and capacity-building. Interested donor countries and international organizations should further assist developing countries in those efforts through, inter alia, supporting trilateral arrangements and contributing to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation.

96.    Attention must also be given to technology needs assessment as a tool for Governments in identifying a portfolio for technology transfer projects and capacity-building activities to be undertaken to facilitate and accelerate the development, adoption and dissemination of environmentally sound technologies in particular sectors of the national economy. It is also important for Governments to promote the integration of environmental technology assessment with technology needs assessment as an important tool for evaluating environmentally sound technologies and the organizational, managerial and human resource systems related to the proper use of those technologies.

97.    There is a need to further explore and enhance the potential of global electronic information and telecommunication networks. This would enable countries to choose among the available technological options that are most appropriate to their needs. In this respect, the international community should assist developing countries in enhancing their capacities.

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Commission on Sustainable Development, 4th Session
New York, 18 April-3 May 1996

Decision 4/10. Transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building
E/1996/28 - E/CN.17/1996/38 

1. The Commission on Sustainable Development takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building (E/CN.17/1996/13 and Add.1), which provides an overview of the policies and initiatives taken and the results achieved in the implementation of the work programme on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) approved by the Commission at its third session.

2. The Commission welcomes the initiatives taken by countries and organizations to organize inter-sessional meetings on specific elements of the work programme, and notes that the above-mentioned report made use of those meetings.

3. The Commission reaffirms the relevance of the work programme and urges Governments, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations, the secretariats of the various international conventions, and major groups, particularly business and industry, to further implement the work programme.

4. The Commission recognizes that new and efficient technologies will be essential to increase the capabilities of countries, in particular developing countries, to achieve sustainable development, sustain the world’s economy, protect the environment and alleviate poverty.

5. The Commission also recognizes that the level of technology transfer and technological transformation required to accelerate progress towards cleaner, more efficient systems of production in many developing countries and countries with economies in transition can be realized through financial support and partnership arrangements with donor countries and agencies, as well as with the encouragement of private-sector initiatives and investments.

6. The Commission reaffirms the need for Governments and regional and international bodies to take measures to ensure that women have equal access to and equal opportunity to participate in educational, scientific and technological activities, particularly as participants in and beneficiaries of technology innovation, transfer and dissemination.

7. The Commission urges Governments of developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition to adopt appropriate environmental legislation that will enhance the successful dissemination of ESTs in their own countries. They are also encouraged to develop and implement an appropriate mix of policy measures, including regulations and economic instruments and incentives aimed at stimulating the adoption of cleaner production technologies and improved, more efficient systems of production that emphasize pollution prevention and waste minimization and recycling, with particular attention to the adoption of such systems by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

8. The Commission encourages Governments, the private sector and industry to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, the access to and transfer of ESTs and corresponding know-how, in particular to developing countries, on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, as well as technological cooperation, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights as well as the special needs of developing countries for the implementation of Agenda 21.

9. The Commission encourages the greater use of partnership arrangements in and between the private and public sectors, including through voluntary agreements, as a means to achieve commonly agreed environmental goals and objectives and to demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits that can accrue through the application of cleaner production technologies and methods and eco-efficiency concepts.

10. The Commission urges countries, international and business organizations to share information on the use and effectiveness of policy measures adopted by Governments and the private sector to promote, develop or create greater demand for technology and technological innovations aimed at changing methods of production, including improving efficiency in the use of energy and natural resources and in reducing pollution and waste.

11. The Commission urges Governments of developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition, with the assistance of regional institutions and international organizations, to strengthen the role of technology centres, where necessary, including cleaner production centres and information clearing-houses, as intermediaries and facilitators for the transfer of ESTs, inter alia, to SMEs. In this regard, innovative partnerships between and sharing of experience by and among such centres should be promoted to increase interaction and to benefit from methods that have proved successful in other contexts.

12. The Commission encourages Governments and national research and technology centres to conduct national technology needs assessment pilot projects in priority areas of development and environment, as appropriate. In identifying priority areas, national environmental action plans or sustainable development strategies, where existing, may be used. Governments may wish to include business associations and other stakeholders in national technology needs assessment exercises. The private sector, in particular, would be in a position to pursue investment opportunities that are generated through national technology needs assessment and to thereby enhance technology cooperation.

13. The Commission calls upon Governments of developing countries and countries with economies in transition to strengthen, with the assistance of donors, where necessary, EST support structures, including technical advisory or consultancy services, marketing support, legal advice, research and development and laboratory facilities and services with the aim of facilitating the successful transfer and development of ESTs. Assistance in project formulation, negotiation and technology sourcing and matchmaking may be needed. In this regard, the private sector could also play an important role.

14. The Commission invites the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to continue its work to develop an EST information system network so as to increase compatibility and cooperation among information systems and sources related to ESTs, and to keep the Commission informed of its progress. In this context, UNEP is invited to consider developing and maintaining a catalogue of EST-related information systems, and to eventually make such a catalogue publicly available in printed form or on diskette and through global networks, such as the Internet. 

15. The Commission takes note of the further development of the International Organization for Standardization standard ISO 14000 and other environmental management standards, such as eco-audit standards and schemes, and invites countries to share information and experiences on the impact of such standards on the demand for and wider application of ESTs and cleaner production methods.

16. The Commission urges Governments, in cooperation with business and industry, to apply appropriate measures that would assist local companies, in particular SMEs, in accessing financial markets to facilitate technological cooperation and technology transfer. In this context, priority may be given to improving the overall availability of finance to SMEs through appropriate measures that stimulate investments.

17. The Commission invites business and industry, including transnational corporations, to take steps aimed at (a) facilitating the access of SMEs to financial markets and ESTs and (b) promoting capacity-building, in particular in developing countries.

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Commission on Sustainable Development, 3rd Session
New York, 11-28 April 1995
E/1995/32 - E/CN.17/1995/36

C. Education, science, transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building

1. Transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building

142. The Commission on Sustainable Development:

(a) Took note of the report of the Secretary-General on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building (E/CN.17/1995/17 and Add.1) and the compilation of information on policies and programmes of countries, international organizations and financial institutions to promote the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building (E/CN.17/1995/17/Add.1);

(b) Welcomed the elements of a work programme contained in section V of the report, and noted that the report made full use of the inter-sessional meetings on issues related to the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building, including the Workshop on the Promotion of Access to and Dissemination of Information on Environmentally Sound Technologies, organized by the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Third High-level Advisory Seminar on Cleaner Production, organized by the Government of Poland, the Workshop on Cleaner Production Technologies in Developing Countries, organized by OECD, and the Round Table on Technology Transfer, Cooperation and Capacity-building, organized by UNIDO, in cooperation with UNEP and the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development of the United Nations Secretariat;

(c) Noted the gradual shift of focus from pollution control and waste management to pollution prevention approaches in policies and programmes at the country level and bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and observed that this shift had resulted in the introduction of production patterns that emphasized the more efficient use of raw materials and energy, taking into account the capture and recycling of wastes and the better use of end-products of the productive system;

(d) Reaffirmed the importance of the balanced approach of chapter 34 of Agenda 21 concerning the transfer of environmentally sound technology, cooperation and capacity-building, also reaffirmed the necessity of access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies, in particular to developing countries, on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights, as well as the specific needs of developing countries for the implementation of Agenda 21, through supportive measures that promoted technology cooperation and that should enable the transfer of necessary technological know-how as well as the building of economic, technical and managerial capabilities for the efficient use and further development of technology, and further reaffirmed the need to strengthen North-South and South-South cooperation to implement the provisions of chapter 34 of Agenda 21;

(e) Recognized that international cooperation was essential to promote access to and dissemination of environmentally sound technologies and that an adequate approach to the transfer of environmentally sound technologies should not only consider existing market forces, but also other relevant factors such as social, cultural, environmental and economic factors, and also recognized that commercial transactions were an important source of technology cooperation with regard to environmentally sound technologies, and that such transactions should be encouraged;

(f) Further recognized that much of Agenda 21 needed to be implemented at the national level. To accomplish this task, Governments would have to face new challenges in order to meet the requirements of sustainable development. This process should be enhanced through the development and transfer of environmentally sound technologies, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 34.14 (b) of Agenda 21, to implement the objectives of sustainable development. Such technologies should be demand-driven, environmentally sound and appropriate for the intended users of the technology, taking into account the social, economic and cultural conditions in the country concerned, in accordance with its priorities;

(g) Recalled that the promotion, facilitation and financing, as appropriate, of access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies and corresponding know-how, in particular to developing countries, was one of the means for the implementation of Agenda 21;

(h) Recalled that the private sector was an important vehicle for technology transfer and that Governments should provide an enabling and supportive environment;

(i) Highlighted the need to develop a programme of work on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building, with the objective of reporting on its implementation by 1997. Consistent with the decision on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building, adopted by the Commission at its second session, the specific activities contained in the programme of work would relate to three interlinked priority areas.

143. The Commission therefore urges Governments, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations, the secretariats of the various international conventions, and major groups, particularly business and industry, to make clear commitments to undertake specific elements of the following work programme:

Work programme

A. Access to and dissemination of information on environmentally sound technologies

1. The Commission welcomes the work being initiated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in cooperation with other United Nations bodies and relevant organizations, on a survey of existing information systems and sources related to environmentally sound technologies as a practical step towards enhancing cooperation and compatibility between existing and projected information systems and clearing-house mechanisms.  In this regard, the Commission invites UNEP to submit an interim report to it at its fourth session, in 1996, which should also take into account other work now under way such as the inventory on climate-related technologies to be prepared by the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This report should:

(a) Include systems and sources from developed and developing countries;

(b) Analyse information and identify deficiencies, gaps and duplications;

(c) Evaluate systems with respect to information quality, accessibility and costs;

(d) Explore the idea of a broadly based consultative mechanism that would facilitate consultation among information providers and potential users.

2. The Commission urges that information and experiences be shared on the successful implementation of transfer operations of environmentally sound technologies through, for example, workshops or expert panels, the dissemination of well-documented case-studies, and networking activities, and that the results be made available to the Commission.

3. The Commission also urges that information and experiences be shared on the impact and effectiveness of governmental, public and private sector initiatives and policies, including voluntary agreements and initiatives, economic instruments and other policies on the development, transfer and dissemination of environmentally sound technologies. Examples include country- or sector-specific workshops or expert panels and the dissemination of well-documented case-studies, the results of which would be made available to the Commission. Such workshops or panels could include representations from Governments, international bodies, industry and other major groups.

B. Institutional development and capacity-building for managing technological change 

4. Effective measures need to be implemented at the national level to develop the skills, in particular of developing countries, to access, assess, adapt and apply environmentally sound technologies within specific contexts and to enhance the innovative capabilities of the technology users. In this regard, Governments, international organizations and major groups, including business and industry, should undertake:

(a) Efforts to establish or strengthen environmentally sound technology centres, networks or other mechanisms, and in particular to support the establishment or strengthening of such centres, networks or other mechanisms in developing countries. Functions to be performed by the environmentally sound technology centres should take into account specifications such as those contained in the Seoul Plan of Action concerning Information Exchange about Environmentally Sound Technologies (see document E/CN.17/1995/30, annex) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Round Table on Technology Transfer, Cooperation and Capacity-building, giving priority attention to:

(i) Conducting, as appropriate, surveys and assessments of environmentally sound technologies;

(ii) Training of trainers and advisers;

(iii) Demonstration projects that highlight the economic and environmental benefits of the use of environmentally sound technologies and management skills;

(iv) Awareness building, inter alia, through dissemination of well-documented case-studies that clearly present those economic benefits;

(v) Capacity-building for technology assessment.

The promotion of environmentally sound technology centres, or their equivalent networks, should build upon existing national institutions  and organizations, including research centres, for example, centres established with the support of UNIDO, UNEP or bilateral donors. The environmentally sound technology centres could also facilitate technology transfer involving the private sector;

(b) Cooperation in the development of basic criteria or general guidelines for environmentally sound technology assessment, building upon already existing work. These criteria or guidelines should emphasize the transfer of cleaner technologies;

(c) Sharing of experiences in case-studies on national needs assessments in support of the transfer of environmentally sound technologies as well as the implementation of their results, through, for example, expert meetings. There is also a need for exchanging such experiences gained in current cooperation projects, in order to compare approaches and identify their respective strengths and weaknesses. The results should be made available to the Commission to enable it to keep this issue under review;

(d) Encouraging joint ventures and partnerships of the private sector from developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition, with particular emphasis on small- and medium-sized enterprises. Bilateral technology partnership arrangements could be used as a means of encouraging private sector initiatives in disseminating state-of-the-art technologies and enhancing technology development, innovation and capacity-building;

(e) Developing environmental performance indicators at the national level, taking into account international work on indicators and criteria, which may be used in assessing technology options;

(f) Developing measures for strengthening the "technology triangle" that involve the participation of scientific, private and government sectors at the national level.

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Commission on Sustainable Development, 3rd session
New York,  11-28 April 1995
E/1995/32 - E/CN.17/1995/36

Draft decision submitted by the Chairman

Transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building

1. The Commission on Sustainable Development:

(a) Took note of the report of the Secretary-General on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building (E/CN.17/1995/17) and the compilation of information on policies and programmes of countries, international organizations and financial institutions to promote the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building;

(b) Welcomed the elements of a work programme contained in section V of the report, and noted that the report made full use of the intersessional meetings on issues related to the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building, including the Workshop on the Access to and Dissemination of Information on Environmentally Sound Technologies, organized by the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Third High-level Advisory Seminar on Cleaner Production, organized by the Government of Poland, the Workshop on Cleaner Production Technologies in Developing Countries, organized by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Round Table on Technology Transfer, Cooperation and Capacity-building, organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development of the United Nations Secretariat;

(c) Further took note of the gradual shift of focus from pollution control and waste management to pollution prevention approaches in policies and programmes at the country level and bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and observed that this shift has resulted in the introduction of production patterns that emphasize the more efficient use of raw materials and energy, taking into account the capture and recycling of wastes and the better use of end-products of the productive system;

(d) Reaffirmed the importance of the balanced approach of chapter 34 of Agenda 21 concerning the transfer of environmentally sound technology, cooperation and capacity-building, also further reaffirmed the necessity of access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies, in particular to developing countries, on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights, as well as the specific needs of developing countries for the implementation of Agenda 21, through supportive measures that promote technology cooperation and that should enable the transfer of necessary technological know-how as well as the building of economic, technical and managerial capabilities for the efficient use and further development of technology, and further reaffirmed the need to strengthen North-South and South-South cooperation to implement the provisions of chapter 34 of Agenda 21;

(e) Recognized that international cooperation is essential to promote access to and dissemination of environmentally sound technologies and that an adequate approach to the transfer of environmentally sound technologies should not only consider existing market forces, but also other relevant factors such as social, cultural, environmental and economic factors, and also recognized that commercial transactions are an important source of technology cooperation with regard to environmentally sound technologies, and that such transactions should be encouraged;

(f) Further recognized that much of Agenda 21 needs to be implemented at the national level. To accomplish this task, Governments will have to face new challenges in order to meet the requirements of sustainable development. This process should be enhanced through the development and transfer of environmentally sound technologies, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 34.14 (b) of Agenda 21, to implement the objectives of sustainable development. Such technologies should be demand driven, environmentally sound and appropriate for the intended users of the technology, taking into account the social, economic and cultural conditions in the country concerned, in accordance with its priorities;

(g) Recalled that the promotion, facilitation and financing, as appropriate, of access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies and corresponding know-how, in particular to developing countries, is one of the means for the implementation of Agenda 21;

(h) Recalled that the private sector is an important vehicle for technology transfer and that Governments should provide an enabling and supportive environment;

(i) Highlighted the need to develop a programme of work on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building, with the objective of reporting on its implementation by 1997. Consistent with the decision on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building, adopted by the Commission at its second session, the specific activities contained in the programme of work would relate to three interlinked priority areas. 

2. The Commission, therefore:

Urges Governments, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations, the secretariats of the various international conventions, and major groups, particularly business and industry, to make clear commitments to undertake specific elements of the following work programme:

Work programme

A. Access to and dissemination of information on environmentally sound technologies 

(1) The Commission welcomes the work being initiated by the United Nations Environment Programme, in cooperation with other United Nations bodies and relevant organizations, on a survey of existing information systems and sources related to environmentally sound technologies as a practical step to enhance cooperation and compatibility between existing and projected information systems and clearinghouse mechanisms. In this regard, the Commission invites the United Nations Environment Programme to submit an interim report to it at its fourth session, in 1996, which should also take into account other work now under way such as the inventory on climate-related technologies to be prepared by the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This report should:

(a) Include systems and sources from developed and developing countries;

(b) Analyse information and identify deficiencies, gaps and duplications;

(c) Evaluate systems with respect to information quality, accessibility and costs;

(d) Explore the idea of a broadly based consultative mechanism that would facilitate consultation among information providers and potential users.

(2) The Commission urges that information and experiences be shared on the successful implementation of transfer operations of environmentally sound technologies through, for example, workshops or expert panels, the dissemination of well-documented case-studies, and networking activities, and that the results be made available to the Commission.

(3) The Commission also urges that information and experiences be shared on the impact and effectiveness of governmental, public and private sector initiatives and policies, including voluntary agreements and initiatives, economic instruments and other policies on the development, transfer and dissemination of environmentally sound technologies. Examples include country or sector-specific workshops or expert panels and the dissemination of well-documented case-studies, the results of which would be made available to the Commission. Such workshops or panels could include representations from Governments, international bodies, industry and other major groups.

B. Institutional development and capacity-building for managing technological change

(4) Effective measures need to be implemented at the national level to develop the skills, in particular of developing countries, to access, assess, adapt and apply environmentally sound technologies in specific contexts and to enhance the innovative capabilities of the technology users. In this regard, Governments, international organizations and major groups, including business and industry, should undertake:

(a) Efforts to establish or strengthen environmentally sound technology centres, networks or other mechanisms, and in particular to support the establishment or strengthening of such centres, networks or other mechanisms in developing countries. Functions to be performed by the environmentally sound technology centres should take into account specifications such as those contained in the Seoul Plan of Action concerning Information Exchange about Environmentally Sound Technologies and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Round Table on Technology Transfer, Cooperation and Capacity-building, giving priority attention to:

(i) Conducting, as appropriate, surveys and assessments of environmentally sound technologies;

(ii) Training of trainers and advisers;

(iii) Demonstration projects that highlight the economic and environmental benefits of the use of environmentally sound technologies and management skills;

(iv) Awareness building, inter alia, through dissemination of well-documented case-studies that clearly present those economic benefits;

(v) Capacity-building for technology assessment.

The promotion of environmentally sound technology centres, or their equivalent networks, should build upon existing national institutions and organizations, including research centres, for example, centres established with the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme or bilateral donors. The environmentally sound technology centres could also facilitate technology transfer involving the private sector;

(b) Cooperation in the development of basic criteria or general guidelines for environmentally sound technology assessment, building upon already existing work. These criteria or guidelines should emphasize the transfer of cleaner technologies;

(c) Sharing of experiences in case-studies on national needs assessments in support of the transfer of environmentally sound technologies as well as the implementation of their results, through, for example, expert meetings. There is also a need for exchanging such experiences gained in current cooperation projects, in order to compare approaches and identify their respective strengths and weaknesses. The results should be made available to the Commission to enable it to keep this issue under review;

(d) Encouraging joint ventures and partnerships of the private sector from developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition, with particular emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises.  Bilateral technology partnership arrangements could be used as a means of encouraging private sector initiatives in disseminating state-of-the-art technologies and enhancing technology development, innovation and capacity-building;

(e) Developing environmental performance indicators at the national level, taking into account international work on indicators and criteria, which may be used in assessing technology options; 

(f) Developing measures for strengthening the "technology triangle" that involve the participation of scientific, private and government sectors at the national level.

C. Financial and partnership arrangements

(5) Urgent and concrete steps are needed to encourage [new and additional financial resources] [the flow of financial resources from all sources] from developed to developing countries in particular, and to promote partnership arrangements between technology suppliers and potential users.  In this regard:

(a) Governments are encouraged to take appropriate measures to strengthen strategic interactions and collaboration and links between government agencies and institutions, the private sector and institutions of science and technology, at the national level, and to develop and utilize a similar approach at the international level; 

(b) Governments of developed countries are encouraged to include environmentally sound technologies as an integral part of their technology cooperation and technical assistance programmes, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 34.14 (b) of Agenda 21, and to provide encouragement to the private sector, both local enterprises and transnational corporations, including financial and fiscal incentives, as appropriate, to promote and accelerate the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, in particular pollution prevention and control and waste management technologies, to developing countries and countries with economies in transition; 

(c) Governments are urged to take measures, in cooperation with international organizations, as appropriate, to enhance both North-South and South-South cooperation. Initiatives should also be targeted towards integrating the economies in transition into the system of global technology cooperation and partnership. In this regard, particularly relevant areas are: 

(i) Joint technological research and development programmes targeted to the frontiers of technologies to accelerate technological change and facilitate technology "leapfrogging" in developing countries and economies in transition; 

(ii) Cooperation between technological research and development institutions of developed and developing countries and economies in transition; 

(iii) Cooperation among technological research and development institutions of developing countries; 

(iv) Strengthening existing regional centres that play a role in the exchange of information about environmentally sound technologies and in capacity-building of developing countries and economies in transition for managing technological change; 

(d) Governments, international organizations and the private sector could provide information on case-studies on experiences gained in the transfer and application of environmentally sound technologies in order to facilitate the replication of successful examples. Note should be taken of the useful experiences of environmentally sound technology projects funded through both the Global Environment Facility and the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol. The Commission encourages the sharing of these and similar experiences at meetings relevant to its work; 

(e) Governments are invited to create enabling conditions in order to increase the amount of foreign direct investment in environmentally sound technologies through measures such as creating a demand for environmentally sound technologies through market mechanisms and the examination of the framework of laws and regulatory policies that affect technology cooperation; 

(f) Existing global and regional funds are urged to allocate resources to build and strengthen in-country capacity to identify projects tailored to specific countries’ needs and to carry out in-country pre-feasibility studies with a view to further attracting funding for technology transfer projects;

(g) The financial sector is encouraged to promote an assessment of the potential impact and benefits of the use and transfer of environmentally sound technologies. 

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Commission on Sustainable Development, 2nd Session
New York, 16-27 May 1994
E/1994/33 - E/CN.17/1994/20 

C. Education, science, transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building

Transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building

77. The Commission on Sustainable Development has reviewed with appreciation the report of the Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Technology Transfer and Cooperation (E/CN.17/1994/11) and takes note of the background paper containing the Task Manager’s report on the transfer of environmentally sound technology, cooperation and capacity-building, as well as section III of the report of the Secretary-General containing an overview of cross-sectoral issues (E/CN.17/1994/2). The Commission also notes the part of the report of the High-level Advisory Board (E/CN.17/1994/13) relating to new approaches to environmentally sound technology cooperation.

78. The Commission notes with appreciation the valuable initiatives undertaken by various members of the Commission during the inter-sessional period as a contribution to the work of the Commission in the area of transfer of environmentally sound technology, cooperation and capacity-building, as discussed in chapter 34 and other chapters of Agenda 21.

79. The Commission recognizes that developing countries face severe constraints in their efforts to promote and engage in technology transfer and cooperation due to the lack of adequate financial resources and limited human, managerial and institutional capacities. In this regard, the Commission welcomes the emphasis given by the Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Technology Transfer and Cooperation to three key areas requiring priority attention, namely:  (a) access to and dissemination of reliable information on environmentally sound technologies, (b) institutional development and capacity-building and (c) financial and partnership arrangements.

80. The Commission notes that many of the proposals for action related to the transfer of environmentally sound technology and cooperation are based on practical experiences gained in some sectoral areas, and that many of these experiences can be applied to other sectors as well.

81. The Commission stresses, in the context of chapter 34 of Agenda 21, the need for Governments of developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition to take, with the support of international organizations and institutions and through long-term cooperation and partnership arrangements, specific action to (a) promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, access to and the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and corresponding know-how, in particular to developing countries, on favourable terms, including concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights, as well as the special needs of developing countries, for the implementation of Agenda 21; (b) promote long-term technological cooperation and partnership between holders of environmentally sound technologies and potential users; and (c) build the endogenous capacities of those countries required to develop, assess, encourage and utilize such technologies through, inter alia, research and development, education and training.

82. The Commission reaffirms the crucial importance of strengthening the capacities, in particular of developing countries, to assess, develop, apply and manage environmentally sound technologies tailored to the countries’ own needs and priorities and stresses the need to focus efforts on capacity-building and institutional development.

83. The Commission recognizes that the expertise required for technology transfer and cooperation is being developed in many countries. Therefore, Governments and enterprises are urged to look throughout the world for the best ideas and creative solutions to meet their needs and solve their problems. The transfer of unproved or environmentally detrimental technologies can thereby be avoided.

84. The Commission reiterates the importance of public and private enterprises in technological innovation and as an important conduit through which technology is developed, transferred, used and disseminated. In this regard, the Commission recognizes that technology partnership arrangements at the enterprise level are a promising mechanism to facilitate access to information on environmentally sound technologies and to support the development, transfer, use and dissemination of these technologies and related know-how. Such partnerships also strengthen the operational, administrative and maintenance skills of the users, and stimulate best-practice methods for improving environmental performance at the enterprise level, inter alia, by promoting the pollution prevention approach in the production and use of goods and services. Companies must continue to adapt and develop technology during the period of cooperation. In this context, the concepts of "build-operate-transfer" (BOT) 3/ arrangements, regional technomarts and technofairs, 4/ were considered promising approaches to technology transfer which need further examination.

85. The Commission notes the efforts of some industry associations to organize conferences in selected countries in different regions for industry and trade associations which would focus on environmental management, monitoring and reporting, and to undertake research projects to collect and analyse case-studies of successful and unsuccessful technology transfer and cooperation programmes.

86. The Commission also stresses the crucial role that Governments of both developed and developing countries have to play in creating favourable conditions for the public sector and in encouraging the private sector to develop and transfer environmentally sound technologies and build the capacities in developing countries to use and manage those technologies effectively. In this regard, international cooperation is highly important. The application of incentives, such as reducing trade barriers, encouraging competition, opening up markets to foreign collaboration, reducing corporate taxes and providing fiscal incentives to enterprises that implement the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, as well as other market reforms and sector restructuring, are likely to have a substantial impact on improving access to capital for new technologies. The further improvement and effective implementation of an appropriate policy, legal and regulatory framework, on both the supply and the demand side, can create new possibilities for the development of environmentally sound technologies and their transfer to developing countries. This may include a mix of macroeconomic policies, economic incentives and environmental regulations. Special attention should also be given, as recommended by the Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Technology Transfer and Cooperation, to the involvement of small and medium-sized industries in the process of technology transfer as they are the backbone of business and industry in most developing countries. In this context, the Commission welcomes the offer by the Government of Norway, in cooperation with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, to host a seminar on the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in technology transfer.

87. The Commission welcomes the recommendations of the Working Group concerning the need to promote closer interaction among all actors involved in technology transfer and cooperation and networking of institutional capacities. In this context, the strengthening of existing environmental technology centres and the establishment of new ones in developing countries are of crucial importance in promoting development, transfer and adaptation of environmentally sound technologies. They are a promising instrument for initiating research and development on environmentally sound technologies and facilitating technological also strengthen the operational, administrative and maintenance skills of the users, and stimulate best-practice methods for improving environmental performance at the enterprise level, inter alia, by promoting the pollution prevention approach in the production and use of goods and services. Companies must continue to adapt and develop technology during the period of cooperation. In this context, the concepts of "build-operate-transfer" (BOT) 1/ arrangements, regional technomarts and technofairs, 2/ were considered promising approaches to technology transfer which need further examination.

85. The Commission notes the efforts of some industry associations to organize conferences in selected countries in different regions for industry and trade associations which would focus on environmental management, monitoring and reporting, and to undertake research projects to collect and analyse case-studies of successful and unsuccessful technology transfer and cooperation programmes.

86. The Commission also stresses the crucial role that Governments of both developed and developing countries have to play in creating favourable conditions for the public sector and in encouraging the private sector to develop and transfer environmentally sound technologies and build the capacities in developing countries to use and manage those technologies effectively. In this regard, international cooperation is highly important. The application of incentives, such as reducing trade barriers, encouraging competition, opening up markets to foreign collaboration, reducing corporate taxes and providing fiscal incentives to enterprises that implement the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, as well as other market reforms and sector restructuring, are likely to have a substantial impact on improving access to capital for new technologies. The further improvement and effective implementation of an appropriate policy, legal and regulatory framework, on both the supply and the demand side, can create new possibilities for the development of environmentally sound technologies and their transfer to developing countries. This may include a mix of macroeconomic policies, economic incentives and environmental regulations. Special attention should also be given, as recommended by the Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Technology Transfer and Cooperation, to the involvement of small and medium-sized industries in the process of technology transfer as they are the backbone of business and industry in most developing countries. In this context, the Commission welcomes the offer by the Government of Norway, in cooperation with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, to host a seminar on the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in technology transfer.

87. The Commission welcomes the recommendations of the Working Group concerning the need to promote closer interaction among all actors involved in technology transfer and cooperation and networking of institutional capacities. In this context, the strengthening of existing environmental technology centres and the establishment of new ones in developing countries are of crucial importance in promoting development, transfer and adaptation of environmentally sound technologies. They are a promising instrument for initiating research and development on environmentally sound technologies and facilitating technological collaboration between different partners at the national and regional levels. The strengthening or establishment of such centres can also be considered for countries with economies in transition.

88. The Commission notes that the Working Group has identified key priority areas for the future work of the Commission and has provided an important forum for the discussion of issues and the consideration of options that might have been difficult in other contexts.

89. The Commission takes note of the relevant provisions on the transfer of technology contained in the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and urges that adequate support be given to priority areas in technology transfer as identified in the Programme of Action.

90. The Commission, therefore:

(a) Encourages and requests appropriate organizations of the United Nations system, such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), to conduct, in collaboration with other international organizations, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, a survey on and assessment of the available sources of information, as well as supporting systems and inventories, and their effective use, focusing on selected environmentally sound technologies. The survey and assessment should cover sources and systems of information on technologies that are in the public domain as well as those protected by patents, whether privately or publicly owned. In this regard, Governments, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system, other international organizations, private non-profit organizations, trade associations, industrial and commercial associations and enterprises, research institutes and other non-governmental organizations, as well as other relevant entities, are encouraged to provide all relevant information and any other appropriate assistance, including case-studies on technology transfer, in particular through the Internet-based systems and facilities. The objective is to identify gaps and/or deficiencies in the information sources or systems surveyed, and indicate feasible approaches to correcting such problems, in order to improve the access to and efficient use of such systems. An initial report on the results of this survey and assessment should be submitted to the Commission at its third session, in 1995;

(b) Invites industry associations to provide to the Commission, and to disseminate more widely, information on efforts being made and results achieved in environmentally sound technology transfer, cooperation and capacity-building, including through foreign direct investment and various forms of technology partnerships with developing countries and countries with economies in transition;

(c) Invites Governments of developed and developing countries and countries with economies in transition and regional and intergovernmental organizations to conduct collaboratively, with the assistance of international organizations and institutions, as appropriate, case-studies on national technology needs for environmentally sound technologies, capacity-building and institutional development, and welcomes the initiatives already being undertaken thereon, including those with regard to further developing methodologies and identifying sources of funding, and to report to the Commission at its third session;

(d) Requests the Secretary-General to invite appropriate organizations of the United Nations system to examine the concrete modalities and the usefulness of innovative technology transfer mechanisms, such as "one-stop shops", 3/ "environmentally sound technology rights banks" (ESTRBs) 4/ or "build-operate-transfer" (BOT) arrangements, and submit concrete recommendations to the Commission at its third session. Such an effort should take full advantage of the expertise of the High-level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development and other eminent technical experts;

(e) Invites appropriate organizations of the United Nations system to further examine, in close collaboration with other interested parties, including private sector associations, the operational modalities and concrete applications of the concept of "benchmarking"; 5/

(f) Calls upon Governments and international organizations to make available, in close collaboration with relevant financial institutions and the private sector, information on the conditions and concrete modalities for setting up and managing venture capital funds for certain types of environmentally sound technologies, and to share with the Commission the results achieved and experiences gained in the application of their conditions and modalities;

(g) Requests the Secretary-General to call upon Governments to explore, in close collaboration with appropriate organizations of the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations, both regional and multilateral, including financial institutions, and the private sector, the potential for joint ventures and the feasibility of providing adequate financing to pursue such joint ventures, and to report to the Commission at its third session;

(h) Invites UNCTAD, UNDP, UNIDO, UNEP, other appropriate organizations of the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations, both regional and multilateral, including financial institutions, to assist countries, in particular developing countries, in applying conditions and new modalities for the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises in long-term international technology partnership arrangements, including assistance in the preparation, execution and post-servicing of sustainable development projects at the local level, and to report to the Commission at its third session;

(i) Invites the relevant agencies of the United Nations system, in particular UNIDO, to undertake, within available resources, sectoral and techno-economic studies and demonstration projects on the transfer of industrial environmentally sound technologies and techniques in order to support sustainable development in the area of industry and to report to the Commission at its third session on initial results achieved by that time;

(j) Requests the Secretary-General to invite appropriate organizations of the United Nations system to examine the feasibility of establishing a consultative group on environmental technology centres, bearing in mind the experience of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR);

(k) Calls upon Governments, particularly those of developed countries, to promote the contribution of their universities and research centres in the transfer of available environmentally sound technologies and expertise, including through such mechanisms as university grants and workshops, and encourages international organizations to support those efforts.

91. The Commission makes the following recommendations for effectively organizing its future work:

(a) As a general rule, issues related to transfer of environmentally sound technology, cooperation and capacity-building should be reported through the two Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Groups;

(b) Previous experience (lessons learned and results achieved in the relevant initiatives being undertaken during the inter-sessional period) should be drawn upon to advance the debate and facilitate decision-making in the regular sessions of the Commission;

(c) There should be greater involvement of experts, the private sector and non-governmental organizations;

(d) The results should be presented to the secretariat of the Commission in time for them to be incorporated into the documentation to be submitted to the Commission. Those results should be presented to the secretariat in the form of an extremely short and comprehensive paper, focusing on two areas: (i) shortcomings and unresolved problems identified; and (ii) feasible and practical recommendations for further consideration by the Commission, tailored to different actors, such as Governments, international organizations and institutions, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.

Notes:

1/ "Build-operate-transfer" arrangements can be used by private companies to build a project, operate it long enough to pay back its debts and to achieve a return on equity, and then transfer it to the host Government.

2/ Technomarts and technofairs are market places where technology suppliers and users meet to exchange practical information on and demonstrate applications of environmentally sound technologies.

3/ "One-stop shops" are referral centres that assist technology users to obtain all the required information available on all aspects of national conditions related to the transfer of technology from one source.

4/ "Environmentally sound technology rights banks" are ownership arrangements; such entities act as a broker for acquiring patent rights to sounder technologies and make them available to countries in need of technical assistance, in particular to developing countries on favourable terms.

5/ "Benchmarking" is an instrument for assessing, monitoring and encouraging best-practice standards at the enterprise level.

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Commission on Sustainable Development, 1st session
New York, 14 - 25 June 1993
E/1993/25/Add.1 - E/CN.17/1993/3/Add.1 

E. Progress achieved in facilitating and promoting the transfer of environmentally sound technology, cooperation and capacity-building

44. The Commission emphasizes the crucial importance of the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building for achieving sustainable development in all countries, as well as the importance of operationalizing objectives agreed to at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in this regard.

45. The Commission stresses the need, inter alia, (a) to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, access to and the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and corresponding know-how, in particular to developing countries, on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights; (b) to promote long-term technological cooperation and partnership between holders of environmentally sound technologies and potential users; and (c) to improve the endogenous capacities of those countries to develop, assess, manage and utilize such technologies, through, inter alia, research and development, education and training.

46. The Commission decides that in order to make operational those provisions of Agenda 21 relating to the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building, there is a particular need to focus on, inter alia, the dissemination of information, the removal of barriers and the creation of incentives, financial support and endogenous capacity-building. In this regard, the Commission:

(a) Urges bilateral and multilateral donors, as well as national Governments, to undertake efforts to increase their financial support at the international, regional and subregional levels for activities that are designed to promote and facilitate the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, in particular to developing countries and to the building of the endogenous capacities of developing countries to develop and manage those technologies, including state-of-the-art technologies and technologies already in place;

(b) Urges Governments to develop policies and innovative mechanisms that would promote and/or improve access to environmentally sound technologies, in particular of developing countries, and to provide appropriate incentives, fiscal or otherwise, to encourage the private sector to transfer those technologies, in particular to the developing countries, in accordance with paragraph 34.18 (e) of Agenda 21;

(c) Urges all Governments, wherever appropriate and taking into account national strategies, to identify and implement an appropriate mix of economic instruments and normative measures to encourage and support the investment and infrastructure required to promote access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies, in particular to developing countries;

(d) Urges Governments to formulate policies and programmes for the effective transfer of environmentally sound technologies that are publicly owned or in the public domain;

(e) Recognizes the need to develop methodologies and establish, where appropriate, institutions for technology assessment;

(f) Also recognizes that in addition to promoting the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, the Commission should promote both the development of methodologies for and the assessment of the environmental, health, safety and social impacts of technologies. In this context, national and international measures should be strengthened to promote information exchange on and discourage the transfer of activities that employ hazardous technologies which are not used and/or are prohibited in developed countries;

(g) Urges Governments and appropriate organizations to modify their policies and regulations to facilitate access to, transfer of and introduction of environmentally sound technologies;

(h) Stresses the importance of strengthening national capacities to assess, develop, manage and apply new technologies, and in this context, the need to strengthen existing institutions, train personnel at all levels and educate the end-users of new technologies;

(i) Urges developing countries that are in a position to do so to cooperate among themselves with a view to developing and improving environmentally sound technologies, and exhorts the international community, as well as the institutions of the United Nations system, to provide full support to initiatives intended to promote technological cooperation and capacity-building among developing countries;

(j) Recognizes the positive initiatives of developing countries in the field of environmentally sound technology, for example in biotechnology, and urges developed countries and the United Nations system to support such initiatives.

47. The Commission requests the Secretary-General to initiate actions aimed at the full implementation of paragraphs 34.15, 34.16, 34.17 and 34.26 of Agenda 21, to prepare proposals on ways and means of facilitating such implementation and to inform the Commission at its next session of the progress achieved in this respect. This should include ways and means of:

(a) Considering the designation of a focal point for technology assessment for the implementation of mandated activities on technology assessment within the United Nations system that could serve as a clearing-house for information and referrals;

(b) Ensuring, taking into account initiatives being undertaken by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other relevant United Nations bodies, the full implementation of General Assembly resolutions relating to the collection and dissemination of information on environmental emergencies that may result from poor or inappropriate application of technologies, and early warning information aimed at avoiding environmental disasters;

(c) Supporting the establishment of a collaborative network of national, subregional and regional research and information systems, including mechanisms that enable countries, in particular developing countries, to access information at low cost.

48. The Commission supports the establishment of environmental technology centres at the international, regional, subregional and national levels, as appropriate, and the strengthening of existing centres. The objective of these centres would be to improve the capacity to promote the development, transfer and application of environmentally sound technologies and corresponding technical know-how with special focus on developing countries’ needs, and to foster sustainable development, in particular in developing countries.

49. The Commission invites Governments, as well as relevant intergovernmental bodies, to provide information on the implementation of science and technology-related provisions of Agenda 21, particularly with regard to progress achieved in the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building, in line with section C above, on the guidelines to the Secretariat for organizing information provided by Governments on issues related to the implementation of Agenda 21. Such information should be provided in accordance with the multi-year thematic programme of work.

50. Recognizing that the Commission has been mandated to review progress concerning the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building for the implementation of Agenda 21, the Commission has decided to prepare for the discussion at its second session through the establishment of an inter-sessional ad hoc open-ended working group, for a trial period of one year, to be composed of Governments that will nominate experts to assist in the task of assessing and suggesting specific measures to support and promote access to and transfer of technology, as indicated in paragraph 34.18 of Agenda 21, in particular subparagraphs (a) and (e), and on the basis of the above, in the development of the policy framework to facilitate, promote and finance technology transfer, particularly in relation to the sectoral clusters under consideration. The Commission calls on its Bureau to coordinate the work of the ad hoc open-ended working group, as well as the inputs from other experts in relevant fields, including non-governmental organizations, the private sector and other major groups. The Commission requests the Secretary-General to provide support, within existing resources, to organize the above-mentioned working group. The Commission will decide on the agenda and procedures for the working group, which will report on its findings to the Commission.

51. In accordance with Economic and Social Council decision 1993/215, the ad hoc working group should have a dialogue and interaction with representatives of non-governmental organizations and major groups, under the relevant rules of procedure, ensuring equitable participation of non-governmental organizations from developed and developing countries and from all regions.

52. The Commission emphasizes the need for effective interaction and collaborative arrangements with intergovernmental bodies which are of special relevance to the work of the Commission in relation to promoting and facilitating the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacity-building, such as with the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, the Trade and Development Board of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Commission on Transnational Corporations and the Governing Councils of UNEP, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. For this purpose the Commission invites the Economic and Social Council to consider the intergovernmental machinery related to science and technology in the coordination segment of its substantive session of 1994, with a view to clarifying the distribution of labour and cooperation mechanisms.

53. The Commission stresses the need to consider, where appropriate, information, which could be made available by the relevant conference of the parties, on the implementation of environmental conventions as it relates to the support, promotion and access to environmentally sound technologies.

54. The Commission emphasizes the importance of engaging in dialogue and interaction with other relevant intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, including the relevant transnational corporations, and other major groups, to encourage new forms of technology cooperation and partnership in technological areas of particular relevance to developing countries.