NEWS                                                OUTREACH 1997
                           The Voice of the NGO Community at CSD*
                                     Countdown to Earth Summit II
LETTER

Vol. 1  No. 7
Thursday, 27 February 1997

                      CSDI SPECIAL EDITION


INTERSESSIONAL ON THE MOVE

AT A GLANCE

COMMENTARY

TRANSPORTATION: A MORAL DILEMMA?

MEETING CALENDAR

NEWS FROM THE CONFERENCE ROOM

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

FEATURE
Transport and Earth Summit II

RIO GRINDS

UPDATE

DID YOU KNOW?

COMMENTARY:

Today, we bring you a commentary on transportation as well as two
in-depth articles, one on transportation and one on food
security.  They both represent two important issues dealt with in
the NGO Recommendations for Action: Point 1.7 on Transport and
Point 1.8 on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security.

-=-=-=-=-

TRANSPORTATION: A MORAL DILEMMA?

Until now, the transport question has been tucked away,
practically hidden.  It is almost as if it is  guarded against
debate.  Why?  Is it because the transport sector represents such
a formidable force - both in terms of money and power?

Transport  represents some of the toughest challenges and some of
the most difficult choices we have to make for the future.  NGOs
think it is time to bring Transport to the forefront of the
environment debate.

Tough choices?
No society can exist without functional transport systems.  This
demand has for the last 100 years been met by bringing motorized
transport in general and cars in particular  into any society.

Today, almost 500 million cars of all sizes drive around in the
world. The car has also become synonymous with material
development - the more cars a society has, the higher the level
of development.

Transportation is freedom?
People in the North often associate the car with freedom. People
in the South now also demand this development and this freedom. 
What right has the North to deny the South this development?
Might not the flag of environmentalism appear false and deceitful
when it is waved over the South to prevent them from becoming
motorized in order to save their environment?  Has any Northern
country said they would relinquish their car park to help save
the global environment?

The righteous North-an environmental disaster?

Yet anybody can easily predict the environmental havoc an
increased car density on earth will cause. Every person on earth
has the same inalienable right to enjoy a reasonable material
development. If the North has the right to enjoy a car density of
2 persons per car, so has the South. But to achieve that right
means in reality adding to the present global car population,
over the next 50 to 100 years, between 5 and 700 million vehicles
in Africa as well as in Latin America and more than 2 billion
vehicles in Asia.  In total this is a 7 to 8 fold increase in the
number of cars.  This must be tantalizing for the car industry,
havoc for any society and disaster for the global environment.

So here we are again - facing another insoluble dilemma.  We all
need transportation - but we have not decided on what kind.  So
instead of becoming defensive about this, why don't we follow the
NGO model: get the discussion out in the open, look at the
challenges of transportation needs, and  develop new,
environmentally sound and clean transportation systems flexible
and available to all.

What about it delegates and politicians, industrialists and
financiers?   We're ready to discuss the problems of
transportation.

Are you?

-=-=-=-=-

STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING CALENDAR

For more information on other side events and meetings, consult
the newsletter "ISWG-CSD Today" which can be obtained every
morning in Conf. Room C and in the main meeting room.  Or contact
the CSD Secretariat - tel: 963-8811 / fax: 963-1267.

DAILY MEETINGS:
9:15 a.m.                     Conf. Room C
CSD NGO Steering Committee

2:00 p.m.                     Lunch Room
MEDIA CAUCUS

THURSDAY, 27 FEBRUARY:
9:00 a.m.                     Cafe Vienna
US NGO meeting with US delegation

9:15 a.m.                     Conf. Room C
Alexandra Bezeredi (GEF) will give brief presentation to CSD NGO
Steering Committee

1:15-2:15 p.m.                TBA
Presentation of the first Global Environment Outlook report by
UNEP

1:15-2:45 p.m.                TBA
Panel on Emerging Issues:  Signals for the Future - Organized by
the NGO Committee on Aging

2:30 p.m.                     TBA
NGO Meeting with Dr. Mostafa Tolba (Egypt)

5:45 p.m.                     Conf. Room C
NGO meeting with Maurice Strong

6:30 p.m.                     Conf. Room C
TRANSPORTATION CAUCUS, chaired by Derek Osborne

FRIDAY, 28 FEBRUARY:
3:00-4:00 p.m.                Conf. Room C
ENERGY CAUCUS

4:30 p.m.                     Conf. Room C
Briefing by NGOs participating in the Commission on Social
Development

NOTE: ROOMS AND TIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

-=-=-=-=-

NEWS FROM THE CONFERENCE ROOM

INTERVENTION BY GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL

"Our intervention on behalf of the numerous NGOs represented at
this meeting aims to focus on two initiatives associated with
trade.  Clearly issues associated with the globalization of
trade, the environment and social development are inextricably
linked.  While these issues are lined, dialogue on these issues
is not.

Major Groups have not had the opportunity for formal access to or
dialogue with the World Trade Organizations, particularly the
Committee on Trade and Environment.  Hence, we have not had the
opportunity to offer our expertise on these issues.

Regrettably, the maturity shown by governments in allowing Major
Group participation in the various CSD processes has not flowed
through to the World Trade Organization.

First, we would urge governments to support a resolution that
facilitates participation by Major Groups into the various WTO
fora, and in particular, the Committee on Trade and Environment.

Second, to ensure that dialogue is not entirely enclosed within
the cloisters of the WTO, we would urge the establishment of an
Intergovernmental Panel on Trade under the auspices of the CSD.

To this end, an NGO paper to be circulated later will elaborate
on the terms of reference of such a Panel.

-=-=-=-=-

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

by Linda Elswick, World Sustainable Agriculture Association; Gary
Valen, Humane Society International; Peter Mann, World Hunger
Year; Jean Marc von Der Weid, Consultant in Agro-ecological Agriculture.

A call for increased CSD leadership and partnership in the
transition to sustainable and ecological agriculture

Since Rio in 1992, there has been limited progress towards
building a more ecological agriculture at the local, national and
international levels, the dominant industrial model of
agricultural production continues to contribute dramatically to
ecological disruption and deterioration.

This kind of energy-intensive and chemical-dependent agriculture
degrades the fertility of soils, intensifies the effects of
droughts, and pollutes water. It also causes salinization and
compaction of soil, destroys genetic resources, wastes fossil
fuel energy, contaminates the food supply, and contributes to
climate change.

__________________

Governments, International Institutions, NGOs and Farmers'
Organizations can take immediate steps to foster the transition
to ecological agriculture by doing the following:

___________________

- Avoid the false debate of choosing between achieving
sustainability and feeding the world's burgeoning population.
Producing enough food is not the problem. The problem is the
imbalance of humans relative to the millions of other species
with whom we co-evolved. A sustainable agriculture can produce
enough food and maintain the evolutionary stability of the
ecology on which we depend.

- Give priority to improving marginal lands where most small
scale, resource-poor farmers are located.

- Recognize that intensification of production and protection of
agricultural land are positively correlated.

- Recognize the imperative of promoting ecologically-sound food
systems to achieve food security.

- Focus on small-scale food producers and effectively implement
the participatory approach to strengthen local sustainable food
systems.

-Develop partnerships of governments, small-scale farmers,
international institutions and NGOs. For example, governments
could  help significantly expand a program such as the Brazilian
Seeds Network of some ten thousand farmers who are recovering and
providing sustainable use of traditional varieties of maize and
beans, with highly competitive economic results.

-Emphasize agro-ecological agricultural research, education and
efficient information systems.

- Reallocate existing funds to support ecological agriculture.

- Support the humane treatment of farm animals as an intrinsic
aspect of ecological agriculture.

- Promote ecologically and socially sound consumption and
production patterns.

- Restrict the use of pesticides through a strong application of
existing laws and the creation of credit facilities to permit the
transition from the conventional, industrial model towards agro-
ecology.

SOME FACTS ABOUT GLOBAL FOOD PRODUCTION

Over the past ten years, global agricultural production has
yielded, on an average annual basis:

- 1,600 million metric tons of grain and 1,900 million metric
tons of other foods.  This makes a total of 3,500 million metric
tons of food.

- This figure represents what is available to humanity.  Animal
feed, grain seeds, etc., have been subtracted from the total to
arrive at this figure.

- Over the past ten years, the world's average population has
been approximately 5 billion people.

- Consequently, 3,500 million metric tons of food divided equally
among 5 billion people, gives each of us 700 kilos of food per
year - or almost 2 kilos (4 lbs.)  of food per day - or 6 average
hamburgers per person per day: 2 for breakfast, 2 for lunch, 2
for dinner.

- If we all were to consume this every day, we would all very
quickly change shape.  There is enough food for everyone.

- Bon appetit!

-=-=-=-=-

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Transportation Caucus will to be held today at 6:30 p.m. in
Conference Room C.  This meeting, titled "Making Cities Livable:
the Transport Challenge," is hosted by UITP and UNED-UK .  It
will be chaired by Derek Osborne (Co-chair of the Intersessional)
and will feature Jonas Rabinovitch (UNDP_ and Walter Hook
(Institute of Transportation and Development Policy).

___________

FEATURE..

TRANSPORT AND EARTH SUMMIT II

Transport and the Challenge of Sustainable Development

The planet is facing a motorization and mobility crisis.  The
environmental sustainability of the Earth and the social
sustainability of our human settlements are increasingly
threatened by the increasing use of private motor vehicles.  70%
of the motor vehicle-related CO2 emissions currently come from
developed countries.  However, most of the increase in the next
few decades is projected to come from developing countries.  The
share of total transport-related CO2 emissions from developing
countries is likely to increase from under 30% to over 50% by the
year 2025.  While currently only 20% of the motor vehicle fleets
are in developing countries, motor vehicle ownership and use in
OECD countries is increasing slower than in developing countries. 
In OECD countries between 1988 and 2000, motor vehicle fleets are
expected to increase by 10%, while in developing countries motor
vehicle fleets are projected to increase by 220%.  Vehicle usage,
which is far more important, is also increasing rapidly, with
vehicle miles traveled per year increasing at between 3 and 30% a
year in developing countries, well above GNP growth rates.

No. of persons per car in:

OECD Countries (excluding the US)    2.9
The United States                    1.8
Latin America and the Caribbean     14.7
Sub-Sahara Africa                   70.0
China                              676.0

Transport Statistics

Transport consumes:
     25% of all energy produced on earth
     58% of all global oil production

Transport accounts for:
     22% of all CO2 emissions
     66% of all CO emissions
     47 % of all nitrogen oxide emissions
     39% of all hydrocarbon emissions

Motorization Is Costly

Most estimates assume that transport sector energy use will
double in the next 20 years, despite increasing energy efficiency
in the OECD countries.  Over half of this projected increase is
likely to come from Asia.  Between 1990 and 1991 the motor
vehicle fleet in China grew by 172%.  While there are currently
only 1.2 million motor vehicles in China, one automobile company
executive believes that there could be as many as 200 million
motor vehicles in China by the year 2015.

Health Hazards

Health and safety impacts from growing motor vehicle use are also
becoming a major concern.  Airborne lead and CO has caused
abbreviated mental development in 7 out of 10 children in Mexico
City, while ground level ozone and nitrogen oxide has caused
chronic bronchitis and other respiratory diseases in one out of
seven of Bangkok's residents.  This is not to mention the more
than 500,000 people killed every year in road traffic accidents,
and the 50 million seriously injured.  In developing countries,
more than 60% of the victims are pedestrians and other
'vulnerable road users.'

Finally, dependence on private motor vehicle transportation also
tends to worsen countries' debt problems, due to the high costs
of road construction, and the dependence on imported oil and
vehicles.

Earth Summit II as a timely opportunity for governments to take
action

Agenda 21 already endorses investment in pedestrian facilities,
cycle infrastructure and mass transit as effective pollution
control measures and recognizes the need for land use measures as
a means for reducing transportation demand and car dependency.

Globally, there is an increasing recognition of the
environmental, financial and health costs associated with
dependence on motor vehicles and urban congestion. However, only
in very few cases have strong financial mechanisms and/or
economic incentives been implemented to actively encourage
alternative means on transportation.

We recommend...

Governments need to more fully embrace an alternative development
path, emphasizing livable cities, modern telecommunications, mass
transit, and human powered vehicles. More specifically
governments and international agencies should:

- make transport a priority issue for the CSD Earth Summit II and
start a Work Program on Transport in 1998.

- pass legislative measures guaranteeing the full internalization
of all social and environmental costs into each mode of 
transport.

- improve the access to existing transport infrastructures for
mass transit and non-motorized users and actively promote these
modes as the most socially and environmentally sustainable forms
of transport.

- review evaluation and planning criteria for transport
infrastructure investments.

- improve and strengthen financial and legal mechanisms to
promote sustainable transport modes.

- eliminate gender biases in the provision of transport
infrastructures.

- governments need to give increased recognition to gender
differences in transport and mobility needs, both in rural and
urban contexts.

Transport is too urgent and far-reaching an issue to remain
"tucked away" under the Agenda 21's Human Settlements provisions
(Ch. 7) and Atmosphere (Ch 9).

 A first step towards full cost internalization is the
integration of the polluter pays principle into transport
planning and policies. Rather than giving wealthy motorists the
right to further pollute and endanger human settlements and
natural habitats, it is aimed at taking away hidden subsidies
from car owners which they currently receive.

Move people, not cars

Transport should be to "move people rather than vehicles." For
the vast majority of the world's population, especially the poor
people living in rural and urban marginal areas, the most
important transport question is adequate access to markets and
amenities, not to cars or high performance highways.  Only a firm
commitment towards a prioritization of non-motorized and mass
transit can address their problems and ensure the future social
and environmental sustainability.  Mass transit and non-motorized
modes should receive priority allocation of road space.  Non-
motorized modes are de facto zero emission vehicles and take up
much less road space than motor vehicles and trucks.  They are
also often the only affordable commuting and cargo vehicles for
poor people.  For example, a recent study from an industrial area
in Lima, Peru, found that 72% of all people use buses and
minivans to commute, paying $25 on fares, which for many of them
is over a fourth of their total monthly incomes.  The
introduction of bicycles into the area  would save people $16 a
month.  And in Sub-Saharan Africa, cycles would greatly alleviate
the transport burden of rural farmers, most of which are women,
often headloading weights up to 25 kg over large distances.

International Development Agencies need to ensure that the
evaluation criteria which determine transport sector project
viability are the same between all modes.  Current criteria often
make it easier for road infrastructure projects to receive
funding. Agencies must also ensure adequate consideration for the
needs of lower-income people.

All social and environmental impact assessment procedures must be
strengthened and special financial instruments need to be
developed to benefit consumers who chose more energy efficient
ways of travel.  Using least cost planning techniques helps to
bring infrastructure costs down.  Municipal governments should
also give more institutional and financial support to the
designation of car-free areas in cities.

Gender Transport

With many women performing triple roles as workers, housekeepers
and community leaders, women's trips tend to be more dispersed in
time and location than men's.  Urban women are particularly
dependent on intra-communal and non-peak hour public transport
and they generally have limited access to motor vehicles.  Even
in a highly developed country like Germany, only about one third
of license holders are women. This gender-bias gets worse as a
country's wealth decreases. In developing countries, only about 5
percent of the population has access to motor vehicles, and only
a fraction of these are women. For example, in Nairobi 24 percent
of male heads of households used a private car, but only 9
percent of the women.  Women in rural communities, where mass
transit is not an option are usually entirely dependent on
headloading, the transport mode with the highest opportunity
costs.

Finally

Transport is an essential part of global economic activity, and
many of the social and environmental issues related to the rapid
urbanization and industrialization of our human settlements are
transport-related.  Much damage could be avoided, however, if
governments made a firm commitment towards more sustainable
modes.  No country needs to motorize in order to modernize.  In
fact, a growing body of evidence indicates that avoiding
dependence on the motor vehicle can be critical to economic
growth, as it maximizes individual savings.  Given the high-level
political support from governments around the world which Earth
Summit II has received, it has the potential to be a breakthrough
and initiate profound changes in the transport sector, provided
that government recognize the urgency of the issue and take firm
action.

For more information, contact :
Deike Peters, Institute for Transportation & Development Policy
tel. (212) 629-8001 / fax: (212) 629-8033
email: mobility@igc.apc.org

-=-=-=-=-

RIO GRINDS
overheard at the coffee bar

"Given the burden that governments have put on the co-chairs and
Secretariat to turn their rambling into coherent action, the
recent Scottish breakthrough on the ability to clone "exact
replicas of sheep" comes none too early.  Of course, we hope the
rest would not just be more bleating sheet (bah!)

NGOs are considering the establishment of a Czar Strong support
fund, given the news that his new position as UN Reform Czar has
a salary of $1.  NGOs are seeking legal advice from the law firm
of "Smash and Grab" on ways to ensure that their money is not
directed into some Costa Rica "Las Vegas Resort" Development
Project.

Rumor has it that the US has found an "innovative financial
mechanism" for paying UNEP core funds.  From now on, UNEP staff
will be put on the payroll of the Democratic National Committee
(DNC) where they can under go "skill shares" to learn revenue
enhancement in large, Asian countries which have Human Rights
problems.

Many countries are commenting about the professional nature of
the NGO preparations and documents compared to governments. 
Rumor has it that the CSD/NGO Steering Committee is about to
create a consultancy which countries will be able to hire for
their preparations for April.

Personal:

Former exiled South American President newly connected with
largest oil industry in search of multi-national partner (no
spending limits) for exotic weekends and long term lubricated
relationships.

-=-=-=-=-

UPDATE...

NGO Meeting with the European Union

The European Union delegations' meeting with NGOs Wednesday night
may have created a momentum that has unfortunately been lacking
in other meetings at the Intersessional. Upon considering the NGO
position paper, the Dutch Chair of the EU supported the
suggestions for a legally binding instrument on POPs, the
establishing of an Intergovernmental Panel on Oceans, and
formulating an ecologically-sound Biosafety Protocol.

The EU found the suggestion on replenishing the GEF important,
and the proposal on establishment of an Intergovernmental Panel
on Finance for Sustainable Development worthy of further study.

The subsequent discussion highlighted such main topics as the
UNEP, the role of Indigenous Peoples, Finance, GEF, Trade,
Transport, Freshwater, Oceans, Chemicals, and the access of NGOs
to Earth Summit 2.  It is worth noting in this connection that
the Legal Committee of the EU has stated that there is no legal
problem in letting NGOs on national delegations attend the EU
Coordination Meetings.

Regarding Finance, rumor has it that the European Parliament is
not satisfied with the fulfillment of the obligations from Rio to
happen "as soon as possible."  A strong commitment is necessary
not least from the EU.

Other countries could learn from the European Union in its
consultations with NGOs, and in the EU's competence on the broad
range of topics at the Intersessional Meeting.

-=-=-=-=-

DID YOU KNOW...

"Towards Earth Summit II: A Summary of NGO Recommendations for
Actions And Commitments for the 1997 Intersessional Meeting of
the Commission on Sustainable Development" is now available in
Conference Room C.

___________

On Wednesday, 5 March, UNA-NY has  organized a meeting with H.E.
Mr. Razali Ismail, President of the General Assembly, at the UN
Church Centre from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

-=-=-=-=-

IMPORTANT:

ANY CONTRIBUTION TO "OUTREACH" SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY 4:00 P.M.
THE DAY PRIOR TO PUBLICATION.

PLEASE SUBMIT MATERIALS ON AN IBM FORMATTED DISK TO EITHER SHARON
McHALE OR JAN-GUSTAV STRANDENAES.

"OUTREACH" RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT ANY SUBMISSION.

-=-=-=-=-

                        "OUTREACH 1997"*

     ... speaking for the NGO Steering Committee for the CSD

                 _______________________________

The NGO Steering Committee for the CSD was established at the
Commission for Sustainable Development in 1994 to facilitate the
involvement of NGOs and other major groups, where appropriate, at
the CSD.  Membership of the Steering Committee is determined in
annual elections held at the CSD, and includes Major Groups,
grassroots organizations, regional, national and global NGOs and
networks.  Our work includes facilitating NGO Working Groups,
providing support for participation of southern and eastern NGO
representatives, and organizing facilities which strengthen the
voices of NGOs in the sustainable development debate.  The
Steering Committee is facilitating activities around the CSD
Intersessional, the CSD V and Earth Summit II.

-=-=-=-=-

The opinions, commentaries and articles printed in OUTREACH are
the sole opinion of the individual authors or organizations,
unless otherwise expressed.

They are not the official opinions of the NGO/CSD Steering
Committee or of WFUNA.

-=-=-=-=-

NGO Caucus Meetings:
These meetings are scheduled in Conf. Room C.  To request use of
this room, please call Abby Neville, NGLS: tel:  963-3125; fax:
963-8712.

Deadline to submit a request for the following day is 4 p.m.

-=-=-=-=-

The Steering Committee has a web page.
http://www.igc.apc.org/habitat/csd-97
There is also a general list server for those interested it is
csdgen@undp.org  To be added to he list, just send a message to
 with the one line message:
subscribe csdgen

The complete NGO statement referred to under "UPDATE" will be
posted on the web site in a couple of days.