Knowledge and Diplomacy Science Advice in the United Nations System (2002) / Chapter Skim
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3 UN Sustainable Development Activities and Their Science Advisory Processes
3 UN Sustainable Development Activities and Their Science Advisory Processes
Pages 21-30
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From page 21... ...
Chapter 18 of Agenda 21 on freshwater resources, for example, states: "The development of interactive databases, forecasting methods, and economic planning models appropriate to the task of managing water resources in an efficient and sustainable manner will require the application of new techniques, such as geographical information systems and expert systems to gather, assimilate, analyze and display multisectoral information and to optimize decision making. In addition, the development of new and alternative sources of water supply and low-cost water technologies will require innovative applied research.
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From page 22... ...
, produce technical guidelines and standards that are more specific than the decisions of the United Nations General Assembly.i A number of international conventions set specific rules on issues related to sustainable development. For example, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
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From page 23... ...
It is notable that, although governments called for the use of the best available scientific and technical information to guide the biosafety negotiations, no systematic efforts were made to take stock of the available knowledge on the subject, and 2 Article 10~6) of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity articulates the precautionary principle as follows: "Lack of scientific certainty due to insufficient relevant scientific information and knowledge regarding the extent of the potential adverse effects of a living modified organism on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in the Party of import, taking also into account risks to human health, shall not prevent that Party from taking a decision, as appropriate, with regard to the import of the living modified organism in question...in order to avoid or minimize such potential adverse effects." This is a contentious formulation because it does not define the scope of "taking a decision" and is therefore deemed to open the door for arbitrary action that does not demand the use of scientific evidence.
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From page 24... ...
More than 300 ICGEB researchers from 30 countries pursue inquiries into development problems such as malaria and hepatitis vaccines, study of human pathogenic viruses and human genetic diseases, and the genetic manipulation of plants (Junta, 2002a)
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From page 25... ...
Monitoring, assessing, and reporting Various agencies of the United Nations have long tracked the environmental impacts of human activities, as part of their general role of monitoring trends, undertaking assessments, and reporting on progress. For example, monitoring of radio nucleotides arising from atmospheric testing of nuclear tests started in 1955 under the auspices ofthe United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNCSEAR)
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From page 26... ...
In 1963 the WMO launched the World Weather Watch, which formed one of the earliest networks for monitoring, processing, and reporting weatherrelated information (Gosovic, 1992~. Since then, WMO has emerged as a key backbone of the global environmental monitoring system and has provided much of the basic data that have informed major international environmental policies (Davies, 1990~.
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From page 27... ...
In addition to utilizing UNDP Sustainable Development Advisors, country staff, and government counterparts, Capacity 21 maintains a network of about 12 global and regional advisors and 15 bilateral donors. Capacity 21 works closely with the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
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From page 28... ...
One of the most successful United Nations efforts in technology transfer is the promotion of technologies that reduce the release of ozone-depleting substances (Tolba, 1998; Benedick, 1991; Litton, 19944. This work is cattier out though a complex network of institutions associated with the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, and the Multilateral Fund set up to support technology transfer.
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From page 29... ...
that shows that science advice mechanisms function most effectively where a balance between scientific credibility and policy involvement has been achieved (Andresen, SkoUvin, Underdal, and Wettestad, 20001. This conclusion derives from a broader empirical base (covering dumping, radioactive waste, fisheries, ozone depletion, land-based marine pollution, air pollution, satellite communication, nuclear nonproliferation, regional seas, trade in endangered species, whaling, and marine living resources)
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