The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 2997 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972, in which it decided to establish a Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme,
Recalling also decision 15/1 of 25 May 1989 of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme, in which the Governing Council, inter alia, reaffirmed the central role of the United Nations Environment Programme as the central catalysing, coordinating and stimulating body in the field of environment within the United Nations system,
Recalling further decisions 16/1 and 16/6, both of 31 May 1991, of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme, in the first of which the Council expressed its support for retaining at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme at Nairobi the programme activity centres already located there, decided that future major extensions to the physical or other infrastructure of the Programme, particularly those with global functions, would be centred principally at Nairobi, and requested the Executive Director to examine the feasibility of providing on-site interpretation facilities and to continue negotiations with the host Government with a view to improving the facilities available at the headquarters office at Nairobi, including external communication services,
Reaffirming paragraphs 38.21 and 38.23 of Agenda 21, in which it was stated that there would be a need for an enhanced and strengthened role for the United Nations Environment Programme and its Governing Council, that, inter alia, the regional offices of the Programme should be strengthened without weakening its headquarters at Nairobi and that its liaison and interaction with the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank should be reinforced and intensified,
Reaffirming also paragraphs 25, 26 and 32(c) of General Assembly resolution 47/191 of 22 December 1992,
Commending the United Nations Environment Programme for its leading role in the negotiation of many international conventions on the environment, its mobilization of global environmental awareness and its contribution in the area of capacity-building in regard to the preservation of the environment and its integration into sustainable development,
Mindful of the need to rationalize meetings related to the United Nations Environment Programme so as to ensure effective capacity utilization at the headquarters of the Programme,
1. Endorses the report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on the work of its seventeenth session and the decisions contained therein;
2. Stresses the need for close cooperation between the United Nations Environment Programme and the Commission on Sustainable Development in implementing the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, in accordance with the relevant provisions of chapter 38 of Agenda 21;
3. Welcomes the action-oriented approach of the Governing Council towards the implementation of the follow-up activities to the Conference, as outlined in its report;
4. Expresses its gratitude to the Government of Kenya for the grant of an additional forty acres of land for the expansion of office facilities and the improvement of the communications network, and encourages it to continue to ensure that the United Nations Environment Programme and other United Nations organs, agencies and programmes based at Nairobi work in a conducive and hospitable environment;
5. Invites the Secretary-General to strengthen further the liaison function at Nairobi for the secretariat of the Commission on Sustainable Development, on the basis of arrangements made at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, duly taking into account all relevant provisions of paragraph 32(c) of General Assembly resolution 47/191;
6. Urges Member States to make their contributions to the Environment Fund in accordance with Governing Council decision 17/32 of 21 May 1993;
7. Notes with appreciation the efforts of the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme to ensure that as many meetings related to the Programme as possible are held at the headquarters of the Programme so as to maximize utilization of conference facilities and services;
8. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the programming of meetings related to the Programme is rationalized to facilitate economy and more effective capacity utilization at the headquarters of the Programme;
9. Also requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session on the implementation of the present resolution.
86th plenary meeting
21 December 1993
