STATEMENT BY THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE, MR. YVES BERTHELOT
Special Session of the Executive Body for
the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution
Aarhus (Denmark), 24 June 1998
24 June 1998
Ministers, Excellencies, Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with great satisfaction that I have followed the
developments within the Executive Body for the Convention over
the last few years. I realize that the negotiations for the two
new protocols on heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants
were not always easy. The success we witness today is an
outstanding example of international cooperation.
With these two new protocols you touch global issues. UNCED's
Agenda 21 of 1992 called on you to share your experience with
other regions of the world. Your work on POPs will be used as an
example for a global agreement, for which negotiations will start
next week in Montreal. It gives me great pride to see how once
again a regional instrument developed by UN/ECE can set an
example for world-wide action.
With these two protocols behind you, you are returning to what
you have called your first priority; to negotiate a new
innovative multi-pollutant, multi-effect protocol, in which you
will address acidification, eutrophication and photochemical
oxidant formation in an integrated way. Such a protocol will rely
on the most up to date scientific knowledge and will without
doubt be one of the most sophisticated international
environmental agreements ever concluded. Negotiations, I hope,
will be concluded next year.
Last year you identified three core activities for your
long-term work: effect-oriented activities, long-range transport
modelling and integrated assessment modelling. I am concerned
that there is no mandatory financial mechanism for these
programmes, except for the international coordination of
long-range transport monitoring and modelling of EMEP. All
Parties benefit from the activities, but only a limited number
bear the costs. At a time when the Convention is looked upon as
an example for other regions of the world, I solemnly call upon
all Parties to contribute to financing core activities of the
Convention.
Once again, let me congratulate you on your great achievements
and let me express my full support to your ongoing and future
endeavours. I invite you to implement them and I can assure you
that you can count on the secretariat's backing in this
demanding, stimulating and gratifying undertaking.
Thank you.