Buenos Aires, Argentina - IUCN

protected areas. Mention should also be made of
working with SSC to encourage the implementation
of the Convention on Biological Diversity (both points
from the Bahamas National Trust).
Species Conservation Programme. An activity
should be added on the conservation of medicinal
plants, to follow up the guidelines recently produced
on this theme by the World Health Organization,
IUCN and WWF. The issue is one of great public
interest and one where funding might well be available
(Plantlife, UK).
Justin Cooke, an observer and SSC member from
Germany, warned against making a commitment to
incorporate human demographic elements into the
SSC VORTEX/Population Habitat Viability Assessment
model.
Social Policy Service. The overall objective of IUCN
should be kept in mind when setting objectives for this
service (Nature Conservation Council of New South
Wales).
Environmental Law Programme. The Goncol Foundation
(Hungary) drew the Assembly's attention to
the conflict between Slovakia and Hungary over the
diversion of the Danube. Members of IUCN's Commission
on Environmental Law were representing
both Parties before the International Court of Justice.
The delegate considered that Hungary was the victim
and was not equal before the Court. IUCN was the
only body which could elaborate mechanisms to help
resolve such transboundary legal disputes—Resolution
19.1 includes an item to this effect in para 2(b)—
and should include a legal aid facility for
disadvantaged groups within the Environmental Law
Programme.
The Environmental Law Institute (United States)
asked for more funding for the Environmental Law
Programme, arguing that the Programme could be
used more often by other parts of IUCN. It would be
more cost-effective if lawyers were used earlier in
disputes such as the one between Hungary and Slovakia.
The International Council of Environmental Law
(ICEL) announced that it had received a grant of DM
55,000 from the Karl-Schmitz-Scholl-Fonds for Environmental
Law and Policy. The grant was for a review
of the legal aspects of trade and the environment. ICEL
intends to do this in cooperation with the IUCN Commission
on Environmental Law, as well as with other
IUCN activities.
The State member delegation of Germany asked
that the Bonn Convention be added to the priority
areas for the Programme.
The Lincoln Filene Center (United States)
reminded delegates that the previous Session of the
General Assembly had adopted Recommendation
18.20 on Trade Agreements and Sustainable Development,
which had covered the question of GATT. The
Center asked the Commission on Environmental Law
to recommend that an Environment Committee be
included as part of GATT. (See Recommendation
19.25.)
Regional Programmes
According to the Fundación Chiapaneca para el Manejo
de Areas Tropicales, Mexico, islands and reefs are
not well covered in the Regional Programmes nor in
the Marine and Coastal Areas Programme. The Union
should do more on isolated habitats in general.
The Canadian Wildlife Service, a Government
Agency member, said that IUCN's work in Canada
was not included in the Programme document. In
particular, the plan for the new IUCN Canada Office
should be included.
Programme for the Meso-American Region. For reasons
of timing, the document did not cover the major
changes that had taken place in plans for the Programme
in Meso-America. There is now much greater
consultation with the members and the Programme
will change accordingly. The main objective should be
to strengthen the capacity of members to carry out
their own programmes in their regions. (Fundaci6n
Chiapaneca para el Manejo de Areas Tropicales, Mexico.)
Programme for the South American region. Speaking
on behalf of members from Peru and the SSC South
American Camelid Specialist Group, the Peruvian
Association for Conservation of Nature noted the
great importance of the vicuna and the guanaco in the
region. The Association asked for special support to
the South American Programme, including an activity
to support the implementation of the Action Plan for
South American Camelids through the Regional
Office and in association with SSC.
A delegate from Argentina stressed the importance
of indigenous peoples in achieving sustainable development
and asked that this be recognized.
Asia-Pacific Region. India has not found a place in
this Programme. IUCN should give more attention to
the Indian region as it is rich in biodiversity (Conservation
of Nature Trust, India).
European Programme. The UK State member delegation
believed that the Union had played an innovative
and constructive role in Central and Eastern Europe,
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