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AGENDA 21, CHAPTER 37



NATIONAL MECHANISMS AND INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION FOR CAPACITY-BUILDING






NOTE:     This is a final, advanced version of a chapter of Agenda 21, as adopted by
          the Plenary in Rio de Janeiro, on June 14, 1992.  This document will be
          further edited, translated into the official languages, and published by the
          United Nations for the General Assembly this autumn.





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Basis for action

37.1 The ability of a country to follow sustainable development 
paths is determined to a large extent by the capacity of its 
people and its institutions as well as by its ecological and 
geographical conditions.  Specifically, capacity-building 
encompasses the country's human, scientific, technological, 
organizational, institutional and resource capabilities.  A 
fundamental goal of capacity-building is to enhance the ability 
to evaluate and address the crucial questions related to policy 
choices and modes of implementation among development options, 
based on an understanding of environmental potentials and 
limits and of needs as perceived by the people of the country 
concerned.  As a result, the need to strengthen national 
capacities is shared by all countries.    

37.2 Building endogenous capacity to implement Agenda 21 will 
require the efforts of the countries themselves in partnership 
with relevant United Nations organizations, as well as with 
developed countries.  The international community at the 
national, subregional and regional levels, municipalities, 
non-governmental organizations, universities and research 
centres, and business and other private institutions and 
organizations could also assist in these efforts.  It is 
essential for individual countries to identify priorities and 
determine the means for building capacity and capability to 
implement Agenda 21, taking into account their environmental 
and economic needs.  Skills, knowledge and technical know-how 
at the individual and institutional levels are necessary for 
institution-building, policy analysis and development 
management, including the assessment of alternative courses of 
action with a view to enhancing access to and transfer of 
technology and promoting economic development.  Technical 
cooperation, including that related to technology transfer and 
know-how, encompasses the whole range of activities to develop 
or strengthen individual and group capacities and 
capabilities.  It should serve the purpose of long-term 
capacity-building and needs to be managed and coordinated by 
the countries themselves.  Technical cooperation, including 
that related to technology transfer and know-how, is effective 
only when it is derived from and related to a country's own 
strategies and priorities on environment and development and 
when development agencies and Governments define improved and 
consistent policies and procedures to support this 
process.        

Objectives

37.3 The overall objectives of endogenous capacity-building in 
this programme area are to develop and improve national and 
related subregional and regional capacities and capabilities 
for sustainable development, with the involvement of the 
non-governmental sectors.  The programme should assist by: 

     (a)  Promoting an ongoing participatory process to define 
country needs and priorities in promoting Agenda 21 and to give 
importance to technical and professional human resource 
development and development of institutional capacities and 
capabilities on the agenda of countries, with due recognition 
of the potential for optimal use of existing human resources as 
well as enhancement of the efficiency of existing institutions, 
and non-governmental organizations including scientific and 
technological institutions;   

     (b)  Reorienting and reprioritizing technical cooperation 
including that related to technology transfer and know-how 
process with due attention to the specific conditions and 
individual needs of recipients, while improving coordination 
among providers of assistance to support countries' own 
programmes of action.  This coordination should also include 
non-governmental organizations and scientific and technological 
institutions, as well as business and industry whenever 
appropriate;   

     (c)  Shifting time horizons in programme planning and 
implementation addressing the developing and strengthening of 
institutional structures to enhance their ability to respond to 
new longer-term challenges rather than concentrate only on 
immediate problems; 

     (d)  Improving and reorienting existing international 
multilateral institutions with responsibilities for environment 
and/or development matters to ensure that those institutions 
have the capability and capacity to integrate environment and 
development;  

     (e)  Improving institutional capacity and capability, both 
public and private, in order to evaluate the environmental 
impact of all development projects. 

37.4 Specific objectives include the following:

     (a)  Each country should aim to complete, as soon as 
practicable, if possible by 1994, a review of capacity- and 
capability-building requirements for devising national 
sustainable development strategies, including those for 
generating and implementing its own Agenda 21 action programme; 

     (b)  By 1997, the Secretary-General of the United Nations 
should submit to the General Assembly a report on achievement 
of improved policies, coordination systems and procedures for 
strengthening the implementation of technical cooperation 
programmes for sustainable development, as well as on 
additional measures required to strengthen such cooperation.  
That report should be prepared on the basis of information 
provided by countries, international organizations, environment 
and development institutions, donor agencies and 
non-governmental partners.    

Activities

Build a national consensus and formulate capacity-building 
strategies for implementing Agenda 21

37.5 As an important aspect of overall planning, each country 
should seek internal consensus at all levels of society on 
policies and programmes needed for short- and long-term 
capacity-building to implement its Agenda 21 programme.  This 
consensus should result from a participatory dialogue of 
relevant interest groups and lead to an identification of skill 
gaps, institutional capacities and capabilities, technological 
and scientific requirements and resource needs to enhance 
environmental knowledge and administration to integrate 
environment and development.  The United Nations Development 
Programme in partnership with relevant specialized agencies and 
other international intergovernmental and non-governmental 
organizations could assist, upon request of Governments, in the 
identification of the requirements for technical cooperation 
including those related to technology transfer and know-how and 
development assistance for the implementation of Agenda 21.  
The national planning process together, where appropriate, with 
national sustainable development action plans or strategies 
should provide the framework for such cooperation and 
assistance.  The United Nations Development Programme should 
use and further improve its network of field offices and its 
broad mandate to assist, using its experience in the field of 
technical cooperation for facilitating capacity-building at the 
country and regional levels and making full use of the 
expertise of other bodies, in particular the United Nations 
Environment Programme, the World Bank and regional commissions 
and development banks, as well as relevant international 
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.         

Identify national sources and present requests for technical 
cooperation, including that related to technology transfer and 
know-how in the framework of sector strategies  

37.6 Countries desiring arrangements for technical cooperation, 
including that related to technology transfer and know-how, 
with international organizations and donor institutions should 
formulate requests in the framework of long-term sector or 
subsector capacity-building strategies.  Strategies should, as 
appropriate, address policy adjustments to be implemented, 
budgetary issues, cooperation and coordination among 
institutions, human resource requirements, and technology and 
scientific equipment requirements.  They should cover public 
and private sector needs and consider strengthening scientific 
training and educational and research programmes, including 
such training in the developed countries and the strengthening 
of centres of excellence in developing countries.  Countries 
could designate and strengthen a central unit to organize and 
coordinate technical cooperation, linking it with the 
priority-setting and resource allocation process.    

Establish a review mechanism of technical cooperation in and 
related to technology transfer and know-how

37.7 Donors and recipients, the organizations and institutions 
of the United Nations system, and international public and 
private organizations should review the development of the 
cooperation process as it relates to technical cooperation, 
including that related to technology transfer and know-how 
activities linked to sustainable development.  To facilitate 
this process, the Secretary-General could undertake, taking 
into account work carried out by the United Nations Development 
Programme and other organizations in preparation for the United 
Nations Conference on Environment and Development, 
consultations with developing countries, regional 
organizations, organizations and institutions of the United 
Nations system, including regional commissions, and 
multilateral and bilateral aid and environment agencies, with a 
view to further strengthening the endogenous capacities of 
countries and improving technical cooperation, including that 
related to the technology transfer and know-how process.  The 
following aspects should be reviewed: 

     (a)  Evaluation of existing capacity and capability for 
the integrated management of environment and development, 
including technical, technological and institutional capacities 
and capabilities, and facilities to assess the environmental 
impact of development projects; and evaluation of abilities to 
respond to and link up with needs for technical cooperation, 
including that related to technology transfer and know-how, of 
Agenda 21 and the global conventions on climate change and 
biological diversity;    

     (b)  Assessment of the contribution of existing activities 
in technical cooperation, including that related to technology 
transfer and know-how, towards strengthening and building 
national capacity and capability for integrated environment and 
development management and assessment of the means of improving 
the quality of international technical cooperation, including 
that related to technology transfer and know-how; 

     (c)  A strategy for shifting to a capacity- and 
capability-building thrust that recognizes the need for the 
operational integration of environment and development with 
longer-term commitments, having as a basis the set of national 
programmes established by each country, through a participatory 
process;  

     (d)  Consideration of greater use of long-term cooperative 
arrangements between municipalities, non-governmental 
organizations, universities, training and research centres and 
business, public and private institutions with counterparts in 
other countries or within countries or regions.  Programmes 
such as the Sustainable Development Networks of the United 
Nations Development Programme should be assessed in this 
regard;  

     (e)  Strengthening of the sustainability of projects by 
including in the original project design consideration of 
environmental impacts, the costs of institution-building, human 
resource development and technology needs, as well as financial 
and organizational requirements for operation and maintenance;  

     (f)  Improvement of technical cooperation, including that 
related to technology transfer and know-how and management 
processes, by giving greater attention to capacity- and 
capability-building as an integral part of sustainable 
development strategies for environment and development 
programmes both in country-related coordination processes, such 
as consultative groups and round tables, and in sectoral 
coordination mechanisms to enable developing countries to 
participate actively in obtaining assistance from different 
sources.

Enhance the expertise and collective contribution of the United 
Nations system for capacity- and capability-building 
initiatives 

37.8 Organizations, organs, bodies and institutions of the 
United Nations system, together with other international and 
regional organizations and the public and private sectors, 
could, as appropriate, strengthen their joint activities in 
technical cooperation, including that related to technology 
transfer and know-how, in order to address linked environment 
and development issues and to promote coherence and consistency 
of action.  Organizations could assist and reinforce countries, 
particularly least developed countries, upon request, on 
matters relating to national environmental and developmental 
policies, human resource development and fielding of experts, 
legislation, natural resources and environmental data.    

37.9 The United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank 
and regional multilateral development banks, as part of their 
participation in national and regional coordination mechanisms, 
should assist in facilitating capacity- and capability-building 
at the country level, drawing upon the special expertise and 
operational capacity of the United Nations Environment 
Programme in the environmental field as well as of the 
specialized agencies, organizations of the United Nations 
system and regional and subregional organizations in their 
respective areas of competence.  For this purpose the United 
Nations Development Programme should mobilize funding for 
capacity and capability-building, utilizing its network of 
field offices and its broad mandate and experience in the field 
of technical cooperation, including that related to technology 
transfer and know-how.  The United Nations Development 
Programme, together with these international organizations, 
should at the same time continue to develop consultative 
processes to enhance mobilization and coordination of funds 
from the international community for capacity and 
capability-building, including the establishment of an 
appropriate database.  These responsibilities may need to be 
accompanied by strengthening of the United Nations Development 
Programme's own capacities.       

37.10The national entity in charge of technical cooperation, 
with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme 
resident representatives and the United Nations Environment 
Programme representatives, should establish a small group of 
key actors to steer the process, giving priority to the 
country's own strategies and priorities.  The experience gained 
through existing planning exercises such as the national 
reports for the United Nations Conference on Environment and 
Development, national conservation strategies and environment 
action plans should be fully used and incorporated into a 
country-driven, participatory and sustainable development 
strategy.  This should be complemented with information 
networks and consultations with donor organizations in order to 
improve coordination, as well as access to the existing body of 
scientific and technical knowledge and information available in 
institutions elsewhere.     

Harmonize the delivery of assistance at the regional level

37.11At the regional level, existing organizations should 
consider the desirability of improved regional and subregional 
consultative processes and round-table meetings to facilitate 
the exchange of data, information and experience in the 
implementation of Agenda 21.  The United Nations Development 
Programme, building on the results of the regional surveys on 
capacity-building that those regional organizations carried out 
on the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 
initiative, and in collaboration with existing regional, 
subregional or national organizations with potential for 
regional coordination, should provide a significant input for 
this purpose.  The relevant national unit should establish a 
steering mechanism.  A periodic review mechanism should be 
established among the countries of the region with the 
assistance of the appropriate relevant regional organizations 
and the participation of development banks, bilateral aid 
agencies and non-governmental organizations.  Other 
possibilities are to develop national and regional research and 
training facilities building on existing regional and 
subregional institutions.      

Means of implementation

(a)  Financing and costs

37.12The cost of bilateral expenditures to developing countries 
for technical cooperation, including that related to technology 
transfer and know-how, is about $15 billion, or about 25 per 
cent of total official development assistance.  The 
implementation of Agenda 21 will require a more effective use 
of these funds and additional funding in key areas.    

37.13The Conference Secretariat has estimated the average total 
anual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the activities of this 
chapter to be between $300 million and $1 billion from the 
international community on grant or concessional terms.  These 
are indicative and order of magnitude estimates only and have 
not been reviewed by governments.  Actual costs and financial 
terms, including any that are non-concessional, will depend 
upon, inter alia, the specific strategies and programmes 
governments decide upon for implementation.   

.
