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Confrence des Nations Unies sur l'Environnement et le Dveloppement

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AGENDA 21, CHAPTER 40

INFORMATION FOR DECISION-MAKING
 
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. 

                                                   ........../2


                         INTRODUCTION

40.1.  In sustainable development, everyone is a user and 
provider of information considered in the broad sense.  That 
includes data, information, appropriately packaged experience 
and knowledge.  The need for information arises at all levels, 
from that of senior decision makers at the national and 
international levels to the grass-roots and individual levels.  
The following two programme areas need to be implemented to 
ensure that decisions are based increasingly on sound 
information:   

     (a)  Bridging the data gap;

     (b)  Improving information availability.


                        PROGRAMME AREAS

                   A.  Bridging the data gap

Basis for action

40.2.  While considerable data already exist, as the various 
sectoral chapters of Agenda 21 indicate, more and different 
types of data need to be collected, at the local, provincial, 
national and international levels, indicating the status and 
trends of the planet's ecosystem, natural resource, pollution 
and socio-economic variables.  The gap in the availability, 
quality, coherence, standardization and accessibility of data 
between the developed and the developing world has been 
increasing, seriously impairing the capacities of countries to 
make informed decisions concerning environment and 
development.   

40.3.  There is a general lack of capacity, particularly in 
developing countries, and in many areas at the international 
level, for the collection and assessment of data, for their 
transformation into useful information and for their 
dissemination.  There is also need for improved coordination 
among environmental, demographic, social and developmental data 
and information activities.  

40.4.  Commonly used indicators such as the gross national 
product (GNP) and measurements of individual resource or 
pollution flows do not provide adequate indications of 
sustainability.  Methods for assessing interactions between 
different sectoral environmental, demographic, social and 
developmental parameters are not sufficiently developed or 
applied.  Indicators of sustainable development need to be 
developed to provide solid bases for decision-making at all 
levels and to contribute to a self-regulating sustainability of 
integrated environment and development systems.    

Objectives

40.5.  The following objectives are important:

     (a)  To achieve more cost-effective and relevant data 
collection and assessment by better identification of users, in 
both the public and private sectors, and of their information 
needs at the local, provincial, national and international 
levels;  

     (b)  To strengthen local, provincial, national and 
international capacity to collect and use multisectoral 
information in decision-making processes and to enhance 
capacities to collect and analyse data and information for 
decision-making, particularly in developing countries;  

     (c)  To develop or strengthen local, provincial, national 
and international means of ensuring that planning for 
sustainable development in all sectors is based on timely, 
reliable and usable information; 

     (d)  To make relevant information accessible in the form 
and at the time required to facilitate its use.

Activities

(a)  Development of indicators of sustainable development

40.6.  Countries at the national level and international 
governmental and non-governmental organizations at the 
international level should develop the concept of indicators of 
sustainable development in order to identify such indicators.  
In order to promote the increasing use of some of those 
indicators in satellite accounts, and eventually in national 
accounts, the development of indicators needs to be pursued by 
the Statistical Office of the United Nations Secretariat, as it 
draws upon evolving experience in this regard.  

(b)  Promotion of global use of indicators of sustainable development

40.7.  Relevant organs and organizations of the United Nations 
system, in cooperation with other international governmental, 
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, should 
use a suitable set of sustainable development indicators and 
indicators related to areas outside of national jurisdiction, 
such as the high seas, the upper atmosphere and outer space.  
The organs and organizations of the United Nations system, in 
coordination with other relevant international organizations, 
could provide recommendations for harmonized development of 
indicators at the national, regional and global levels, and for 
incorporation of a suitable set of these indicators in common, 
regularly updated, and widely accessible reports and databases, 
for use at the international level, subject to national 
sovereignty considerations.    

(c)  Improvement of data collection and use

40.8.  Countries and, upon request, international organizations 
should carry out inventories of environmental, resource and 
developmental data, based on national/global priorities for the 
management of sustainable development.  They should determine 
the gaps and organize activities to fill those gaps.  Within 
the organs and organizations of the United Nations system and 
relevant international organizations, data-collection 
activities, including those of Earthwatch and World Weather 
Watch, need to be strengthened, especially in the areas of 
urban air, freshwater, land resources (including forests and 
rangelands), desertification, other habitats, soil degradation, 
biodiversity, the high seas and the upper atmosphere.  
Countries and international organizations should make use of 
new techniques of data collection, including satellite-based 
remote sensing.  In addition to the strengthening of existing 
development-related data collection, special attention needs to 
be paid to such areas as demographic factors, urbanization, 
poverty, health and rights of access to resources, as well as 
special groups, including women, indigenous peoples, youth, 
children and the disabled, and their relationships with 
environment issues.       

(d)  Improvement of methods of data assessment and analysis

40.9.  Relevant international organizations should develop 
practical recommendations for coordinated, harmonized 
collection and assessment of data at the national and 
international levels.  National and international data and 
information centres should set up continuous and accurate 
data-collection systems and make use of geographic information 
systems, expert systems, models and a variety of other 
techniques for the assessment and analysis of data.  These 
steps will be particularly relevant, as large quantities of 
data from satellite sources will need to be processed in the 
future.  Developed countries and international organizations, 
as well as the private sector, should cooperate, in particular 
with developing countries, upon request, to facilitate their 
acquiring these technologies and this know-how.    

(e)  Establishment of a comprehensive information framework

40.10.  Governments should consider undertaking the necessary 
institutional changes at the national level to achieve the 
integration of environmental and developmental information.  At 
the international level, environmental assessment activities 
need to be strengthened and coordinated with efforts to assess development trends. 

(f)  Strengthening of the capacity for traditional information

40.11.  Countries, with the cooperation of international 
organizations, should establish supporting mechanisms to 
provide local communities and resource users with the 
information and know-how they need to manage their environment 
and resources sustainably, applying traditional and indigenous 
knowledge and approaches when appropriate.  This is 
particularly relevant for rural and urban populations and 
indigenous, women's and youth groups.  

Means of implementation
(a)  Finance and cost evaluation

40.12.  The secretariat of the Conference has estimated the 
average total annual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the 
activities of this programme to be about $1.9 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.  

(b)  Institutional means

40.13.  Institutional capacity to integrate environment and 
development and to develop relevant indicators is lacking at 
both the national and international levels.  Existing 
institutions and programmes such as the Global Environmental 
Monitoring System (GEMS) and the Global Resource Information 
Database (GRID) within UNEP and different entities within the 
systemwide Earthwatch will need to be considerably 
strengthened.  Earthwatch has been an essential element for 
environment-related data.  While programmes related to 
development data exist in a number of agencies, there is 
insufficient coordination between them.  The activities related 
to development data of agencies and institutions of the United 
Nations system should be more effectively coordinated, perhaps 
through an equivalent and complementary "Development Watch", 
which with the existing Earthwatch should be coordinated 
through an appropriate office within the United Nations to 
ensure the full integration of environment and development 
concerns.     

(c)  Scientific and technological means

40.14.  Regarding transfer of technology, with the rapid 
evolution of data-collection and information technologies it is 
necessary to develop guidelines and mechanisms for the rapid 
and continuous transfer of those technologies, particularly to 
developing countries in conformity with chapter 34 and for the 
training of personnel in their utilization.  

(d)  Human resources development

40.15.  International cooperation for training in all areas and 
at all levels will be required, particularly in developing 
countries.  That training will have to include technical 
training of those involved in data collection, assessment and 
transformation, as well as assistance to decision makers 
concerning how to use such information.  

(e)  Capacity-building

40.16.  All countries, particularly developing countries, with 
the support of international cooperation, should strengthen 
their capacity to collect, store, organize, assess and use data 
in decision-making more effectively.

            B.  Improving availability of information

Basis for action

40.17.  There already exists a wealth of data and information 
that could be used for the management of sustainable 
development.  Finding the appropriate information at the 
required time and at the relevant scale of aggregation is a 
difficult task.  

40.18.  Information within many countries is not adequately 
managed, because of shortages of financial resources and 
trained manpower, lack of awareness of the value and 
availability of such information and other immediate or 
pressing problems, especially in developing countries.  Even 
where information is available, it may not be easily 
accessible, either because of the lack of technology for 
effective access or because of associated costs, especially for 
information held outside the country and available 
commercially.   

Objectives

40.19.  Existing national and international mechanisms of 
information processing and exchange, and of related technical 
assistance, should be strengthened to ensure effective and 
equitable availability of information generated at the local, 
provincial, national and international levels, subject to 
national sovereignty and relevant intellectual property 
rights.  

40.20.  National capacities should be strengthened, as should 
capacities within Governments, non-governmental organizations 
and the private sector, in information handling and 
communication, particularly within developing countries. 

40.21.  Full participation of, in particular, developing 
countries should be ensured in any international scheme under 
the organs and organizations of the United Nations system for 
the collection, analysis and use of data and information. 

Activities

(a)  Production of information usable for decision-making

40.22.  Countries and international organizations should review 
and strengthen information systems and services in sectors 
related to sustainable development, at the local, provincial, 
national and international levels.  Special emphasis should be 
placed on the transformation of existing information into forms 
more useful for decision-making and on targeting information at 
different user groups.  Mechanisms should be strengthened or 
established for transforming scientific and socio-economic 
assessments into information suitable for both planning and 
public information.  Electronic and non-electronic formats 
should be used.   

(b)  Establishment of standards and methods for handling information

40.23.  Governments should consider supporting the efforts of 
governmental as well as non-governmental organizations to 
develop mechanisms for efficient and harmonized exchange of 
information at the local, national, provincial and 
international levels, including revision and establishment of 
data, access and dissemination formats, and communication 
interfaces.  

(c)  Development of documentation about information

40.24.  The organs and organizations of the United Nations 
system, as well as other governmental and non-governmental 
organizations, should document and share information about the 
sources of available information in their respective 
organizations.  Existing programmes, such as those of the 
Advisory Committee for the Coordination of Information Systems 
(ACCIS) and the International Environmental Information System 
(INFOTERRA), should be reviewed and strengthened as required.  
Networking and coordinating mechanisms should be encouraged 
between the wide variety of other actors, including 
arrangements with non-governmental organizations for 
information sharing and donor activities for sharing 
information on sustainable development projects.  The private 
sector should be encouraged to strengthen the mechanisms of 
sharing its experience and information on sustainable development.    

(d)  Establishment and strengthening of electronic networking capabilities

40.25.  Countries, international organizations, including 
organs and organizations of the United Nations system, and 
non-governmental organizations should exploit various 
initiatives for electronic links to support information 
sharing, to provide access to databases and other information 
sources, to facilitate communication for meeting broader 
objectives, such as the implementation of Agenda 21, to 
facilitate intergovernmental negotiations, to monitor 
conventions and efforts for sustainable development to transmit 
environmental alerts, and to transfer technical data.  These 
organizations should also facilitate the linkage of different 
electronic networks and the use of appropriate standards and 
communication protocols for the transparent interchange of 
electronic communications.  Where necessary, new technology 
should be developed and its use encouraged to permit 
participation of those not served at present by existing 
infrastructure and methods.  Mechanisms should also be 
established to carry out the necessary transfer of information 
to and from non-electronic systems to ensure the involvement of 
those not able to participate in this way.      

(e)  Making use of commercial information sources

40.26.  Countries and international organizations should 
consider undertaking surveys of information available in the 
private sector on sustainable development and of present 
dissemination arrangements to determine gaps and how those gaps 
could be filled by commercial or quasi-commercial activity, 
particularly activities in and/or involving developing 
countries where feasible.  Whenever economic or other 
constraints on supplying and accessing information arise, 
particularly in developing countries, innovative schemes for 
subsidizing such information-related access or removing the 
non-economic constraints should be considered.    

Means of implementation

(a)  Finance and cost evaluation

40.27.  The secretariat of the Conference has estimated the 
average total annual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the 
activities of this programme to be about $165 million 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.  

(b)  Institutional means

40.28.  The institutional implications of this programme 
concern mostly the strengthening of already existing 
institutions, as well as the strengthening of cooperation with 
non-governmental organizations, and need to be consistent with 
the overall decisions on institutions made by the United 
Nations Conference on Environment and Development.  

(c)  Capacity-building

40.29.  Developed countries and relevant international 
organizations should cooperate, in particular with developing 
countries, to expand their capacity to receive, store and 
retrieve, contribute, disseminate, use and provide appropriate 
public access to relevant environmental and developmental 
information, by providing technology and training to establish 
local information services and by supporting partnership and 
cooperative arrangements between countries and on the regional 
or subregional level.    

(d)  Scientific and technological means

40.30.  Developed countries and relevant international 
organizations should support research and development in 
hardware, software and other aspects of information technology, 
in particular in developing countries, appropriate to their 
operations, national needs and environmental contexts. 

.
