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Paris 25-29 January 1993 UNESCO International Co-ordinating Council on Man of the Programme and the Biosphere (MAB) Twelfth Session Final Report

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Page 1: International Coordinating Council of the MAB …unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0009/000952/095263eo.pdf · grassland @om temperate to arid areas), tundra. ... (Part on fertilizers). Rome,

Paris 25-29 January

1993

UNESCO

International Co-ordinating Council on M a n

of the Programme and the Biosphere (MAB)

Twelfth Session

Final Report

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MAB Report Series No. 63 Paris 25-29 January 1993

International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB)

Twelfth Session

Final Report

SC/MD/lO2 UNESCO 1993

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Previous reports In this series:

InternuIbd Co-ordinating council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB). First session. Paris, 9-19 November, 1971. Expert panel on the role of systems analysis and modelling approaches in the Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB). Paris, 18-20 April, 1972. Expert panel on Project 1 : Ecological @em of increasing human activities on tropical and subtropical forest ecosystem. Paris, 16-18 May, 1972. Expert panel on Project 12: Interactions between environmental tramformatiom and genetic and demographic changes. Paris, 23-25 May, 1972. Expert panel on Project 5: Ecologicd effects of human activities on the value and resources of lakes, marshes, rivers, deltm. estuaries and coastal zones. London, 19-22 September, 1972. Expert panel on Project 3: Impact of human activities and land use practices on grazing lands: savanna, grassland @om temperate to arid areas), tundra. Montpellier, 2-7 October, 1972. Expert panel on educational activities under the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB). Paris, 5-8 December, 1972. Expert panel on Project 6: Impact of human activities on mountain ecosystems. Salzburg, 29 January4 February, 1973. Expert panel on Project 13: Perception of environmental quality. Paris, 26-29 March. 1973. haternatwid Co-ordinating council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB). Second session. Paris, IO-19April. 1973. Expert panel on Project 7: Ecology and rational use of island ecosystems. Paris, 26-28 June, 1973. Expert panel on Project 8: Comervation of natural areas and of the genetic material t& contain. Morges, 25-27 September, 1973. Expert panel on Project 11: Ecological arpects of energy utilization in urban and industrial systems. Bad Nauheim, 16-19 October, 1973. Working group on Project 6: Impact of human activities on mountain and tundra ecosystems. Lillehammer, 20-23 November, 1973. Consultalive group on Project 9: Ecological assessment ofpest management and fertilizer use on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem (Part on fertilizers). Rome, 7-9 January, 1974. International working group on Project I : &ologicd effects of increasing human activities on tropical and subtropical forest ecosystems. Rio de Janeiro, 11-15 February, 1974. Task force on the contribution of the social sciences to the MAB Programme. Paris, 28 February-2 March, 1974. Regional meeting on integrated ecological research and training needs in the Saheliun region. Niamey, 9-15 March, 1974. Expert panel on Project 2: Ecological effects of diflerent land use and management practices on temperate and

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mediterranean forest landrcapes. Paris, 16-19 April, 1974. Task force on pollution moniloring and research in the framework of the MAB Programme. Moscow, 23-26 April, 1974. International working group on Project 5: Ecological effects of human activities on the value and resources of lakes. marshes, rivers, deltas. estuaries and comtd

Task force on criteria and guidelines for the choice & establishment of biosphere reserves. Paris, 20-24 May, 1974. Regionul meeting on hegrated ecological research and training needs in the Andean region. La Paz, 10-15 June, 1974. +err comultatiom on Project 9: Ecological msesmnt of pest management and fertilizer use on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (Part on pesticides). International working group on Project 3: Impact of human activities and land use practices on grazing lands: savanna and grassland v;Om temperate to arid areas). Hurley, 2-5 July, 1974. Regional mefling on integrated ecological research and training needs in the South East Asian Region. Kuala Lwnpur, 19-22 August, 1974. Internaltonal co-ordinating council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB). Third session. Washington, D.C.. 17-29 September, 1974. Regional meeting on integrated ecological research and training needs in k i n America, wifh emphasis on tropical and subtropical forest ecosystem. Mexico City, 30 September-5 October, 1974. Expert panel on Project 4: Impact of human activities on the dynamics of arid and senU-arid zones' ecosystem. with particular attention to the effects of irrigation. Paris. 18-20 March, 1975. Regional meeting on the estabkdment of co-operative programmes of interdisciplinary ecological research, training and rangeland management for arid and semi-arid zones of Northern Africa. Sfar. 3-12 April, 1975. Tmk force on integrated ecological studies on human settlements, within the fiamework of Project 11. Paris,

Task force on Project 14: Research on environmental pollution and its flzcts on the biosphere. Ottawa, 5-8 August. 1975. Regwid meeting on integrated ecological research and training needs in the hwnid tropics of West and Central Africa. Kkhasa, 29 August-5 September, 1975. Regional meeting on integrated ecological research and training needs in the southern Asian mountain systenu, particularly the Hindu Kush-Himalayas. Kathmandu. 26 September-2 October, 1975. Regional meeting on hegrated ecological research and training needs in tropical deciduous and

ZWS. Paris, 13-17May, 1974.

2-6 Jw. 1975.

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semi-deciduous forest ecosystem of South Asia. V a r m i , 5-11 October, 1975. Regional meeting on integrated ecological research and conservation activities in the northern Mediterranean countries. Potenza. 27-31 October, 1975. Expert consultations on Project 10: Effects on man and his environment of major engineering w o r k International Co-ordinating Corrncil of the Programme on M a n and the Biosphere (MAB). Fourth session.

Regional planning meeting of the MAB National Committees of Andean countries, with particular attenzion to Project 6. Lima 2-5 December, 1975. Regional meeting on integrated ecological research and training needs in North East Africa and in the Near and Middle East, with emphasis on the ecOlOgiCd flats of irrigation derivedfrom large river basins. Alexandria. 24-27 February, 1976. Regional meeting on integrated KOlOgiCd research in temperate zones of the northern hemisphere. in the framework of Project 2. Brij, 24-29 April, 1976. Planning meeting for Project 11, with emphasis on industrialized settlements. Amsterdam. 8-12 June, 1976. MAB Mediterranean ScientqE Conference. Regional meeting for MAB National Committees of cowies bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Montpellier, 26 September-2 October, 1976. International worbhop on tropical rair$orest ecosystem. Hamburg-Reinbek, 12-17 Mq, 1977. Worbhop on biosphere reserves in the Mediterranean region: development of a conceptual basis and a plan for the establishment of a regional network. Side. 6-11 June, 1977, International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme on M a n and the Biosphere (MAB). Fijih session. Vim. 24 October-I November, 1977. Expert comultatwns on Project 7: Ecology and rational w e of island ecosystems. Khabarwsk, 24 August. 1979. International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme on M a n and the Biosphere (MAB). Sixth session.

Puis, 18-26 Novemb~, 1975.

Paris. 19-28 N O V ~ U , 1979.

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seminar on htegrated and ecological approaches to rural development in arid and semi-arid zones. Djerba. 4-12 December, 1979. Shinawe interr4gwnal sur le.7 problhs de recherche et de formation concernant les terres (i p&uages d a m les pays du Sahel et du Maghreb. D h , 23-31 octobre. 1980. Meeting on the creation of a Medilerranean network of ecological informarion systm. Montpellier, 2-5 December, 1980. Reconvened expert panel on the role of systems analysis and modelling approaches in the Programme on Man and the Biophere (MAB). Paris, 24-27 March, 1981. International Cwxdinating Council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB). Seventh session. Paris, 30 September-2 October, 1981. International worhhop on ecologicd problem of human Settlements in arid lands. Khartoum. 7-12 March. 1981. Task force on methodr and concepts for studying man-environment interactions. Paris, 13-16 June, 1983. Rkunion de concertation des Comith nationaux du MAB des pqsfrMcophones d'Afrique. Yamoursoukro. 27-30 aoit, 1984. International experts' meeting on ecological approaches to urban planning. Suzdal, 24-30 September, 1984. International co-ordinating Council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB). Eighth session. Paris, 3-8 December, 1984. General ScientifE Advisory Panel. Established in co-operation with ICSU. BanflCalgary, 21-25 August, 1985. Paris, 21-24 April, 1986. International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme on Man and the Bimphere (MAB). Ninth session. Paris, 20-25 October, 1986. International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB). Tenth session. Paris, 14-18 November, 1988. International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB). Eleventh session. Paris. 12-16 November. 1990.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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lNTRODUCTlON 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11

Convening of the session Opening of the session Report of the outgoing Bureau Election of officers Organization of the Council session Report of the Secretary National activities and activities of regional and/or international relevance Scientific symposium Film festival 'Les jurdiniers de la terre' M A B Young Scientists Research Grants for 1993 Message from the former Secretary

SYNTHESIS OF SUBSTANTIVE RESULTS OF MAB (1971-1992)

THE INTERNATIONAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE NETWORK

FUTURE PLANNING 4.1 Background and introduction 4.2 M A B response to UNCED 4.3 Biosphere Reserves 4.4 Priority themes 4.5 Managerial and organizational aspects

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 General policy 5.2 General recommendations 5.3 Specific recommendations

ANNEX I List of pticipants I Liste des participants

ANNEX II

ANNEX 111

Report by the Acting Secretary of the MAB Council

Framework for the future development of MAB (1996-2001)

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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Convening of the session

In accordance with Resolutions 25 Cn.3 and 26 CE.3 adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth ses- sions, the twelfth session of the International Co- ordinating Council (ICC) for the Programme on M a n and the Biosphere (MAB) was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 25 to 29 January 1993.

Participants included representatives of the following members of the Council elected by the General Conference: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Gabon, Germany, Hungary, India, Indone- sia, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Senegal, Spain, Uganda, Venezuela, and Zaire.

In addition, observels from the following Member States were present: Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belize, Cameroon, Chile, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Italy, Korea (People’s Democratic Republic), Madagascar, Monaco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Qatar, Russian Federation, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, Sweden, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, and Ukraine. Representatives of the h4AB National Commit- tees of the United Kingdom and of the United States of America were also present.

T h e International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS), the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), the Arab League for Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO), and the MacArthur Foundation were also represented. The full list of participants is given in Annex 1.

1.2 Opening of the session

The session was opened by Mr Federico Mayor, Director-General of UNESCO. In welcoming delegates to the session, the Director-General referred to UNESCO’s active participation in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. H e recalled that the MAB Programme was pre-adapted to build upon the results of UNCED, as MAB with its interdisciplinary ap- proach to solving environmental problems, had been from the beginning a programme on environ- ment and development.

In the light of the Director-General’s report on the follow-up to UNCED, the UNESCO Executive Board had approved activities in four main areas as UNESCO’s contribution to the im- plementing of Agenda 2 1 : 1. Information on environment and develop-

ment: towards an educated public and in- formed decision-making. Adaptation of training programmes and institutional functioning to complex envi- ronment and development issues.

3. Studying and testing diverse approaches to sustainable development.

4. Biological diversity: its functional signi- ficance and dynamics in time and space.

The Director-General was glad to note that the MAE3 Bureau had fully approved the four sets of activities endorsed by the Executive Board and considered that the MAB Programme could serve as a motor to implement them. This was also to be seen in the light that the major task of the MAB Council at this session was to reflect on the

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planning of MAB with a view Lo refresh and revive the MAB Programme. The Director- General suggestcd that the new MAB Programme should take into account the new elements in the UN system resulting from UNCED and particular- ly those established within UNESCO itself.

Within the United Nations system, the Com- mission “U C-at~inable Development had been created with the mandate of over-viewL16 clLb tributions of the various UN agencies and pro- grammes to Agenda 21, including the financial mechanisms. Also, an Inter-agency Committee on Sustainable Development had been established under the Administrative Committee on Coordina- tion to ensure the proper implementation of Agenda 21 by the various UN agencies and pro- grammes. UNESCO was one of the nine members of this Committee.

As concerns UNESCO itself, the Director- General personally intended to lead UNESCO’s contribution to respond to UNCED. To this end, he had established a five-member ‘Committee for the Follow-up to UNCED’, with the objectives to making substantial progress during the course of 1993 in UNESCO’s contribution to implement ‘Agenda 21’ and the Conventions on Climate Change and Biodiversity, and to reformulate and expand as necessary UNESCO’s programmes in the field of environment and sustainable develop- ment in the future years.

The Council would also have the opportunity to take into account the past activities of the MAB programme with a view to prepare the future. The Director-General recalled that at its last session in 1990, the Council recommended that a thorough evaluation be made of the MAB Programme since its inception in the early 1970s. SCOPE had agreed to prepare this evaluation and its report is submitted for the Council’s consideration.

The Director-General further recalled that the MAB Council, at its last session, had recom- mended consolidating the international biosphere reserve network and particularly the establishment of an Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves. This recommendation had been endorsed by the UNESCO General Conference and the Advisory Committee’s statutes had bmn adopted by the

Executive Board in Novcmbcr 1991. The first meeting of the Advisory Committee had taken place in April 1992 and, in accordance with the procedures for such Committees, the Director- Gencral had reported on the main results to the Executive Board in October last year. The repon of this first meeting. which was submitted to the MAB Bureau in November, was also F Q = Q ~ ~ J Lu ~ I G ruu cuuncii. rne recommendations in this re- port had naturally been incorporated into the working document on the planning for the future of the MAB Programme in response to UNCED. The Committee’s recommendation to improve the information system on biosphere reserves was being pursued as was the recommendation to con- tinue a feasibility study on the creation of an inter- national legal instrument on biosphere reserves.

In emphasizing that this Council session was a crucial one for the future of the MAB Pro- gramme, the Director-General assured the Council that its recommendations would be brought to the attention of UNESCO’s General Conference which would meet later this year and which would help contribute to the preparation of the draft of UNESCO’s new Medium-Term Plan for 1996- 2001.

Considering that UNESCO was constrained to accommodate the fmancial difficulties facing many Member States, a number of activities may have to be deferred. Programmes such as MAB had now to use its resources of the Secretariat to procure extra-budgetary funds for supporting their activities. In doing so, the Director-General assured the Council that he shall continue to sup- port and encourage the initiatives of Member States and the Secretariat to this effect.

As concerns the Secretariat, the Director- General was glad to inform the Council that a new Secretary for the MAB Programme was presently being recruited since he had requested Mr von Droste, the former Secretary of the MAB-ICC, to create the World Heritage Centre for implement- ing the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

Investments in MAB continued Lo be substantial: the Director-General informed the Council of direct and indirect funds allocated to MAB as well as of extra-budgetary resources.

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In closing, the Director-General commended the outgoing MAB Bureau for its work in over- seeing the programme over the last two-year period. He wished the Council success in its work and assured the Council that he would be particu- larly attentive to the conclusions and recommendations that came out of the Council.

1.3 Report of the outgoing Bureau

On behalf of Ms Tania Munhoz, Chairperson of the outgoing Bureau, Vice-chairman Mr Wilfried Goerke presented the Council with an overview of the two meetings that had been held in Paris in March 1991 and in November 1992. The reports of these meetings had been circulated widely to M A B National Committees, and their substance had been reflected in working documents and in- formation papers before the Council.

In his overview, Mr Goerke mentioned the UN Conference on Environment and Develop- ment and associated initiatives, such as the nego- tiation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the ICSU Conference on an Agenda for Science for Environment and Development; the Bureau’s task of reviewing the recommendations of the last MAB-ICC on the concentration of the MAB Programme (international biosphere reserve network, reinforcement of MAB research networks, improvement of the communication of MAB results). He also alluded tD the assessment of past activities of M A B by SCOPE; the Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves; the joint UNESCO/IUB S/SCOPE initiative on biological diversity (Diversitas); the Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Preservation; and the Bureau’s consideration of the thematic areas endorsed by the UNESCO Executive Board for UNESCO’s follow-up to UNCED which formed essenlially the framework around which to develop the future MAB Programme.

1.4 Election of officers

The Council elected by acclamation the following officers to constitute its Bureau:

Chairperson:

Vice-chairpersons: Mr Tomas AZCARATE Y BANG (Spain)

Mr Khalaf ALOKLAH (Jordan) Ms Alicja BREYMEYER (Poland) Mr Gonzalo HALmER (Mexico) Ms ZHAO Xianying (China)

Mr MANKOTO Ma Mbaelele (Zaire) Rapporteur:

1.5 Organization of the Council session

The Council adopted its substantive agenda as follows: 1.

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11. 12. 13.

Opening of the session by the Director- General of UNESCO Report of the Chairperson of the outgoing Bureau Election of the Bureau Adoption of the Agenda and Timetable for the Council and its Bureau Report of the Secretary on activities since the last Council session Reports on national activities of regional and/or international relevance Syntheses of substantive results of MAB

Report of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves Data base and documentation for bio- sphere reserves Future planning of MAB (1996-200 1) based on the UNESCO response to UNCED Any other business Recommendations and conclusions Closure of the session

197 1 - 1992

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1.6 Report of the Secretary

Mr Mohamed Skouri, Acting Secretary of the Council, presented the rcport of thc Secretariat for the period since the 11th session of the Council in November 1990 (see Annex 2). Mr Skouri under- lined the importance of UNCED and its results in the light of reshaping the MAB Programme for the future which will be one of the main tasks of this Council Session. A m o n g the other issues addressed by Mr Skouri were an overview of MAB related activities since the 11th Session of the MAB Council, such as the establishment and first meeting of the Advisory Committee on Bio- sphere Reserves, the preparation of the Conven- tion on Biological Diversity, and the network of biosphere reserves for which the MAB Secretariat is making every effort to secure extra-budgetary funding. Mr Skouri also briefly mentioned the other scientific networks of MAB and the new staff situation in the Division of Ecological Scien- ces as a result of the creation of the ‘World Heritage Centre’. The serious financial austerity measures as decided by the Executive Board for 1993 entailed a suspension of some important MAB activities in 1993, but Mr Skouri hoped that extra-budgetary funding will help to remedy the situation to some extent. H e concluded with infor- mation on MAB publications and documentation material and thoughts on the future prospects of the MAB Programme.

1.7 National activities and activities of regional andlor international relevance

The Council’s debate opened with several m e m - bers of the M AB Council as well as observers taking the floor to report on MAB activities which are of regional and/or international relevance. Many speakers underlined the importance of bio- sphere reserves in their countries which are often a tool for transnational cooperation in the field of environmental conservation, research, training and development. The various research networks

of M A B were very much alive as was evidenced by regional and international collaboration through, for example, the Northern Sciences Network, EuroMAB, national M A B projects which ate funded through international assistance and the organization of various international re- search and training seminars on salient MAB activities including the use of Geographical Infor- mation Systems. Several speakers appealed for in- ternational solidarity in helping their countries to deal with pmsing problems of the environment and development. Moreover, it was suggested that UNESCO-MAB support a seminar on ‘Biodiver- sity and Sustainable Development in Francophone Africa’.

1.8 Scientific symposium

As with preceding Council sessions, a one and a half-day scientific symposium on ‘Integrating conservation, development and research: Scien- tific responses to the environment-development challenge’ was held on the afternoon of Tuesday 26 January and on Wednesday 27 January. The symposium aimed at contributing to the planning of future UNESCO activities relating U, environ- ment and development, in the light of the conclu- sions and follow-up to the UN Conference on Environment and Development. The symposium comprised 16 invited presentations organized in three sessions: (a) Context and concepts, (b) Institutional challenges and mechanisms,

and (c) Planning and implementing concerted

scientific responses at the local, national and international levels.

Ms Christine and M y n a m Masson, who had undertaken a world tour, visiting twelve biosphere reserves in ten countries, made a brief presentation to the Council on their impressions and conclusions.

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1.9 Film festival ’Les jardiniers de la terre’

In conjunction with the MAB Council, an intema- tional film festival entitled ‘Les jardiniers de la terre’ was held on 26 and 27 January 1993 in UNESCO featuring films on the environment. The leitmotif of this film festival was to highlight the role of the media in communicating informa- tion on environment and development to the general public and UNESCO’s role in this domain. Two categories of film were awarded prizes by an international jury organized by the ‘Socittt Europtenne des Rkalisateurs d Environ- nement’ and the consulting firm ‘Concrktement’. In the category of documentary films, the main prize was awarded to Bruno Sorrentino of the Television Trust for the Environment (UK) for the film Rivers of Sand. In the category of films pm- duced by private companies or institutions, the main prize was awarded to Bemard Billois of ANV Productions (France) for the film ‘Suuver la petite Baise’.

1.10 MAB Young Scientists Research Grants for 1993

The Council took note that the Bureau had met at the occasion of the 12th Session of the M A B Council and that it had decided to award the ‘MAB Young Scientists Research Grants for 1993’ to ten selected candidates. The Council further took note of the Bureau’s decision that copies of the final reports emanating from the studies under the M A B Young Scientists Research Grants should be given to the MAB National Committee (or the UNESCO National C o m - mission) of the country concerned for infonna- tion. This would ensure that the results of the studies can be directly utilized for national MAB research and/or conservation activities.

1.1 1 Message from the former Secretary

T h e Council took note that the Bureau had received a letter from Mr von Dmste, former Secretary of the MAJ3-ICC. wishing every suc- cess to the Council and its new Bureau. The Coun- cil thanked Mr von Droste for his letter.

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2. SYNTHESIS OF SUBSTANTIVE RESULTS OF M A B (1971-1992)

Based on the recommendation of the 11th Session of the M A B International Co-ordinating Council (November 1990) to ‘increase the visibility of past accomplishments and of emerging activities with- in MAB by the preparation of syntheses ...’, and following the recommendation of SCOPE in its evaluation of the M A B Programme in the same spirit, the Council noted that the MAB Secretariat had embarked on the preparation of such synthesis reports which, are at various stages of completion. The Council considered brief outlines of various MAB Programme Areas and networks for which synthesis reports are envisaged. These are:

Impact of human activities on mountain ecosystems; The role of land/inland water ecotones in landscape management and restoration (‘joint MAB/IHP project); M A B Studies on urban and peri-urban areas considered as ecological systems; Tropical soil biology and fertility; Ecological approaches to resource man- agement in the humid tropics; Responses of savannas to stress and dis- turbance;

MAB Activities on island ecosystems; and Integrated approaches to rural develop- ment and combating desertification in and and semi-arid zones.

The Council felt that these syntheses should be aimed at two distinct target groups: at the scien- tific community with the aim of recapitulating more than twenty years of M A B research activities and results; and at decision-makers who could use the most important results of M A B for policy guidelines. Moreover, the syntheses should also be considered as a means for valorizing and diffusing MAB results for environmental educa- tion and training purposes. While it was ques- tioned whether UNESCO was best placed to produce such syntheses (in particular in the light that other organizations have been created for the purpose of publishing scientific and environmental information), it was agreed that the syntheses would concentrate on the scientific find- ings and guidelines emanating from the M AB Pro- gramme itself. The syntheses could subsequently be used by other organizations and bodies con- cerned with the publication of syntheses on the state of the environment.

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3. THE INTERNA’iONAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE N E T W O R K

The Council was glad to note that, in accordance with the recommendation at its last session in 1990, the Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves had been established and had held its first meeting in April 1992.

Mr G. Halffter, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves, presented his summary of the report. He indicated that there had been problems in implementing the recommenda- tions of the Advisory Committee due to lack of funds and human resources at UNESCO. This led to the overriding conclusion that efforts should be made at all levels to obtain extra-budgetary funds to support biosphere reserves. He highlighted spe- cific recommendations made by the Advisory Committee which should nevertheless be ad- dressed immediately. These included: the need to improve communications, for example through better distribution of information documents to biosphere reserve managers; deploying experts to visit biosphere reserves to obtain up-to-date infor- mation; and to provide guidelines for the mini- mum legal requirements for each site. One means to advance the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations would be to convene an inter- national conference on biosphere reserves: Mr Halffter requested the Secretariat to continue discussions with MAB Canada to this end.

The Council thanked Mr Halffer and the other members of the Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves for their work in clearly set- ting out the priorities for the improving the inter- national biosphere reserve network.

The Council considered that the specificity of biosphere reserves as places for testing out and demonstrating an integrated approach to nature conservation based on the sustainable de-

velopment for the benefit of local populations was even more relevant than before. This had been stated at the XVth IUCN World Parks Congress held in Venezuela in February 1992 and had been considerably enhanced by the Rio Conference. Some Council participants considered that it was perhaps time to restate that the definition and practice of biosphere reserves along this principle to make it clear that biosphere reserves go beyond in situ conservation of biodiversity and sub-tend the philosophy of ecologically sustainable devel- opment. Connected by corridors judiciously link- ing different ecological units within the urban-rural and terrestrial-marine landscape, bio- sphere reserves could provide the most viable means for the long-term protection of biodivenit y.

Given this unique role of biosphere reserves in the follow-up to UNCED, the Council recom- mended that the tern ‘biosphere reserve’ should be protected in some ways and used only when it was in accordance with the MAB-UNESCO philosophy. Some Council members suggested that, in line with the Advisory Committee’s rec- ommendation, one way to avoid dilution of the concept would be to review all existing bio- sphere reserves on a regular basis, say 10 years, in order to consider whether they could be ‘ re-cer- tified’. Problems in proper implementation of the concept could then be better identified and the necessary support targeted to resolve them. Also in line with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee, the Council felt that the MAB Secre- tariat prepare guidelines for the management of the buffer and transition zones with regard to sus- tainable development and biodiversity conscrva- tion which should be circulated to the biosphere

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reserve managers concerned. Several countries, including most recently Australia and France, had undertaken an in-depth rcview of heir biosphere reserves and had elaborated some innovative recommendations to improve the situation. It was not always easy to upgrade sites designated in the bcginning of the MAB Programme and which often corresponded only to a core area with little possibilities of adding a buffer zone or transition area. In Australia however, the review had led to the identification of two ‘model’ biosphere reserves and the subsequent purchase, in the case of one of these sites, of a large adjacent land area with support from the private sector. The Council recommended that MAB National Committees, which had not already done so should make simi- lar reviews of their biosphere reserves, taking ac- count of the successes and failures over time and highlighting the underlying causes for these. Such reviews should be distributed widely to share the lessons learned.

In addition to improving the quality of exist- ing sites, the Council welcomed indications for n e w biosphere reserves in Brazil (Cerrado), Czech Republic (bilaterally with Poland), Egypt, Indonesia, Spain (Islands of Minorca and Lanza- rote), Venezuela (Yanomani area and Orinoco Delta) and Zaire (for example, Wrunga, Salonga, the Okapi Reserve).

While the specificity of biosphere reserves is unquestioned, many Council participants, from both industrialized and developing countries, both densely and sparsely populated, stressed once again the need for flexibility in applying the bio- sphere reserve concept in view of the diverse and dynamic world situation. As 1993 isthe Year of Indigenous Peoples, many Council participants highlighted the need to encourage local participa- tion, grass-roots actions and self-sufficiency. Others felt that efforts should concentrate on what ‘MAB and biosphere reserves do best’, namely science, education and training with a view to scientific enlightenment for more efficient conservation of biodiversity. The Council reiterated that these different approaches and degrees of emphasis were all valid and necessary.

It is certain that many developing countries are facing severe constraints in attempting to fully apply the biosphere reserve concept. In some countries, there are so many different gov- ernment authorities concerned at a given site that inkgrated management was for the time being ex- tremely difficult. Several countries would require expert advice or an intervention from the Secreta- riat at the highest level within their government to sensitize the authorities concerned about the im- portance and potential of biosphere reserves. Sev- eral African countries in particular appealed to the Secretariat to help them to contact donor countries and agencies with a view to provide technical as- sistance and investments for their biosphere reser- ves. Training courses were acutely needed, especially for biosphere reserve managers. Meet- ings, such as the regional workshop planned for end 1993 in Senegal on desertification, conserva- tion of tropical forests and biodiversity and sus- tainable development in francophone Africa, planned to take place in Senegal, were very useful. The Council welcomed indications from Australia, Canada and Germany to provide support in appro- priate cases for efforts to strengthen biosphere reserves.

The Council noted that the Advisory Com- mittee on Biosphere Reserves had given special attention to the legal questions regarding bio- sphere reserves, both for individual sites and for the international netwok. The need for clarifica- tion of the legal status of individual biosphere reserves was particularly felt in Africa where existing laws could not accommodate the multi- functional approach of the concept. Other coun- tries recalled the risk of having a centralized legally based approach to establishing biosphere reserves since this could kill community-based initiatives. However, the Council recognized that biosphere reserves could become a key element in implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity. It recommended that MAB National Committees and government authorities con- cerned to integrate biosphere reserves in the na- tional biodiversity strategies or action plans called for under this Convention.

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The Council drew attention to the need to the Advisory Committee’s recommendations to reinforce the network function and stressed the need for a clear political will for such efforts. Some countries considered that such ‘networking’ should begin at a small scale and be built up as oppor- tunities arise. Regional networks such as within the Northern Sciences Network (for which a working group had been set up in late 1992) and the Iberian- Latin American co-operation were good initiatives. Twinning arrangements. such as between France and Spain for the C6vennes and Monlseny bio- sphere reserves, were also to be encounged.

The Council reiterated the potential of the international biosphere reserve network for long- term ecological studies and monitoring of terrestrial systems, notably in relation to the pre- dicted global climate change. In this respect, the Council recalled that a meeting sponsored by MAB, IGBP and OSS (Observatoire du Sahara et du SuheC) in Fontainebleau (France) in July 1992 had resulted in a proposed Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) to which MAB would actively contribute in co-operation with UNEP, FAO, WMO, IGBP and the OSS. A Task Force was being set up in early 1993 with a view to pre- pare an operational man for early 1994. The Council urged MAB National Committees to sup- port this initiative and requested that the appropri- ate information be diffused widely and

parlicularly to binsphcn Ieserve managers and rcscmc;n directors who were often unaware of such global efforts.

The Council recalled that the Bureau at its last session in November 1992 had requested the Secretariat to prcpat‘e a proposal for improving the management of information deriving from separate sites and its communication and use at the local, national and international levels. The Council welcomed several national and regional actions to improve the current situation. For example, following the 1991 EuroMAB meeting, a Biosphere Reserve Integrated Monitoring system (BRIM) had been set up amongst the countries concerned to make a full directory of the data bases available for the biosphere reserves of that region. The Council recommended that the propo- sals for immediate action contained in document SC-93/CONF.215/4 should be adopted as appro- priate by MAB National Committees and the Sec- retariat. It furthermore recommended that the Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves examine closely the proposals for the overall long-term plan for biosphere reserve information management.

Finally, the Council thanked the Canada MAB National Committee for its agreement to examine the possibility of hosting a future meet- ing of the Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves at an appropriate time.

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4. FUTURE PLANNING

4.1 Background and introduction

Mr W. Goerke, formcr Vice-chairman of the MAB Bureau, intrcduced a discussion paper geared to fu- ture planning. The document had been prepared in the light of the Bureau’s discussions and recom- mendations at its meeting in Paris on 9- 10 Novem- ber 1992. At this meeting, the Bureau had examined the implications to MAB of the tangible and less tangible results of the Earth Summit in Rio, as well as the preliminary thinking of the Director-General on the overall response to UNCED which had been discussed by UNESCO’s Executive Board a few weeks previously, on 17 October. In terns of future planning, the discussions of the Bureau had also been shaped by the findings and recommendations of SCOPE’S assessment of two decades of MAl3 ac- tivities and of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves. The Bureau had also been conscious of the conclusions of the MAB Council at its last session, that the present set of MAB research activities should be completed by 1995 at latest.

Mr Goerke then presented an overview of the discussion document, including suggestions on principles for shaping future activities and on taking advantage of experience gained in two decades of work within MAB. This called for imaginative re- sponses to the obstacles that have been encountered within MAl3 in putting into practice interdiscipli- nary approaches to environment- development problems. It also required that advantage be taken of logistic tools that are now available (such as modem communications technologies) and more particular-

ly, of the logistic tools intrinsic to MAB, especially the international network of biosphere reserves.

With biosphere reserves as primary building blocks. five complementary areas had been sug- gested by the outgoing Bureau as a framework for future programme development: conserving and sustainably using biological diversity; exploring approaches to sustainable development in regional units; communicating information on environment and development; building up capacities and fit- ting institutional functioning and training to the emerging problems; and contributing to the pro- posed Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) for the monitoring of global change.

After presenting some suggestions on possible activities within these various programme areas, h4r Guerke reflected that the twelfth session of the MAB Council was perhaps the most critical since the programme was launched two decades ago. The completion of W ’ s existing research agenda, and the challenges of responding to the Earth Summit, represented an unparalleled and probably unique opportunity for UNESCO in general and MAB in particular to at last make real use of certain unique comparative advantages - of being able to place ac- tivities at the interface of education, science includ- ing social sciences, culture and communication.

On behalf of the outgoing Bureau, Mr Goerke hoped that the document before the Council would seme as a springboard for discissing future plan- ning. In closing his presentation, Mr Goerke sought the Council’s indulgence in bornwing and adapting a few phrases from the previous week’s inaugural address by President Bill Clinton*.

* This session of the MAR Council is held in the depth of winter. But by the words we speak, and the faces w e show the world, we force the spring. In forcing the spring, our greatest strength is the power of our ideas, which are still new in many lands. There is nothing wrong with the MAB Programme that cannot be cured by what is right with MAB.

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4.2 MAB response to UNCED

The Council emphasized that MAB was, by its very nature, a programme of environment and sustainable development. Its central concern was to identify, manage and respond to change in ways that balance social welfare and economic produc- tivity, with ecological sustainability and societal innovation. The MAB Programme had acquired more than twenty years’ experience in trying to put into practice a certain approach to environ- ment-development issues, entailing an integrated cross-sectoral philosophy at the interface of people and environment. Such an approach appears to be even more relevant in addressing the complex problems of the 1990s and beyond. As such, the MAB Programme is pre-adapted to respond to the concerns and challenges of UNCED.

The Council considered that Agenda 21 and the other outputs of UNCED provide a basic tem- plate for considering the further development of MAB. Preliminary thinking on the overall UNESCO response to UNCED had been given in a report of the Director-General to the 140th session of the Executive Board (document 140 Ex/IO, dated 14 September 1992). The Council welcomed the indication that the UNESCO response to the challenges of UNCED would entail both a revamping of existing programmes and the development of cross-cutting, cross- sectoral initiatives. In considering MAB’s response to Agenda 2 I, it might be useful to dis- tinguish between thematic issues (e.g. biodiver- sity, climate and its impacts, cultural and ethical dimensions) and what could be called ‘realms of applications’ (e.g. and lands, forests, human settlements, islands).

To be credible, the MAB response to the challenges of UNCED would seem to depend on concentrating activities on a limited number of programme areas and on attaining a critical mass of resources (both human and financial). To be effective and practicable, MAB would need to seek out new partnerships and innovative ways of working, as well as to build on potential com- parative advantages such as those provided by the

international network of biosphere reserves. As MAB entered its third decade, activities should be shaped by the frank appraisal of MAB’s achieve- ments and shortcomings (such as those identified in the programme-wide evaluation carried out by SCOPE) and by identifying MAB’s comparative strengths and advantages. In taking stock, there was need to include assessments of the role of MAB in helping developing countries to strengthen their research and management capa- cities, as well as its role in contributing to scien- tific understanding and policy issues.

Several speakers emphasized dimensions and perspectives which they felt should be incor- porated within operational PI+-’ iles for shaping future activities, including involvement of policy-makers in shaping questions to be ad- dressed through research and explicit recognition of traditional ecological knowledge and wisdom in problematiques or research and policy- guidance.

4.3 Biosphere Reserves

The Council considered that the biosphere reserve network, which would continue to serve as one of the major building blocks of the MAB Pro- gramme, would serve as the main logistic base for the future activities of MAB in response to UNCED. Over the years, the biosphere reserve concept had become widely recognized as one of the most innovative means to promote participatory approaches to the conservation of biodiversity in combination with the sustainable use of biological resources and with research, monitoring and training activities in support Of conservation and development objectives. However, it was widely recognized that there exists a large shortfall between reality and potential. Narrowing this gap called for improve- ment of both individual reserves and of network linkages, including the use of selected groups of biosphere reserves as sites for collaborative pm- grammes of various kinds and for testing out

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evolving concepts and practices dated to envi- ronmentally sound and sustainable development.

However, the biosphere reserve instrument cannot perform all functional tasks. The insm- ment is not suitable for examining all thematic issues appropriate to MAB. Even a thematic issue like biodiversity (which is closely associated both to the concept and the tool of biosphere reserve) is not synonymous with biosphere reserves. More- over, in placing biosphere reserves within their larger setting, a major challenge is how to con- serve biological diversity at the same time as p m - moting sustainable development at the regional scale.

4.4 Priority themes

The Council recommended that the framework for the future development of the MAB programme should henceforth be concentrated on the four complementary themes described below, with a fifth theme for implementation in collaboration with other concerned organisations and pro- grammes.

4.4.1 Conservlng biological diverstty and ecological processes

The MAB Programme would seem to have a clear responsibility and opportunity for contributing to the scientific underpinning of the Convention on Biological Diversity. A priority concern of MAJ3 should be on the links between biodiversity, sus- tainable development and human welfare. The proposed research strategy is primarily through Diversitas (a joint initiative of IUBS, SCOPE and UNESCO), which seeks to identify scientific is- sues and to promote research on three themes: the ecosystem function of biodiversity; the origins, maintenance and loss of biodiversity; and the in- ventorying and monitoring of biodiversity. A complement to Diversitas is through another collaborative programme (‘People and Plants’), which seeks to record and utilize traditional eco- logical knowledge of biological diversity,

promoting ethnobotany and the sustainable and equitable use of plant resources.

4.4.2 Explorlng approaches to land use plannlng and sustalnable management of resources In regbnal landscapes

T h e concept and logistic tool represented by biosphere reserves provides an important instru- ment that should be used amongst others to ex- plore approaches to sustainable development in regional landscapes at the scale at which societies manage resources, with a certain number of reser- ves providing ‘geographic hubs’ for examining the interplay between resource use conflicts and deci- sion-making process at different scales of space and time. The Council took note of three main types of proposed actions: ‘laboratory regions’ of sustainable development (what could also be called ‘working models’ of approaches to sustain- able development); comparative analyses of ap- proaches and issues related to sustainable development in particular geographic or ecological regions, or types of physiographic units, comparative field studies for designing sus- tainable ecological systems. Further refinement and clarification was required on the role of land- scape planning in relation to sustainable develop- ment issues.

4.4.3 Formulating and communicating policy lnformatbn on sustalnable resource management and promotlng envlronmentally sound behavbur

Trying-out innovative ways of communicating in- formation on environmental and development issues has been a feature of MAB since the mid- 1970s. Examples have included the development of the concept in the 1970s of ‘Ecotours’ and eco- tourism under the umbrella of MAB-Canada, and the long term involvement of MAB-Spain in such operations as Mediterranea, Biogera and Estima- da Terra. It would be desirable to create a working group on the developing emtourism in biosphere reserves. This type of development opens up the possibility of communicating between the different actors of the biosphere reserve and the general public from ‘outside’. This latter would

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benefit from a learning experience on sustainable development.

Several speakers underlined the importance of MAB taking an active role in new cross-cutting initiatives aimed at producing materials for educational purposes such and those within the UNESCO Programme ‘Education 2000’ on those following the ECO-ED Conference (Toronto, 1992). MAB should take a lead in generating new ideas and concepts, and internalizing such ideas and concepts within society. Methods should be developed to make possible the transmission of knowledge into environmentally sound and sus- tainable behaviour of individuals and of societies.

Of particular importance was the function of providing the general public and the decision- making community with an accurate and scientifically reliable multisectoral information. The decision-making process is becoming in- creasingly complex and often involves many groups pursuing narrow, specialized interests. MAB could play an extremely valuable and policy relevant role by providing integrated and scientifically credible information that focuses on humankind and the natural world as well as on humankind and the built environment.

Another dimension concerns the specific in- sights of indigenous people and of traditional ecological knowledge and the importance of capturing this knowledge and wisdom before it is lost, and integrating it with western science to form a symbiotic and powerful new knowledge pool and a basis for practising sustainable use.

Since the ultimate goal of providing infor- mation is to change human perception and values regarding the environment, it is necessary to com- plement information strategies with strategies specially designed to change the actual bahaviour of individuals, of communities, of governments and international organizations in favour of the environment.

It was also suggested that a few interested countries in the cross-sectoral field of ‘communi- cating information on environment and develop- ment’ should perhaps form a working group to deliberate over the next year to prepare a plan for infusing sustainable development education and

it$ values and ethics into the mainstream of public education and information networks. It was felt that it is not only essential to diffuse information, but also to encourage people to change their beha- viour vis-&vis the environment.

4.4.4 BuiMlng up human and instltutlonai capacttles for land use planning and sustainable reswrce management

Environment and development issues are by their very nature cross-cutting and cross-sectoral. Yet institutions and training programmes remain sec- toral and are not geared to tackling these complex problems. The past MAB experience in training and institution building can act as a starting point for responding to the increased demands for coun- tries to address such problems. The proposed ac- tion would be an inter-woven combination of analyses and assessment, advisory services, pro- moting South-South cooperation, training pro- grammes and operational field projects. Training in taxonomy and other fields related to biodiver- sity was among those mentioned by Council members.

4.4.5 Contributing to the Global Terrestrial

The Council took note of suggestions that UNESCO cooperate with relevant intergovern- mental and non-governmental organizations in establishing the proposed Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS), designed to detect the responses of terrestrial ecosystems (natural and agroecosystems) to global change, based on an array of field sites. One specific suggestion made by the Council concerned the Bureau for Harmonization of Environmental Measurements (HEM), run by UNEP, which should continue to be an authorized body to harmonize the different approaches and methodologies of monitoring. Within the process for implementing Agenda 21, the conventions and the guiding principles for forests signed on the occasion of UNCED, the Director-General of UNESCO should encourage the contracting parties to request UNEP to assign adequate resources to HEM.

Observing System

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4.5 Managerial and organizational aspects

4.5.1 National building blocks and regional

A number of speakers spoke of the serious constraints that their countries were facing in con- tributing meaningfully to the MAB Programme. In particular, representatives from several African countries appealed to international solidarity and support for reinforcing their participation in the MAB Programme, illustrating requests with indi- cations of the perilous status of biosphere reserves such as Makokou in Gabon. Reference was also made to the need for encouraging wider participa- tion in MAB of countries in regions such as east- e m and southern Africa.

Collaboration among countries should con- tinue to provide an important focus for cooper- ation and concertation within MAB. Examples mentioned by speakers included Iberian-Latin American cooperation (within the framework of the recently launched programme on science and technology for development, CYTED), work in South East and East Asia on ecosystem rehabilita- tion and coastal ecotone areas (supported by Japan through funds -in-trus t arrangements with UNESCO), promotion of South-South cooper- ation in the humid tropics, the Biosphere Reserve Integrated Monitoring (BFUM) initiative within the framework of EuroMAE3, cooperation among high latitude countries within the Northern Sciences Network, etc. Information was provided on recent progress and proposed future work in a number of these regional initiatives. In more general terms, aspirations for regional cooperation have frequently been dashed by shaky working capacities and inadequate budgets for infrastruc- ture and travel. One Council member suggested that a sensible investment for UNESCO and Mem- ber States would be to finance or partly fmance small regional secretariats, with the international secretariat within UNESCO concentrating on overall coordinating and animating functions.

cooperation

4.5.2 Instltutlonal links and partnerships Presentations and discussions at the scientific symposium had underlined the value and impact

of various kinds of partnership arrangements, which sought to take advantage of the respective strenms of institutions at the governmental and intergovernmental levels, non-governmental bodies and associations, the private and productive sector. etc. At the international level, the last two decades had witnessed a flurry of new institutions and programmes, which in some cases might mean an encroachment on MAB but at the same time represented new opportunities for synergy and concertation. In some countries, difficulties might be encountered in harmonizing effective national inputs to collaborative ventures sponsored by two or more international organizations. An example mentioned by one speaker concerned the chal- lenge of articulating national contributions to the IUB S/SCOPE/UNESCO Diversifas initiative, given the existence in his country of separate national committees for the three sponsoring inter- national bodies.

The Council learned with interest of the on- going and proposed programmes of several institutions working on issues related to biodiver- sity and sustainable development, such as those on biological diversity and the sustainable use of resources supported by the MacArthur Founda- tion. The Council expressed the hope that mu- tually supportive and enriching initiatives might take shape with similar bodies.

4.5.3 lnformatbn fbw within the Programme

Improvement was called for in the mechanisms and procedures for communicating information about activities within MAB to those taking part in the Programme. Several suggestions were made in thk regard, including optimal flow of information between the Advisory Committee for Biosphere Reserves and the MAB Bureau, greater fulfilment by National Committees of their reporting require- ments, possibility of the Secretariat suggesting formats for reporting, preparation of synopses or syntheses of reports from National Committees, use of an appropriate Geographic Information System consisting of a data bank on biosphere reserves and projects and of a mcta-data base on research findings, etc.

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5. CONCLUSIONS A N D RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 General policy

At the close of its 12th Session, the MAB Council came to the following conclusions concerning general policy: 1. With its holistic and interdisciplinary ap-

proach to resolving conflicts in the use and conservation of land resources, the MAB programme, since its conception at the Biosphere Conference 25 years ago, is by its very nature a programme on environ- ment and development. It is thus pre- adapted to respond to the concerns and decisions of the United Nations Con- ference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The MAB Programme should therefore be continued and should serve as a key instrument to implement UNES- CO’s contribution to responding to UNCED.

2. MAB seeks answers for improving the linkages between people and the bio- sphere. From the conceptual and program- matic point of view, MAB, in dealing with land use systems, should concentrate on three major areas of action concerning hu- mankind’s relations with nature: (a) the conservation and monitoring of bi-

ological diversity and ecosystem pro- cesses;

(b) the sustainable management of natural resources at the ecosystem and land- scape levels;

(c) the integration of the socio-cultural and ethical dimensions in land devel- opment.

3. To achieve its aims in the above areas and building upon its past experience, MAB

should focus on three major means of ac- tion: (a) the development and the full use of

existing and potential Biosphere Reserves and their networking at the regional and global levels;

(b) the formulation and the dissemination of land use policies resulting from field experiments and interdiscipli- nary research;

(c) the promotion of environmental edu- cation and information activities based on the above two means.

4. Increased emphasis should be given to recording traditional ecological knowl- edge and linking them with modern science and technology to promote certain forms of sustainable development.

5. A major effort should be made by all con- cerned to procure additional financial re- sources for MAB activities at the national, regional and international levels. To be ef- fective, MAB should raise one voice on its objectives and approaches and develop a more concise workplan with an associated budget and timetable.

6. Given the inverse relation which exists be- tween the complexity and richness of eco- systems on the planet and the number of qualified ecologists and specialists in en- vironment and development, MAB has a key role in helping to plan, design and im- plement training courses in developing countries to allow them to sustainably de- velop their own terrestrial resources.

7. As MAB is a multi-disciplinary pro- gramme, it should take advantage of the co-existence of the sectors of the natural

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8.

5.2

and social sciences, culture, education and communication within UNESCO and strive for better inter-sectoral cooperation. This is particularly relevant for the role of MAB in contributing to the production of education materials and to the proposed inter-sectoral initiative on communicating information on environment and develop- ment. MAB is by its very nature open and per- meable. Cooperative links should be forged or reinforced with other UNESCO environmental programmes (e.g. IHP. COMAR), relevant governmental organiz- ations and programmes such as GEF, UNEP and FAO, and NGOs such as ICSU and its appropriate bodies, IUCN, ISSC and INSULA, as well as foundations and national institutions pursuing similar ob- jectives. Among other advantages, part- nerships with other entities such as these provide a means for the continual renewal of programme activities and assessment of their effectiveness.

General recommendations

In accordance with the above considerations on policy, the Council recommended that the MAB Programme should henceforth concentrate its ac- tion around the priority and complementary themes which are described below. The activities under these themes would build upon past MAB experience and would use as far as possible the logistic base of the international biosphere Rserve network, for which a specific set of recommenda- tions are also given below. The themes and the corresponding activities are presented more fully in the Framework for the Future Development of MAB. MAB National Committees, or groups of countries, may place different degrees of emphasis on the different themes in accordance with their biogeographical situation, socio-economic condi- tions and scientific capacity.

5.2.1 Prlorlty themes

(a) Conservlng biological dlverstty and ecologlcal processes

UNESCO’s specific role is to mobilize the scien- tific community to contribute to the scientific underpinning of the Convention on Biological Diversity and to help in world wide conservation and rational use of ecosystems through the inter- national Biosphere Reserve network.

(b) Exploring approaches to land use plannlng and sustainable management of resources In reglonal landscapes

MAB shall encourage the setting up around Bio- sphere Reserves and pilot projects of ‘laboratory re- gions’ for land use planning and appropriate forms of sustainable development which would include a mix of structural and functional units (e.g. forests, lakes, intensive agriculture, u&an and industrial areas) within a sufficiently broad em-geographical context. This would imply comparative analyses of approaches and issues related to sustainable devel- opment in given mas and comparative field studies for designing sustainable ecological systems within different socio-cultural contexts.

(c) Formulating and communicating information on sustainable resource management and promoting correspondlng environmentally sound behaviour

On the basis of the above activities, appropriate pol- icy information materials and guidance would be generated. Emphasis would be given on the elabor- ation and dissemination of syntheses aimed at the general public and at decision-makers responsible for taking economic and social decisions on land Use.

(d) Building up human and instltutlonal capaclties for land use planning and sustainable resource management.

The past MAB experience in training and institu- tion building shall be used as a starting point to help countries to address the cross-cutting and cross-sectoral issues of environment and develop- ment. Specific efforts should be made for in situ

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training of resource managers and for adapting in- stitutional study and management mechanisms to complex land use systems.

(e)

M AB shall contribute to the effort designed to de- tect the responses of terrestrial systems to global change in collaboration with the other organiza- tions concerned.

Contrlbutlng to the Global Terrestrlal Observlng System

5.2.2 The lnternatlonal Biosphere Reserve Network

The Council made the following recommend- ations: 1.

2.

3.

MAB National Committees should study the report of the first meeting of the Advi- sory Committee on Biosphere Reserves and implement as appropriate the recom- mendations therein in consultation with the biosphere reserve managers and asso- ciated administrative authorities. In par- ticular, M A B National Committees (which have not already done so) should make an in-depth review of their Bio- sphere Reserves, taking account of their successes and failures over time, and high- lighting the underlying causes of these. Such reviews should be widely distributed to share the lessons learned. Efforst should be made at the local and the na- tional levels to improve the design and functioning of existing Biosphere Reser- ves. The Secretariat should implement the rec- ommendations of the Advisory Commit- tee and in particular to (a) prepare management guidelines for Biosphere Reserves in cooperation with IUCN, and (b) revise the Biosphere Reserve nomina- tion form. The Secretariat should pursue the prepara- tion of a preliminary study (legal and tech- nical) on the appropriateness, possibility and usefulness of adopting a UNESCO Recommendation on Biosphere Reserves,

4.

5.

6.

7.

as well as the more general study on the legal status of individual Biosphere Reser- ves. MAB National Committees and the Secre- tariat, in developing collaborative pro- grammes based on groups of Biosphere Reserves, should give attention to the in- teractions between urbadindustrial sys- tems and their rural/natural hinterlands, based (a) on MAB’s previous experience on understanding cities as ecological sys- tems and (b) on the fact that many Bio- sphere Reserves are directly and indirectly affected by neighbouring cities and indus- trial systems. The Secretariat should ensure that there was a good flow of information between the Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves and the M A B Bureau and vice versa. A second meeting of the Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves should be held in 1993. M A B National Committees should take the necessary steps to ensure that the gov- ernment authorities concerned should in- tegrate Biosphere Reserves in the national biodiversity strategies or action plans that they would be preparing to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity. M A B National Committees and the Secre- tariat should implement as appropriate the proposals for immediate action for im- proving information management on Bio- sphere Reserves. In particular, the Secretariat should build up the central data base on Biosphere Reserves within the UNESCO HQ in cooperation with the World Conservation Monitoring Centre and other appropriate organizations and taking advantage of the BRIM initiative of EuroMAB.

5.2.3 Resources for the MAB Programme The Council recommended that the General Con- ference give the MAB Programme the highest priority within the 27 C/5 and the next Medium

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Term Plan (1996-2001) and accordingly allocatc adequate financial and human resources to the UNESCO Secretariat both at Headquarters and in the field to strenglhen its capacity to service, coor- dinate and lead activities of h e programme at the international level.

The Council recommended that Member States and MAB National Committees, within their means, should: provide financial assistance to specific MAB activities and support to MAB National Committees in developing countries, with emphasis on raining activities; make avail- able associate experts; provide new technology to developing countries (e.g. GIS); and second spe- cialists to the Secretariat at Headquarters and in the regional offices.

5.3 Specific recommendations

In line with the Plan recommended by the Council, the following specific recommendations were made:

Synthesis of past MAB project areas The synthesis of past MAB activities which was started after the 1990 session of the Council should be completed and targeted at (a) the scien- tific community, and (b) policy makers.

Reglonal Cooperation Regional cooperation should be fostered and strengthened through MAB National Committees in order to promote exchanges of experience, pool resources and create a synergism amongst colla- borating institutions and individuals. The MAB Secretariat should support such cooperation through the U:q’ESCO Regional Offices. For Africa, within UNESCO’s ‘Priority Africa’ initia-

tive, sub-mgional meetings should be organized for Francophone African countries in Senegal (in 1993 if possible), and for East and Southern African countries in Uganda. Again under ‘Priority Africa’, UNESCO should reinforce capacity building within the framework of MAB, particularly by training managers of tropical forests at regional training institutions, for example in Zaire. For Europe, EuroMAB should continue its work, notably through the IVth Euro- MAB meeting in Poland, the Biosphere Reserve Integrated Monitoring initiative (BRIM), meetings of biosphere reserve managers and other co- operative activities. For Latin America, the Council recommended the strengthening of the CYTED initiative (Science and Technology for Development) supported by the governments of Latin America, plus Portugal and Spain. South- South cooperation should also be strengthened, notably as a follow-up to the meeting on environ- mentally sound social-economic development in the humid tmpics held in Manaus in 1992.

The Council further recommended that future Council sessions the agenda should include a specific item on regional cooperative efforts for which documentation would be prepared with a view to reviewing their role, progress and future direction, their contribution to MAB as a whole and their cooperation with other international organizations, etc.

Coastal regions and small Islands Given that coastal regions and small islands are par- ticularly subjected U, acute human pressure and re- source use conflict, the Council mmnmended that relevant activities be undertaken within the frame- work for future development of MAB , for example the network in South-East Asia on coastal areas launched and supported by Japan. The development of properly designed BiospheR Reserves in coastal regions should also be stmngly encouraged.

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A N N E X 1 List of participantslListe des participants

MEMBERS OF THE COUNClLlMEMBRES DU CONSEIL

ARGENTINN ARGENTINE Sr. Hector DALMAU Subsecretario de Medio Ambiente Secrem’a de Recursos Naturales y Medio Ambiente Presidencia de la Nacidn San Martin 459 - Pis0 4 1004 Buenos Aires Sra Patricia C. GALAN Presidencia de la Nacidn Secrem’a de Recursos Naturales y Medio Ambiente San Martin 459 - Pis04 1004 Buenos Aires Tel.: (01) 394 4268 Fax: (01) 325 7679

Sr. Hktor Luis DALMAU Intendente de Campo Ram6n 3360 Misiones

BRAZIUBRESIL

DClCguC Permanent du Brtsil auprh de L’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 M. Fernando August0 FERRAZ MUGGIAlTI Conseiller d’Ambassade DClCgation Permanente du Bdsil auprh de 1’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 M. Marcos ROUANET MACHADO DE MELLO Conseiller d’ Ambassade, DClCgation Permanenle du Bdsil auprb de 1’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

M. I’AmbassadeM A~VXO da COSTA-FRANCO

CANADA Mr Jagmohan S. MAINI Chairman, MAE3 National Committee of Canada Canadian Commission for UNESCO 99 Metcalfe Ottaw a KIP 5V8 Tel.: 1819997 11 07 Fax. 1 819 953 36 42 Mr, .~~I~sHOPKINS Chairman Environmental Education Working Group School Superintendent 19, Grenadier Hts Toronto Mr Terence COOKE Canadian National Commission for UNESCO 99 Metcalfe Ottawa K1P 5V8 Tel.: Fax: Mr Bruce AMOS Chairman, Biosphere Reserves Working Group 25 Eddy Street, 4th F1. Hull Quebec KIA OH3 Tel.: 1 819 997 49 08 Fax: 1819 994 51 40 Dr E.F. ROOTS Chairman, MAI3 Northern Science Network MAB National Committee of Canada Canadian National Commission for UNESCO 99 Metcalfe Ottawa K 1P 5V8 Tel.: Fax:

1 613 598 43 30 1 613 598 44 M

1 819 997 23 93 1 819 953 16 26

CHINNCHINE Ms ZHAO Xianying Head of the Delegation

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Secretary General, MAB National Committee of China The Academy of Sciences of China 52, Sanlihe Beijing 100864 Tel: Fax:

86 1 32 97 418 86 1 85 11 095

Mr HAN Nianyong Director Secretariat, Chinese MAB National Committee The Academy of Sciences of China for UNESCO 52, Sanlihe Beijing 100864 Tel.: 86 1 32 97 432 Fax: 86 1 85 11 095 Mr CAI Rongsheng Director, Division of Sciences National Commission of China for UNESCO 37, Damucanghutong, Xidan Beijing 100816 Mr W U Hexin First Secretary Chinese Permanent Delegation to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

COSTA RlCA Ms Victoria GUARDIADE HERNANDEZ Ambassadeur D61CguC Permanent du Costa Ria auprh de I’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

MrAlfredoGoNzALEzcHAvEs Directive del Comitk Nacional MAE8 50 o del Fellos, Los Angeles, STO Doming0 Heredia

Mr Eric CHACON Ministre Conseiller MlBgation Permanente du Costa Ria sues de 1’UNESCO 1. rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 Ms Leda Maria MELENDEZ-HOWELL Attach6 e Scientifique 65, Bd Hippolyte Marques 94200 Ivry-sur-Seine

Mr Carlos DE PAC0 President du Con lu MAB Apartado 10104 lo00 San Jod

Tel.: 33 5284/33 8841 Telex: 2363 ENERGIA Mr Carlos RODRIGUEZ Asesor del Ministro de Ciencia y Tecnologia Apartado 282 lo00 San Jod

CZECH REPUBLIC/ REPUBLIQUE TCHEQUE Professor Jan ENlK Chairman of the Czech National Committee for MAB Institute of Botany Charles University B e d m 2 CS 128 01 -2 Mr Karel KOMAREK Deputy Permanent Delegate of the Czech Republic to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

DENMARUDANEMARK Professor Jorgen B. KIRKEGAARD Chairman of the Danish MAB Committee Zoological Museum The University of Copenhagen Universitetsparken 15

Ms Anem REENBERG Professor, Institute of Geography The University of Copenhagen Oster Voldgade 10 DK- 1350 Copenhagen K Dr Henning THING Biosphere Reserve Manager Danish Polar Center Strand@ 1OOH.

DK-2100 Copenhagen

DK-1401 Copenhagen K

FRANCE M. Jacques LECOMTE Msident Comitk National Fmpis du MAB Minis& de 1’Environnement 14, Bd du Gheral Leclerc 92524 Neuilly-sur-Seine Cedex M m e Vhnique BARRE DRAEI - Ministbe de 1’Environnement 14, Bd du Gknntral Leclerc 92524 Neuilly-sur-Seine Cedex

M. Louis BRIGAND Ghsysthe URA 1518, CNRS

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Institut de gbchitecture 6, avenue Le Gorgeu 29287 Brest Cedex

M. Emmanuel de CALAN D61Cgu6 permanent adjoint de la France auprbs de I’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 Mlle Catherine CIBIEN SecrCtaire sci en tifique Comitk National Franpis du MAB INRMRGM, B.P. 27 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex M. Henri DECAMPS CERR/CNRS 29, rue Jeanne Marvig 31055 Toulouse Cedex M. Charles GACHELIN ENVAR UniversitC des sciences et techniques de Lille Bitiment SH1 59650 Villeneuve d’Ascq M. Thierry GUIGNARD Chef du Bureau de I’UNESCO Ministbre des maires Etrangkres 23, rue La Perouse 75116 Paris Cedex 16

M. Pierre LASSERRE President, ComitC des Sciences Commission Nationale Franp~e pour I’UNESCO 24, rue des Boulangers 75005 Paris

M. Serge MARTIN Charge de mission au Ministkre de 1’Environnement DRAEI 14, Bd du GCntral Leclerc 92524 Neuilly-sur-Seine Cedex

M. Jean-Louis PONS Direction de la Nature et des Paysages Minist2re de 1’Envhnnement 14, Bd du GCntral Leclerc 92524 Neully-sur-Seine Cedex

Mlle Catherine REKNAUD Attach& h la Direction Pro-Natura International Levalloi s-Pemt

Mme Solange SHULMANN-PERRET Premier SecrCtaire D61Cgation permanente de la France aup& de

I’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 M. Jean-Francois TURENNE Directeur du Centre de recherche de Bondy -Ilede-France ORSTOM 72, route d’Aulnay 93 143 Bondy Cedex M. Christophe VALIA-KOLLERY Conseiller scientifique Commission Nationale Franpk pour I’UNESCO 12, Avenue Raymond Poincad 75116 Paris Cdex 16

GABON Mr Paul Darius POSSO Directeur. I.R.E.T. B.P. 13354 Libreville

Mr Georges RIGONDJA Directeur de 1’Environnement BP. 13753 Libreville

GERMANYlALLEMAGNE Dr Andreas von GADOW Chairman, German MAB National Committee Representative at the MAB-ICC Bundesministerium fiir Umwelt, Naturschutr: und Reaksorsicherheit Kennedy All= 5 Posrfach120629 D-5300 BOM 1 Tel.: Fax: Mr Helmut SCHULZ Deputy Chairman of the German MAB National committee Federal Ministry of Research & Technology Postfach D-5300 Bonn 1 Tel.: Fax: MrWilfriedWERKE German MAB National Committee Keltenweg 11 D-5484 Bad Breisig

MSBeateSCHt3Z.E Federal Ministry for Research & Technology Bh4lT Aussenstelle Berlin

49 228 305 26 60 49 228 305 26 95

49 228 59 33 97 49 228 59 36 01

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Hannoverschestr. 30 D- 140 Berlin Mr Frank RITINER Member of the German MAB National Committee Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation Karl-Maoc str. D-5300 Bonn 1

Prof. Dr Wolfgang HABER Member of the German MAB National Commitlee Technical University Munich Weihenstephan D-8050 Freising 12

Prof. Dr Lenelis KRUSE Member of the German MAB National Committee University of Hagen Postfach 940 D-5800 Hagen

Dr Fokert PFtECHT German National Commission to U N E S C O Colmantstr. 15 D-5300 Bonn 1 Tel.: Mr Jiirgen NAUBER Secretary of the MAB National Committee BFANL (Federal Research Centre for Nature Protection and Landscape Ecology) Konstantinstr. 110 D-5300 Bonn 2 Tel.: Fax:

49 228 69 20 97

49 228 84 91 138 49 228 84 91 200

HUNGARYlHONGRlE Ms Aniko NAGY BALOGH Ml6gub permanent adjoint de la Rbublique de Hongrie auprh de 1’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

lNDl AllNDE Ms Shamma JAIN First Secretary, Permanent Delegation of India to U N E S C O 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

Ms Nina SIBAL AmbassadorF’R Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

INDONESININDONESIE H.E. MI Hariadi P. SOEPANGKAT Ambassador Permanent Delegate of Indonesia to UNESCO 1, rue M~ollis 75732 Paris C&x 15

Prof. Apnlaru SOEGIARTO Executive chairman Indonesian MAB National Committee Deputy Chairman for Natural Sciences Indonesian Institute of Sciences &PI) Gatot Subroto 10 Jakarta 12710 Mr Kria Fahmi PASARIBU Second Secretary Deputy Permanent Delegate of Indonesia to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

JAPANlJAPON Mr Yasuo TAKAI Chairman, Japanese MAB National Committee Nodai Research Institute Tokyo University of Agriculture

Tokyo 182 Mr Yusho ARUGA Chairman Japan Co-ordinating Committee for MAB Tokyo University of Fisheries Konan-4, Minato-ku Tokyo 108

MrMakotoFUJIwARA First Secremy Permanent Delegate of Japan to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris C&x 15

2-18-7 Wakaba, Chofu

JORDAN/JORDANIE MrKhalafAL-oKLAH Chief of Nature Conservation Division Ministry of Municipality, Rural Affairs and the Environment P.O. Box 1799 Amman Tel.: 962 6 672 1 3 W 3 Fax: 962 6 672 135

MEXICOIMEXIQUE Sr. G o d o HALFFTER Director General, Instituto de Ecologia

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Apartado 63 91000 Xalapa, Veracruz

Minism Maria Cristi~ DE LA GAFUA Delegado Permanente Altemo de Mexico ante la UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Park Cedex 15

Sr. Jod M. CIUEVAS Tercer Secretario. DelegaciQ Permanente de Mexico ante la UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

OMAN Dr Sadiq Bin Abdel Hussein AL-MUSCATI Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Environment Supervisor General - Planning & Follow-up P.O. Box 323 Muscat

PHILIPPINES H.E. Ms Rosario G. MANALO Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the Philippines to UNESCO 1. rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 Ms Deanne ONGPIN-RECTO Attache, Permanent Delegation of the Philippines to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 Mlle Evangeline ONG-JIMENEZ Assistant Permanent Delegation of the Philippines to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 Mlle Maria Teresa MALIGAYA Assistant, Permanent Delegation of the Philippines to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

POLANDlPOLOGNE Ms Alicja BREYMEYER MAB National Committee of Poland Chairman of National Committee Institute of Geography Pas Krakowskie Przedmiescie 30 00927 Warsaw

PClRTUGAL Ms Maria Manuela d’ORNELAS VASCONCELOS Wlkgation Permanente du Portugal au@s de I’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

SF 4EGAL M. Boubacar TRAORE Charge d’etudes la Wltgation aux Affaires scientifiques et techniques Minis& s6n6ggalaiS de la Modernisation de 1’Etat et de la Technologie Coordonnateur national du Comid du MAB BP. 218,23, rue Calmette Dakar MI Amadou DEME Wl6@ permanent adjoint a@ de 1’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

SPAlNlESPAGNE Sr. Tom& AZCAFUTE Y BANG Presidente Comitk Nacional EspaAol del MAB Dkecci6n General de Politica Ambiental M OR Paseo de la Castellana, 67 28071 Madrid Sr. Javier CASTROVIEJO BOLIBAR Vice-Presidente de Relaciones Internacionales ’ stacih Biol6gica de DoAana 1 abell6n del Peni AV. de Maria Luisa s/n 41013 Sevilla Sr. Emilio FERNANTXZGALIANO Coordinador del Comid Nacional Espaflol del MAE5 Facultad de Biologia 28040Madrid

Sr. h 6 n FOLCH Secrerario General Comid Nacional EspaAol del h4AB Casanova 142, aco 2 08036 Barcelona

Sra. Cristina HEFWERO MOLINO Secretaria Ejecutiva del Comid Nacional EspaAol del MAB Direcci6n General de Politica Ambiental, MOPT Paseo de la Castellana, 67.4 planta 28071 Madrid

Sr. Manuel Pkrez DEL ARC0 De!, d o Permanente Adjunto de Espaila

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ante la UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

Sr. Juan Antonio MENENDEZ-PIDAL Consejero de Educaci6n y Ciencia Delegaci6n Perrnanente de EspaAa ante la UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

UG ANDNOUG AND A Mr Seraphine SUMBA Member of the MAB National Committee Uganda National Parks P.O. Box 3530 Kampala

VENEZUELA Sra. Esther ESSAYAG Funcionario a cargo de 10s Asuntos de Ciencia y Tecnologia Delegaci6n Permanente de Venezuela ante la UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

Sr. JOE& SAN JOSE Director International Center for Tropical Ecology

Apartado 2 1827 Caracas lO2OA Tel.: Fax: Telex: IVICSAS 21338 sra. cristina PARD0 Agregado Ambienta Misi6n de Venezuela-Ginebra 18A Chemin Franpis Lehmann 1218 Grand Saconnex CH Genbve, Suisse

(CIET/UNESCO - IVIC)

58 2 501 11 97 58 2 571 31 43

Tel.: Fax:

41 22 798 26 21m 41 22 798 58 77

ZAIRE M. Nsongabyele EASE ey’AMBA Seaetaire Gth5ral a 1’Environnement Msident. Comit6 national du MAB B.P. 12348 Kinshasa 1

Dr m a Mbaelele MANKOTO Pdsident Directeur G6n6ral Institut zdirois pour la conservation de la nature B.P. 868 Kinshasa 1

M. Nantola Leon NTONDO LUMUKA Directeur de la Programmation et des Relations Internationales M. Munzemba MPEMBELE S&taire du Cornit6 National du MAB B.P. 12348 Kinshasa 1 M. Ntondo KLAZAMBA Sm6taire du Secr6taire G6n6ral M. Simon SIVI DlA YAMBA Institut zdirois pour la conservation de la nature Directern des services g6n6raux B.P. 868 Kinshasa 1

M. Kunkemba NZAU Administrateur-Directem B I’IZCN B.P. 868 Kinshasa 1 M. Tshamala MULAMBA professeur B.P. 562 Kinshasa 1

OBERSERVERSlOBSERVATEURS UNESCO MEMBER STATESlETATS MEMBRES DE L’UNESCO

AUSTRALINAUSTRALIE Mr Ian ANDERSON Member of the Secretariat of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO Deparunent of Foreign Affairs and Trade Parks, A.C.T. 2600

AUSTRINAUTRICHE Professor Dr Friedrich EHRENDORFER Institut fiir Botanik der Universiat Wien Chairman, MAB Nalional Committee Rennweg. 14 A- 1030 Wien

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BELARUS Academician SUSHCHENYA President of the Academy of Sciences 66 Fr. Skorina AV. Minsk 220072 Ms Galina FILIMONOVA Assistant to the President Belarus Academy of Sciences 66 Fr. Skorina AV. Minsk 220072

BELGIUWBELGIQUE M. Jean LEJOLY Professeur A l’Universit6 de Bruxelles Avenue F. Roosevelt 50 CP 169 B-1050 Bruxelles

M. Geert RAEYMAEKERS Ecosystems Ltd Scientific Officer Beckers Straat 11 B-1040 Bruxelles

BELIZE M. I’Ambassadeur Bassam FREIHA Ambassadeur exmrdinaire et plCnipotentiare MMguC permanent du BClize aup& de 1’UNESCO Maison de I’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 77325 Paris Cedex 15 Ms Mireille CAILBAULT BlCgation Permanente du Belize au@s de I’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

CAMEROONXAMEROUN M. Innocent MEUTCHEYE MlCgd Permanent adjoint du Cameroun aupr2s de I’UNESCO 72, rue d’Auteuil 75016 Paris

CHlLllCHlLE Sr. Sigisfredo MONSALVE Ministro Consejero Encargado de Negocios ai. Delegaci6n Permanente de Chile ante la UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

Sr. Rad SANHUEZA Secretario, Delegaci6n Permanente de Chile ante la UNESCO 1. rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

COLOMBINCOLOMBIE Sm. Gloria Pach6n de GALAN Ambassador Permanente Delegixi6n de Colombia ante la UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

Sr. Juan DE DIOS MIRANDA Segundo Secretario Delegaci6n de Colombia ante la UNESCO 1. rue Mollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

COTE d’lVOIRE M. Etienne MEZANEZO Conseiller h la DtXgation Pennanente de la C6te d’Ivoire aupr&s de I’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

EGYPT/EGYPTE Dr Mohamed Abdel Gawad AYYAD

Faculty of Science Alexandria Univelsity. Moharram Bey Chairman of theEgyptian MAB National Cornminee Alexandria

Prof. Samir I. GHABBOUR Professor of Natd Resources Institute of African Research and Studies Cairo University Member of the Egyptian MAB National Committee 12613 Giza (Cairo) Prof. Ahmed Ibrahim NAGUIB Executive Director INOGE c/o ASRT P.O. Box 43 11516 Cairo Tel.: (00202) 355 37 27 Fax: (00202) 356 28 U) Telex: 93069 ASRT UN Cable: ACASCIT, CAIRO

Professor of Plant Ecology

FlNLANDlFlNLANDE

Secrerary, MAB Northern Sciences Network Arctic Centre

MS Anna-Lii~a SIPKILA

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P.O. Box 122 96101 Rovaniemi

de la M6ditemk 16, Bd de Suisse MC-98ooo M O ~ ~ C O

GREECUGRECE Mr Fotis CHAlZIMIKES President of the Hellenic MAB National Committee Marathonodromon 5 1, P. Psyhico Athens 154-52 W Georges AVGOUSTIS First Secretary, Greek Embassy Permanent Delegation of Greece to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732ParisCedex15

ITALY /lTALl E M. Gianfranco MERLI Consiglio Nazionale delle Riwrche (CNR) Autorita’ dell’ Adriatic0 Roma

KOREA (Democratlc People’s Republlc of) COREE (Republlque Populalre OBmocratrque de) Mr Deuk Seun RI Deuxibme SecrCtaire de la Mltgation Permanente de la R.P.D. de Cor& sues de L’UNESCO 104, Bd Gimeau 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France

MADAGASCAR M. Guy Suzon RAMANGASON Coordonnateur du Programme Environnement uNEsco/PNuD B.P. 1348 PNUD 101 Tananarive

MmeMariaANDRIANTSIFERANA Directeur GtnCral du Centre National de recherche sur l’environnement

M m e Robertine RAONIMAHARY IXlCguC Permanent Adjoint Ambassade de Madagascar 4, avenue Raphael 75016 Paris

M. Ravaornalala RASOANAIVO Conseiller, NlCgation Permanente de Madagascar auprks de 1’UNESCO 4, Avenue Raph&l 75016 Paris

MONACO Professeur FrMric BRIAND Directeur GCnkral, Commission intemationale pour I’Exploratim scientifique

N AMIBI NNAMIBI E Mr Pandulensi SHlNGENGE Counsellor, Embassy of Namibia 32. rue de la Bienfaisance 75008 Paris

NIGERIA Mr Oladejo ADELJZYE Senior Councellor, Natural Sciences Permanent Delegation of Nigeria to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

NORWAY/NORVEGE Professor Nils Christian STENSETH Chairman, The Norwegian MAB National Committee Department of Biology University of Oslo P.O. Box 1050, Blindern N-0136 Oslo

PERU/PEROU Srta. Ana Rosa VALDIVESO Tercera Secretaria de la Delegacicjn Permanente del Peni ante la UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 Dr Julio RUIZ MURRIETA Profesor, Instituto de Investigaciones de laAmazoniaPeruana Calle Morona 559 Iquitos

QATAR

Doyen, Facult15 des sciences UniversitC du Qatar Qatar Mr Ahmed OSMAN NlCgation du Qatar auprh de L’UNESCO 1 rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

Dr Ibrahim AL-NOM

RUSSIAN FEDERATION/ FEDERATION DE RUSSlE Academician Vladimir SOKOLOV Chairman, MAB National Committee Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 117071 Moscow

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Dr Valery NERONOV DeputyChairman, MAB National Committee 13, Fersman Street 117312 Moscow Mr Dmitry TSVETKOV Assistant Secretary-General Russian National Commission for UNESCO 9, Prospekt Kalinina MOSCOW G-19 Mr Gregory ORDJONWDZE Second Secretary Permanent Delegation of Russia to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 Ms Svetlana SOKOLOVA Scientist, Main Botanical Garden 33, Leninsky Prospect MOSCOW

SIERRA LEONE Professor N.H.A. COLE Botany Department Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone Freetown

SLOVAK REPUBLIC/ REPUBLIQUE SLOVAQUE Mr Juraj HOLCIK Institute of Zoology and Ecozoology Slovak Academy of Sciences Vice-chairman of the former MAB National Committee in Czechoslov~ MAnesovo rdm. 2 851 01 Bratislava

SWED ENlSU EDE Dr Uno SVEDIN Executive Secretary, Swedish MAB National Committee Head of Division Swedish Council for Planning and

Coordination of Research (FRN) Box 6710

Professor Mats SONESSON Biosphere Manager Swedish Academy of Sciences P.O. Box 50005 S- 10504 Stockholm

S-11385 Stockh~lm

SYRIA (ARAB REPUBLIC OF)/ SYRlE (REPUBLIQUE ARABE DE) M. Abdel Karim SAOUD Dc!l6& Permanent de la Rkpublique arabe de Syrie aup&s de I’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

THAI LAND/lH AI LAND E Ms Srinoi POVATONG Dc!lC& Permanent Adjoint IXlt5gation Pennanente de la Thailande au@s de I’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

TOGO M. Kwame OKOUA Conseiller ii la mlkgation permanente du Togo auprks de I’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Park Cedex 15

TUNIS1 A/TUNISIE Professor Ezzahne MAKI-LOUF 49, rue M. Klibi Tunis. El Manx LT

UKRAINE Mr Alexander DEMIANIUK First Secretary of the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

OBSERVERSlOBSERVATEURS (NON MEMBER STATES OF UNESCOlETATS NON MEMBRES DE L’UNESCO)

UNITED KINGDOMIROYAUME-UN1 Professor M.G. MORRIS Secretary, UIK MAB National Committee Natural Environment Research Council

Institute of Terrestrial Ecology Furzebrook Research Station Wareham, Dorset BH20 5AS

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA/ ETATS UNlS D'AMERIQUE Mr Michael RUGGIERO National Park Service P.O. Box 37127 Washington D.C. 20013

Mr Roger SOLES US MAB National Committee Executive Director OES/EGC/MAB, US Department State Washington D.C. 20520

OBSERVERSlOBSERVATEURS (PERMANENT MISSIONS/MISSIONS PERMANENTES)

PALESTINE M. Awad HAYHLEF Observateur Permanent Adjoint

1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15

(INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS/ ORGANISATIONS INTERN ATIONALES NON-GOUVERNEMENTALES)

SCIENTIFIC COMMlllEE O N PROBLEMS OF THE ENVIRONMENT (SCOPE) Ms V6ronique PLOCQ-FICHELET Executive Director 5 1, Bd de Montmorency 75016 Paris FRANCE

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (I U BS) Mr Talal YOUNES Executive Director 5 1, Bd de Montmorency 75016 Paris FRANCE

Mr Kuswata KARTAWINATA Senior Programme Officer MacArthur Foundation 140 South Dearborn Street Suite 1100 Chicago, Illinois 60603-5285 U.S.A. Tel.: Fax:

1 (312) 726 80 00 1 (312) 917 03 34

INSULA Mr Pierre AYALA c/o Division of Ecological Sciences UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Pais Cedex 15 FRANCE Fax: (33.1) 40 65 98 97 Ms Meriem BOUAMRANE c/o Division of Ecological Sciences UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 FRANCE Fax: (33.1) 40 65 98 97

OTHERSlAUTRES

Ms Dalh MAIMON UNESCOKomrnittee for the Follow-up to UNCED Rua Barao da Torre 269/301 Ipanema Rio de Janeiro BRAZIL

MI Rolant EVE CFS DGXI B2

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3bis. rue des Remises 94100 Saint Maur des Fosds FRANCE Mr RenC DELPECH President, G.E.R.E.P. 1, rue Henriette 92140 Clamart FRANCE

Mr Claude SASTRE Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle 16, rue Buffon 75005 Paris FRANCE Mr Olivier CROS Groupe Universitaire pour 1’Ecologie (GUEPE) UniversitC Montpellier II Place E.Bataillon

324095 Montpellier C&x FRANCE Ms Genevikve VERNIER Pays-Association Frampise des Ingtnieurs Ecologues Administrateur Chargt de la Mission Emplois Environnement 7, Villa des Gobelins 75013 Paris FRANCE Mr Ahmed DERRADn alegation Permanente de I’Organisation Arabe pour I’Education, la Culture et la Science “ALECSO” auprb de I’UNESCO ReprCsentant de I’ALECSO aup&s de I’UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 FRANCE

UNESCO SECRETARlATlSECRETARIAT DE L’UNESCO

Mr Federico MAYOR, Director-General Mr Adran BADRAN, Assistant Director-General for Science

Mr Albedo PINILLA, Chief, Unit of Co-ordination and Evaluation

Mr M. SKOURI Secretary a.i., International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Director a.i., Division of Ecological Sciences

DIVISION OF ECOLOGICAL SCIENCES/ DIVISION DES SCIENCES ECOLOGIOUES Programme Speclallsts: Ms M. BAGANZICAHA Mr J. CELECIA Mr M. HADLEY MrQ. HAN Mr D. KABALA Ms J. ROBERTSON Mr V. SAVCHENKO Mr T. SCHAAF Assoclate Experts: ~r M. CLUSENJZR-GODT Mr P. DOGSE

Mr Govert VISSER (ROSTAS) MsEWILLARD Secretarles: Ms C. BUCHAN Ms J. DRABER Ms I. FABBRI Ms A. REMOLTGAUTHIER Ms C. RELLAND Ms S. LACROIX conferencemcer: Mr Mokhtar ABIDI Consultants: Mr Fr&%ric FOURNIER Ms Alison SEMPLE Mr Dana SILK

BUREAU OF THE CO-ORDINATOR FOR THE ENVIRONMENT/ BUREAU DE COORDINATION PROGRAMME D’ENVIRONNEMENT Mr Gisbert GLASER, Director Ms J. DAMLAMIAN, Programme Specialist

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A N N E X 2 REPORT BY THE ACTING SECRETARY OF THE M A B COUNCIL

President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

O n behalf of myself and all m y colleagues, the mem- bers of the Secretariat, I have the pleasure to welcome you and to thank so many of you for coming to attend this 12th Session of the International Co-ordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB). These thanks are not only addressed to the rep resentatives appointed as members of this Council by the mandate of the UNESCO General Conference, but also to all those participants and observers delegated by their National Committees, by their governments or institutions.

I have the special pleasure of thanking h4n Mun- hoz, President of the outgoing Bureau of our Council, who regrets not having been able to be with us today, as well as to all her colleagues as members of the Bureau, for all the help and understanding they have given us throughout their mandate over more than two years. I am also persuaded that the new Bureau that you have just elected will not fail to bring to the Secretariat all the support needed and will scrupulously oversee that the recommendations which are adopted during this session are put into practice.

In expressing m y warm congratulations to the President and members of this Bureau, I can assure you that the Secretariat will spare no effort to continue the co-operative relations with the Bureau which have been very fruitful and friendly in the past. Lades and Gentlemen, As the preceding speakers, particularly the Director- General of UNESCO, have already reminded us, this session of our Council has particular importance as it follows the United Nations Conference on Environ- ment and Development (UNCED), which mkplace in Rio (Brazil) last June. This conference, the preparation of which mobilized the international community for over two years, resulted in an action plan and new legal instruments adopted by political authorities at the hig- hest level. This plan of action or Agenda 21 does not fix the roles of the diverse actors involved and guamn- tees no precise financial means, but it has the merit of outlining clearly the framework and current and future

priorities for development and environmental protec- tion on the level of our planet as a whole.

It goes without saying that the MAB Programme, which has worked continuously in these fields for more than twenty years, cannot ignore the conclusions and recommendations of such a conference, and in the light of the results of this conference and its own experience, it should define the ‘niches’ which the programme should occupy during future years so that it can con- tinue to play a role fitting its vocation and objectives.

Within this context lies, in m y opinion, the main issue at stake in this MAB Council meeting. In sum, the location of MAB must be clearly defined with re- spect to the different international initiatives which aim to provide scientific responses to the challenges of en- vironment and development with which humanity has to deal at the end of this millenium and the beginning of the next.

It was to deepen and enrich thinking on these challenges that we have taken the initiative of organiz- ing, during this Council session, an international sym- posium on integrating conservation, research and development. Is not this integration the basis of the conceptual framework of the h4AB Programme and its methodological approach?

In this respect, I would like to offer, in your name, m y warmest thanks to all those who have ac- cepted to participate in this symposium to offer us the fruits of their thinking and to enrich our discussions. I am also pleased to be able to inform you that an inter- national film festival, ‘Gardeners of the Earth: audio- visual in the service of Agenda 21’. will be taking place simultaneously in rooms nearby. This event emphas- izes the interest of UNESCO as a whole in the domain of public information and modem communication techniques.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have no intention of anticipating your discussions here, nor of starting the discussion of the future orien- tation of MAB. At this stage I will just limit myself to providing some information on the activities of the

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Secretariat since the last Council session and on the means used to carry out these activities.

I would like to remind you, if I may, that detailed information on these activities is given in four issues (15.16, 17,18) of our information bulletin, InfoMAB, which were published in 1991 and 1992.

You will certainly remember that during the 11th session held in Paris in November 1990. OUT Council recommended that the efforts of the Secretariat should be concentrated on the following three areas:

reinforcing the international biosphere reserve network, consolidating the regional and international research networks, continuing efforts in communication and dif- fusion of information.

As concerns the biosphere reserves, it should be re- membered that, following the recommendations of the Council on the proposition of its Bureau, the UNESCO General Conference adopted, during its 26th session in October/November 1991, a resolution bearing in part on the establishment of a consultative committee for the biosphere reserves, and also on the preparation of a preliminary technical and legal study on the possibility of the General Conference adopting a recommendation on these reserves.

The statutes of this Consultative Committee were adopted on the November 8. 1991 by the Executive Board of UNESCO during its 138th session. The Com- mittee was constituted by the DirectorGeneral and held its first meeting from 27 to 29 April 1992. in Paris. under the chair of h4r G o d o W t e r .

The report of this important meeting is included in the working documents which are being presented to you during the present session.

As regards the preliminary study mentioned above, we have had to postpone it, while awaiting final- ization of the Convention on biological diversity which was being prepared. As this was signed at the Rio Con- ference, we can now rapidly relaunch this study, taking into account the implications of this convention and the specific objectives of MAB.

In addtion, a recommendation specifically on the biosphere reserves was adopted during the 4th IUCN Parks Congress on National Parks and Protected Areas, which took place in Caracas (Venezuela) fkom 10 to 21 February 1992.

W e should also mention that during 1991 and 1992 a total of 18 proposed new biosphere reserves were approved, which brings the grand total number of sites included in the international network to 311, dis- tributed among 8 1 countries.

Efforts are being made to reinforce the intema- tional network and the regional sub-networks and to de- velop activities in a large number of reserves. Several

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regional or international meetings were dedicated to the biosphere reserves as we have tried to concentrate ef- forts, as far as the search for extra-budgetary funds is concerned, on sites which already belong to the intema- tional biosphere reserve network or on other sites which may form part of it in the future (for example, Mananara-Nord in Madagascar, Boucle du BaoulC in Mali. Monts Nimba in Guinea).

Approximately half the funds from the regular programme were used for activities focused on the bio- sphere reserves, if w e include the MAB young scien- tists awards where the priority was given to work carried out in these sites.

Otherwise, w e hope to be able to benefit from the new financing mechanism, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) to finance a growing number of national projects centred around the biosphere reserves as well as regional and global projects aimed to reinforce the international network. Thus, w e have recently sub- mitted to UNDP a Pre-investment feasibility project (PRIF) which concerns in part, the participation of local popularions in all the biosphere reserves in Latin America and, also. study at the global scale of biodiver- sity in pasture ecosystems, in liaison with the Diversi- tas project launched jointly by UNESCO, IUBS and SCOPE. More detailed information on this project will be provided to you during the presentation of point 7 on OUT agenda.

The Secretariat greatly appreciatcd and fol- lowed with interest the initiatives taken by many National Committees for proceeding to a deeper analysis of activities and functioning of their na- tional biospkxc Teserve networks. I would particu- larly like to mention the National Committees of Argentina, Australia, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United Stares.

The results of such analyses show the consider- able potential offered by the biosphere reserves for re- search, training, education and monitoring the state of the mud and sociocultural environment, and they confirm the relevance of the concept of biosphere reser- ves as an appropriate framework for tackling various aspects of and interixtions between environment and development.

W e hope that many other countries will do the same so that they can better strengthen their national networks and contribute effectively to the development of the international biosphere reserve network. Ladies and Gentlemen, After this fairly detailed overview of questions related to the biosphere reserves, I will now pass to other net- works established in the MAB framework. You will re- member that during the last session of the Council, a

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detailed report on the stale of these networks way presenkd. The situation has changcd little since.

Generally speaking, one could say that: 1. The decentralized networks, such as the

Northern Science Network, the land/inland- water ecotone network, or to some extent, the TSBF network (tropical soil fertility and biol- ogy) and the network on the changes in land use in Europe, functioned normally in 1991 and 1992.

In effect. these networks held periodic meetings and have scientific committees and, in some cases (NSN and ecotones) produce information bulletins on the progress made in their activities.

Unfortunately, most of these networks, ex- cepting those covered by extrabudgetary pro- jects. such as the Sahel network, are not able to function normally due to the lack of means that the Secretariat and the National Commit- tees involved have at their disposition. N e w initiatives were undertaken with the aim of reinforcing or enlarging the existing net- works: for example, the arid zones network with the Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (Sahara and Sahel Observatory) or the Ama- zon network on tropical humid forests with the Association of Amazonian Universities (UNAMAZ) .

Of course, I will not forget EuroMAB, which repre- sents an excellent example of regional co-operation and whose networks function in a quasi-autonomous way with a minimum of support from the Secretariat.

I would like to thank and congratulate the differ- ent National Committees who have not ceased to en- sure that these networks work well and to take initiatives that involve and interest other regions.

This brings m e to a few comments on certain practical aspects that condition the way the programme is put into practice and its future orientation.

I will raise both questions related to personnel and related to financial resources.

As far as personnel is concerned, the creation of the World Heritage Centre last April had severe reper- cussions. The Director of the Division, two Programme Specialists, one Associate Expert, three secretaries and one clerk have joined the new centre auached to the Directorate-General. While recognizing that apart from the Director and his secretary, these personnel were already largely working for the World Heritage Convention, we should emphasize that this transfer has deprived us of some personnel and expertise and has led us to alter the distribution of tasks in the Division, which has created considerable extra work for certain colleagues.

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Additionally, the post of specialist for the pro- gramme on island3 and comtal regions was abolished from August 1992, following the retirement of its in- cumbent.

On the other hand, the post of Director and a post for a Specialist in Economics applied to Ecology have been opened for recruitment W e are assured that these two posts will be filled shortly. In addition, since a few months ago, a French Associate Expert has been put at the disposition of the Division of Ecological Sciences.

Of course, we will continue to explore the possi- bilities for recruiting Associate Experts and for second- ments from countries, at least so a3 to maintain our current potential, in Headquarters as well as in the Re- gional Offices whose sihlation is largely unchanged, which is to say that they are still in a critical state, to such an extent that some are not in a position to take on certain activities which it would be desirable to decen- tralize.

As far as the budgetary situation is concerned, the budget approved for MAB in the UNESCO Regu- lar Programme for the biennium 1992-1993 has risen to US $2,602,200, of which US $1,816,500 is desig- nated for Headquarters and US $885,700 for the Re-

Although the funds allocated in 1992 roughly correspond to the initial previsions, the same will not be true for 1993, because of budgetary restrictions and the draconian austerity measures taken by the Execu- tive Council during its last session.

These restrictions and measures have led to a re- duction of approximately 60% in the Regular Pro- gramme funds. This will force us to suspend or defer a large proportion of the activities envisaged for 1993. W e continue to hope that these measures will be tem- porary in nature and that solutions, at least partial, can be found during this year.

It should be emphasized that the limitation in fin- ancial resources from the regular programme has spurred us on to seek extrabudgetary funding. W e have, currently, 16 extrabudgetary projects, which total over US $7,5 million in 1992, notably in Africa.

W e regret that several of these projects are na- tional projects, that is to say that they involve only a single country. This is not the result of a delibcrate choice by the Secretariat, but rather reflects the wishes of the countries concerned and the possibilities for ob- taining extrabudgetary funding. W e would prefer to have more regional or global projects enabling the strengthening of networks and the development of priority programmes in different biogeographic re- gions.

However, these extrabudgetary projects enable us to develop concrete actions in the field and to re- spond better to h e needs of the countries concerned.

gional offices.

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Equally, they contribute to strengthening the oper- ational character of MAB and increase its visibility.

Evidently, we have always seen these national projects as pilot projects, whose interest and impact surpass the boundaries of the single country directly concerned. This is the case, for example, for the pro- jects undertaken in Madagascar with the help of the UNDP and Germany, where the accent is placed on the practical application of the multiple functions linked to the concept of the biosphere reserve (conservation of natural ecosystems. integrated rural development ac- tions, continual monitoring of the state of the environ- ment, training and raising awareness at different levels).

Beside these national projects, w e have several regional or interregional projects that contribute effec- tively to strengthening our networks. I cite especially:

the project on building the scientific capacities of the Sahelian countries in the agro-sylvo- pastoral domain, which involves the 9 M e m - ber States of the C E S S , financed by Germany; the project on the management of tropical humid forest, which involves several countries in Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua N e w Gui- nea), in Latin America (the Amazon region: Brazil, Bolivia and Peru) and in Africa (Mada- gascar), financed by Germany.

In addition to the classic funding sources (UNDP, Funds-in-Trust), w e are currently exploring the new financing mechanisms such as the GEF and possi- bili ties offered by private foundations.

I take advantage of this occasion to offer m y war- mest thanks to countries such as Germany, Denmark, Japan, Norway and Switzerland who have contributed to financing our operational projects and who, I hope. will continue with others, to give us their support. Ladies and Gentlemen. To conclude this overview of the activities carried out by the Secretariat and on the means deployed during the two years that have passed since the last session of your Council, I would just like to give you some indica- tions of the efforts made in communication and diffu- sion of information during 1991-1992:

In addition to the four issues of InfoMAB (15, 16, 17, IS), four volumes were published in the MAB Book series and five in the MAB Di- gest series. Two supplementary volumes in each of these series are in press. Contributions to elaborating the ‘UNESCO briefs’, particularly the brochures directly concerning MAB (the Diversitas project, the leaflet on MAB itself) which were prepared by the co-ordinating bureau for the environment programmes at UNCED. The production, in co-operation with Conser-

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vation International, of a video-cassette on the biosphere reserves in the tropics of Latin America, which were broadcast by Brazilian television and given to all the delegations dur- ing the Rio Conference, and will be presented during this session. Publication of numerous reports relating to important meetings and operational projects.

In the showcases set up in the hall, you will find a sample of various documents produced, and you can also see the UNESCO exhibition which was presented at UNCED, as well as many posters presented by the MAB Comminees of Germany, Spain and other coun- tries whom I thank warmly.

On another level, I have the pleasure to inform you that the Sultan Qaboos Prize for Preservation of the Environment. whose establishment was announced in the last Council session, was awarded for the first time in November 1991, during the last UNESCO General Conference. This Prize was given to the Mexican In- stitute of Ecology for its remarkable contribution to putting the biosphere reserve concept into practice.

I wished to tell you about this award, because, a prize of this kind, which will be awarded regularly every two years, contributes among other things, to in- creasing the visibility of MAB and because its jury is constituted by the Bureau of your Council.

This prize is witness not only to the attention His Majesty Sultan Qaboos pays to the problems of the en- vironment in his own country, but also his interest for the actions of UNESCO in this domain.

W e are very grateful to him.

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Ladies and Gentlemen,

Given that you are going to examine in detail the sub- stantive questions related to the future orientation of the programme, I will limit myself to making a few re- marks on certain aspects of future planning and the conditions needed for making the programme oper- ational over the coming years:

A s you know, the 27th session of the UNES- CO General Conference will take place next November and will have to examine and ap- prove the programme and budget for the bien- nium 1994-1995. It is important that your delegations offer their support at this session for the propositions concerning M A B . They have been elaborated on the basis of the rec- ommendations of your last session and taking into account the implications of the conclu- sions and recommendations of UNCED. Given that this biennium (1994-1995) is the last biennium covered by the 4th Medium- Term Plan, the accent has been placed on fin-

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ishing current activities and projects and the preparation of the 5th Medium-Term Plan which will begin in 1996. The latter will be in- spired by the orientations and priorities which are defined during the present session, which is why this session is particularly important. W e need to remember that the choice of priorities is a problem which is difficult to re- solve for a complex programme such as MAB, because of the breadth of its field of action and the diverse focuses of interest of its different partners. The Secretariat has always tried, not without some difficulties, to find the best possible compromise between what is desir- able and what is feasible, taking account of the means available in reality in the framework of the regular programme budget and those that can be mobilized through extra-budgetary funds. This necessity is even more imperative in this lean period.

Ths is why it Seems essential to m e that the €’re gramme should keep a great deal of flexibility, so that each country can adapt its contribution to its priorities,

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with the support of a ‘common trunk’ which it is for us to define together on the occasion of a session such as this, building on the propositions already adopted by the Executive Council concerning the follow-up to Rio, and profiting from the experience of the past and keeping in mind a clear and realistic vision of the fu- ture outlook. All this was taken into account by the Bureau during the meeting held last November for pre- paring the present session.

It will doubtless not escape you that w e are, due to many factors, in a phase of transition, but I am sure that this offers us an opportunity for the relaunch and renewal of our programme. I can equally assure you that the Secretariat, which has constantly demonstrated its loyalty and sense of responsibility, will spare no ef- fort to continue to tackle the difficulties inherent in such a transitional phase.

Being persuaded that your propositions during the discussions which will take place during the week will not fail to enrich our reflections and to encourage the Secretariat to continue its efforts, I have the plea- sure to reiterate my wishes of welcome and to thank you for your help and your support.

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A N N E X 3 FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

OF M A B (1996-2001)

The MAB Council recognized that the present set of MAB research activities should be completed by 1995 at the latest. MAB seeks answers for improving the linkages between people and the biosphere. From the conceptual and programmatic point of view, MAB, in dealing with land use systems, should concentrate on three major areas of action concerning humanlund’s re- lations with nature: (a) the conservation and monitoring of biodiver-

sty and ecosystem processes; (b) the sustainable management of natural resour-

ces at the ecosystem and landscape levels; (c) the integration of the socio-cultural and ethi-

cal dimensions in land development. As from the 12th session of the Council, the MAB pro- gramme should consist of four complementary priority themes with a fifth collaborative theme. The activities under these priority themes would build upon past MAB experience and would use as far as possible the international biosphere reserve network. The priority themes areas respond to five of the main concerns of UNCED: biodiversity, sustainable development, infor- mation and education, capacity building and global change.

This annex presents the proposed set of activities for the four (plus one) priority themes areas of the pro- gramme in the first section, and activities for consoli- dating the international biosphere reserve network in the second section.

1. Prlorlty themes

1.1 Conserving Biological Diversity and Ecological Processes

The Convention on Biological Diversity was signed in Rio, without most people knowing what is meant by bi- ological diversity. There are many uncertainties sur- rounding biodiversity (e.g. How many species are

there? What arc the current rates of extinction?) and Agenda 21 specifically recognizes the need for more research.

Key scientific questions in need of answers in- clude: Do w e need all those species for the functioning of the biosphere? what is the role of biodiversity in ecosystem functioning, and therefore susrainability? What are the origins of biodiversity and how is bie diversity lost? Where and how quickly are we losing biodiversity? UNESCO’s role is to mobilize the scien- tifk community to help provide answers to such ques- tions and thus contribute to the scientific underpining for the Biodiversity Convention.

‘Diversltas’ The proposed strategy will be primarily through a joint initiative (Diversitus) of the International Union of Bi- ological Sciences (IUBS), the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) and UNESCO. Diversitas seeks to identify scientific issues and to pro- mote research on three themes: the ecosystem function of biodiversity; the origins, maintenance and loss of biodiversity; and the inventorying and monitoring of biodiversity. UNESCO’s principal responsibility within the collaborative programme lies in the third theme, and the estimation of the number of species and their distribution.

The work covers diversity in marine, coastal, freshwater and terrestrial environments and in terms of all living things, from whales to microbes. The project thus involves several programmes and units within UNESCO. The actual sites for study will be chosen from - but not limited to - a selected number of bio- sphere reserves in certain biomes, plus a selection of marine sites. This open pilot network will be used to conduct both intensive and extensive studies using agreed-upon protocols and sampling methods. The net- work could also provide a logistic support for monitor- ing other parameters and processes related to global change and close ties will be established with the evol- ving Global Terrestrial Observing System.

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'People and Plants' do provide 'geographic hubs' for examining the inter- Recording and utilizing traditional ecolog~cal knowl- edge of biological diversity, with particular reference to the plant resources of tropical regions. is an under- lying aim of 'People and Plants', a proposed sister in- itiative to Diversifus. People and Plants is a joint venture of the World Wild Fund for Nalure 0, UNESCO and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, work- ing with a range of local, national, regional and inter- national organizations. The initiative seeks to promote ethnobotany and the sustainable and quitable use of plant resources. Proposed activities include the prep aration of five methodological manuals, support to field studies and surveys, the elaboration of ethical gui- delines on plant collection, and training workshops on

play W e e n resource use conflicts and decision-mak- ing process at different scales of space and time.

Three main types of action are envisaged: "Laboraory regions" for land use planning and appropriate forms of sustainable development (what could also be called 'working models' of approaches to sustainable development); Comparative analyses of approaches and is- sues related to sustainable development in particular geographic or ecological regions, or types of physiographic units; Comparative field studies for designing sus- tainable ecological systems.

Fleld laboratories for sustainable development.

methods for inventorying plant mom& and assessing methods for the sustainable harvesting of plants. Field activities will include and build on work within se- lected biosphere reserves, World Heritage sites and WWF projects. More generally, People and Plants will contribute to evolving UNESCO's work on traditional ecological knowledge.

The aim of "laboratory regions" for sustainable devel- opment would be to test diverse approaches to environ- mentally sound socio-economic development in different regions of the world. These laboratories would apply a multidimensional approach to sustain- able development articulating

the inputs of a range of disciplines and com- petences,

Contributing to the Convention on Blologlcai Diversity

Technical contributions will be made to the servicing of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and particu- larly to inter-institutional projects promoted under the Convention (e.g. approaches to the valuation of biol- ogical diversity).

the involvement of a number of partners (from both private and governmental sectors) and mechanisms for cooperation among Member States.

Each laboratory would need to be of a certain size (not too small, not too large),.repsenting a unit of devel- opment (e.g. at least one hundred thousand hectares) where conflicts in resome use are both evident and in-

1.2 Exploring Approaches to Land Use Planning and Sustainable Management of Resources

Sustainability is a relative concept, with many different definitions, perceptions and dimensions. The concept has been much discussed, but rarely put to the test at the scale at which societies manage resources.

The concept of biosphere reserves offers one ap- proach to combining conservation, research and re- source use. Explicit in the concept are the notions of multiple functions, zoning land areas for Merent uses and testing cross-sectoral and participatory approaches to sustainable development in different ecological and socio-cultural settings. It is recognized that the conser- vation function has been the primary stimulus for the establishment of many biosphere reserves, and that many reserves may be too small to contribute sign6 cantly to teasing out dimensions of sustainable devel- opment. O n the other hand, a fair number of reserves

trinsic. Each regional unit would include at least one fairly large urban system, and provide for the analysis of the inteqlay of macroeconomic driving forces with local environments and cultures. Regional units would be considered as open systems and generally include a mix of structural and functional systems (e.g. forests, lakes, grazing lands, intensive agriculture, urban and industrial areas), within a.largeish geo-ecological re- gion represented by a medium-size river basin, coastal zone area, mountain region (with upland-lowland in- teractive systems), or island archipelago.

As in other types of laboratory, the functions of these "labomtory regions" for sustainable development would include testing and experiment, analysis and monitoring, mobilization of reagents and diffusion of results. The laboratories would generate new scientific information through research, make use of that infor- mation in decision-making and public education, an- ticipate conflicts in resource utilization, and seek new institutional and community partnerships. Laboratories would also play the role of observatories of both

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sudden and long term change due to natural extreme events and the interplay of macreeconomic forces with environmental and cultural setting.

Countries would be encouraged to set up or rein- force field laboratories, whenever possible based on biosphere reserves, which seek to develop both the con- ceptual frameworks and the operational means for lack- ling sharp resource use conflicts and for managing natural resources on a sustainable basis. Generic acti- vities within such multi-faceted laboralones and their component projects might include: elaboration and im- plementation of a blueprint for sustainable develop ment and integrated management; reinforcing participatory consultative processes and multi.wtoral implementation mechanisms; identifying opportunities for making better use of biolological diversity and traditional ecological systems and practiccs; rehabili- tating degraded land and water arms; improving tools and applying technologies; upgmhng human resources and capacities; communicating information for educa- tion and informed action.

Some project$ of this kind might be amenable to funding through such channels as the Global Environ- ment Facility (GEF). They could contribute to the test- ing of evolving concepts related to environmentally sound and sustainable development (e.g. the so-called ‘critical mass strategy’). Cooperative links would be sought with the Sustainable Biosphere Project of SCOPE.

By design and nature, such laboratories and pro- jects would act as a testhg ground for encouraging qualitative change in how institutions individually and collectively respond to the changing targets of environ- ment-development issues. Each laboratory would be distinct, but the ensemble would form a network and each would learn from others in the network. Collec- tively, they would influence policy making through shared experience.

Comparative analyses of fleld experience in approaching sustainable development

Approaches to sustainable development might valuably be compared within a particular geographic or ecologi- cal region or in respect to a particular type of physie graphic unit Special attention might be given to the interplay between resource use conflicts and decision- making processes, since it is thls interplay which lies at the heart of sustainable development- Whenever ad- vantageous, biosphere reserves could be used as the geographic hubs for examining and comparing susrai- nability at the scales at which societies manage resour- ces.

For example, one comparative analysis study might focus on ‘Reconciling resource use conflicts in

coaqtal zone areas’. Adozen or so case studies could be analysed (sponsored where appropriate by MAB Na- tional Committees) using an agreed methodology. Examples of case studies with biosphere reserves as geographic hubs might include: Camargue. Central California Coast, Costero del Sur, Doiiana, Everglades, Ichkeul, Malindi-Watamu, Mananara-Nor& Mata At- lantica, North Norfolk Coast, Puerto Galera, Sian Ka’an, Waddensea. etc. As an ensemble, the case studies would highlight a range of resource use con- nice with the underlying decision-making processes affecting sustainable development in coastal zone areas (e.g. conflicts in the use of water resources, reconciling tourism and conservation, tensions between agricultu- ral and industrial development, etc.). The case studies would al.m describe different approaches for taking stock of the present sitdon, assessing past trends, monitoring and forecasting change, promoting research on environment-development issues, etc.

Case studies could be presented and compared at an international workshop, whose results and conclu- sions would be communicated in multi-media form, for different audiences. A series of annual workshops might be envisaged, each one focusing on a different geographic or ecological region or physiographic unit (e.g. arid zones, mountain regions, river basins, forested regions, coastal zones). Different partnerships would be sought for each workshop/comparative study (e.g. with the International Hydrological Programme for comparisons of middle shed river basins).

Comparative field studles for designing sustainable ecologlcal systems

Comparative studies within regional and interregional networks provide one approach to applying a multi- dimensional approach to sustainable development. Such ‘networked studies’ might be planned and shaped by the criteria for comparative studies approved by the MAJ3 Council at its eighth and ninth sessions. They de- pend for their realization on considerable commitments by participating countries, research institutions, and funding M e s . Issues addressed in recent and ongoing studies of this kind include agro-sylvo-pastoral devel- opment in the Sahel, the role of landhnland water SO- tones in landscape restoration and management, the biological management of tropical soil fertility, rural land use dynamics in Europe, responses of Savannas to stress and disturbance.

There are many possibilities for networked field studio focused on various aspects of resource use and land management. One type of projects would combine a particular topical and regional focus, and would cut across several existing programmes and divisions with- in UNESCO as well as entailing inputs from a range of

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institutions at the national level. This programme area could incorporate activities contributing to new UN- ESCO initialives on cities and collaborative pro- grammes of regional MAB groupings such as EuroMAB. In more general terms, the feasibility and practicabilily of comparative studies would depend on partnership arrangements with other bodies able to m e bilize the financial and human resources needed for ef- fective projects.

1.3 Formulating and Communicating Policy Information on Sustainable Resource Management and Promoting Environmentally Sound Behaviour

An informed and literate population as regards envi- ronment and development issues is a sine qua non of a democratic society. The sensible management of our planet will only begin when a large majority of public opinion overwhelmingly demands it

The last decade or so has seen a fair amount of success in raising environment awareness, through for- mal and non-formal education. Attention now needs to be given to the nature and credibility of the message, and to the diversification and reproducibility of that message.

The starting point is the timely and effective communication of ‘disinterested‘ informalion provided by scientific research - information that all too often is either inaccessible or is communicated in a biased and prejudiced way. The basic philosophy is the three ‘Ps’. Take a given set of scientific Products, Package it for different users, and Peddle it through multi-media.

To do this effectively, w e need to bring together three main groups of people - from business and indus- try, science and resource management (e.g. farming), and communication and education. The first group brings finance and entrepreneural know-how, the sec- ond knowledge, the third delivery methods.

UNESCO’s major responsibility and mstinctive role is to: generate pilot materialS that can be used to raise public awareness and galvanize informed action on environment-development issues; encourage research projects that contain an education component; catalyse new partnerships among researchers and society’s ‘educators’ (e.g. the formal school system, the media, governments and the private sector); communi- cate research findings to all types of ‘educators’, including journalists; ‘educate the educators’ about how to disseminate research information to the general public.

In the past, a fair amount of innovative work was undertaken within the framework of MAl3 on produc- ing or initiating information materials for different pur- poses and audiences, including a series of slide-tape programmes in the late 1970s and the Ecology in Ac- tion poster exhibit in the early 1980s. Building on such experiences, a range of new information materials might be produced, with the accent on reproducibility and multiple formats entailing cross-sectoral collabor- ation within UNESCO and partnerships with outside bodies in the private and public sector: Pamphlets for decision-makers; Briefing book(s) for scientists and teachers; Television and video programmes for the general public; Exhibits and exhibitions for the general public, replicable and roving. and including both ‘science’ and ‘art’ exhibitions, News items and briefing kits for purnalists and other media.

On a trial basis, multi-media i n f o d o n maten- als might be generated on ecology and sustainable de- velopment within a particular geoecological region(s). such as the humid tropics. Close ties could also be de- veloped with initiatives geared directly at producing materials for educational pmposes, such as those with- in the evolving U N E S C O programme on ‘Education 2000’ and those taking shape following the World Con- gress on Education and Communication on Environ- ment and Development @CO-ED) held in Toronto in October 1992.

1.4 Building up Human and Institutional Capacities for Land Use Planning and Sustainable Resource Management

Environment and development issues are by their very nature cross-cuning and cross-sectoral. Yet society continues to address environment and development is- sues through approaches, consistences and practition- ers based on disciplines and sectors that follow nineteenth-century systems of higher education. While many developing countries lack a critical mass of trained specialists and institutions, in all part of the world, the type, quality and relevance of training is not geared to tackling complex environment and develop ment issues.

Within such a context, it is scarcely surprising that actions tend to be compartmentalized and disjunct: actions by government ministries are antagonistic and conflicted; baGc and applied research are separate from each other and from training, education, informa- tion, diffusion; possibilities for collaborative action among different actors and players (e.g. government,

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business, research, education) are either shirked or sim- ply not sought.

Yet perceptlons are changing. Faced with shrink- ing resources and recognition of the inadequacy of in- stitutions to address complex environment- development issues, higher management and technical personnel are seeking adaptations in working methods. N e w types of partnerships are being tried out N e w in- stitutional arrangements are being tested. N e w para- digms for cross-disciplinary interaction are being explored.

Through programmes such as MAB, UNESCO has a considerable experience in a wide range of areas related to capacity building: in terns of developing human resources through training and education and building-up adequate institutional frameworks to en- able acquired skills to be fully utilized. This exi +rice provides a basic starting point for taking a fresh look at institutional functioning in relation to the environment- development challenge, and accordingly to respond to increased demands of countries to review and reor- ganize their institutional sehgs. The proposed action would be an interwoven combination of analysis and assessment, advisory services, promoting South-South cooperation, training programmes and operational field projects.

Analysis and assessment might include exam- ination of innovative methods and procedures that have been used to adapt institutions to the ‘changing targets’ of environment-develop- ment issues. Such assessments could focus on mechanisms both within and between institu- tions, and might include an examination of some of the approaches and experience gained within UNESCO’s own programmes and struc- tures.

Advisory servlcesmight range from the revamp- ing of a country’s entire system of university education to design of a research institution re- sponsible for underpining resource planning and management in a medium sized river basin.

South-South Cooperationmight include promo- tion of a programme of cooperation among humid tropical regions in terms of exchange of information and experience and comparative re- search.

Training programmesmight be based on an ana- lysis of the experience gained and lessons learned from promoting training programmes linked to integrated resource development in particular geographic regions (e.g. the ten-year training programme on integrated pastoral man- agement in the Sahel).

Operational projedswould aim at giving tan- gible expression to innovative approaches to ca- pacity building in developing regions.

1.5 Contributing to the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS)

Global change presents a formidable and unique re- search challenge. The world’s terrestrial and associated freshwater and coastal ecosystems are being subjected to changing environmental conditions of an unpre- cedented scale, both in their rate and in their geographi- cal extent. The ability of human societies to ameliorate, adapt to and benefit from these rapid changes requires fundamental knowledge of the responses of terrestrial ecosystems to the forces of global change. The main forces of change are (i) the increase and changing dis- tribution of the human population with associated land use requirements, (ii) the changing type. amount and distribution of pollutants. and (iii) the rise in atmos- pheric COZ with associated climate change.

Major research programmes are now targeted on specific global issues including detection and predic- tion of climate change and establishment of remotely sensed monitoring systems. However the global scien- tific community has yet to organize an integrated rnoni- toring system which can detect changes in terrestrial ecosystem properties, populations and processes and can discriminate between the effects of different forc- ing functions. Such a monitoring system requires not just a suite of measurements systematically recorded throughout a global network of sites but also the associ- ated infrastructure to collate. analyze, interpret and dis- seminate the data. Various national and some reponal networks have been established, usually with emphasis on particular issues such as pollution monitoring. The present challenge is to build on the combined experi- ence of individual scientists and organizations to de- sign an effective global network lo monitor and detect change in terrestrial ecosystems.

Within this context, UNESCO will cooperate with the relevant intergovernmental and non-govern- mental organizations in establishing the Global Terre-

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strial Observing System (GTOS), which will contrib ute a terrestrial component to the Global Climate Oh serving System (GCOS). Building on the recommendations of a MAB-IGBP-OSS meeting in July 1992, the scientific requirements and operational plan for GTOS will be prepared in 1993-94 by an inde- pendent task force working in closc cooperation with the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE) core project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). Initial thinking is that a costcf- fective system to detect terrestrial responses to global change, based on 50-100 field sitcs, could be estab lished by integration of existing and planned research and monitoring systems. Particular attention will be given in designing GTOS to the existing international biosphere reserve network and to long-standing agri- cultural and ecological research stations. Close links will also be developed with activities sponsored by the OSS (Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel), particular- ly in terms of land use change. It is envisaged that GTOS will be a separate entity with an independent Secretariat, possibly located with a host country. A management commitlee consisting of representatives of different agencies &PEP, FAO, UNESCO, WMO, IGBP, GCTE, etc.) will overview the running of the GTOS. There would also be a Scientific Advisory Committee with high input from GCTE. Hence this in- itiative is separate but closely linked with the new MAB Programme.

2. Consolidating the Biosphere Reserve Network

These activities would use as far as possible the logis- tic base of biosphere reserve network and build upon past MAB experience. Biosphere reserves are the kind of protected areas of a non-conventional type advo- cated in Agenda 2 1. The network of biosphere reserves (which as of early 1993, included 311 reserves in 8 1 countries) is the only network of sites established at

thc intergovcrnrncntal Icvel, with a primary aim of prw viding for the long-term pmmtion of natural and semi- natural habitats and landscapes and of their biodiversity, including in certain cases the protection of relatives of domesticated plant and animal species. In order to fulfil this function systematically, biosphere rc.serves should be equipped with research and moni- toring facilities. In order to be effective in their protec- tion function, biosphere reserves should be organized and managed with a view to supplying direct or indi- rect benefits to the people living within or around them, through enhancement of traditional or innovative sustainable resource use, and thus ensure cooperation and support from local populations as the driving forces of in situ conservation.

The biosphere reserve concept has become wide- ly recognized as one of the most innovative means to promote participatory approaches to the comervation of biodiversity in combination with the sustainable use of biological resources, with research, monitoring and training activities in support of conservation and devel- opment objectives. However, there exists a large gap between reality and potential. Narrowing this gap calls for improvement of both individual reserves and of network linkages.

Upgrading individual reserves and their multiple functions will be approached through encouraging na- tional authorities responsible for individual reserves to elaborate and implement management plans which re- flect the multidimensional, zoning-by-function, char- acter of biosphere reserves. Ensuring that only high quality proposals for future biosphere reserves are ac- cepted is a resolve and intention of the Advisory Com- mittee for Biosphere Reserves, which reports directly to the Director-General of UNESCO.

Measures for promoting linkages within the overall network include improving mformation flow about and among biosphere reserves and a basic site characterization of reserves contributing to the net- work. More particularly, the network will be streng- thened through encouraging groups of reserves to take part in collaborating research programmes, including those outlined in the p&g paragraphs.

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A stylized "ankh", the ancient Egyptian sign for life, has bcen incorporated into the symbol of the Programme on M a n and the Biosphere (MAB)