*EPF512 10/27/00
Text: Loy at Opening of UN Environment Program Office in Washington
(State Dept., UNEP relationship will strengthen, Loy says) (990)
State Department Under Secretary for Global Affairs Frank E. Loy predicted a stronger relationship between the U.S. government and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) with the October 27 opening of a UNEP office in Washington, D.C.
As Loy welcomed the UNEP representatives to the U.S. capital, he praised the organization's efforts to address global environmental problems. "Everywhere we look in UNEP, we see evidence of a new sense of purpose," Loy said. "This heartens us because UNEP's contributions to environmental protection are only just beginning. As UNEP's reform and reorganization continue to build, we believe it will have considerably more to offer."
Following is the text of Loy's remarks as prepared for delivery:
(begin text)
Under Secretary Loy's Remarks
Grand Opening of the UNEP Regional Office for North America
Thursday, 26 October 2000, 1430
Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to be here this afternoon to welcome Dr. (Klaus) Toepfer (UNEP executive director) to Washington and to mark the opening of the new Regional Office for North America. And I'm sure I speak for everyone here, Klaus, when I say how glad I am to see you looking so well.
What you see around you here is the result of much hard work by the North American UNEP Staff, particularly Ms. Brennan Van Dyke, the new office director. We welcome you, Brennan, and your staff, to UNEP and we look forward to many years ahead of cooperation on environmental issues.
While we have enjoyed a very good dialogue with UNEP under Dr. Toepfer's administration, this dialogue and our relationship with UNEP will be strengthened further with the opening of this office. We can promise that United States Government officials will be in the office often and we will be inviting Brennan to our offices as well.
Take a moment to look closely at these offices. These are "green" offices. Virtually everything possible was done to ensure that recycled and recyclable materials were used outfitting and furnishing it. That is an important statement and we commend UNEP for making it.
Since Dr. Toepfer took over in February 1998, UNEP has undergone a major reorganization, improving performance in virtually every division. Everywhere we look in UNEP, we see evidence of a new sense of purpose. This heartens us because UNEP's contributions to environmental protection are only just beginning. As UNEP's reform and reorganization continue to build, we believe it will have considerably more to offer.
We are particularly pleased with the following results of Dr. Toepfer's reorganization:
-- Vastly improved communications between UNEP and governments. Opening the Regional Office for North America is tangible evidence of that new commitment to better communications and consultation.
-- Successfully focusing UNEP's efforts on a limited number of significant environmental issues including freshwater. This is important in Africa and other developing areas where freshwater shortages are a daily fact of life.
-- UNEP's successful ongoing efforts to strengthen the regional seas conventions and regional seas programs are critical and need to continue. In particular, recent interest in coral reefs emphasizes the importance of making sure that ongoing coral reef work is as carefully-managed and productive as possible.
-- Increased efforts in environmental law enforcement and compliance capacity building in developing countries. This has immediate and long-term benefits for the countries and the environment. We strongly support this not just in environmental matters but also as a way to reinforce the concept of rule of law in all areas of governance.
-- Concrete progress in developing a transparent results-based budget coupled with a workplan that identifies UNEP's tasks functionally.
-- We believe UNEP should be proud of recent comments from the UN's ACABQ - Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions - that indicate UNEP is developing an excellent reputation in the UN for establishing budgetary transparency and communications standards.
-- We look forward to seeing the results of new initiatives to implement even better management and reporting elements that will allow the Governing Council and the Committee of Permanent Representatives to see the links among resources, outputs and work program.
UNEP can point to the recent success of the Global Ministerial Environment Forum held in Malmo, Sweden, as evidence of its increasing importance as a focal point for debating and finding common ground on controversial environmental matters. We look forward to the next Global Ministerial Environmental Forum, scheduled to coincide with UNEP's 21st Governing Council meeting in February next year.
As the world saw in Seattle and Prague, there is enormous concern about the effects of trade on environment. One of the most important UNEP initiatives to emerge under Dr. Toepfer is its work with the World Trade Organization on how to make trade and environment policies mutually supportive.
Most recently in Geneva, UNEP and the WTO (World Trade Organization) conducted meetings characterized by active exchanges and focus of real attention on how developing countries can engage in trade liberalization in support of sustainable development. All of this points to future UNEP/WTO cooperation, including under the Memorandum of Understanding both organizations signed at Seattle.
Through its Paris and Geneva offices, UNEP has successfully and actively promoted close analysis of the environmental effects of manufacturing and service industries. In fact, careful consideration of the environmental effects of future global trade and manufacturing on sustainable development has emerged as one of the most important contributions UNEP makes. We see UNEP's objective treatment of these issues as a major contributing force for a sustainable, rules-based global trade regime.
So again, on behalf of Secretary Albright, I happily welcome UNEP to Washington.
I know you'll do a lot of good work here - and that the global environment will be better for it.
Thank you.
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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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