This is a House Bill Nancy Pelosi brought to the floor in 1993 proving she knows and endorses the United Nations Agenda for the 21st Century.
• Here’s the video from that day on the House Floor:
H. Con. Res. 353
Whereas the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (hereinafter in this preamble referred to as UNCED'), known as the Earth Summit, assembled in June of 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the largest summit of heads of state in history and outlined a comprehensive action plan for environmentally sustainable development, known as Agenda 21 ; Whereas the United States has a strong national interest in the environmental sustainability of global economic development, and many pressing environmental and economic problems are inherently transboundary and not susceptible to resolution by the actions of any single nation acting alone; Whereas Agenda 21 , a plan of national and international actions to integrate environment and development, negotiated and adopted by the United States and 177 other countries, offers a significant starting point for continuing progress in avoiding environmental degradation and social and economic disintegration in the 21st century; Whereas the role of the United States, as a major economic force and a country that has long been in the forefront of environmental protection activities nationally and internationally, should be one of leadership and positive action in the implementation process of Agenda 21 and all decisions of UNCED; Whereas Agenda 21 urges all governments to adopt national strategies for sustainable development; Whereas Agenda 21 urges all countries tomake significant progress' in incorporating environmental costs into economic decisions, to undertake research or sustainable production methods and consumption patterns, and to undertake other actions to make their economies more environmentally sustainable;
Whereas Agenda 21 calls for a supportive international climate for achieving environment and development goals,' byproviding adequate financial resources to developing countries and dealing with international debt,' and calls for the reallocation of resources presently committed to military purposes' to support United States policies and the efforts of developing countries to implement Agenda 21 ; Whereas UNCED recommended that high-level United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (hereinafter in this preamble referred to as theCommission') be established by the 47th United Nations General Assembly to provide a vital forum in which the member states of the United Nations may review progress made by considering reports from national governments, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations;
Whereas the United States was an active and positive participant in UNCED negotiations regarding the Commission, and will play a major role in the decisions of the 47th United Nations General Assembly regarding the specific modalities and effectiveness of the Commission;
Whereas the agreements adopted at UNCED are milestones toward the achievement of environmentally sustainable economic development and for holding governments accountable for progress toward integrating environment and development;
Whereas many opportunities for agreements concerning more extensive actions on critical issues remained unresolved at UNCED and will require further attention by the nations of the world; and
Whereas the ultimate success of achieving sustainable development and a healthy environment at the national and international levels depends upon actions taken at the State and local community levels, and on actions by schools, public offices, businesses, and citizens: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--
(1) effective follow-up to achieve the many goals of the agreements reached at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (hereinafter in this resolution referred to as UNCED') will depend on the following actions by the President and the United States Government: (a) The United States should adopt a national strategy for environmentally sustainable development, based on an extensive process of nationwide consultations with all interested organizations and individuals, including State and local governments, nongovernmental organization, businesses, and labor groups. (B) The United States Government should encourage and facilitate, at all levels of community and sectors of society, appropriate means for adopting individual Agenda 21 plans of action, including the establishment of local, county, State, business, and other boards and commissions for achieving sustainable development. Each member of the Congress should help initiate this process within their States or districts. (C) The President should establish an effective mechanism to plan, initiate, and coordinate United States policy for implementing Agenda 21 . Responsibility should be vested in a duly constituted office, headed by an appropriate high level official, and the necessary staff support structure should be provided. (D) Policies should be formulated for foreign policy and foreign assistance in order to help developing countries, and for domestic actions in order to assure appropriate action by the United States to implement Agenda 21 ; (2) in order to contribute to a transition to a sustainable United States economy, the research and policy initiatives urged in Agenda 21 should be pursued, including research on sustainable consumption and production patterns, creation of a policy framework for sustainable consumption patterns, identification of a strategy to eliminate or reduce subsidies for unsustainable natural resource exploitation, and to improve pricing policies; (3) the Congress should adopt a plan to reallocate an appropriate amount of savings from reduced defense spending in order to achieve its goals of global environmental protection and sustainable development over the next decade; (4) the President should urge and actively participate in new and existing multilateral efforts aimed at creating a more favorable international economic climate for developing countries to practice sustainable development, and such efforts should include international consultations regarding reduction in developing country debt linked with environmental policy reforms, and increased loans and concessional assistance upon development and implementation of national sustainable development strategies in developing countries; (5) the United States should actively support, at the 47th United Nations General Assembly, the effective establishment of a high-level United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (hereinafter in this resolution referred to as theCommission'), including the establishment of provisions for meaningful participation by organizations of the United Nations system, international financial institutions, and other relevant intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations recommended by UNCED;
(6) the President should affirm strong United States commitment to the Commission by appointing a high-level representative from the United States to the Commission, and by encouraging the United Nations Secretary General to appoint an Under Secretary General for Sustainable Development to coordinate the implementation of Agenda 21 in the United Nations system and to head the secretariat support structure for the Commission;
(7) the President should submit a national report for the Commission on activities the United States has undertaken to implement Agenda 21 , both domestically and internationally, on progress made toward fulfilling other commitments undertaken at UNCED, and on other environmental and developmental issues that the United States finds relevant, and should strongly encourage all United Nations members to submit national reports;
(8) the United States should encourage the Commission to call for periodic international meetings to continue the process toward developing and advancing international agreement to facilitate sustainable economic development for the protection of the global environment and the promotion of human dignity of current and future generations; and
(9) the President should submit an annual report to the Congress on the steps taken by the United States to implement Agenda 21 and the recommendations made by this resolution, and should make information regarding such steps available to members of the Congress upon their request.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Broomfield] will be recognized for 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel].
[Page: H10826]
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. ENGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 353, expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should assume a strong leadership role in implementing the decisions made at the Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro by developing a national strategy to implement Agenda 21 and other Earth summit agreements through domestic policy and foreign policy, by cooperating with all countries to identify and initiate further agreements to protect the global environment, and by supporting and participating in a high-level U.N. Sustainable Development Commission, as amended.
The Brazil meeting of the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development [UNCED], in June, marked global concurrence on the need to better integrate environmental and developmental activities, and presented a plan to achieve it. Some 175 countries gave their approval to the comprehensive program of action known as Agenda 21 . The task now before nations is to implement the precepts of that document, which will be a demanding, yet necessary, endeavor if the world's development is to be viable and endure. Each nation must do its part. The resolution now before the House, House Concurrent Resolution 353, as amended, is an effort to get the U.S. process in gear.
At the outset I would like to commend my distinguished colleague, the chief sponsor of the resolution, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi for her leadership and interest in shaping this very significant measure. It has been 4 months since the Rio summit, and it is very important that Congress show its commitment to effective implementation of the UNCED initiatives.
I also wish to commend the chairman and ranking minority member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations, the Honorables Gus Yatron, and Doug Bereuter for their support in expediting consideration of this measure, and their continuing efforts on behalf of environment and development.
The text of House Concurrent Resolution 353, as amended, highlights congressional sentiments on behalf of achieving the UNCED objective of environmentally sustainable development. It recognizes that the ultimate success of UNCED is dependent on actions taken at all levels: international, national, state, local, public, private, and individual. Specifically, it calls for the following:
A national strategy, based on countrywide consultations with a broad diversity of interests, and with efforts to engage all sectors, and levels in the process.
A Presidential plan for coordinating U.S. policy to implement agenda 21 ;
Formulation of domestic and foreign policies, including foreign aid, to implement agenda 21 ;
Research on sustainable consumption and production patterns, creation of an appropriate policy framework, and a strategy to cut subsidies which promote degradation of the resource base;
A Congressional plan to reallocate defense savings to environmentally sustainable development;
Active U.S. support at the U.N. General Assembly for the Sustainable Development Commission, including provisions for meaningful participation by other U.N. entities, international financial institutions, and NGO's;
Presidential affirmation of a strong U.S. commitment to the Commission by appointing a high-level American to that body, and by encouraging the U.N. Secretary General to appoint an Under Secretary General for Sustainable Development to coordinate and implement Agenda 21 ;
Submission of a national report, by the President, on U.S. domestic and international activities, to implement agenda 21 , fulfill other UNCED initiatives, and encourage other nations to also submit national reports; and
An annual report to Congress on measures to implement agenda 21 , and the recommendations of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 353, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the sponsor of the resolution, the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi], to explain the resolution.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Fascell, Mr. Broomfield, Mr. Yatron, Mr. Bereuter, and members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, are to be commended for their efforts to expedite consideration of this legislation.
The Earth Summit Environmental Leadership Act, presents us with the opportunity to follow up on the important work of the Earth summit to develop its blueprint--agenda 21 --for global environmental action.
House Concurrent Resolution 353 outlines a comprehensive national strategy for sustainable development, in accordance with the principles of agenda 21 , to be coordinated under the leadership of a specific office and the direction of a high-level government official.
The resolution also urges the United States to identify and initiate further agreements to protect the global environment and to support the creation of a high-level U.N. Sustainable Development Commission headed by an Undersecretary General. The President is urged to report to Congress on the progress of these steps.
House Concurrent Resolution 353 is supported by the administration. I have been in contact with the appropriate offices of the State Department and have incorporated their suggestions in the resolution. The 71 cosponsors of this measure include one-half the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and all of the House delegates to the Earth summit. It is also supported by the major United States' nongovernmental organizations.
The Earth summit presented world leaders with an opportunity that should not be lost. We must now embark on a new course that will sustain our planet and its resources for the benefit of future generations. This resolution calls on the United States to assert its leadership to achieve this goal.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Thank you, again, to Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for their recognition of the importance and timeliness of this resolution.
We must make the promise of Rio a reality.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BROOMFIELD. Mr Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. BROOMFIELD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks and to include extraneous material.)
Mr. BROOMFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution, which expresses the sense of Congress with respect to implementing the decisions of the recent U.N. Conference on Environment and Development.
I wish to commend the gentlelady from California, Congresswoman Pelosi, for her sponsorship of the resolution.
Mr. Speaker, despite all the criticism of administration policy toward the Earth summit, the fact is that the U.S. Government made a very constructive contribution in Rio and in the talks that led up to the meeting in Rio.
Largely as a result, the conference adopted four major items: The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; the lengthy action plan referred to as Agenda 21 ; the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change; and nonbinding but authoritative principles for the management and conservation of forest resources.
In addition, the conference adopted the U.N. Biodiversity Convention, which the administration decided not to join at this time. This was due to concerns about intellectual property and also the decisionmaking and funding mechanism.
The administration has already made a good beginning in implementing the results of the conference:
During the talks on climate, the administration pledged $75 million for related projects in developing countries including the development of national plans;
The President announced that the United States would have our own national plan on climate ready by the end of the year in order to start international consultations in January 1993.
The President announced a forests for the future initiative to double worldwide forestry assistance, beginning with a $150 million additional U.S. contribution.
The administration is preparing for consideration by the U.N. General Assembly of establishment of the Sustainable Development Commission called for in Rio, and is working on an interagency basis to formulate further plans to implement the other recommendations of the conference.
The good start made by the administration shows that the United States is serious about international cooperation to address global environmental problems. The resolution before us calls for similar measures to implement the recommendations of the Rio conference.
The State Department supports the provisions of this resolution, which are fully consistent with U.S. policy toward implementing the results of the Earth summit. Ms. Pelosi should be further commended for her cooperative attitude on the issues that were raised by the Department at an earlier stage in the consideration of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I was appointed to the Earth summit observer delegation. Although I did not actually attend the Conference, I followed the proceedings in other ways.
Recently I had the opportunity to contribute an article on these matters to a magazine called Michigan International Lawyer. I include this summary of my views for inclusion in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks.
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The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel] that the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 353, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION -- HON. NANCY PELOSI (Extension of Remarks - March 30, 1993)
[Page: E800]
HON. NANCY PELOSI
in the House of Representatives
MONDAY, MARCH 29, 1993
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, the Earth Summit provided the world with an unparalleled opportunity to build a global consensus around critical environmental issues. Implementation of the Earth Summit agreements is the key to the summit's ultimate success.
Last year, the House passed the Earth Summit Environmental Leadership Act, which I introduced, along with all of the House delegates to the Earth Summit, upon my return from Rio. Today, I will introduce similar legislation, with 33 original cosponsors, to implement Agenda 21 and Senator Pell, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will join me in introducing identical legislation in the Senate.
The Earth Summit Environmental Leadership Act outlines a comprehensive national strategy for sustainable development, in accordance with the principles of Agenda 21 , to be coordinated under the leadership of a specific office and the direction of a high-level government official. It also urges the United States to identify and initiate further agreements to protect the global environment, and for the President to report to Congress on progress toward achieving a national strategy to implement Agenda 21 .
It is critical that the United States set an example of sustainable consumption and production patterns. My legislation outlines a number of steps to attain this goal, including the elimination or reduction of subsidies for the exploitation of natural resources, and to design a policy framework for sustainble consumption patterns.
Environmental protection is not only a national issue; it is a challenge for every individual to make a difference. The principles embodied in Agenda 21 present a framework for environmental action that should be pursued at all levels of society--in our schools, local communities, governments, and in our lifestyles. The concept of sustainable development should be realized in all the major decisions affecting the future of our environment and the preservation of its species. The Hopi Indians practiced a land-use policy based on the 7th generation--that their relationship with the land would not have adverse effects on future generations of Hopis. We should attempt to do no less.
Senator Pell has demonstrated a forceful leadership on global environmental issues and I look forward to working in partnership with him on this important initiative to achieve sustainable development in the United States.
I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring the Earth Summit Environmental Leadership Act to continue the progress of the Earth Summit.
• The very worst thing about “Agenda 21” is, they are implementing it in an un-American way because it is anti- American. They know if we the people were asked to vote on it and ratify it by each state, it would never pass.
• They are all guilty. This is not about being a Democrat or a Republican it’s about being an American. Every elected official who is sneaking this past the citizens of this country is not worthy of calling themselves an American.
• There is no middle road here. You either support implementing Agenda 21 or you oppose implementing Agenda 21
• Make “Agenda 21” an election issue for your Congressman.
• “Agenda 21” should be a public debate issue. Let’s bring “Agenda 21” out of the closet and shine the bright light of scrutiny on the subject so all Americans know what’s happening.
• To be a Freedom 21 Fighter you don’t have to join anything. You don’t have to pay any dues. You don’t have to attend any meetings. You just have to learn about Agenda 21 because you can’t fight something you know nothing about. Then you must share your knowledge with your friends and neighbors. And the next time you meet someone who is running for elected office, any office, ask them where they stand on Agenda 21 “sustainable development”. Be a Freedom 21 Fighter!