Establishing secretariat support structure in the United Nations to follow up UNCED and implement Agenda 21

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 indicates that a highly qualified and competent secretariat support structure within the UN Secretariat is essential for the follow-up to the Conference and the implementation of Agenda 21. This would draw, inter alia, on the expertise gained in the UNCED preparatory process and would provide support to the work of both intergovernmental and interagency coordination mechanisms. Concrete organizational decisions were within the competence of the Secretary-General as the chief administrative officer of the Organization, who was requested to report on the provisions to be made, covering staffing implications, as soon as practicable, taking into account gender balance as defined in Article 8 of the UN Charter, and the need for the optimum use of existing resources in the context of current and ongoing restructuring of the UN Secretariat.