AGENDA 21, CHAPTER 40


              INFORMATION FOR DECISION-MAKING


NOTE:     This is a final, advanced version of a chapter of
          Agenda 21, as adopted by the Plenary in Rio de
          Janeiro, on June 14, 1992.  This document will be
          further edited, translated into the official
          languages, and published by the United Nations
          for the General Assembly this autumn.


                       INTRODUCTION

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

     (a)  Bridging the data gap;

     (b)  Improving information availability.


                      PROGRAMME AREAS

                 A.  Bridging the data gap

Basis for action

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

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

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

Objectives

40.5.  The following objectives are important:

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

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

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

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

Activities

(a)  Development of indicators of sustainable development

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

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

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

(c)  Improvement of data collection and use

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

(d)  Improvement of methods of data assessment and analysis

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

(e)  Establishment of a comprehensive information framework

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

(f)  Strengthening of the capacity for traditional
information

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

Means of implementation

(a)  Finance and cost evaluation

40.12.  The secretariat of the Conference has estimated the
average total annual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the
activities of this programme to be about $1.9 billion from
the international community on grant or concessional terms.
These are indicative and order of magnitude estimates only
and have not been reviewed by Governments.  Actual costs
and financial terms, including any that are
non-concessional, will depend upon, inter alia, the
specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon
for implementation.

(b)  Institutional means

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

(c)  Scientific and technological means

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

(d)  Human resources development

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

(e)  Capacity-building

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

         B.  Improving availability of information

Basis for action

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

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

Objectives

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

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

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

Activities

(a)  Production of information usable for decision-making

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

(b)  Establishment of standards and methods for handling
information

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

(c)  Development of documentation about information

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

(d)  Establishment and strengthening of electronic
networking capabilities

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

(e)  Making use of commercial information sources

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

Means of implementation
(a)  Finance and cost evaluation

40.27.  The secretariat of the Conference has estimated the
average total annual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the
activities of this programme to be about $165 million from
the international community on grant or concessional terms.
These are indicative and order of magnitude estimates only
and have not been reviewed by Governments.  Actual costs
and financial terms, including any that are
non-concessional, will depend upon, inter alia, the
specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon
for implementation.

(b)  Institutional means

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

(c)  Capacity-building

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

(d)  Scientific and technological means

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