FEATURE ARTICLE

Gisbert Glaser, Assistant Director-General responsible for the Co-ordination of Environmental Programmes, joined UNESCO in 1971 and worked as a Programme Specialist within the Secretariat of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme for the major part of his career in the Organisation. In 1990 he was appointed Director and Deputy Co-ordinator for the Environment within the Bureau for the Co-ordination of Environmental Programmes. From January 1994 to December 1997 he held the position of Principal Director of this Bureau. In January 1998 he was promoted to the rank of Assistant Director-General in his personal capacity. He continues to head this Bureau which has been particularly instrumental in implementing increased interdisciplinary and interagency co-operation and co-ordination in the field of environment and development.

Science for Sustainability - the Need for Interdisciplinary Co-operation in UNESCO

There can be no sustainable development without appropriate scientific backing. For most of today's environmental and development issues, the sciences are essential for detecting and analysing problems, identifying solutions and ensuring scientifically sound policies and actions.

With the exception of the atmosphere, UNESCO's scientific co-operation programmes cover the major components of the Earth system (oceans, terrestrial ecosystems, freshwater and the lithosphere). The success and usefulness of these programmes will in the future be judged in a large measure according to the extent to which they have contributed to understanding the integrated functioning of these components, as well as the interrelationships between natural systems and socio-economic systems.

The major environmental and sustainable development programmes of UNESCO are the following:

The Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB), with its global network of biosphere reserves, is involved in scientific efforts to reconcile the protection of the environment and conservation of biodiversity with economic development.

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) is a semi-autonomous body within UNESCO to promote co-operation in marine science, including the development of a Global Ocean Observing System.

The International Hydrological Programme (IHP) implements research and training aimed at better management of fresh water resources.

The International Geological Correlation Programme (IGCP), in co-operation with the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), facilitates geological co-operation across borders.

The World Solar Programme 1996-2005, created as a result of the World Solar Summit in September 1996, seeks to promote development and application of solar and other new and renewable energy sources.

The Coasts and Small Islands Project (CSI) is designed to address the sustainable development issues facing coastal areas and small island states through co-operative activities involving all scientific programmes and other programme sectors of UNESCO.

The Management of Social Transformations Programme (MOST) is a research programme which promotes international comparative social science research. Its primary focus is on the interactions of economic, technological and environmental changes and to provide long-term autonomous findings and data to decision-makers.

The World Heritage Convention is the primary international instrument for the preservation and protection of both cultural and natural sites deemed to form part of the universal heritage of humanity.

Ensuring that environment and development issues be addressed in an integrated and balanced manner requires breaking down institutional and mental barriers between different scientific disciplines and sectors of activity. Close co-operation needs to be forged instead across sectors and disciplines, and between sectoral organisations and departments within organisations. In conducting research on environmental issues in a development context, different disciplines from the natural and social sciences need to join forces through interdisciplinary work to bring solutions to complex problems. UNESCO has taken the lead in promoting interdisciplinary scientific work within and among its intergovernmental scientific programmes, and in promoting intersectoral (also called transdisciplinary) activities between its programmes in the sciences, education, culture and communication. These efforts bring to bear a unique comparative advantage for the Organisation of covering within the same institution these four major intellectual activity areas.

Moving towards enhanced interdisciplinary co-operation among UNESCO's scientific programmes has benefited greatly from Joint Meetings of the Chairpersons of IHP, IOC, IGCP, MAB and MOST organised on the occasion of the sessions of UNESCO's General Conference in 1993, 1995 and 1997. As in 1993 and 1995, the Chairpersons at their joint meeting on 30 and 31 October 1997 formulated a Joint Statement which was presented to the Sciences Commission of the General Conference on 4 November 1997. The problem of freshwater and the need to address it through interdisciplinary co-operation was discussed at the meeting. In their Joint Statement the Chairpersons made the following recommendation in this regard:

«As highlighted by the Earth Summit +5, the availability and quality of freshwater is set to become one of the most daunting problems of the 21st century. As this issue cannot be dealt with in a purely sectoral manner, it increasingly concerns the five undertakings. Accordingly, it is recommended that a framework for interaction and co-operation among the five programmes be developed in this area during the next biennium, with IHP acting as lead programme. At the same time, avenues shall be explored for collaboration with other UNESCO programmes and transdisciplinary projects.»

In terms of enhanced co-operation during the biennium 1998-99, the five Chairpersons also recommended concerted action in other fields such as coastal areas and small islands, cities, natural disaster reduction, desertification, biodiversity, climate, global environmental observing systems, the 1998 International Year of the Ocean and the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities. Underlining the importance of the link between science and education, the Chairpersons also called for strengthening co-operation in education for a sustainable future and UNESCO Chairs in the area of environment and sustainable development. In identifying these priority areas for co-operation, the Chairpersons further emphasised that co-operation between the five scientific programmes must in particular be encouraged at national and regional levels. At least one joint event should be organised during the next biennium at national level, for example, a joint meeting of the Chairpersons of the National Committees or Focal Points, to be convened by the National Commission for UNESCO.

As mentioned above, the third joint meeting of the Chairpersons of UNESCO's intergovernmental undertakings in the field of environment and development- IGCP, IHP, IOC, MAB and MOST - was held in Paris on 30-31 October 1997, on the occasion of the twenty-ninth session of the UNESCO General Conference. The purpose of the meeting was fourfold: to assess progress in co-operation among the five intergovernmental undertakings during 1996-1997; to review jointly the outcome of the Special Session in June 1997 of the United Nations General Assembly on the Overall Review of the Implementation of Agenda 21; to analyse its implications for UNESCO's intergovernmental undertakings and in particular the importance of an interdisciplinary approach in scientific work dealing with the environment and sustainable development; and to identify priorities and the appropriate means for enhanced co-operation among the intergovernmental undertakings during the 1998-1999 biennium.

The five intergovernmental scientific undertakings were represented by their respective Chairpersons or representatives, as follows: joint UNESCO-IUGS International Geological Correlation Programme (IGCP) - Edward Derbyshire; International Hydrological Programme (IHP) - Isaac Muzila representing Mr. Mahmoud Abu-Zeid; Intergovermental Oceanographic Commission - Geoffrey Holland; Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme - Peter Bridgewater, Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme - Kenneth Wiltshire. The Joint Statement, reproduced immediately after this text, was presented to the Commission on 4 November by Mr. Bridgewater, on behalf of the five scientific undertakings. In response, many delegates endorsed this Statement and expressed strong support for enhancing further interdisciplinary co-operation among the five programmes, in particular in the priority areas identified by the Chairpersons.

Co-ordinating the environmental programmes in UNESCO and promoting interdisciplinary scientific co-operation as well as intersectoral co-operation in the area of environment and sustainable development are the main tasks of the Bureau for Co-ordination of Environmental Programmes. The Bureau also has the responsibility of positioning UNESCO in the international community for the implementation of the results of UNCED, notably Agenda 21 and the three conventions on biodiversity, desertification and climate change. In this respect, the Director of the Bureau, Mr. Glaser is entrusted by the Director-General with ensuring, at policy level, interaction and co-ordination of UNESCO's activities related to environment and sustainable development with various parts of the United Nations system including notably UNEP as well as relevant international non-governmental organisations. Moreover, the Bureau plays an important role in communicating science to decision-makers and to the public at large, an area which is often neglected. It is the Bureau for Co-ordination of Environmental Programmes which is also responsible for organising the joint meetings of the Chairpersons. Mr. Glaser considers ensuring overall co-ordination of the follow-up to the recommendations included in the Joint Statement as one of his most important responsibilities. The Joint Statements have become the main guiding principles for the Organisation's efforts to foster interdisciplinary co-operation which is built on the strengths of the different existing programmes by making the most of their complementarity and potential synergies while respecting the specificity and independence of each.