Global warming ignites Assembly action; Brazil will host 1992 conference.

The 159 States Members of the UN have agreed to draft as soon as possible a convention to protect the Earth's climate and to convene a world conference in Brazil in 1992 on ways to encourage environmentally sound development, at which such a treaty could be adopted. They also agreed to consider ways to avert the potentially damaging impact of climate change and remove its causes while the convention is being negotiated. Resolutions on the conference and the climate convention were adopted by the Assembly on 22 December by consensus (44/228, 44/207).

A moratorium by 30 June 1992 on all large-scale pelagic driftnet fishing on the high seas was also called for by the Assembly. The use of large-scale driftnets in the open seas can be a "highly indiscriminate and wasteful fishing method", threatening the effective conservation of fish, birds and marine mammals, the Assembly said in a resolution also adopted by consensus on 22 December (44/225).

The Assembly designated the 1990s as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. The first Wednesday of October will be International Day for Natural Disaster, Reduction (44/236).

The best way to protect the environment of Antarctica "for the benefit of all mankind" was to turn that continent into a nature reserve or a world park, the Assembly declared. All nations, it said, should participate in negotiations to create a regime to protect the Antarctic environment.

Efforts to ban prospecting and mining in Antarctica were to be supported and all activities there were to be for peaceful scientific investigation only. The vote on resolution 44/124B was 114 to none, with 8 abstentions.

High tide alert

Climate change may occur due to increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, methane and nitrous oxide.

Most of the current emission of pollutants "originates in developed countries", the Assembly contended, and therefore "those countries have the main responsibility for combating such pollution".

Thermal expansion of sea water caused by global warming could lead to intensified flooding, erosion of coastal areas and damage to islands and low-lying coastal areas, the Assembly warned, asking for continued discussion of this issue (44/206).

'An ecological catastrophe'

United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher told the Assembly on 13 November that the 1992 environment and development conference would be among the most important the UN had...