UNCED and developing country interests

This Briefing Paper discusses the interests of developing countries (LDCs) at the forthcoming United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). It starts with an account of the typical environmental problems of LDCs, and how they differ from those of developed countries (DCs). It then considers the principles likely to guide the negotiations of LDCs, namely, that environmental interests are best served by policies that lead to development and that the choice of solutions should respect each country's economic advantage. The paper then considers the scope for progress in the three subject areas - climate change, tropical forests and biodiversity - before concluding on the question of funding.