UN General Assembly
1992

The spirit of Rio must not be lost. Time will tell whether the political will exists for us to cooperate with each other against the common threat to the environment we all share. Mere lip service will not suffice. I expect this session of the General Assembly to settle the institutional machinery that ensures decisive action in the period following the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. It will need to address the concerns of small island States and the enhancement of scientific and technological capacity among developing countries. Jamaica supports the decision to form a high-level commission for sustainable development. We intend to assist the commission fully once the important details of its program of work have been agreed. I expect the Assembly also to confront the question of financial resources in order to implement Agenda 21. An initial commitment of at least $600 billion annually is required so that the work we have painstakingly accepted can be adequately implemented.