Secretary-General, inpreparing thereportforsubmission totheCommission atits sixteenth session, totakeintoaccount theviewsexpressed bydelegations. B.Transnational corporations andissuesrelating to theenvironment 108.TheCommission considered item9(b)ofit~~gendaatits4th,5th,lOthand 13thmeetings, on6,7,12and14April1989.Ithadbeforeitthereportofthe Secretary·~General ontransnational corporations andissuesrelating tothe environment (E/C.lO/1989/12). 109.Inintrod 11cingtheitem,theExecutive Director oftheCentrerecalled that theGenl3ral Assembly hadformulated initsresolutions 42/186 and42/187 anumber ofimportant principles regarding theenvironment andtransnational corporations. Inaccordance withthereportoftheWorldCommission onEnvironment and Development (A/42/427, annex) andtheactions oftheGeneral Assembly, theCentre hadbeguntoanaly&e therelationship oftransnational corporations tosust£inable -43-,j ,1 :I I;1 :1 l !.l1·'\fi ;'1 .:\.'.\~'"/ ,1 ~·.1 V'~l ~..."I h'l ~J J tl t:\ -44-development andsuggest waysandmeansforbothtransnational corporations andhost Governments toimplement andintegrate sustailAable development intotheir activities. HenotedthatthereportoftheSecretary-General covered fiveaspects oftheinterrelationship ofinternational investment andsustainable development. Thereportcarefully reflected theCentre's commitment tospecialize inthe transnational corporate aspects ofsustainable development andenvironmental protection. TheExecutive Director informed theCommission ofrecent developments withregardtovarious international conferences ontheenvironment andofthe recommendation oftheIntergovernmental Working GroupofExperts onInternational Standards ofAccounting andReporting bywhichitwouldconsider environmental accounting andreporting atitsnextsession. 110.TheCommission recognized theimportance ofenvironmental matters inthe activities oftransnational corporations andwelcomed theconstructive rolethe Centre wasplaying inaddressing globalenvironmental is~ues. Delegations confirmed theimportant roleoftheCommission andtheCentreinthosematters and affirmed thattheactivities oftheCentredidnotoverlap withtheworkof ~pecialized agencies butrather supplemented it.Sinceenvironmental problems extended beyondnational boundaries, international co-operation inaddressing environmental concerns wasvital. Duringthepastyearseveral majorinitiatives onglobalenvironmental matters hadbeentaken(e.g.,thenewunderstandings onthe protection oftheozonelayerandtransboundary shipments ofhazardous wastes). TheCommission recognized thattheactivities oftransnational corporations, as wellastheactivities ofotherindustrial enterprises, affected theenvironment at thelocal,national and,morefrequently, international levels. Somedelegations expressed theviewthatmanytransnational corporations werecurrently involved in activities thathadaprofoundly negative impact ontheenvironment. Ill.Manydelegations, citingthereportoftheWorldCommission onEnviro~ment and Development, llotedthattransnational corporations hadaspecial responsibility and opportunity tocontribute toimproving theglobal environment. Thatresponsibility andopportunity mightprovide newwaysthattransnational corporations could further theimplementation ofnational development goals. Environmental protection was,however, primarily theresponsibility ofnational Governments. Host Governments couldenactlawsandregulations andestablish environmental enforcement institutions toregulate allformsofindustrial activity. While transnat.ional corporations shouldnotbesingled outinenvironmental ordinances, theyshouldapplytheirhomecountry standards wheresuchstandards wereweakeror non-existent inahostcountry, particularly ahostdeveloping country. Atthe sametime,hostcountries shouldnotusedifferences inenvironmental standards to attract foreign directinvestment. Qlierepresentative suggested thatitwouldbe betterifenvironmental standards wereinternationally harmollized andequivalently applied inallcountries. Anumberofdelegations supported activities bythe Centretopromote theneedtoformulate international guidelines thatwould
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the relationship between transnational corporations and environmental issues, with a focus on sustainable development and international cooperation. It seems to be exploring the role of transnational corporations in addressing global environmental concerns and the importance of international guidelines and harmonization of environmental standards.

**Category**
Natural resources and environment, International trade