A/RES/53/242 Page 4 9. Reiterates the importance of strengthening the capacity and capability of the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), within the framework of their existing mandates, in the areas of information, the monitoring and assessment of global and regional environmental and human settlements trends and early warning information on environmental threats, so as to catalyse and promote international cooperation and action, and in this context emphasizes the importance of strengthening the system-wide Earthwatch as an effective, accessible and strictly nonpolitical science-based system; 10. Reaffirms that, in accordance with its mandate, the United Nations Environment Programme should not become involved in conflict identification, prevention or resolution; 11. Stresses the need to ensure that capacity-building and technical assistance, in particular with respect to institutional strengthening in developing countries, as well as research and scientific studies in the field of environment and human settlements, must remain important components of the work programmes of both the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), within their existing mandates, and also stresses, in this regard, the need for adequate financial resources as well as the need to avoid duplication of efforts; 12. Also stresses the need to enhance further the role of the United Nations Environment Programme as an implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility, consistent with its role as defined in the Instrument for the Establishment of the Restructured Global Environment Facility;6 13. Reaffirms the role of the Commission on Human Settlements in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,7 emphasizes the need for it to take steps to prepare for the review of its implementation in 2001, and welcomes the proposals that the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) should strengthen its core activities and develop into a centre for excellence with regard to human settlements; 14. Welcomes the proposal to continue ongoing work in the development of indicators in the field of environment and human settlements, and in this regard stresses the importance of the need to avoid duplication of efforts; 15. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution. 105th plenary meeting 28 July 1999 6 7 UNEP/GCSS.IV/2. Report of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), Istanbul, 3-14 June 1996 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.97.IV.6), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.