A/RES/54/218 Page 2 since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in all main areas of Agenda 21 and other outcomes of the Conference, and recommendations on the future methods of work of the Commission on Sustainable Development and the programme of work of the Commission for the period 1998-2002, Recognizing also that mutually supportive efforts at the national and international levels are needed in the pursuit of sustainable development and that the gap between developed and developing countries points to the continuing need for a dynamic and enabling national and international economic environment that is supportive of international cooperation, in particular in the fields of finance, transfer of technology, debt and trade, if the momentum for global progress towards sustainable development is to be maintained and increased, Noting with concern that, during the assessment and review of progress made at its nineteenth special session, the General Assembly concluded that although some progress had been made, especially at the local level, the overall trends with respect to the global environment had not improved, and emphasizing that the implementation of Agenda 21 in a comprehensive manner remains vitally important and is now more urgent than ever, Noting that the next review of the implementation of Agenda 21 is to be carried out by the General Assembly in 2002, Noting also the need for early substantive preparations for the ten-year review of the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in order to attain meaningful results, Recalling General Assembly resolution 53/188 of 15 December 1998 and Commission on Sustainable Development decision 7/9,3 on preparations for the review of the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, 1. Stresses the need to accelerate the full implementation of Agenda 211 and the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21;2 2. Recognizes that the Commission on Sustainable Development, within its mandate as specified in General Assembly resolution 47/191 of 22 December 1992 and in the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, will continue to provide the central forum for reviewing progress on and urging further implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and other commitments made at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development or as a result of it, for conducting a high-level policy debate aimed at building consensus on sustainable development and for catalysing action on and long-term commitment to sustainable development at all levels; 3. Calls upon the Commission on Sustainable Development to continue to undertake these tasks in complementing and providing interlinkages to the work of other United Nations organs, organizations and bodies active in the field of sustainable development, to play its role in assessing the opportunities and 3 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1999, Supplement No. 9 (E/1999/29), chap. I, sect. C. /...