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The Meeting was opened by Dr Vili A Fuavao, Director of the South Pacific Regiona lEnvironment Programme (SPREP), who welcomed delegates and called upon them to make firm decisions to facilitate both the implementation of the Action Plan and the inevitable evolution of SPREP into an autonomous regional organisation. Outlining the numerous tasks to be undertaken by this Fourth Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM), Dr Fuavao referred to the two options identified by the Irgal Working Group under which SPREP could evolve into an autonomous body. He highlighted the importance of reaching agreement on this important matter so that the ambiguities, uncertainties and confusion faced by the Secretariat were resolved, providing the Secretariat with clear operational direction for its future work.

The purpose of UNCED is to set the international agenda and priorities for the implementation of environmentally sound and sustainable development. Because of the importance and the scope of the decisions to be taken at UNCED, the General Assembly also established, by the same resolution, a Preparatory Committee (PrepCom), open to all member States at the Heads of State or Government level, to prepare for the conference. The UNCED, the "Earth Summit", is expected to be the largest summit-level conference ever held.