Daily report for 1 September 1993

The general debate on Agenda Items 2(a) and 3 entered its third daytoday with a full slate of speakers from governments,intergovernmental organizations, UN agencies and NGOs. In addition,the PrepCom elected a new Vice-Chair from the Eastern Europeanregional group: Ion Barac from Romania. The former Vice-Chair,Marian Dinu, also from Romania, has been posted to Washington.

GENERAL DEBATE:

TONGA: Sione L. Tongilava, Secretary for Lands, Survey andNatural Resources, said that the sustainable development of smallisland developing States (SIDS) will fail without a new directionand commitments between donors and recipients. He also noted theimportance of assistance from developed countries and thevulnerability and fragility of the environmental conditions ofSIDS.

MALDIVES: Mr. Hussain Shihab reminded the participants ofthe importance of the principle of inter-generational equity.Choices made today are likely to determine the range of options inthe future. The technology that is developed by industrializedcountries is not always appropriate for SIDS and needs to beadapted. A clearing house mechanism could be created within the UNsystem to provide ready access to information and experiences.

MALTA: Dr. Ivan Fsadni made the case for a vulnerabilityindex and offered Malta's technical expertise in developing it. Theindex should be simple, easy to construct, and provide plausibleresults. It should also be suitable for international comparisonand cover as many vulnerabilities as possible.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Amb. Rex S. Horoi stressed the importanceof cooperation among SIDS, both bilaterally and through regionalorganizations. SIDS should not rely solely on outside help. Hehighlighted the need for a specific, flexible and immediate actionprogramme that will effectively link environment and developmentwithin SIDS. He focused on three other areas of importance: coastaland marine resources, land resources (including forests), anddisaster preparedness.

BENIN: Amb. Ren‚ Val‚ry Mongbe insisted that SIDS, more thanothers, feel the threat to marine biodiversity due to climatechange, soil erosion and other factors. He called on NGOs to standside-by-side with SIDS to encourage all governments that can affordit to provide contributions for the sustainable development ofthese States.

CAPE VERDE: Jorge Custodio Santos underlined the importanceof the contribution of the international community in supportingnational sustainable development efforts of SIDS. The elementsidentified in the reports of the regional technical meetings canform the basis of a programme of action that will add criticalimpetus to the work already in progress at the national level.

UNDP: Luis Maria Gomez of the UN Development Programme saidthat the challenge is to span the wide scope of UNDP's involvementand harness resources for the attainment of sustainable humandevelopment for SIDS. He highlighted UNDP's support for activitiesrelated to the Conference, including the two regional technicalmeetings. UNDP also supported NGO participation at this PrepCom andis facilitating the holding of a sustainable development technologyexhibition in Barbados at the time of the Conference. He hoped thatother governments and organizations will also provide support forthe Conference.

UNESCO: Mehir Ashraf highlighted UNESCO's many programmesthat concern SIDS. The programmes, tailored to local realities, arepeople-centered and multidisciplinary. They focus on education andtraining. The work of UNESCO has been reoriented in response toAgenda 21 and is being carried out in cooperation with other UNagencies. UNESCO projects also cover the interaction betweenecology, population and tourism in SIDS.

IGC: Elizabeth Dickson, speaking on behalf of theIntergovernmental Committee on Biological Diversity, gave acomprehensive overview of the upcoming preparatory meeting (11-15October, Geneva) for the first Conference of Parties of theConvention on Biological Diversity. She reported that four moreratifications are needed for the Convention to enter into force andthis may happen as early as January 1994. SIDS have driven theConvention forward and should continue to do so as it enters theimplementation stage.

FAO: David Insull of the UN Food and AgriculturalOrganization stressed the importance of agriculture, forestry andfisheries in the sustainable development of SIDS. He highlightedFAO activities relevant to SIDS, including agriculture policy andplanning assistance; assistance in the development of legislation;economic diversification; integrated coastal zone management;forestry; fisheries; land and water use; and assistance inresearch, technology, networking and capacity building.

ITU: Philip Cross said that although telecommunication maynot be ranked among the most important resources, its relationshipwith socio-economic considerations should not be overlooked. As afactor that can contribute to the sustainable development of SIDS,telecommunication needs to be taken into account during thisprocess.

INTERNATIONAL OCEAN INSTITUTE: Dr. Elisabeth Mann Borgesehighlighted the programmes the Institute has set up to help SIDS intheir ocean management. She also insisted on the paramountimportance of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) asa constitution for the oceans and a vital tool for SIDS' managementof their marine resources.

PACIFIC ISLAND NGOS: Maria Kerslake highlighted issues ofparticular concern in the Pacific: colonization, nuclearization,nuclear and hazardous waste dumping, and militarization, all ofwhich take place without island peoples' consent. Offers of redressare slow in coming. The international community should accept thatwrongs should be righted, compensation made and future liabilityaccepted. Self-determination is a prerequisite for sustainabledevelopment.

ICELAND: Thrir Ibsen, on behalf of the Nordic countries,argued that islands with small communities in the Arctic andsurrounding regions merit consideration, as they also have limitedresources, depend on mono-economies and imports, and are vulnerableto climate change and transboundary pollution. The key to theaction plan should be the identification of measures and means toenhance the capacity of SIDS to move forward on the path ofsustainable development. He expressed disappointment withA/CONF.167/PC/6 (system-wide activities) and urged betterinter-agency coordination.

BAHAMAS: Amb. James B. Moultrie said that due to the largenumber of islands in the Bahamas there are staggering constraintson development. The Bahamas' location on the hurricane belt and itsfight against drug trafficking further constrain sustainabledevelopment. GNP per capita income is not a good indicator of theactual situation and environmental assistance should not be deniedthe way development assistance has been.

SIERRA LEONE: Amb. Abdul G. Koroma said that his country, asmall coastal State, identifies with many of the problems facingSIDS. He called for appropriate financial resources and technologytransfer to assist SIDS. Existing technical assistance programmesshould be enhanced and, where none exist, created. In this regard,it is the responsibility of the international community to lay thefoundations for success in Barbados.

SEYCHELLES: Maryse Roberts said that if SIDS wish to achievesustainable development, they must be politically committed andchange their attitude toward development. Seychelles is preparinga development plan that will integrate the development of humanresources (both men and women) in a sustainable developmentframework. She stressed the urgent need for SIDS to pay particularattention to the role of women as well as to share experiencesbetween islands and regions.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Amb. Renagi R. Lohia said that theobstacle to the implementation of any programme of action is theavailability of scarce and limited resources. He highlighted anumber of initiatives that Papua New Guinea has undertaken at thenational level as part of UNCED follow-up and some important issuesthat should be discussed here, including forest conservation,protection of species diversity, and disposal of hazardous andtoxic wastes. The success of the Conference depends on support andpolitical will at both the national and international levels.

VENEZUELA: Milena Santana-Ramirez expressed her country'ssupport for SIDS since Venezuela is confronted with many of thesame problems. Special attention should be given to the effects ofsea-level rise. Information needs to be disseminated and sharedsince the whole international community is concerned.

ST. KITTS AND NEVIS: Raymond C. Taylor said that GNP percapita income does not reflect the true situation of SIDS, since upto 30 percent of national budgets are sometimes absorbed by theneed to respond to natural disasters. He called for the creation ofa focal point for SIDS within the UN system. He also drew attentionto the vulnerability of Caribbean States to oil and chemicalspills.

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: Carlos Gustavo dos Anjos noted thathis country has one of the lowest per capita incomes of the SIDS.This Conference provides a unique opportunity to deal with theproblems of SIDS holistically, and can help SIDS to improve ongoingprogrammes. He recognized the need for regional coordination forAtlantic SIDS, and said that SIDS can play a decisive role in theirown sustainable development.

GRENADA: Amb. Eugene Pursoo enumerated constraints on thesustainable development of SIDS including: the brain drainresulting in a lack of human resources; inadequate training andeducational opportunities; and high unemployment, especially amongthe young. Migration of young people distorts the demographicstructure of many SIDS. All of the above are exacerbated byinadequate infrastructure and further jeopardized by natural andenvironmental disasters. He noted that while UNCLOS has expandedtheir exclusive economic zones, few SIDS have the capacity tomanage and exploit their marine resources.

COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT: Chandrashekhar Krishnan mentioneda number of SIDS-related activities within the CommonwealthSecretariat. Seventy percent of the expenditure of the CommonwealthFund for Technical Cooperation has been directed to SIDS in areassuch as environmental management, environmental legislation,biological resources, fisheries, coastal zone management,macroeconomic and trade policies, education, and human resourcesdevelopment. It will continue to provide support and advice toenable SIDS to participate more effectively in internationalconferences on sustainable development.

SOLOMON ISLANDS DEVELOPMENT TRUST: John Roughan describedthe work of his organization at the village level. If theConference's results are to be successfully implemented it will bedue to people at the local level who are "resource owners" and whomust cope with major changes in their lives. NGOs have new roles indemocratizing the development process, networking and coalitionbuilding.

FAVDO: Alfredo Handem of Guinea-Bissau, speaking on behalfof the Forum of African Voluntary Development Organisations,discussed the complex situation in his country with regard topreserving biodiversity, managing fish resources, preservingcultural traditions and improving living conditions. Competingneeds had to be balanced to reach agreement on appropriate activityzones in the country.

NGOS FROM INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES: Jutta Bertram-Nothnagelurged industrialized countries to help SIDS by decreasing emissionsof greenhouse gases, ratifying and strengthening the Climate ChangeConvention, banning the export of toxic and hazardous wastes toSIDS, and respecting their rights to marine resources.

IN THE CORRIDORS

AOSIS finally completed drafting its "Basic Elements for an ActionProgramme for the Sustainable Development of Small IslandDeveloping States." This paper was swiftly adopted by G-77, despitefears to the contrary from some AOSIS members. It is now in thehands of the Chair, who will decide how it should be used after itis introduced on Thursday. The paper includes chapters on climatechange and sea level rise, natural environmental disasters,management of wastes, coastal and marine resources, freshwaterresources, land resources, energy resources, tourism resources,biodiversity resources, national institutions and administrativecapacity, regional institutions and technical cooperation,transport and communication, science and technology, human resourcedevelopment and implementation, monitoring and review.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

PLENARY: The general debate on Agenda Items 2(a) and 3 willconclude this morning. The final eight speakers are: the UnitedKingdom, Austria, Samoa, Mexico, Bangladesh, UNIDO, WorldAssociation of Former UN Interns and Fellows, and the AmericanAnthropological Association. The Plenary will then discussA/CONF.167/PC/6 (overview of system-wide activities). In theafternoon, SPREP and Caricom will introduce documentsA/CONF.167/PC/7 and PC/8, the reports of the regional technicalmeetings, and a discussion will follow. The G-77 will introduce themuch anticipated paper on basic elements for the programme ofaction prepared by AOSIS. It is possible that the Chair willadjourn the Plenary and convene an informal session to facilitatediscussion on this matter.

Inter-agency cooperation is the buzzword in all areas of UNCEDfollow-up, and for the SIDS the focus is on regional cooperation.It will be interesting to see if the UN regional commissions,conspicuous by their absence from the PrepCom so far, will enterthe fray today.