Daily report for 31 August 1993

The Preparatory Committee met in plenary session for the second dayof general debate on Agenda Items 2(a) and 3, activities of the UNsystem in preparation for the Conference and consideration of plansand programmes to support the sustainable development of smallisland developing States (SIDS). The PrepCom also addressed AgendaItem 2(d), participation of NGOs in the preparatory process.Pursuant to this agenda item, the PrepCom adopted documentA/CONF.167/PC/L.4, accrediting 68 NGOs.

GENERAL DEBATE

ISRAEL: Daniel Ayalon expressed Israel's solidarity withSIDS. He explained Israel's long tradition of technical cooperationwith developing countries, including SIDS, in the areas ofagriculture, education, rural and community development, medicineand public health. In the past year and a half, Israel has hosted171 experts from the islands for specialized training and has sentexperts abroad for six "on-the-spot" courses with 140 participants.

MAURITIUS: Amb. Satteeanund Peerthum indicated that the workof this Conference is of crucial importance and its success dependson the SIDS themselves as well as the international community. Theoceans are of primordial importance to SIDS and Mauritius, as Chairof the environmental committee of the Indian Ocean Commission, isvery active in this regard. He highlighted the rational managementof freshwater resources, solid waste management, integrated coastalmanagement, and natural and man-made disaster preparedness asimportant issues. These concerns should be integrated in both SIDSdevelopment strategies and regional cooperation.

CHINA: Amb. Li Zhaoxing noted that the sustainabledevelopment of SIDS is an essential part of a global effort and,therefore, the international community must take itsresponsibilities seriously. The measure of the success of thisConference will be the extent to which it can turn the Rioagreements into practical, action-oriented programmes that benefitSIDS. Priorities should include creating favorable conditions forsustainable development in SIDS by: removing external environmentalthreats; enhancing data and information exchange; strengtheningregional cooperation; and human resource capacity building.South-South cooperation should also be reinforced. Theinternational community should fulfill its Rio obligations withrespect to technology transfer and financial resources.

MICRONESIA: Asterio R. Takesy, Secretary for Resources andDevelopment, prefaced his statement with a comment on the presenceand vital contribution of the press to the success of thisConference. He stressed that this is not a cleverly designedpledging conference. The world community should focus on SIDSbecause the problems they face are real and life-threatening. Hedescribed the situation on the 600 atolls and islands that comprisethe Federated States of Micronesia and highlighted problems withrecent storms, changing ocean temperatures that are causing seriousperiods of drought, sea-level rise and population growth.

ROMANIA: Ion Barac mentioned that SIDS do not form ahomogeneous group but are also distinguished by their ownidentities and characteristics. They still present a strong casefor special attention by the international community, both from anenvironmental and a development point of view. This Conference isonly a first step and it should result in a blueprint for action.

COOK ISLANDS: Wayne Tamangaro King reminded the participantsthat sustainable development is not a new concept for SIDS, wherepeople have always lived in harmony with their environment.Societies have evolved and are now threatened with the loss oftheir memory and culture. In many SIDS the coastal zone is in factthe totality of the island. Tourism provides economic benefits, yetalso poses a problem of social acceptance on the part of theislanders.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Evans King referred to the importantwork undertaken by UNCTAD and stated that the programme of actionto be agreed on in Barbados may contain ideas that can bereplicated in other countries. Many programmes are already underwayat national levels, despite high per capita costs. However, thesupport of the international community is essential, especially inproviding access to environmentally-sound technology, financialresources and funding mechanisms. Technology transfer isparticularly important in the areas of communication, energyconservation and the development of efficient, alternative energysources.

KIRIBATI: Nakibae Teuatabo acknowledged the goodwill shownby the international community in assisting SIDS, but urgeddeveloped countries to go further. Priority needs to be given tothe development of natural resources, particularly marineresources. Capacity building also needs to be highlighted.

WHO: Louis Laugeri, representative of the World HealthOrganization, said that SIDS have always been a priority for WHO.SIDS can serve as a model for other developing countries, in areassuch as water distribution, water quality and control of waterbornediseases. It is essential to emphasize effective support ofcommunities, emergency preparedness and appropriate responses tosea-level rise.

UNDCP: Sylvie Alpert Bryant, representative of the UNInternational Drug Control Programme, indicated that some CaribbeanSIDS are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of drug traffickingand in some islands huge budgetary resources have to be earmarkedto combat it. In that respect, drug abuse control stands in the wayof sustainable development. While in the Pacific the effects ofdrug traffic are slowly being felt, the situation is more acute inthe Caribbean, which also suffers from drug abuse and associatedcrime. It is important to strengthen the regional ability to copewith this new reality. The UNDCP has several master plans inpreparation to strengthen local enforcement, heighten awareness andtrain human resources.

IOC: Dr. George Maul, representative of theIntergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, highlighted the roleoceanography and other marine sciences can play in the sustainabledevelopment of SIDS. This was confirmed by UNCED. The Conferencemust address the immediate threats facing small island States on adaily basis, i.e., sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and depletionof marine resources. The IOC intends to facilitate internationalscientific cooperation to provide coastal managers with therelevant scientific information.

NIUE: Wayne Tagelagi presented the first statement ever atthe United Nations from the South Pacific island of Niue. Hehighlighted a few areas of special concern. Lack of human resourcesis a real problem in Niue, where the population is only 2,500people. Development of the private sector is a priority. However,lack of infrastructure and transportation difficulties are majorconstraints. He stressed the need for transfer of technology,specifically remote sensing systems that aid in the detection ofmeteorological conditions and enhance natural disasterpreparedness.

ARGENTINA: Oscar Avalle stated that one of the main problemsat this Conference is that of defining in concrete terms the bestway to implement the Rio agreements. The task is to move fromideological agreement to actual implementation. This Conference isone of the first steps along this path. He stressed the need toexamine the commitments made regarding international economiccooperation, financial resources and mechanisms, and capacitybuilding aimed at achieving sustainable development.

CUBA: Pedro Luis Pedroso Cuesta referred to the cycle ofnatural disasters that has devastated the Cuban economy in the pastyear, as an example of the vulnerability of SIDS. While recognizingtheir individual responsibilities, SIDS cannot achieve sustainabledevelopment without assistance from the international community. Inparticular there should be better coordination of UN agencies innatural disaster relief and better targeted financial assistance.The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) should play a keyrole in the ongoing analysis that will follow Barbados.

JAMAICA: Amb. Lucille Mathurin Mair said that SIDS areparticularly vulnerable to the effects of intensive activity in thecoastal zone, tourism, an increase in population density,commercial agricultural activities, as well as natural disasters.Due to their limitations, SIDS need to develop vulnerabilityindices at the regional level. The eventual entry into force of theUN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) will increase theability of SIDS to manage their marine resources. Internationalcooperation will be instrumental in developing an interdisciplinaryapproach to the sustainable development of SIDS. NGO activities arealso essential to ensure that all sectors participate in theprocess.

BRAZIL: Regis Arslanian said this Conference must recognizethe significance of international cooperation, new and additionalfinancial resources, and transfer of environmentally-soundtechnology. Access to financial resources has been highlighted inAgenda 21 but does not appear clearly enough in the documentsprepared by the Secretariat. The crucial question of financialresources must be addressed frankly.

UNCTAD: Abdulqawi A. Yusuf, the representative from the UNConference on Trade and Development, pointed out that the UN hasdesignated UNCTAD as the focal point for specific action at theglobal level in favor of island developing countries. The outcomeof the Conference will be judged by the impact it will have onsustainable development and trade-related issues for SIDS.Environmental as well as international economic changes limitoptions for SIDS. Although the basic constraints on the sustainabledevelopment of SIDS arise from their vulnerabilities, externalfactors also play a role. These include the globalization ofproduction, the emergence of new economic spaces, new forms ofcompetition, innovations in international shipping, and theincreasing importance of micro-electronics and telecommunications.Economically, it is desirable to internalize externalities.International cooperation is needed to support sound environmentalpolicies and remove trade distortions.

ILO: Ian Chambers of the International Labour Organisationsaid that SIDS, like so many other countries, are beset byincreasing unemployment. There is a need to balance the need forsound environmental management with employment generation. Both thepublic and private sectors need to recognize the potential forenvironment-related employment, particularly in the tourismindustry, a mainstay of many SIDS' economies. ILO standard-settingin chemical hazards, the working environment and industrialdisasters is important and SIDS' needs and concerns are being takeninto account.

UNEP: Arthur Lyon Dahl mentioned that all SIDS participatein UNEP's regional seas programmes and it is important for thisConference to build on existing mechanisms and increase cooperationamong them. Document A/CONF.167/PC/6 refers to UNEP activities, butthe programmes are currently being restructured in response toAgenda 21. The PrepCom should look at what can be done to improveinformation exchange and build up a database from which all SIDScould benefit. A network can also be set up to allow decisionmakers to predict the effects of the policies they might adopt.

NGOS: Jocelyn Dow, on behalf of NGOs from small islandStates in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and theMediterranean and Caribbean Seas, said the question of their verysurvival has been determined by others. There are still peoples whoare fighting for the right of decolonization andself-determination. Current patterns of industrial production,distribution and resource use shred the fabric of traditions andcreate in their stead new forms of poverty, social instability anddependence. There is a need to shift the focus of developmentpolicies away from the narrow parameters of macro financialindicators to a more meaningful and sustainable process whereingrowth is measured increasingly by the human index indicators thatUNDP reports have recently begun to adopt.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

PLENARY: General debate will continue on Agenda Items 2(a)and 3 today. Statements are expected from Tonga, Papua New Guinea,Maldives, Malta, Solomon Islands, Grenada, UNESCO, WMO, UNDP, FAO,ITU and the Intergovernmental Committee on the Convention onBiological Diversity (ICCBD). After exhausting the speakers' list,Plenary will proceed with a closer examination of A/CONF.167/PC/6and the Chair will invite delegates to make specific statements.There will be no speakers' list. If time permits, the Plenary willdiscuss the reports of the regional technical meetings(A/CONF.167/PC/7 and 8). In the afternoon, general debate on AgendaItems 2(a) and 3 will continue. Speakers will include Iceland,Samoa, Bahamas, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Commonwealth Secretariat,Regional Commissions, and Solomon Islands Development Trust.

Several informal documents may be circulated today. The G-77 mayintroduce a document, "Referential Elements for an ActionProgramme." This document will draw on the common elements of thereports of the two regional technical meetings (A/CONF.167/PC/7 and8) and may serve as a guide for discussion. AOSIS has beenpreparing a draft framework action programme for the environmentalmanagement of SIDS. At the same time, the EC is developing constructive points for discussion, which may or may not be tabled.