Daily report for 3 September 1993

PLENARY

PREPARATIONS FOR THE CONFERENCE: Harcourt Lewis, Minister ofthe Environment, Housing and Lands of Barbados, briefed the PrepComon his government's preparations for the Conference. The SherbourneCentre, as well as the other locations for the Conference, will becompleted and furnished well in advance of the Conference.Arrangements are in progress to identify and reserve the requisiteaccommodations for the participants. An independent NGO LiaisonCommittee has been established with responsibility for all aspectsof the participation of NGOs in the Conference. The Government ofBarbados has also decided to stage an exhibition to run parallel tothe Conference. The exhibition, titled "Village of Hope," willinclude discussions and workshops, thematic displays and exhibits,and an exhibition of technology, all bearing the theme ofsustainable development of SIDS. Two events are also planned forJanuary 1994: a media workshop and an eminent persons meeting.

The next speaker was Nicolas Drayton, on behalf of the CaribbeanConservation Association (CCA), Chair of the NGO Liaison Committee.CCA is consulting with other NGOs in preparation for theConference. He urged governments to include NGOs on delegations.CCA hopes to bring NGO perspectives into the Village of Hope. CCAis also planning the NGO Forum that will convene in advance of theConference and run concurrently. He thanked all agencies andgovernments that have supported NGO participation in this process.Tupou Vere, speaking on behalf of Pacific Island NGOs, supportedDrayton's comments.

OPERATIONS OF THE VOLUNTARY FUND: Miles Stoby from theSecretariat briefed the PrepCom on the status of the voluntaryfund. The Secretary-General is seeking US$950,000 to provide forthe participation of representatives from SIDS in the Conferenceprocess. As of today, the Secretariat has only received US$154,783.This figure includes contributions from Canada, Chile, Sweden andNew Zealand. Pledges have also been received from Italy andLiechtenstein. On Thursday, the UK pledged œ30,000 for support ofthe participation of Caribbean delegates and NGOs and mentionedthat it is considering support for Pacific delegates as well. TheDutch and Japanese are also considering contributions to the fund.Stoby made a strong appeal for contributions. He also explainedthat the Secretary-General may seek additional voluntary supportfor NGO participation, the public information programme,representation of journalists from SIDS at the Conference, and thedevelopment of a SIDS information system.

Japan indicated that it is seriously considering its contribution,but cannot pledge a specific amount at this time. Vanuatu, onbehalf of AOSIS, thanked those governments who have pledged andcontributed to the fund.

INFORMAL SESSION

The Chair proposed that the document introduced by G-77, buildingon the reports of the regional technical meetings and otherConference documents, should form the basis for discussion. TheChair asked for general comments to be followed by a closersection-by-section examination, focusing on substance rather thanstructure. She asked delegates to indicate problems, gaps, changeof emphasis, duplication and reorganization of activities withinthe triangular approach. She indicated that comments would not bebinding.

I. CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE: This section met withbroad agreement and it was recommended that the effects ofsea-level rise be evaluated at the local level. The emphasis wasplaced on the local manifestations of a global problem, whileattempting to solve the problem on a global scale. It was alsorecommended that the question of national competence and capacitiesbe further addressed.

II. NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS: Three points wereraised: the management of natural resources in the mitigation ofnatural disasters, such as the role of mangroves and coral reefs incoastal protection; the coordination with the WMO and otherorganizations of disaster warning and preparedness and thetransmission to end users of this information; and reference to theupcoming Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction. There was arequest for clarification on the "National Disaster Emergency Fund"proposed in this chapter.

III. MANAGEMENT OF WASTES: There was concern to increasenational capacity to ratify and implement the many existingconventions affecting waste issues, including the Basel and LondonConventions. There is also a need to increase the level ofawareness of the situation of SIDS and their participation inongoing and upcoming related international negotiations. Attentionwas drawn to the London guidelines on prior consent and the rightsof SIDS to refuse to allow hazardous substances onto theirterritory.

IV. COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES: Delegates asked that areference be made to the Law of the Sea due to its specialconsideration of SIDS. It was pointed out, however, that such areference should be action-oriented. Also raised was the need fora complete inventory of marine flora and fauna to be carried out atall levels. There should be a distinction between management ofmarine resources and the coastal zone. Integrated coastalmanagement was identified as an integral component of sustainabledevelopment of SIDS. It will also be important to involvestakeholders at the local level and to create a link between themanagement of land and marine resources.

There was a call for greater intra-generational equity in fisheriesmanagement. Whereas demographic pressure is likely to increase inSIDS, access to fisheries needs to be limited if overfishing is tobe avoided. Alternative sources of employment will need to bedeveloped through a greater diversification of economic activity.Reference was made to the UN Conference on Straddling and HighlyMigratory Fish Stocks and its particular relevance to SIDS. Theparticipation of SIDS in this process was encouraged. It was alsorecommended that reference be made to land-based sources ofpollution, education and training, and the specific problems ofglobal climate change and sea-level rise.

V. FRESHWATER RESOURCES: One delegate mentioned that thereshould be a reference to public awareness at the national level aswell as at the international level. It was also mentioned thatclimate variability, as well as climate change, affect the supplyof freshwater resources. The use of treated wastewater should alsobe included in this chapter.

VI. LAND RESOURCES: Delegates pointed out a number of issuesthat had been omitted: crop diversification; soil erosion; accessto international markets; and the importance of watersheds. It wasalso recommended that reference to human settlements bestrengthened since humans should be the focus of sustainabledevelopment in SIDS. Some felt that the application of coastal zonemanagement programmes should be delayed until national developmentplanning policies are established. In general, it was felt thatmore reference could be made to social issues and the importance ofwomen, indigenous people and the NGO community. The need to includeforestry management in this chapter was also raised.

VII. ENERGY RESOURCES: Delegates suggested inclusion of thefollowing: references to appropriate pricing at the national level;Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) as a source of renewableenergy; effective transfer of technology; and indigenous sources ofrenewable energy.

VIII. TOURISM RESOURCES: It was pointed out that land useplanning and coastal zone management should be included whendiscussing integrated planning for sustainable tourism development.

IX. BIODIVERSITY RESOURCES: One delegate mentioned marineand other ecosystems with high biodiversity and productivity, suchas coral reefs, temperate and tropical wetlands and other spawningareas, mangroves, and sea grass beds. There was a call for aninventory of flora and fauna and for special attention to be givento the biodiversity of endemic species. It was clarified that"buffer stocks" are those released into ecosystems after a naturaldisaster to minimize the loss of biodiversity.

X. NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY: Regionaland international assistance should focus on integratingenvironmental concerns into socio- economic development planning.Training and legislative assistance should be provided to SIDS toovercome obstacles to the ratification and implementation ofrelevant international instruments. A number of delegations feltthat this issue should be given a higher priority and that ways inwhich it relates to other chapters should be considered.

XI. REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION:Although this chapter calls for the establishment of a SIDSTechnical Assistance Programme and regional sustainable developmentcentres, priority should be given to existing centres andprogrammes. The importance of the legal aspects of environmentalissues and sustainable development was also mentioned by severaldelegates. The need to include reference to harmonization oflegislation was also raised. One delegate asked if there was anyrole for the regional development banks in this section.

XII. TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION: There was a call fortelecommunications to be considered a natural resource. Themanagement of domestic telecommunications facilities should beincluded, as should the need to increase training ontelecommunications applications for natural disaster response.Regarding transport, one delegate called for greater cooperation inmaintaining infrastructure.

XIII. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: One delegate commented thattraining programmes for integrated coastal management by UNDP andthe UN Department of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea areparticularly relevant to SIDS. Marine science programmes shouldinclude SIDS scientists and a flow of information should beestablished between researchers in industrialized countries andSIDS.

XIV. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT: In the course of thediscussion on this chapter, it was suggested that the structure ofthe paper be modified to place greater emphasis on the humanaspect. One delegate questioned the reference to family planning asit is not necessarily suitable to all SIDS or cultures. Othersresponded that provisions on population issues should be retainedin the text. Other aspects highlighted include training andpreparedness for natural disasters; the establishment ofdevelopment curricula that includes information on AIDS; andreferences to specific economic tools such as cost-benefit analysisand resource valuation. Many delegates mentioned the necessity tohighlight the role of women and other major groups.

IN THE CORRIDORS

There has been frantic activity Conference Room 2 as NGOs draftamendments to the G-77 paper being discussed by the PrepCom. NGOsfrom SIDS have been allowed to attend AOSIS meetings, but generallyfeel that the paper is too weak on human resource issues. As oneNGO put it, there is not enough talk of people. Late in theafternoon, NGOs circulated proposed amendments that included:supporting SIDS affected by drought and desertification;strengthening the Climate Change Convention to includelegally-binding commitments; establishing vulnerability indices forecosystems, habitats and communities; referring to subsistencefishermen and women; increasing land use accessibility; adoptingenergy efficiency guidelines for transport systems; and involvinglocal populations in ecotourism planning.

Some NGOs and delegates are concerned that the role of NGOs andmajor groups is not treated adequately in the G-77 paper. WhileNGOs are seeking to strengthen language throughout the paper, manywish to strengthen and build upon references in Chapter XV onimplementation, monitoring and review.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

INFORMAL SESSION: The PrepCom will meet in informal sessiontoday. The first item on the agenda will be discussion of ChapterXV, Implementation, Monitoring and Review, of the G-77 paper. Thetext of this chapter was introduced by Colombia, on behalf of theG-77 and China, at the conclusion of Friday's meeting. There arefour sections of this chapter: national, regional, andinternational implementation, and monitoring and review. Thesection on international implementation contains the followingsubheadings: Finance, Trade, Transfer of Environmentally SoundTechnologies for Cooperation and Capacity Building, EnvironmentalLegislation and Training, Institutional Arrangements, andVulnerability Index. While there has been general agreement so faron the priorities and the reordering of those priorities in theaction programme, how they will be delivered and financed -- thesubject of this chapter -- may provoke protracted debate today.Look for NGO and major groups' suggestions on how they would liketheir roles in the sustainable development of SIDS to be dealt within this chapter.

The second item on the agenda is expected to be a discussion of thestructure of the document, an issue raised continuously on Friday.Then, delegates will revisit issues raised during Friday's informaldiscussion of Chapters I through XIV of the G-77 draft, based on achecklist prepared by the Chair. Look for continued discussionbetween the Chair and members of the G-77 both in the corridors andduring the informal session about the method of work for the rest of the week.