Summary report, 31 December 1993

Although the resumed session of the Preparatory Committee for theGlobal Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small IslandDeveloping States will not take place until March 1994, there ismuch to report upon the conclusion of the 48th session of theUnited Nations General Assembly. This special year-end issue of theEarth Negotiations Bulletin will review relevant activitiesthat have taken place since the substantive session of the PrepComin September 1993, summarize the results of the General Assembly'sconsideration of the Conference, and highlight upcoming events.This issue of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin is publishedas part of a series of year-end issues intended to summarize thecurrent state of play in the various UNCED-follow-up conferencesand negotiations reported on by the Bulletin in 1993.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SMALL ISLAND STATES CONFERENCE

The Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of SmallIsland Developing States has its roots in Chapter 17 of Agenda 21.UN General Assembly resolution 47/189, which established theConference set the following objectives: review current trends inthe socio-economic development of small island developing States(SIDS); examine the nature and magnitude of the specificvulnerabilities of SIDS; define a number of specific actions andpolicies relating to environmental and development planning to beundertaken by these States, with help from the internationalcommunity; identify elements that these States need to include inmedium- and long-term sustainable development plans; recommendmeasures for enhancing the endogenous capacity of these States; andreview whether institutional arrangements at the internationallevel enable these States to give effect to the relevant provisionsof Agenda 21. The Conference is to be held in Barbados from 25April - 6 May 1994.

The Preparatory Committee for the Conference held itsorganizational session in New York on 15-16 April 1993. PenelopeWensley, Australia's Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva andAmbassador for the Environment, was elected Chair of the PrepCom.The PrepCom adopted guidelines suggesting that the itsconsideration of the role of small island developing States shouldinclude actions at the micro level aimed at environment anddevelopment planning, measures for enhancing local skills andexpertise, and medium- and long-term planning for sustainabledevelopment.

As part of the preparatory process, two regional technical meetingswere held. The first meeting for the Indian and Pacific Oceans wascoordinated by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) and was held from 31 May - 4 June 1993 in Vanuatu. Thesecond regional technical meeting for the Atlantic/Caribbean/Mediterranean region was held in Trinidad and Tobago from 28 June- 2 July 1993. The meeting was coordinated by the CaribbeanCommunity (Caricom) with the assistance of the Economic Commissionfor Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

The substantive session of the PrepCom was held in New York from 30August - 10 September 1993. By the conclusion of the two-weekmeeting, the PrepCom had set the process in motion for the adoptionof a programme of action for the sustainable development of SIDS.The draft programme of action contains chapters on the following:climate change and sea level rise; natural and environmentaldisasters; management of wastes; coastal and marine resources;freshwater resources; land resources; energy resources; tourismresources; biodiversity resources; national institutions andadministrative capacity; regional institutions and technicalcooperation; transport and communication; science and technology;human resource development; and implementation, monitoring andreview. While delegates were able to reach agreement on themajority of the chapters in the programme of action, the preambleand the chapter on implementation, monitoring and review remainedlargely in brackets. As a result, delegates called for a resumedsession of the PrepCom to be convened so that negotiations couldcontinue on these sections.

INTERSESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

WORLD COAST CONFERENCE

The World Coast Conference 1993, which was held from 1-5 November1993 in the Netherlands, examined actions to strengthencapabilities for progressive sustainable development and integratedcoastal zone management (ICZM). Participants at the Conference frommore than 90 nations, 19 international organizations and 23 NGOsdiscussed actions for coastal States to undertake ICZM toward theyear 2000. The Conference Statement and the Conference Report notedthe following:

• There is an urgent need for coastal States to strengthen their capabilities for ICZM, working towards the development of appropriate strategies and programmes by the year 2000.
• ICZM is the most appropriate process to anticipate and respond to long-term concerns and needs while addressing present day challenges and opportunities.
• ICZM involves the comprehensive assessment, setting of objectives, planning and management of coastal systems and resources, taking into account traditional, cultural and historical perspectives and conflicting interests and uses; it is a continuous and evolutionary process for achieving sustainable development.
• Coastal States that are in the process of defining and implementing a national programme for ICZM have encountered obstacles that constrain the effective development of national programmes. These include: limited understanding and experience in ICZM; limited understanding of coastal and marine resources; fragmented institutional arrangements; single-sector oriented bureaucracies; competing interests and lack of priorities; inadequate legislation and/or lack of enforcement; land-tenure regimes and other social factors; and lack of information and resources.
• Coastal States are urged to identify their priorities for ICZM, to identify their most pressing needs to improve their capabilities for ICZM, to undertake national measures to increase their capabilities, and to identify their special needs for assistance.
• Effective ICZM can be achieved by coordination between national, regional and international organizations and institutions. This will help to avoid unnecessary duplication and to develop the concepts, tools and networks needed to facilitate the development and implementation of national programmes. Support for ICZM capacity building could be in the following areas: information; education and training; concepts and tools; research, monitoring and evaluation; and funding.

REPORT ON DONOR ACTIVITIES

At its session in September, the PrepCom requested the Secretariatto prepare a report containing relevant information on currentdonor activities in support of sustainable development of SIDS.This report is supposed to include information on a sectoral levelprovided by UN and other intergovernmental agencies, donorcountries and NGOs. The report has been organized to follow theprogression of chapters in the programme of action. For eachsubject, such as transport, communications, human resourcedevelopment, freshwater resources, etc., the report will list theUN organizations and agencies, non-UN intergovernmentalorganizations and NGOs that are funding relevant projects. Althoughthe Secretariat had hoped to receive information from NGOs that arefunding or coordinating projects relevant to the sustainabledevelopment of SIDS, only two NGOs sent in reports: the SolomonIslands Development Trust and the Foundation for InternationalEnvironmental Law and Development. Overall, the Secretariat hasreceived approximately 40 submissions. The Secretariat's report issupposed to be completed by the end of January 1994.

SECRETARIAT PLANNING MISSION TO BARBADOS

In preparation for the Conference itself, the Secretariat conducteda second planning mission to Barbados in mid-November. Members ofthe Secretariat met with the National Planning Committee inBarbados to discuss elements of the host-country agreement andrelated issues such as security, accreditation of delegations,transportation, staffing requirements, and the parallel NGOactivities.

The Secretariat and the National Planning Committee hope todistribute hotel and other information regarding conferencelogistics at the resumed session of the Preparatory Committee inMarch.

MEDIA OUTREACH

Ted Turner, the head of Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) hasapproved a proposal for the coverage of major United NationsConferences, beginning with the Global Conference for theSustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. The ideais to treat all major UN conferences not as isolated events but aspart of a wider continuum stretching from the 1992 Earth Summit,through the 1995 Social Summit, to the 50th Anniversary of theUnited Nations. TBS/CNN has committed to producing TV coverage ofthe SIDS Conference, including the production of full-lengthdocumentaries and the production of short items on small islandStates by TBS affiliate stations worldwide for inclusion inbroadcasts immediately prior to and during the Conference. This isnot an exclusive arrangement with TBS/CNN, rather it is hoped thatthis development will encourage other international media houses tofollow suit.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY HIGHLIGHTS

The Second Committee of the 48th session of the UN General Assemblyconsidered the implementation of the decisions and recommendationsof the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) andother environmental matters on Friday, 19 November, Tuesday, 23November and Wednesday, 24 November 1993. During the three days ofdebate, all governments supported the post-UNCED conferences andnegotiations, including the Global Conference on the SustainableDevelopment of Small Island Developing States. Most delegates whointervened on this subject, including Austria, Bahrain, Canada,China, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Papua NewGuinea and Tanzania, supported recommendations to holda resumed session of the PrepCom in March 1994.

Vanuatu

strongly supported the resumption of the PrepCom andassured other delegates that the resumed session will start wherethe September session left off -- no formal debates or speeches.The objective would be to clear up as much of the outstandingissues as possible prior to the Barbados Conference. In addition,AOSIS wants to begin work on the Barbados Declaration andincorporate views of the recently held World Coast Conference intothe final document. He also added that AOSIS members would like tohave informal consultations with interested delegations toaccelerate the work of the PrepCom.

The representative from the Maldives said that theConference is the first opportunity to address these issues at theinternational level and the Maldives attaches a high priority toits success. The constraints to sustainable development arewell-documented -- a narrow resource base, limited human resources,distances, the availability of resource information, andtransboundary issues like climate change, sea level rise, trade andpolitical stability. Financing is a concern and if the worldcommunity can mobilize trillions of dollars for defense, thenecessary resources should be able to be mobilized for moreconstructive processes. The Maldives is encouraged by the progressmade so far by the PrepCom for the SIDS Conference and supports theneed for its resumption. Moreover, it is not premature to startaddressing the post-Conference process. There is a need for amechanism to monitor implementation and a Secretariat in the UNwith the necessary expertise could provide an effective facilityfor this purpose.

The Caribbean Community is pleased to see the level ofinterest in support for the Conference on the SustainableDevelopment of Small Island Developing States and hopes thistranslates into the highest possible level of participation at theConference itself. Although much work was done at the PrepCom inSeptember, many challenges in the document remain to be resolved.In addition, informal contacts will shortly begin on the possibleDeclaration of Barbados. This will allow for a preliminary exchangeof views to facilitate the actual negotiations of the text at theConference itself. Caricom urged that the General Assembly decideto convene a resumed session of the PrepCom from 7-11 March 1994.

Australia

is committed to the success of the Conference,encouraged other governments to consider the benefit of high-levelpolitical attendance in Barbados, and supported the AOSIS proposalfor a one-week resumed session of the PrepCom to addressoutstanding issues. Japan also supported the Conference andthe proposal to convene a resumed PrepCom. Japan announced that itis making the necessary preparations to contribute US$100,000 tothe voluntary fund.

Second Committee Resolution A/C.2/48/L.78, adopted on 10 December,decides to convene the first Global Conference on the SustainableDevelopment of Small Island Developing States in Barbados from 25April to 6 May 1994, including a high-level segment on 5-6 May. Theresolution urges that representation at the Conference be at thehighest possible level and decides to convene one day ofpre-Conference consultations at the venue of the Conference on 24April 1994. The General Assembly also decided that the firstsession of the Preparatory Committee should be resumed for a periodof five working days, from 7-11 March 1994, to complete thepreparatory work assigned to it, including the draft programme ofaction for the sustainable development of small island developingStates. Adequate facilities should be made available for thispurpose within the approved budget limit set for the biennium1994-1995. The resolution also: endorses the decisions of thePrepCom regarding the participation of associate members ofregional commissions and NGOs in the Conference and its preparatoryprocess; endorses the PrepCom's decisions regarding the provisionalrules of procedure and the provisional agenda for the Conference;requests the Secretary-General to ensure the timely submission ofthe report of donor activities requested in decision 11 of thePrepCom; requests the Secretary-General, through the Department ofPublic Information, to widely disseminate the goals and purposes ofthe Conference; and invites all Member States and organizations ina position to do so to contribute to the voluntary fund for theConference.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN 1994

The PrepCom for the GlobalConference on the Sustainable Development of Small IslandDeveloping States is scheduled to resume from 7-11 March 1994 at UNHeadquarters in New York. The five-day session will focusexclusively on negotiations. There will be no general debate oropportunity for government delegates, UN agencies or NGOs topresent formal statements. The negotiations are expected to focuson the unresolved areas of the programme of action (primarily thepreamble and Chapter XV, "Implementation, Monitoring and Review")and the Barbados Declaration. Delegates are hopeful thatthey will be able to forward an "unbracketed" text to Barbados inApril.

RESUMED SESSION OF THE PREPCOM:

The PrepCom for the GlobalConference on the Sustainable Development of Small IslandDeveloping States is scheduled to resume from 7-11 March 1994 at UNHeadquarters in New York. The five-day session will focusexclusively on negotiations. There will be no general debate oropportunity for government delegates, UN agencies or NGOs topresent formal statements. The negotiations are expected to focuson the unresolved areas of the programme of action (primarily thepreamble and Chapter XV, "Implementation, Monitoring and Review")and the Barbados Declaration. Delegates are hopeful thatthey will be able to forward an "unbracketed" text to Barbados inApril.

BARBADOS DECLARATION:

The Government of Barbados is workingon the draft of the Barbados Declaration, which will be adopted atthe Conference. Barbados is expected to present a draft text forthe declaration or a paper containing elements to be included inthe declaration at the resumed session of the PrepCom in March.Formal negotiations on the Declaration are set to begin at thattime. It is likely that the Government of Barbados will look atboth the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and theAOSIS Heads of Government Declaration (10 June 1992) for elementsto be included in the Barbados Declaration.

JOURNALISTS WORKSHOP:

An Eco-Journalism Workshop forCaribbean and other Commonwealth Small Island Developing Stateswill be held from 20-22 January 1994 in Kingston, Jamaica. Thepurpose of the workshop is to enhance the ability of journalists tocover the Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small IslandDeveloping States and to raise media awareness about both theConference and the issues. The Workshop will first give journalistsbackground about the Rio Conference and its follow-up. The nextsession will focus on the sustainable development of SIDS,including: ecological sustainability, economics of sustainabledevelopment in small countries; resource management; coastal zonemanagement; marine environment; and disaster preparedness andmanagement. Finally, there will be a session on the preparatorywork for the Conference. For more information, contact ProfessorBishnodat Persaud, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7,Jamaica; tel: 809-927-1660, ext. 2363; fax: 809-977-1658.

EMINENT PERSONS PANEL:

Dame Nita Barrow, theGovernor-General of Barbados, is putting together a panel ofapproximately 12 eminent persons on the issues related to theConference on the Sustainable Development of Small IslandDeveloping States. The panel will meet just prior to the Conferencein Bridgetown, Barbados. The report, recommendations or declarationof the panel will be transmitted to the Conference.

NGO ACCREDITATION:

Thus far 157 NGOs are accredited to theConference. 54 accredited NGOs are from small island developingStates, 50 are from developed countries and 53 are from non-islanddeveloping countries. Any NGOs that have not yet applied foraccreditation to the PrepCom and the Conference should do so assoon as possible before the resumed session of the PrepCom inMarch.

NGOs wishing accreditation should submit the following informationto the UN Secretariat: copies of the latest annual report and themost recent budget; copy of constitution and/or by-laws andinformation on governing body composition; proof of the non-profitnature of the organization; a short statement of how theorganization's activities relate to the Conference; a descriptionof membership; and location of headquarters. Non-governmentalorganizations in consultative or roster status with the Economicand Social Council, including those of this status that werepreviously accredited to UNCED, are considered to have satisfiedthese requirements to the extent that they have already providedsuch information to the United Nations. They should, howeverindicate their relevance to and interest in participating in theConference and its preparatory process.

All communications from non-governmental organizations should bemailed to: United Nations Secretariat, ECOSOC/NGO Unit, Room DC-22340, New York, NY 10017, USA.

NGO ACTIVITIES:

Collectively, NGOs are planning to integratetheir perspectives and approaches to the sustainable development ofSIDS into the work of the Conference. The details of the parallelNGO activities in Barbados are in the process of being finalized.The activities, under the coordination of the NGO LiaisonCommittee, chaired by Caribbean Conservation Association, aredivided into three sections which will focus on alternateappropriate sustainable development models:

• The NGO Forum is a series of workshops and briefings which will examine special issues and challenges associated with current development patterns and models, and also develop an action plan for alternative models.
• The Village of Hope is a multi-pronged exposition of ideas and examples of sustainable development for island communities showcasing indigenous, traditional and innovative approaches.
• SUSTECH '94 is a showcase and marketplace for environmental and affordable technologies and services which can assist SIDS to achieve more sustainable patterns of development. Limited space is available, free of cost, to NGOs for display of alternative technologies.

For more information about the NGO Forum, contact PauuluKamarakafego - NGO Conference Coordinator, NGO Liaison Secretariat,Letchworth Complex, The Garrison, St. Michael, Barbados; Fax (809)435-0994; Phone (809) 435-2995/2996. For more information aboutSUSTECH '94, contact the Barbados Manufacturing Association,Building #1, Pelican Ind. Pk, Barbados; Fax: (809) 436-5182; Phone:(809) 426-4474.