SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES FACE DECLINING ASSISTANCE, COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TOLD

24 April 1996

Press Release
ENV/DEV/355

SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES FACE DECLINING ASSISTANCE, COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TOLD

19960424 Lack of Aid Threatens 1994 Programme of Action Adopted at Barbados; Commission Also Discusses Financial Mechanisms; Atmosphere, Ocean Protection

Small island developing countries were facing declining levels of bilateral and multilateral assistance even as they were developing strategies to implement the programme of action for the development of small island States, the representative of Barbados told the Commission on Sustainable Development this afternoon.

Speaking as the Commission considered the issues of island States, financial resources and protection of the atmosphere and oceans, the representative of Barbados said new assistance was particularly needed in the areas of appropriate technology, alternative energy sources, and the strengthening of human resource capacity.

The representative of New Zealand said that the capacity of small island developing States to participate in international meetings of relevance needed to be enhanced. An attempt should be made to rationalize the numerous meetings on environment and development to allow for the participation of those States.

Cuba's representative said that the vulnerability of small island developing States to global climate change and natural disasters and the need to sustainably develop coastal and marine resources in those States meant that they needed international support for programmes dedicated to conservation.

Also speaking on small island developing States were the representatives of Italy, on behalf of the European Union, Japan, Bahamas, Pakistan, Jamaica, United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Brazil, Malta, Argentina, Fiji, and a representative of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme.

Continuing the Commission's discussion of financial resources and mechanisms, the representative of Iran said that the call at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) for a "new global partnership" on the environment and development was far from being a reality.

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Less than 1 per cent of the external financial resources committed by developed countries in the framework of Agenda 21 had been implemented.

Colombia's representative said that without predictable and adequate increases in official development assistance (ODA) and new and additional resources, it was unthinkable that developing countries could meet their Agenda 21 obligations by the year 2000. Recently, the idea had been proposed that ODA could be replaced by external private investment. Such a replacement would reduce Agenda 21 to a new international marketing strategy.

The representative of Italy, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said that developed countries needed to take the lead regarding sustainable trade policies. The promotion of education, the use of economic instruments, tax reform, removal of environmentally destructive subsidies, eco-labelling, and environmentally sound government purchasing policies were all essential.

Also speaking on financial resources were the representatives of Thailand and Costa Rica, as well as representatives of Friends of the Earth and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).

Speaking on the protection of the atmosphere and the protection of oceans and all kinds of seas this afternoon, the representative of the United Kingdom stressed the need to work within the framework of the climate change agreement and the need to eliminate environmentally unsustainable subsidies. Regarding transportation, he said that new United Kingdom user fees and differential taxes on leaded and unleaded fuels would be reducing carbon dioxide emissions and the use of leaded fuel.

The representative of Malaysia told the Commission that while it would largely be national and regional initiatives that implemented Agenda 21 as related to oceans and the atmosphere, the international community needed to examine how those initiatives could be carried out given the inadequacy of financial resources.

Also speaking on oceans and the atmosphere were the representatives of Sweden, China, Iceland, as well as the International Oceans Institute.

When it meets again at 10 a.m. Thursday, 25 April, the Commission is scheduled to begin a discussion of country experiences and of its working groups.

Commission Work Programme

The Commission on Sustainable Development met this afternoon to continue its consideration of the progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. It will also hear statements on financial resources and mechanisms (chapter 33 of Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)), sectoral clusters relating to the protection of the environment (chapter 9 of Agenda 21) and the protection of the oceans and all kinds of seas (chapter 17 of Agenda 21). (For background on reports before the Commission, see Press Release ENV/DEV/354 issued today.)

Statements

GUISEPPE JACOANGBLI (Italy), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said that European Union assistance to small island developing States took into account the Barbados Programme of Action. In particular, the framework of the programming exercise of the 1975 Lome Convention and its revisions -- which concerns economic cooperation between Europe and the States of Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific -- would include joint assessment and review of the implementation of projects under that Convention. The European Union attached great importance to providing technical assistance and capacity-building as part of a wider programme of cooperation.

The European Union generally agreed with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) papers on trade and development prospects for small island developing States in the Caribbean and Pacific, he said. He hoped that the ninth session of UNCTAD, now getting under way in South Africa would provide guidance on how to promote international trade as an instrument for development in the post-Uruguay Round for developing countries.

TAKAD SHIBATA (Japan) said that the Programme of Action had been a landmark in the post-Rio period. His Government would be guided by the spirit of the Programme in its assistance programmes to small island developing States. Japan had always had close relations with the small island States of the Pacific region. His Government cooperated with the South Pacific Forum to assist its activities in the areas of energy development and small-scale industrial development. It was important to involve the private sector in implementation of the Programme of Action.

He said Japan also consulted regularly with the States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). That cooperation included reducing the impact of natural disasters, making efficient use of tourism investment and training. He welcomed the efforts of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to establish the "SIDS-Net" network on the Internet. South-South cooperation was essential to international development. The SIDS-Net was just such a cooperative effort.

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LYNN HOLOWBSKO (Bahamas) said that her country consisted of some 700 islands and cays. The population was 250,000, but the Bahamas also had some 40,000 illegal aliens. Her Government was introducing more strict safety guidelines regarding environmental conservation and safe boating procedures. It was also amending legislation to discourage the discharge of bilgewater within major harbours. Recent natural disasters had brought about the creation of a natural disaster organization. That body had already been put to use assisting some of the country's Caribbean neighbours.

The Bahamas had ratified the Montreal Protocols and had passed national legislation to prosecute the illegal discharge of pollution, she said. It was difficult for the Bahamas to completely manage its fisheries resources. Poaching was a serious problem, as was degradation of coral reefs. The Caribbean region badly needed assistance with managing resources.

JORGE MARIO GAQCIA FERNANDEZ (Cuba) said that his Government's national programme on the environment and development had been based upon the recommendations of Agenda 21. The vulnerability of small island developing States to global climate change and natural disasters and the need to sustainably develop coastal and marine resources in small island developing States meant that those States needed international support for programmes dedicated to conservation.

SYRD MANSUR REZA (Pakistan) said that greater international cooperation and support was needed for small island developing States. Sufficient analysis and plans already existed. What was needed was a commitment by the international community to take action. International support for such States should be directed through regional bodies. In both the Caribbean and in the Pacific, regional bodies were active in managing sustainable development.

DAVID ALLEN PRENDERGAST (Jamaica) stressed the importance of small island states in the overall process relating to the work of the Commission and the continued relevance of the chapters of Agenda 21 relating to those States. He said that the issue of sustainable development of small island developing States was of global importance and had to do with the existence and survival of those States. It required the forging of partnerships and such partnerships could best be forged when the international community committed its full support.

He said that while the small island developing States had had major responsibility for national action, the need for complementarity of action on the part of the international community had to be underscored. Certain areas required assistance and support. The ability of the small island States in the area of sustainable development continued to be affected by a number of circumstances, particularly those relating to limited resources. The trend of declining bilateral and multilateral flows to those states was a cause for concern and greater attention needed to be given to those areas that had so

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far received little attention. Resource flows remained critical to the successful implementation of the programme of action.

MARK G. HAMBLEY (United States) said that his country was moving forward on the development of a coral reef initiative. A key approach to the protection of small island developing States must address key concerns raised at the Barbados Conference, such as biodiversity, habitat protection, natural disaster protection and climate change. The United States continued to work to insure participation of developed and developing countries, international and non-governmental organizations, academia and the private sector in that effort.

His Government had worked on a number of measures in the last year which were of direct importance to small island developing States, he said. The most important of those measures included the submission of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to the Senate for ratification and the adoption of the global plan of action on the protection of the marine environment from land-based activities.

Ms. OGLIVIAE (New Zealand) said that the question of sustainable development and small island developing States was still far from a finished business. Many issues still needed to be addressed. Many small island developing States had made reforms aimed at sustainable development and required the support of the international community toward the implementation of the those efforts.

The capacity of those States to participate in international meeting of relevance to them needed to be enhanced, she continued. Many were finding it increasingly difficult to participate in such meetings. An attempt should, therefore, be made to rationalize the numerous meetings on environment and development to allow for the participation of those States.

ANDRE MAYNE (Australia) said that his country was committed to implementing the Barbados Programme of Action. It recognized the importance of national policy in the implementation of sustainable development. In that regard, it was helping to build capacity at national and regional levels. Australia was also concerned that the international momentum on the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action had slowed.

LENNOX HINDS (Canada) said that the international community needs a single focal point for cooperation on ocean management issues. His Government shared the views of small island States that on small islands, the entire territory was a coastal zone. Integrated coastal zone management meant that all planning authorities in national jurisdictions must integrate the interests of all who had a stake in the issues.

The domestic resources of island States must be maximized and new

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external resources must be mobilized, he continued. The international community must look for new and innovative ways to mobilize finances. The small island developing States programme of action had made clear that national priorities must be clearly organized prior to the mobilization of funds. As the international community restructured global trading relations, continued market access was vital and small island States needed to maintain that access. There was concern among small island States that new global trading rules would leave them at a disadvantage. Canada had pledged to provide technical assistance to strengthen the capacity of Caribbean States to adjust to the changing world trade environment.

ATHELINE HAZNES (Barbados) said that small island developing States had sought to develop strategies for integrated coastal management. Her Government had put into place a master plan embracing controls on coastal development and protection of the marine environment. While coastal zones were essential, small islands also needed to develop plans for tourism management and the development of integrated land-use plans.

Some island developing countries were still receiving funds, but most islands faced declining levels of bilateral assistance. The international donor community should continue to tangibly support the efforts of small island developing States to implement the Programme of Action. New assistance was particularly needed regarding appropriate technology, alternative energy sources, and the strengthening of human resource capacity.

ULYSSES CANCHOLA (Mexico) said that the Caribbean had a priority position for the foreign and trade policy of Mexico. His country was an integral part of the Caribbean. His Government was actively implementing the Programme of Action on tourism, trade and transport.

KYUL-HO KWAK (Republic of Korea) said that the Programme of Action would be possible only when the international community acknowledged the unsustainability of worldwide development patterns. The governments of small island developing States were primarily responsible for the development of their States, but they could not exercise their responsibilities without external assistance and a favourable international trade environment for them. The role of the Commission in monitoring technology transfer should be stressed. Development assistance for such States should focus on technical cooperation.

SERGIO FLORENCIO (Brazil) said that declining bilateral aid flows and fluctuating international flows were of concern for implementation of the Programme of Action. As regards energy issues, renewable energy sources should be pursued with an emphasis on South-South cooperation. Brazil, for example, had a great deal of experience in hydroelectric power and alternative fuels.

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WALTER BALZAN (Malta) said that the economic development of the small island developing states was dependent on and sensitive to the external environment. That situation was often exacerbated by a lack of natural resources. Also, the process of globalization underscored the fact that the socio-economic development of any state required access and investment in modern telecommunications and information technologies.

Careful management of the coastal and marine environments in pursuit of sustainable economic and human development was of paramount importance to small island states, he continued. That was particularly evident in the tourism industry, which was an economic mainstay of many islands. Any discussion on environmental and economic challenges should necessarily take into account the critical issue of climate change with its attendant impact on the use of the sea level. Malta's lack of natural resources had been counterbalanced by a committed investment in the areas of human resources and modern telecommunications and information technology.

GERALD MILES, representative of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, said that in the context of the Barbados programme of action, significant progress was being made in the areas of climate change, water management, energy resources, biodiversity conservation, national institutions and administrative arrangements and regional cooperation. More effort appeared to be required in the areas of natural and environmental disasters, integrated coastal management, freshwater resources, tourism resources, transport and communication, science and technology, and human resource development. Increases in human, financial and technical resources along with steadily improving coordination at the national and regional levels were significant gains, and essential precursors to achieving sustainable development.

OSCAR A. AVALLE (Argentina) expressed concern at the fall in the level of resources available for the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action. Argentina had established programmes for the implementation of the programme of action. In some cases, those programmes had already borne fruit, particularly in the Caribbean. Argentina was prepared to work to support action in that sector.

GRAHAM EJERETT LEUNG (Fiji) regretted that the overall international political commitment to the Barbados Programme of Action had been unimpressive, particularly in terms of the total resources given to the small island developing States. The Pacific, as a region, had received assistance at levels below those given to comparable regions. Fiji, therefore, urged donors, when considering funding for such states, to take into consideration the equality between all small island developing States. International and regional partnerships would be required to enhance national efforts at sustainable development. He would like to see more consistent bilateral and multilateral aid flow to the small island developing States.

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Statements on Financial Resources and Mechanisms

SUPHAVIT PIAMPONGSANT (Thailand) said that concrete action was still lacking in many States on the issue of changing production and consumption patterns. Several countries had, however, taken measures, through meetings, to promote such changes. They included Norway and the Republic of Korea.

He said that in many developing countries, unsustainable production patterns of the past were still being continued. Developed countries should,therefore, encourage the transfer of technology in order to help to tackle that problem. There should be campaigns to encourage changes in consumption patterns. Thailand shared the disappointment on the declining official development assistance levels in recent years. For many developing countries, such assistance was the only source of funding for implementing Agenda 21.

MOHAMMAD JABBARY (Iran) said that the UNCED call for a "new global partnership" on the environment and development was far from being a reality. Since the largest part of toxic and hazardous waste emissions came from developing countries, and since their unsustainable consumption and production patterns were the major cause of the deterioration of the global environment, they should bear the main responsibility in fulfilling common but differentiated responsibilities.

Less than one per cent of the external financial resources committed by developed countries in the framework of Agenda 21 had been implemented, he said. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) resources had fallen far short of expectations and requirements for the implementation of Agenda 21. The tendency to impose unrealistic standards and requirements on the industries and products of developing countries, and the application of harmful financial policies under the pretext of environmental protection, were inconsistent with the spirit of environmental agreements.

ERNESTO GUHL NANNETTI (Colombia) said that Agenda 21 was a development plan whose funding source, official development assistance, was at historically low levels. Without a predictable and adequate increase of such assistance and new and additional resources, it was unthinkable that developing countries could meet their obligations by the year 2000. Recently, the idea had been proposed that assistance could be replaced by external private investment. Such a replacement would reduce Agenda 21 to a new international marketing strategy, ignoring the essential complementarity of public and private resources. The GEF did not have sufficient resources to implement Agenda 21.

JOHN HONTELEZ, Friends of the Earth, said that "eco-efficiency" should not be seen as a substitute for changes in the unsustainable lifestyles of consumers. It was important to recall that changing sustainable consumption

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and production patterns was not only a matter of restrictions and reductions, but also about opportunity and social justice. The Commission should take concrete action with regard to targets for the use of natural resources, taking into account the concept of development within the limited "environmental space" available in the world.

DENNIS MALAYKO, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), said that workplaces were primary examples of unsustainable consumption patterns as regards energy efficiency. The "day at the workplace" forum during the Commission session next week, sponsored by his organization and representatives of business, would provide the opportunity to discuss those issues.

Mr. JACOANGELI (Italy), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said that major achievements had been made in identifying sustainable consumption and production patterns. The Union recognized that developed countries needed to take the lead as regards developing sustainable trade policies, particularly policy measures aimed at vulnerable sectors. The promotion of education, the use of economic instruments, tax reforms, removal of environmentally destructive subsidies, eco-labelling, and environmentally sound government purchasing policies were all essential.

The Commission should examine the role of the mass media in promoting unsustainable production and consumption patterns, he said. It should identify "win-win" situations in which both the environment and industry could gain by developing resource-efficient technologies. Eco-efficiency, carrying capacity, "eco-space" and "ecological footprints" should be explored as potentially helpful tools.

JOSE MANUEL GUTIERREZ (Costa Rica), on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, agreed that the effectiveness of official development assistance should be enhanced through mechanisms which could include the private sector. However, that should not be interpreted to mean that such mechanisms substituted the commitments made in Agenda 21.

He said that financing and technology were cross-sectoral issues which should be considered by each working group and should, therefore, not be treated separately. Regarding the Global Environment Facility (GEF), he said that the complexity of the mechanism approved was not advantageous to the interests of developing countries. The availability of resources and transfer of environmentally sound technologies on preferential and concessional terms was essential to the achievement of sustainable development in developing countries.

He said that the principle of extended producer responsibility should be taken into account in pricing raw materials. Raw materials producer countries should receive compensation for the environmental harm caused by the

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extraction of raw materials. Unless environmental damage was considered in the exploitation of raw materials and such damage was factored into their pricing, the principle of extended responsibility, which at present was only applicable to finished products, was not going to be realized.

Protection of the atmosphere

ELIZABETH MANN-BORGESE, representative of the International Ocean Institute, said that her organization was an international non-governmental organization with headquarters in Malta. The International Seabed Authority tended to be forgotten in the whole UNCED process. That authority was responsible for a very large part of the ocean space. It also had responsibility for the conservation of the flora and fauna. The authority filled a gap in the intergovernmental system by dealing with the non-living resources of the ocean not covered by other United Nations agencies. It was therefore important that the authority be made to play an active role in the UNCED process.

The institutional framework for the UNCED process must be participatory, she said. That should start with the coastal communities and extend to the global United Nations level. It must comprise governmental as well as non- governmental institutions.

BO KJELEN (Sweden) said that there was need to recognize the complexity of transport and transport policies. There should be awareness that there were no easy solutions either in terms of vehicles or traffic management. The solutions had to be seen on the demand side or the human aspect. Costs should be internalized and there must be respect for the notion of common but differentiated responsibility.

ZHANG KUHMIN (China) said that the international community should continue to provide strong support for the development of small island developing states. China had promulgated a marine protection law in 1982 and the National Environmental Protection Agency had been given the role of overseeing the protection of the environment, including the protection of the coastal areas. Following a study which linked the declining catch in China's largest fishing ground to overfishing as well as land-based activities, the country decided to stop fishing for one year in that fishing ground.

He said that the international community should provide developing countries with the assistance to carry out investigations relating to persistent organic polluting substances, so as to complete the phasing out of those substances. The substitutes were too expensive for many developing countries.

TRYGGUI FELIXSON (Iceland) said that the main priority of the international community was to ensure that agreements were implemented.

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Special consideration needed to be given to the role of the Commission on Sustainable Development. The Commission should be an overview mechanism for the implementation of Agenda 21. Its emphasis should be on maintaining the integrity of the agreements that had been made. It should not have the role of interpreting those agreements.

He stressed the importance of the global plan of action adopted in Washington. The challenge now was to move ahead with that plan of action without delay. The Nordic countries were organizing an expert meeting in May for dealing with that problem. The global environmental problems related to emissions were also issues of great concern. Some problems remained to be resolved in that regard, including the issue of the growing traffic in chlorofluorocarbons.

ETER UNWIN (United Kingdom) said that in November 1995 his Government co-hosted with Brazil a workshop on decision-making for oceans. The workshop did not conclude that there was the need for a new international body, though it did call for increased coordination on the part of United Nations agencies. Regarding the atmosphere, his Government stressed the need to work within the framework of the climate change agreement and the need to eliminate environmentally unsustainable subsidies. Regarding transportation, he said that new United Kingdom user fees and differential taxes on leaded and unleaded fuels would be reducing Carbon dioxide emissions and the use of leaded fuel.

RAJ D'NATHAN (Malaysia) said that it would largely be national and regional initiatives that implemented Agenda 21 as related to oceans and the atmosphere. The international community needed to examine how those initiatives could be carried out given the inadequacy of financial resources. The assistance of United Nations agencies was still critical to many developing countries in their efforts to sustainably manage marine resources.

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