SECOND COMMITTEE HEARS CALLS FOR ACTION ON BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL, COMMITMENT TO NEEDS OF SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

Press Release
GA/EF/2876

SECOND COMMITTEE HEARS CALLS FOR ACTION ON BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL, COMMITMENT TO NEEDS OF SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

Although much had been done, the international community was far from making the kind of progress needed to ensure a healthy and stable living environment for future generations, the representative of Antigua and Barbuda told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this morning as it continued its consideration of environment and sustainable development.

Speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), he said that while all countries would feel the devastating effects of climate change, islands were the most exposed and most vulnerable. The AOSIS had been at the forefront of the negotiations on climate change, for the simple reason that for all of its members, those negotiations related to their very survival. The urgent appeal of AOSIS to its larger developed continental neighbours to cut back on their use of fossil fuels had largely fallen on deaf ears. The Kyoto Protocol had, to date, attracted only 15 ratifications, two-thirds of which were small island developing States (SIDS). Yet none of the 37 industrialized countries that were required to start cutting greenhouse gases were among the ratifiers.

The representative of Guyana, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China, added that while the effects of carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gases continued to have a profound impact on the world’s climate systems, those effects were particularly felt in developing countries. They were most notably felt in SIDS, which were on the frontline of the dangers of sea level rise. They posed grave risks for the very sustainability of the life force of some countries and societies. Thus, Member States that had not yet done so, were strongly urged to accede to and/or ratify the Kyoto Protocol with a view to bringing it into force as soon as possible. He added that the Protocol’s ratification should not bear any conditionalities on developing countries with regard to the reduction of greenhouse gases.

On the question of climate change, the representative of Norway said that there was still an urgent need to continue capacity- and competence-building. The deep commitment and active participation of SIDS in the implementation of Agenda 21 had been demonstrated in their own development, and the global community had a responsibility to

Second Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/EF/2876 20th Meeting (AM) 25 October 1999

provide support for those efforts. The SIDS made practically no contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and the rise in sea level. Yet they were the countries that were most likely to suffer as a result of climate change.

Several delegations expressed their hope for the successful conclusion of negotiations for a biosafety protocol. The Colombian representative said that the protocol had triggered intense debates which had not questioned its benefits but rather reaffirmed the need for it. However, there had not been sufficient political will to put aside purely economic and commercial interests in favour of concern for the potential risks that Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) represented for human health and for the conservation of the planet’s biological diversity. He appealed to all countries to support and adopt the protocol during the next resumed session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Finland (on behalf of the European Union and associated States), Russian Federation, Turkey, Brazil, Ethiopia, China, Benin, Malaysia, Burkina Faso, Australia and Barbados. The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa, and the Executive Secretary of the Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity also addressed the Committee.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. to continue its discussion of environment and sustainable development.

Work Programme

The Second Committee (Economical and Financial) met this morning to continue its consideration of environment and sustainable development.

The Committee had before it a note of the Secretary-General on environment and sustainable development: Convention on Biological Diversity (document A/54/428), in which he submits to the General Assembly the report of the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

According to the report, key activities undertaken by the Conference of the Parties to the convention include: the first extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties to adopt a protocol on biosafety; the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice; and the inter-sessional meeting on the operations of the Convention. Key forthcoming activities include: the fifth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, to be held in Montreal from 31 January to 4 February 2000; and the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to be held in Nairobi from 14 to 26 May 2000. The report also notes that as of 30 September 1999, there are 175 Parties to the Convention.

The report states that the Convention requires Parties to consider the need for and modalities of a protocol setting out appropriate procedures, including advance informed agreement in the safe transfer, handling and use of any living modified organisms resulting from biotechnology that may have adverse effect on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The Conference of the Parties established the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety to negotiate a protocol to address the concerns of Parties on those matters. The Working Group reported the results of its work to the first extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties on 22 February 1999.

According to the report, the Working Group provisionally adopted a number of articles which the Conference of the Parties used as the basis for further discussion and negotiation. The Conference of the Parties was not able to reach consensus on the draft text submitted by the Chair of the Working Group. The three core issues remaining before the Conference address the questions of scope; application of the advanced informed agreement procedure; and the relationship with other international agreements. The Conference of the Parties, therefore, decided to suspend its first extraordinary meeting, which will reconvene from 24 to 28 January 2000.

The report goes on to say that the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice adopted a number of recommendations on its Programme of work; further development of a Global Taxonomy Initiative; assessment of the status and trends and options for the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial biological diversity; development of guiding principles for the prevention of impacts of alien species, identifying priority areas of work on isolated ecosystems, and giving further recommendations to the Global Invasive Species Programme; consequences of the new technology for the control of plant genetic expression for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity; incorporation of biological diversity concerns into environmental impact assessment; and development of approaches and practices for the sustainable use of biological resources, including tourism. The report of the meeting is contained in document UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/4/14.

The inter-sessional meeting on the operations of the Convention adopted recommendations on: review of the operations of the Convention and the programme of work; panel of Experts on Access and Benefit-sharing; relationship between intellectual property rights and the relevant provisions of the Agreement on Trade- related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and the Convention; and ex situ collections acquired prior to the entry into force of the Convention and not addressed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

According to the report, the provisional agenda for the fifth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice has three main clusters of topics: thematic issues; cross-cutting issues; and mechanisms for implementation. Within these three categories, the Subsidiary Body will consider the following substantive items: 1. programme of work for dryland, Mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland and savannah biological diversity; 2. agricultural biological diversity: assessment of ongoing activities and priorities for a programme of work; 3. ecosystem approach: further conceptual elaboration; 4. development of indicators of biological diversity; 5. sustainable use of the components of biological diversity: identification of sectoral activities that could adopt biodiversity-friendly practices and technologies; 6. ad hoc technical expert groups: terms of reference, and rosters of experts and a proposal on a uniform methodology for their use.

The report describes the provisional agenda of the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, which has three main topics: 1. consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in dryland, Mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland and savannah ecosystems; 2. sustainable use, including tourism; 3. access to genetic resources.

The report states that the fifth meeting of the Parties to the Convention in considering three main topics. They are: consideration of options for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in dryland, Mediterranean, arid, semi-arid, grassland and savannah ecosystems; sustainable use, including tourism, access to genetic resources. The parties have indicated that the Conference, in undertaking a strategic review of those issues, should endeavour to achieve three goals: review of accomplishments to date; adoption of decisions regarding the products of work completed to date; and establishment of a vision for future work. The Conference of the Parties will also consider adopting a work plan on financial resources; review the pilot phase of the clearing-house mechanism and consider its longer-term programme of work.

The report further mentions the importance of cooperation with other processes. At its fourth meeting, the Conference of the Parties adopted decision IV/15 on the relationship of the Convention on Biological Diversity with the Commission on Sustainable Development and biodiversity-related conventions, other international agreements, institutions and processes of relevance.

The Committee also has before it a report of the Secretary-General on environment and sustainable development: implementation of the United Nations Convention to combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa (document A/54/96), describing the outcome of the second session of the Conference of the Parties.

In its resolution 53/191 of 15 December 1998, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to report to it at its fifty-fourth session on the outcome of the second session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, particularly in Africa, as well as on measures adopted by the Conference at that session.

The report notes that on 18 August 1998 Germany ratified the Permanent Secretariat headquarters agreement. It also says that the Conference of the Parties noted with concern that the Global Mechanism did not start operation on 1 January 1998, as requested by the Conference of the Parties at its first session. [Article 21, paragraph 4 of the Convention mentions the creation of a Global Mechanism to promote actions leading to the mobilization and channelling of substantial financial resources, including for the transfer of technology, on a grant basis, and/or on concessional or other terms, to affected developing country Parties, in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of existing financial mechanisms.]

According to the report, the Conference of the Parties agreed to facilitate a consultative process for the elaboration of an additional regional implementation annex to the Convention for the countries of the Eastern and Central Europe region. It invited countries of Eastern and Central Europe to pursue consultations with a view to producing a draft additional regional implementation annex to the Convention, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its third session.

As of 27 April, instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession had been deposited by 149 States and one regional economic integration organization, and the Conference had accepted the offer by the Government of Brazil to hold its third session in Recife from 15 to 26 November. The report adds that the Conference of the Parties approved a revised core budget for the Convention for 1999, as the second year of the biennium 1998-1999, and called on the General Assembly to decide to finance from the regular United Nations programme budget the conference-servicing costs arising from sessions of the Conference and its subsidiary bodies.

Also before the Committee was a letter dated 29 September from the President of the General Assembly to the Chairman of the Second Committee (A/C.2/54/4), drawing the Committee's attention to a decision adopted by the General Assembly at the fifth plenary meeting of its twenty-second special session, held on 28 September 1999.

At that meeting the General Assembly decided to take note of the letter dated 24 September from the permanent representative of Canada to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly and of the annex thereto (A/S-22/6), and decided to transmit the letter and its annex to the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session for further consideration by the Second Committee.

The annex contains a letter dated 24 September from the permanent representative of Canada to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly. Appended to the letter is the text of a draft resolution on the Caribbean Sea in the context of sustainable development, originally proposed by Guyana, on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries, China and Mexico. That text, according to the letter form the Permanent Representative of Canada, reflects the state of consultations on that question. The draft includes bracketed elements on which further work will be required before any final agreement is secured.

For further background information on environment and sustainable development, see Press Release GA/EF/2874 of 22 October.

HAMA ARBA DIALLO, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification (CCD), particularly in Africa, said that the session of the Dakar Conference of the Parties had focused on implementation of the Convention and on the functioning of the Global Mechanism. It was clear that State Parties wished to show that the Convention was of major impact for promoting sustainable development. The Dakar Conference was a success, both for the number of participants as well as their level of representation. Many countries had ratified the Convention, reflecting its universal importance. The new Parties would no doubt contribute their knowledge and experience towards implementation of the Convention.

He thanked the Government of Germany for collating the best working conditions possible at the Headquarters in Bonn. The headquarters agreement with Brazil, for the Third Conference of the Parties in Brazil, had also been signed, and he commended the Brazilian Government for its cooperation. In preparation for the Conference, the Secretariat had allowed for several regional meetings. Forty- one African countries had submitted their national reports on implementation of the Convention, confirming the importance African countries attached to the agreement.

HAMDALLAH ZEDAN, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity, said that the successful conclusion of the negotiations for a biosafety protocol would be a significant development for the sustainable development agenda. The protocol would represent a critical attempt to address environmental and developmental concerns regarding an emerging technology.

The Convention’s Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) held its fourth meeting in June in Montreal, and made several recommendations to the Conference of Parties, he said. One important result of that meeting was the recommendation on genetic use restriction technologies. They included the so-called “terminator technology”, which produced plants that were fully mature but whose seeds were sterile and, therefore, useless for replanting. The Subsidiary Body concluded that more work was required to understand the impact of those new technologies on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. It advised the Conference of Parties that such technologies should not be approved by Parties for field testing until appropriate scientific data could justify such testing, and that they should not be approved for commercial use until appropriate, authorized and strictly controlled scientific assessments of their effects had been carried out, and the conditions for their safe and beneficial use validated. Only this month, a leading biotechnology company, and one of the holders of the key patents for the so-called “terminator technology”, declared that it would not commercialize that technology.

An issue of crucial concern to the Assembly and to the Convention was cooperation with other processes, he said. The search and identification of gaps and synergies between the Convention process and the activities being carried out elsewhere was a constant theme in the work on thematic areas under the Convention. It was in that light that the Conference of the Parties adopted a Joint Work Plan with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which provided a framework for a series of activities intended to promote implementation of both conventions.

At its next meeting, he added, the Conference of the Parties would consider adopting its fifth thematically focused programme of work, which would deal with the biological diversity of dryland ecosystems. That was an ambitious undertaking as those ecosystems ranged from hyper-arid areas to Mediterranean scrubland to tropical grasslands and savannahs.

GEORGE TALBOT (Guyana), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China, said that with regard to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Group was concerned over the slow rate of accession and ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. Meanwhile, the effects of carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gases continued to have a profound impact on the world’s climate systems. The effects of those changes were particularly felt in developing countries, most notably in small island developing states (SIDS), which were on the frontline of the dangers of sea level rise. Those phenomena posed grave risks for sustainable development, and for the very sustainability of the life force of some countries and societies. Therefore, the Group of developing countries strongly urged Member States that had not yet done so to accede to and/or ratify the Kyoto Protocol with a view to bringing it into force as soon as possible. The Protocol’s ratification should not bear any conditionalities on developing countries with regard to the reduction of greenhouse gases.

The Group noted with concern that not enough effort was being made by the international community to combat desertification, he said. The limited progress recorded so far in implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification had been accomplished largely with the already extremely inadequate resources of the affected countries themselves. For any convention to succeed, there was a need for adequate resources, which should be disbursed in a timely manner. The problems being encountered with respect to implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification were rooted in the very low status it was accorded by the international community. The Group called for higher-priority attention to that Convention by the international community, including through greater collaboration between the Convention Secretariat and the Global Mechanism and increased financial, scientific and technical support for the Convention’s implementation.

The results of the recently held Assembly review of the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action pointed to the need for stronger international support for the efforts by SIDS to promote sustainable development, he said. It was clear, given the vulnerabilities of those economies and their fragile eco-systems, that without such support their efforts would be doomed to failure. Therefore, the Group called on the international community to assist those States in improving competitiveness, market access and diversification efforts as well as by mobilizing new, additional and external resources in support of the Programme.

The Caribbean Sea presented another challenge to the international community with respect to sustainable development, he added. The countries of that region experienced natural disasters which ultimately undermined their developmental efforts. The Group urged that the Caribbean Sea be recognized as a special area in the context of sustainable development.

AIRA PAIVOKE (Finland), speaking on behalf of the European Union (EU) and Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta, noted the importance of enhancing public awareness on environmental matters. Substantive issues within the remits of the Conferences of the Parties to the three conventions should normally be left to the Conference of the Parties to consider. It would make sense for a single resolution to cover all three conventions. On the Convention on Biological Diversity, the EU concurred with the views expressed in the Secretary-General’s report that negotiations should be concluded at the resumption of the first extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to be held in early 2000, and that a decision on an interim arrangement could be taken then as well.

On the question of protection of the global climate, she said that in Kyoto, the EU had committed itself to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 8 per cent. She expected all other industrialized countries to fulfil their own commitments. Capacity-building in developing countries was necessary for them to be able to participate fully in the international climate-related debate. The project implementation review of the climate activities of the Global Environment Facility indicated that a suitable policy framework was extremely important for the successful adoption and replication of alternative-energy models and energy- efficient products and technologies in developing countries.

Since the focus in implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification was at the country level, she said, the establishment and maintenance of a network of national focal points was essential. The EU stressed the need for governments to respond by appointing their own national focal points. The implementation of the Convention required integration of its goals and objectives into national planning processes. Desertification and drought were also cross-sectoral issues that needed an integrated approach. She also noted that less than a month ago the five-year review of the Barbados Programme of Action for SIDS was successfully completed. Given the recent date of that review, the EU did not intend to address its results.

YURI ISAKOV (Russian Federation) said he attributed great importance to implementation of the basic environmental conventions of the United Nations, which were a real contribution of the Organization in combating global environmental problems. The Convention on Biodiversity was at a complex stage in its development, moving towards the practical implementation of one of its principles –- the sharing of benefits. His country was interested in seeing a comprehensive and balanced approach to implementation of that principle. Work should be continued on the expansion of the scope of activities of the Convention. Steps were needed to strengthen the Convention’s interaction with other bodies and agencies of the United Nations. An important upcoming task was the completion, elaboration and adoption of the protocol on biodiversity. Regarding the Convention on Climate Change, the Russian Federation had reduced its greenhouse gas emissions and intended to fully implement its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. Of special importance was the Fifth Conference of the Parties which had just commenced in Bonn.

His country continued to consider the Convention to Combat Desertification as the basic international instrument to regulate work on desertification and land degradation on a global scale, he said. It was interested in acceding to that instrument as a fully-fledged party. He hoped that the Third Conference of Parties would constructively consider and adopt an instrument which would speed up the accession of the Russian Federation and other Eastern European countries to the Convention, to which they were currently participating as observers. His country was ready to offer input to the solution of the problem of desertification.

BURAK OZUGERGIN (Turkey) said that his country had not acceded to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change due to its placement in Annexes I and II. He regretted that it was unable to be a party to the Convention. The Annexes did not reflect levels of development or responsibility for the historic emissions of all countries. Turkey fully shared the concern of the global community regarding climate change and had taken the necessary legislative steps to reduce emission levels, as envisaged for Annex I countries. It had also made significant bilateral and multilateral financial aid to developing countries.

Commitments should be based on equity and fairness, he said, by duly taking into account the differentiated responsibilities and individual circumstances of the parties concerned. Turkey had not caused pollution to the levels of the other Annex countries; it was not causing pollution at their levels at present; and would not be causing as much pollution in the foreseeable future. He, therefore, asked for support for Turkey’s removal from Annexes I and II of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.

MARIA LUIZA RIBEIRO VIOTTI (Brazil) said that in hosting the third session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention to Combat Desertification, to be held in Recife from 15 to 26 November, Brazil was reaffirming its commitment to international efforts to overcome the problem of desertification and drought, which affected approximately one billion people worldwide. The phenomenon was estimated to negatively affect approximately 11 per cent of Brazil, mainly in the northeastern region, home to its largest –- and poorest -– rural population. As in other developing countries, desertification in Brazil had caused loss of biodiversity, compromised the availability of water resources and provoked huge migratory flows, which worsened social problems in urban areas.

Brazil was committed to implementing a National Plan to Combat Desertification, the main elements of which were the exchange of information, capacity-building, elaboration of monitoring and prevention programmes, and strategies to rehabilitate degraded areas, she said. An important step in its implementation was the publication of the “Guidelines for the National Policy to Combat Desertification”, which contained the objectives, strategies and necessary actions to deal with the problem. In accordance with the principles of the Convention, the Government had started an awareness campaign to help inform the people on the causes and effects of desertification. Because of the scope of its consequences, which went well beyond the affected areas, desertification could not be considered a local or regional problem. Combating it required coordinated efforts and international cooperation.

OLE PETER KOLBY (Norway) said that, in regard to climate change, it was important to step up the momentum created by the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol when the Conference of the Parties meets in Bonn in a few weeks time. There was still an urgent need to continue capacity- and competence-building. It was, therefore, important to make the transition from the Activities Implemented Jointly (AIJ) phase to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as smoothly as possible. The CDM was of vital importance as a tool for emission reductions and for the transfer of technology to, and capacity-building, in developing country partners.

Land degradation and food insecurity were closely linked to the problem of poverty, he continued. The world community must act now to follow up the Desertification Convention, and the target of providing 0.7 per cent of GDP as official development assistance (ODA) needed to be met. More than 50 per cent of Norway’s bilateral assistance, and a substantial part of its multilateral assistance, were being allocated to sub-Saharan Africa, and Norway would continue to contribute its share.

The deep commitment and active participation of SIDS in implementation of Agenda 21 had been demonstrated in their own development. The global community had a responsibility to provide support for their efforts. The SIDS made practically no contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and the rise in sea level. Yet they were the countries that were likely to suffer the most as a result of climate change.

AZANAW T. ABREHA (Ethiopia) said that two-and-a-half years of painstaking negotiations by some 132 countries had produced a working draft of around 42 articles to regulate the international movement of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It was sad to note that two weeks into the final round of negotiations for the Biosafety protocol in Cartagena, negotiations had stalled because a group of six main GMO producer countries blocked the inclusion in the protocol of any provision they thought might jeopardize free and unimpeded trade in GMOs and their derivative products. As countries of origin for most genetic materials, developing countries were concerned that cross pollination might take place between genetically engineered crops and non-genetically engineered varieties or wild relatives: that might endanger biological-resource conservation efforts, undermine food security, and obstruct the path of sustainable development.

Apart from the risks of bio-piracy and depletion of biological resources, African countries were threatened by drought and desertification, he said. Natural calamities, coupled with anthropogenic effects exacerbated by the menace of famine and hunger, had increased the number of environmental refugees in many parts of the African continent. Though Ethiopia had prepared a detailed National Action programme for the implementation of the CCD, financial and technical assistance was required from the international community for its successful execution. He appealed to developed countries, international financial institutions and other organizations to make the appropriate contributions to the Convention’s Global Mechanism.

BAI YONGJIE (China) said that in negotiations on climate change, it was necessary to abide by the principle of equity. Developed countries must be the first to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At present, apart from a limited number of developed countries, many had not only not decreased emissions but had actually increased them. It was difficult to understand that it was those same countries that were trying to get developing countries to reduce their emissions. “As they say in China, if you don’t keep your own house in order, how can you expect others to do so?” The primary responsibility of the Chinese Government was to improve its economy, reduce poverty and improve the standard of living of its people. As a party to the Convention on Climate Change, China had adopted policy measures in accordance with the overall policy of sustainable development. It had adopted measures to combat climate change effectively. The Conference of Parties should encourage the developed countries to undertake their primary responsibility, and to adopt a more open attitude to providing resources and the transfer of technology to developing countries.

Combating desertification was crucial to ensuring food security and eliminating poverty and to sustainable development, she said. The Convention, which provided the legal framework for combating desertification and reducing drought, had made it possible for the international community to take measures in that regard. The basic premise for realizing the commitments under the Convention was the provision of resources. Developed countries should take the lead in providing more resources. China had actively implemented its commitments under the Convention, and had adopted measures to mitigate the effects of disasters such as sandstorms. Since the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the international community had made efforts to protect biodiversity. However, those efforts had not been balanced. Developing countries lacked resources, technology and capacity. Those problems must be addressed. China attached great importance to the conclusion of the biosafety protocol.

EDOUARD AHO-GLELE (Benin) said that the CCD attributed differentiated responsibilities of the international community to three different partners: the developed countries, the Global Mechanism and those developing countries affected by desertification. It was understood that developed countries would contribute financial resources and other forms of assistance to the affected developing countries. That support had still not materialized. A great deal remained to be done.

The Global Mechanism was specifically designed to channel financial resources to those most affected by desertification. It had not begun operations until January 31, and was without sufficient staff and resources. That situation should be rectified with due diligence, he said. Benin was one of the developing countries affected by desertification. It had established a National Committee with a permanent secretariat, had targeted a dozen projects for urgent implementation and had drafted a National Report. Benin was up to date in its commitments. But Benin, like other developing countries, was waiting for financial resources to implement its report. He, therefore, appealed to all partners to contribute to the Global Mechanism.

ROHANA RAMLI (Malaysia) said that her country continued to take appropriate action to ensure that development was sustainable and balanced. In its quest for continuing growth, it had moved to ensure that environmental and social considerations were not neglected, in line with the philosophy of balanced development and that of sustainable development as envisaged in Agenda 21. To that end, environmental and conservation considerations were increasingly being integrated with development planning. Malaysia also continued to place emphasis on proper management of the environment and natural-resource base. A comprehensive approach, which took into account the population’s socio-economic needs, as well as the enhancement of the quality of life through improvements in productivity and the natural environment, had been adopted. A combination of legislative and innovative economic instruments had been used to encourage the adoption and development of environmentally sound technologies and environmentally-friendly products.

Turning to biological diversity, she said that Malaysia was one of the 12 countries which held about 60 to 70 per cent of the world’s greatest biological diversity. Recognizing that rich natural heritage, the country had taken steps to ensure its development was carried out in a sustainable manner to protect and conserve biological diversity. In April 1988, Malaysia launched the National Policy on Biological Diversity, which was based on the rationale that biological diversity was a cross-sectoral issue, whereas existing national policies were sectoral in nature. The policy envisaged transforming Malaysia into a world centre of excellence in conservation, research and utilization of tropical biological diversity. Her country supported the biosafety protocol, and believed that it should be strong enough to ensure that when dealing with living modified organisms human health, socio-economic considerations and biological diversity were taken into account.

PATRICK ALBERT LEWIS (Antigua and Barbuda), speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), said that the biological diversity of island countries was among the most threatened in the world. The Convention on Biological Diversity was, therefore, of vital importance to SIDS. Although much had been done, the international community was far from making the kind of progress needed to ensure a healthy and stable living environment for future generations. Every year, islands lost more of their beauty and diversity, creating a renewed sense of urgency and need for focused attention. AOSIS joined the Secretary- General in his call for international support to SIDS, especially in their efforts to protect native species and their habitats, to control alien invasive species, and to implement relevant international legal conventions.

All countries would likely feel the devastating effects of climate change, but islands were the most exposed and the most vulnerable, he continued. From its inception, AOSIS had been at the forefront of the negotiations on climate change, for the simple reason that for all of its members, those negotiations related to their very survival. That was also why AOSIS had repeatedly urged its larger developed continental neighbours to cut back on their use of fossil fuels that heated the atmosphere. It seemed, though, that that request had largely fallen on deaf ears. The Kyoto Protocol had, to date, attracted only 15 ratifications, two- thirds of which were SIDS. Yet none of the 37 industrialized countries that were required to start cutting greenhouse gases in the year 2008 were among the ratifiers. He strongly urged Member States that had not acceded to or ratified the Protocol to do so promptly, so that it might be brought into force.

The way ahead was clear for island countries, he said. The focus was on strength and self-reliance, and the framework was the Barbados Programme of Action. But as the global conference and the special Assembly session had illuminated, islands were facing forces well beyond their control and not of their making, such as the effects of climate change and the loss of trade concessions. The full engagement and support of the international community and the United Nations system in assisting SIDS in finding and implementing solutions remained a critical necessity. AOSIS was disappointed that the Assembly had been unable to conclude an agreement on the resolution calling for the designation of the Caribbean Sea as a special area in the context of sustainable development. The thrust of the original resolution, to establish a regime for the wide protection of the area and for the sustainable development of its coastal and marine resources, was a valid and crucial one.

ALFONSO VALDIVIESO (Colombia) said that the problems facing the United Nations system, in particular the shortage of financial and human resources, were affecting the implementation of programmes and projects in areas of major importance. At the same time, lack of coordination between the different bodies and agencies was causing the waste of valuable and scarce resources. The role of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), as the intergovernmental body in charge of the follow-up to Agenda 21, was central for the promotion and attainment of sustainable development. The Eighth Session would have before it topics that were currently at the center of international attention. Ministers of environment and agriculture, as well as ministers of trade and finance, should participate actively during the CSD-8 high-level segment dialogue.

The Biosafety Protocol had triggered intense debates which had not questioned its benefits but rather reaffirmed the need for it. However, there had not been sufficient political will to put aside purely economic and commercial interests in favor of concern for the potential risks that Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) represented for human health and for the conservation of the planet’s biological diversity. The Government of Colombia, which had chaired and actively participated in the negotiations, appealed to all countries to reaffirm their political will and to take the necessary decision to support and adopt the protocol during the next resumed session of the Conference of the Parties.

PAUL ROBERT TIENDREBEOGO (Burkina Faso) said that desertification and drought had an affect on poverty and vice versa, in a vicious circle. Burkina Faso, one of the countries most severely afflicted by drought and desertification, had made great efforts to implement the provisions of the Convention. The phase for implementation of the National Programme of Action had begun. An awareness programme had been drawn up by experts. The programme also took into account the gender factor because of the active role that women played in the fight against desertification. However, much remained to be done. Burkina Faso hoped that a more sustained spirit of international solidarity would develop.

The financing of the Convention was a point of concern. The purpose of the Convention was to fight poverty. But the Convention was not for Africa alone; the Convention was for all of humanity. Financing the Convention would mean fighting against an exodus of those haunted by the consequences of drought, an exodus without borders. Sustained support for the Global Mechanism was necessary, he said.

AMANDA HAWKINS (Australia) said that as one of the world’s most biologically diverse countries, Australia placed great importance on both international and domestic actions to protect and conserve its unique flora and fauna. It was a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity and actively implemented its commitments through a range of programmes and policies, including the National Strategy for Conservation of Australia’s Biodiversity and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999. That Act pulled together, in a single piece of comprehensive legislation, the means to ensure the protection of all matters of national environmental significance in Australia.

The Government was also working constructively in the international arena on a number of important initiatives designed to further protect Australian and global biodiversity, she continued. Such initiatives included a leading role in the development of policies and guidelines to address alien invasive species, as well as the establishment of the Global Taxonomy Initiative under the Convention. Australia saw the proposed protocol on biosafety as one that could achieve the important goal of synergy between environmental and trade policies, ensuring that trade arrangements and environmental instruments were mutually supportive.

As a demonstration of the seriousness with which Australia viewed the issue, she said that her Government was committed to spending almost one billion Australian dollars on domestic measures to address climate change. Australia wanted to see as much progress achieved as possible at the Fifth Conference of Parties on the development of the bracketed negotiating text on the Kyoto flexibility mechanisms, so that final decisions could be taken at the Sixth Conference of Parties in 2000. Delivering market-based solutions for the three mechanisms –- international emissions trading, joint implementation and the clean development mechanism –- would ensure that the Kyoto Protocol’s environmental objectives were achieved at least economic cost.

DONNA FORBES (Barbados), speaking on behalf of the 14 member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) said that the recent special session to review and appraise the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) had highlighted those areas that still required further action and follow up: climate change, climate variability and sea level rise; natural disasters; freshwater resources; coastal and marine resources; energy; and tourism and trade. One of the fundamental principles on which the POA was based, was acceptance by SIDS of responsibility for their own sustainable development. Given the nature of the problems, the support of the international community was a sine qua non for successful implementation of the POA. However, many Caribbean States faced donor fatigue.

The vagaries of the international economic environment had dictated diversification of the economies of the Caribbean States, to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by globalization. Some Caribbean countries had successfully carved out niches in the area of international financial services. A recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) wrongly identified a number of Caribbean countries as “tax havens”, and proposed punitive measures that would be detrimental to the Caribbean economies’ growing dependence on the important financial services sector. The Caribbean countries had every intention of ensuring that their financial services regimes were well regulated. Those regimes were under careful supervision. The action contemplated by the OECD appeared to be unfair and, if applied, could have disastrous consequences for the region.

The degradation of the Caribbean Sea was of concern to CARICOM. The Sea was vital to the economic development and the overall sustainable development of CARICOM Member States. That was one of the principal reasons why the Group of 77, with China and Mexico, had introduced a resolution seeking to have the Caribbean Sea recognized as a special area in the context of sustainable development. The uniqueness of the Caribbean Sea and its fragility and vulnerability merited an integrated and coordinated management approach, she said.

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