Commission on Sustainable Development

Eleventh Session

7^th Meeting (PM)

SMALL ISLAND STATES, REVIEW OF 1994 BARBADOS ACTION PLAN

FOCUS IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

The 10-year review of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (Barbados, 1994) should focus on concrete action to implement its outcome, as well as that of last year’s Johannesburg Sustainable Development Summit, speakers told the Commission on Sustainable Development, this afternoon.

The Commission was discussing preparations for the review of the Barbados Programme of Action, to be held next year in Mauritius after two regional preparatory meetings.  The Programme was the first to translate Agenda 21, the action plan of the World Summit on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), into international, regional and national actions for sustainable development in small island developing States.

Belize’s representative, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), emphasized that such States had become increasingly vulnerable, especially to climate change and variability, and faced formidable hurdles to sustainable development.  Falling commodity prices and shrinking markets had dampened their economic prospects, while transnational crime, illicit drugs and the spread of HIV/AIDS had threatened their social cohesion.

Sharp drops in official development assistance and significant reductions in the resources of institutions that assisted such States had been particularly onerous, he added.  Moreover, those States were increasingly meeting international criteria for development, making them ineligible for concessional financing.

The representative of Mauritius, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, said the disadvantages those States faced had made sustainable development a challenge for them, as well as the international community.  He called for the full and active participation of all such States in the preparatory process for the review, noting that the Secretariat had promised to finance at least two delegates from all small island developing States for regional and preparatory meetings.    

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*     Press Release ENV/DEV/723 (PM) of 1 May should have been the 5^th meeting, and Press Release ENV/DEV/724 of 2 May should have been the 6^th meeting.

7^th Meeting (PM)                                     

A representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, stressed that small island States were highly prone to natural disasters, and that more effort was needed in disaster mitigation and awareness, post-disaster rehabilitation and development.  Attention must be paid to public health, water and sanitation in remote communities, and the international community, especially such countries as the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom and Australia, must be strongly encouraged to take part in the preparatory process of the Mauritius meeting.

The Barbados implementation process must consider the concerns and priorities of outer island communities and remote villages, Nauru’s representative said.  Funding requested through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was vital for moving that process forward, as was strengthening the small island developing States unit.

Outlining Secretariat preparations for the review, JoAnne DiSano, Director, Division for Sustainable Development, said it had set up an inter-agency task force for discussions, coordinated through the small island developing States unit in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, on the review in the United Nations system.  She called on all donors to help develop the review’s reports, as well as assist with travel costs of delegates from small island States attending review meetings.

Several speakers stressed the importance of national reporting on sustainable development strategies, as well as international assistance efforts.  Others emphasized the need for intervention in the four principle areas of island States’ vulnerability outlined in the Millennium Goals:  trade relations; institutional capacities for long-term development; access to investment capital; and mechanisms for such States to develop common approaches and goals.

Also speaking during the meeting were Australia, Greece (on behalf of the European Union), Japan, Morocco (on behalf of the “Group of 77” Developing Countries and China), Fiji (on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum), Seychelles (on behalf of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and South China Sea small island developing States), and Samoa.

The Commission will meet again at a date and time to be announced.

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