Barbados Conference addresses problems of small islands.

In an effort to confront the serious economic and environmental problems of small islands--rising sea levels, vulnerability to storms and droughts, loss of fragile reefs and rain forests, coastal pollution, shortages of fresh water and import dependency--representatives from over 120 countries approved by consensus a comprehensive 15-chapter Programme of Action, at the UN Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (25 April-6 May, Bridgetown, Barbados).

A separate "Barbados Declaration", which provides the political framework for the Programme of Action and affirms that the international community has a responsibility to "facilitate the efforts of small island developing States to minimize the stress on their fragile ecosystems, including through cooperative action and partnership", was also adopted. it concluded that a powerful message should be sent on the possibilities of joint action undertaken with a sense of common purpose and partnership.

"As island States and other developing societies strive to raise living standards for their peoples, they will continue to need international support", UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali told Conference participants in an opening speech on 2 5 April. "Such assistance is a necessary and prudent investment in a more stable, more prosperous and more peaceful world."

Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, Prime Minister of Barbados and President of the Conference, told the assemblage that the international community could not begin to solve development problems unless there was a greater flow of resources from the industrialized to the developing world in the form of foreign direct investment, official development assistance, and support from international institutions and other sources.

Dame Nita Barrow, Governor-General of Barbados, presented a report prepared by the Group of Eminent Persons, which had met earlier in Bridgetown on 21 and 22 April (see box, p. 68).

Some 77 Member States, four observers, as well as UN-affiliated agencies, and non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations participated in the general debate. Speakers echoed the view that small island developing States were "front-line" areas, uniquely vulnerable to climate change, external economic factors and threats to their cultural and biological diversity. They faced a host of problems resulting from unsustainable economic and environmental practices, ranging from over-fishing of once abundant stocks and overdevelopment of tourism, to pollution and hazardous waste disposal, exacerbated by the islands' small size and relative isolation.

Speakers cited obstacles they faced in implementing sustainable development strategies. For example, an increasing number of insurance companies were refusing to provide coverage of island States, making it difficult to attract foreign investment. Many paid tribute to the efforts of the Alliance of Small Island States in advancing their cause.

During a high-level segment of the Conference on 5 and 6 May, 46 speakers, including 14 Heads of State and Government, as well as a large number of special representatives and ministers, made statements on the theme, "Forging Partnership for Sustainable Development".

In his capacity as Conference President, Mr. Sandiford expressed the common view that partnership for sustainable development meant "collaboration, cooperation and companionship, not foreign aid". It meant, in his words, a multilateralism which provided the developing world, and small island developing States in particular, with the means to fully participate in global environmental protection while fulfilling their needs for development.

Many speakers on the theme stressed that, while sustainable development was the primary responsibility of island States, the problems they faced often originated beyond their borders and required international solutions. One speaker said that small islands should become the models of sustainable development, provided they were given the means to prevent, not just repair, damage.

Representatives of 88 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) attended the Conference as observers. They organized an NGO Islands Forum, featuring lectures and workshops, and a "Village of Hope", portraying island themes.

The 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de janeiro, recognizing the special challenges of small island developing countries, had called for the holding of the conference. Subsequently, the General Assembly on 22 December 1992, in resolution 47/189, had reiterated the call for a global conference to ensure that strategies and measures to enhance the sustainable development of small islands would be elaborated.

Blueprint for change

Intended to foster sustainable development in small island developing States, while preserving their unique cultural and ecological diversity, the Programme of Action that was agreed upon sets out a basis for action in a number of established priority areas: climate change and sea-level rise; natural and environmental disasters; waste management; coastal, marine, freshwater, land, and energy resources; tourism; biodiversity; national and regional institutions; transport and communication; science and technology; and human resources development.

The Action Programme recommends a number of policies related to environmental and development planning that should be undertaken by small island developing States, both nationally and regionally, as well as with the international community's cooperation and assistance.

On climate change and sea-level rise, small island developing States would ensure early ratification or accession to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change--opened for signature at UNCED an legally binding as of March 1994--which calls for developed country parties to take measures to return their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by the year 2000. These provisions, the Programme stated, should be considered "inadequate" for the long term, and further action might be required to make satisfactory progress. Small island countries were encouraged to "monitor, survey and collect data on climate change and sea-level rise" and formulate comprehensive adjustment and mitigation policies for sea-level rise in the context of integrated coastal area management.

With regard to natural and environmental disasters, at least 13 of the 25 most disaster-prone countries were small island developing States, the Programme stated. Establishing and/or strengthening disaster preparedness and management institutions and policies, including building codes, was called for. States were asked to strengthen the capacity of local broadcasting to assist remote atolls during disasters, and to establish a national disaster emergency fund, with joint private and public sector support, for areas where insurance was not available in the commercial market. At the regional level, the Programme recommended increased access to telecommunication links and satellite facilities for disaster monitoring, assessment and information exchange. International action should include improving access to technology and relevant training to assist with hazard and risk assessment and early warning systems.

In terms of waste management, small island developing States "will need to look for ways of minimizing wastes and/or converting wastes, such as sewage, into a resource", stated the Action Programme. Recommended national actions were, among others: development and implementation of regulatory measures to control and monitor pollution, and to safely and efficiently manage toxic, hazardous and solid wastes; establishment of port facilities to collect waste from ships; and introduction of clean technologies and treatment of waste at the source.

On monitoring coastal and marine resources, the establishment of institutional and legislative arrangements to develop integrated coastal zone management plans an strategies for watersheds and exclusive economic zones were called for. Regional policies and strategies for coordination of the management and utilization of these resources should be harmonized, and the international community should provide support in developing inventories of marine resources, the Programme stated.

With regard to freshwater resources, many health hazards in developing countries were related to poor water quality and limited quantity, according to the Action Programme. Even where rainfall was abundant, access to clean water was restricted by inadequate storage facilities and delivery systems, and contamination of supply.

Small islands should develop, maintain and protect watershed areas, irrigation systems and water distribution and collection networks, and promote programmes for water conservation and contamination prevention programmes, the Programme stated. To that end, regional and international partners should provide appropriate technical assistance and improve access by islands to environmentally-sound technologies.

With regard to limited land resources, the land area of small islands was becoming increasingly degraded due to overuse, deforestation and natural disasters. Comprehensive land-use plans and regulations and economic incentives to promote sustainable use and conservation of land, improved land tenure and administration systems, and support for reforestation programmes were urged by the Programme.

Energy often accounted for more than 12 per cent of imports by small island developing States, which were heavily dependent on imported petroleum products for transport and electricity generation. They were also heavily dependent on indigenous biomass fuels for cooking and crop drying, according to the Programme. There was little large-scale use of renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, due to a lack of technology, investment capital and experience. According to the Programme, small islands should promote conservation and efficient utilization of energy and strengthen research capabilities, with regional and international support.

Although tourism was a main source of revenue for many small islands and had contributed greatly to their development, if not properly planned and managed, its impact on their environment and individual cultures could endanger the islands' beauty and diversity. National policies should ensure that tourism development and environmental management were "mutually supportive", according to the Programme. Other recommendations were: requiring environmental impact assessments for all tourism projects; development of guidelines and standards for design and construction of tourist facilities to minimize ecological harm; and adoption of measures to protect the cultural integrity of small island developing States. Regional cooperative efforts should aim to harmonize industry standards and regulations and improve tour marketing and packaging. According to the Programme, areas of high ecological value to low-impact tourism -- might present important and environmentally sustainable opportunities for tourism development in small island developing States.

The biodiversity of small islands was being threatened by deforestation, coral reef deterioration, habitat degradation and loss, and the introduction of certain non-indigenous species. Island States were encouraged to ratify and implement the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and other relevant conventions. They should also "generate and maintain buffer stocks or gene banks of biogenetic resources for reintroduction into the natural habitat", especially after natural disasters, the Programme stated.

As regards national institutions, integrating environmental considerations into national decision-making processes was the "single most important step to be taken by small island developing States" to address environmental problems, the Programme of Action stated. Governments should establish or strengthen environmental agencies with adequate financial and staff resources, increase the involvement of NGOs and other local groups in development programmes, and provide adequate resources to enforce environmental regulations. With the international community's support, small islands should develop a sustainable development information network to facilitate exchange of experience among them.

Their limited human resources and their small size made it especially important for small island States to pool their resources through regional institutions and cooperation, the Programme stated. They should establish and support regional sustainable development centres for research, training and development of endogenous technology.

Transport and communication were the "lifelines" linking small island developing States with each other and the outside world, and were vital to achieving sustainable development. Distance and isolation had resulted in relatively high transport costs, limiting options for many islands, especially for many rural and outer-island communities. A major challenge, according to the Programme, was to develop low-cost, high-tech methods for moving cargo and to improve community access to telephone, radio and related services. The need for increased regional cooperation in civil aviation, shipping and telecommunications was also highlighted.

The Programme of Action maintained that science and technology, which were crucial to achieving sustainable development, remained underdeveloped in small island developing States. Small islands should promote research and development, and encourage the use of endogenous environmentally-friendly technologies through regulations and economic incentives. The role of women in science and technology disciplines should be promoted and strengthened. At the regional level, ocean sciences networks for collecting data and disseminating information relevant to small island States were urged. The international community should also "promote the free flow of, and access to, data and information resulting from marine scientific research", the Programme stated.

Poor health, nutrition and social services, substandard housing, low levels of female participation in development, high population densities and growth, and lack of information and means relating to family planning indicated a strong need for attention to human resources development in small island States, according to the Programme.

With regional and international support, small islands should improve urban and rural settlements, giving priority to improving basic services and eliminating poverty, the Programme stated. The islands should strengthen the role of major groups, including NGOs and in particular women, in sustainable development initiatives and improve the quality of education and training for all.

The final section of the Programme of Action, considered by many as the most critical, concerned its implementation, monitoring and review. It stated that Governments would be primarily responsible for implementing the Programme of Action, and the support and cooperation of the i community and the UN would be essential. For small island developing States, regional and subregional efforts had proved success I and would remain the principal instruments for collective action.

Specific recommendations included a call for feasibility studies by the UN Development Programme on a small island developing States information network and on a technical assistance programme, and the creation of an entity within the UN Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development to act as the focal point on Conference follow-up. The UN Commission on Sustainable Development was asked to review implementation of the Programme of Action in 1996 and again in 1999.

It was stated that the Action Programme was part of the process of the implementation of Agenda 21--the global plan of action adopted at UNCED. The final negotiated language on finance acknowledged that "implementation of the programme of action will require the provision of effective means, including adequate, predictable, new and additional financial resources" in accordance with Chapter 33 of Agenda 21.

RELATED ARTICLE: A `litmus test'

As the first follow-up conference at the global level to emerge from UNCED, the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small island Developing States was viewed by planners and participants as a sort of "litmus test" to determine the effectiveness of the global partnership formed in Rio in 1992. Many delegates expressed their frustration and disappointment in the lack of financial commitment from the developed countries.

At a 2 May press conference, Penelope Wensley of Australia, who chaired negotiations on the Programme of Action, expressed her belief that the Programme of Action placed the sustainable development of small islands squarely on the international agenda and that holding a conference to address specific concerns of these islands was in itself a significant achievement.

RELATED ARTICLE: Undermining a global partnership

An independent panel of 10 experts with special experience the field of. sustainable development was convened on 21 and 22 April, prior to the Conference. The Group of Eminent Persons on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States decried the failure of the developed countries to honour the commitments made at UNCED, which they believed was "undermining the global partnership" forged in Rio. Without access to the needed resources and technology, developing countries could not fulfill their part of the bargain, the Group stated.

The Group noted that, small island developing States, when considered collectively, exercised jurisdiction over one sixth of the earth's surface and represented one fifth of the membership of the UN and its agencies. It believed that these States should recognize their combined strategic strength in pursuing sustainable development. In that regard, the Group paid tribute to the important role being played by the 41-member Alliance of Small Island States, which they believed should be strengthened and supported as appropriate.

Among other recommendations were that special measures should be developed to mobilize and facilitate investment in small island developing States and that proposals to establish a technical assistance programme for these States should be supported. They also highlighted the need for an equitable, non-discriminatory and supportive international economic and trading climate conducive to sustainable development of small island developing States, as well as better telecommunication and data transfer systems among these States.

The members of the Eminent Persons Group were: Chief Chukwuemeka (Emeka) Anyaoku, Commonwealth Secretary-General: Mrs. Ella Cisneros, President, Together Foundation for Global Unity, Venezuela; Ian Cummin, Chairman, Leucadia National Corporatiion, New York; Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of Maldives: Samuel R. Insanally, President of the forty-eighth General Assembly session and Guyana's Permanent Representative to the UN; Tetsuo Koyama, economic botanist and adviser to the delegation of Japan; Ms, Hilda Lini, Member of Parliament, Vanuatu; Mrs. Fetaui Maka'afa, High Commissioner of Western Samoa to New Zealand; Sir Shridath Ramphal, Chancellor, University of the West Indies; and Maurice Strong, Chairman, Earth Council.