General Assembly

Distr. LIMITED  

4 May 1994

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

 
Agenda item 9 (b) 
 
CONSIDERATION OF PLANS AND PROGRAMMES TO SUPPORT THE SUSTAINABLE 
DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES AND THE UTILIZATION 
OF THEIR MARINE AND COASTAL RESOURCES, WHICH INCLUDES MEETING 
ESSENTIAL HUMAN NEEDS, MAINTAINING BIODIVERSITY, AND IMPROVING 
THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ISLAND PEOPLE, AS WELL AS MEASURES THAT 
WILL ENABLE SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES TO COPE EFFECTIVELY, 
CREATIVELY AND IN A SUSTAINABLE MANNER WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES 
AND TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS ON AND REDUCE THE THREATS POSED TO 
MARINE AND COASTAL RESOURCES: CONSIDERATION OF THE DRAFT 
PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL 
ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES 
 
Report of the Main Committee 
 
Rapporteur: Mr. Takao SHIBATA (Japan) 
 
Addendum 
 
Chapter IX 
 
Biodiversity resources 
 
1.The Main Committee held a number of informal meetings on chapter  
IX, of the draft programme of action (A/CONF.167/L.1) and  
considered it at its .... meeting, on .... May. 
 
2.At the same meeting, the Committee approved the following  
amendment: 
 
(a)Paragraph 38 was amended to read as follows: 
 
"Small island developing States are renowned for their species  
diversity and endemism. However, due to the small size,  
isolation and 
 
B94-163 (E)/... 
fragility of island ecosystems, their biological diversity is among  
the most threatened in the world. Deforestation, coral reef  
deterioration, habitat degradation and loss, and the  
introduction of certain non-indigenous species are the most  
significant causes of loss of biodiversity in small island  
developing States"; 
 
(b)Section A, subparagraph (vii), should be replaced by the  
following text: 
 
"Ensure that the ownership of intellectual property rights is  
adequately and effectively protected. Ensure, subject to  
national legislation and policies, that the technology,  
knowledge, and customary and traditional practices of local  
and indigenous people, including resource owners and  
custodians, are adequately and effectively protected, and that  
they thereby benefit directly, on an equitable basis and on  
mutually agreed terms, from any utilization of such  
technologies, knowledge and practices, or from any  
technological development directly derived therefrom"; 
 
(c)Section A, subparagraph (iv) was amended to read as follows: 
 
"Generate and maintain buffer stocks or genebanks of biogenetic  
resources for reintroduction into their natural habitat,  
especially in the case of post-disaster restoration and  
rehabilitation";  
 
(d)After section A, subparagraph (vii), a new subparagraph (viii)  
should be inserted, reading: 
 
"Support the involvement of non-governmental organizations, women,  
indigenous people and other major groups, as well as fishing  
communities and farmers, in the conservation and sustainable  
use of biodiversity and biotechnology"; 
 
(e)Section B, subparagraph (i), was amended to read as follows: 
 
"Encourage countries to give priority to known, existing sites of  
biological significance, while recognizing that there are many  
important sites whose biological significance remains unknown,  
and to build up community support for the protection of those  
areas, including protection from the introduction of non- 
indigenous species"; 
 
(f)After Section C, subparagraph (vi), a new subparagraph (vii)  
should be inserted, reading: 
 
"Promote the full involvement of non-governmental organizations,  
women, indigenous people and other major groups, as well as  
fishing communities and farmers, in the conservation and  
sustainable use of biodiversity and biotechnology". 
 
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