General Assembly

Distr. LIMITED  

3 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 II 
 
Natural and environmental disasters 
 
1.The Main Committee held a number of informal meetings on chapter  
II of the draft programme of action and considered it at its ....  
meeting, on .... May. 
 
2.At the same meeting, the Committee approved the following  
amendments: 
 
(a)Paragraph 19 was replaced by the following text: 
 
"Small island developing States are prone to extremely damaging  
natural disasters, primarily in the form of cyclones, volcanic  
eruptions and earthquakes. In some islands, the range of those  
disasters includes storm surges, landslides, extended droughts  
and extensive floods. A recent study by the former Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief  
Coordinator (currently the Department of Humanitarian Affairs  
of the United Nations Secretariat) has shown that at least 13  
of the 25 most disaster-prone countries are small island  
developing States. Due to climate change, such events,  
including drought, are perceived to be occurring with  
increasing frequency and intensity. Natural disasters are of  
special concern to small island developing States because of  
their small size; dependence on agriculture and tourism, which  
are particularly vulnerable to natural and environmental  
disasters; narrow resource base; and the pervasive impact of  
such events on their people, environment and economies,  
including loss of insurance coverage. For those affected by  
such natural disasters, those particular characteristics mean  
that the economic, social and environmental consequences are  
long-lasting and the costs of rehabilitation are high as a  
percentage of gross national product. For similar reasons, the  
impact of oil-spills and other environmental disasters can  
also be severe"; 
 
(b)Section A, subparagraph (iv) was replaced by the following text: 
 
"Integrate natural and environmental disaster policies into  
national development planning processes and encourage the  
development and implementation of public and private sector  
pre- and post-disaster recovery plans, drawing on the capacity  
of the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs and  
bearing in mind the International Decade for Natural Disaster  
Reduction (IDNDR)"; 
 
(c)After section B, subparagraph (iv), a new subparagraph was  
added, reading: 
 
"Facilitate, as appropriate, the setting up of necessary regional  
committees for the International Decade for Natural Disaster  
Reduction, which could serve as a platform for the exchange of  
ideas, information and strategies for natural disaster  
reduction in each region"; 
 
(d)Section B, subparagraph (v) was accordingly renumbered  
subparagraph (vi); 
 
(e)Section C, subparagraph (i) was amended to read as follows: 
 
"Assist small island developing States in establishing and/or  
strengthening national and regional institutional mechanisms  
and policies to reduce the impacts of natural disasters,  
improve disaster preparedness and integrate natural disaster  
considerations in development planning, including through  
access to resources for disaster mitigation, preparedness,  
response and recovery"; 
 
(f)Section C, subparagraph (iii) was replaced by the following  
text: 
 
"Provide and facilitate technical support and training for disaster  
preparedness (including early warning) and relief programmes  
through the offices of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs  
of the United Nations Secretariat, the World Meteorological  
Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, the  
United Nations Environment Programme, the International  
Maritime Organization, the International Telecommunication  
Union and other relevant international organizations"; 
 
(g)A new subparagraph was added after section C, subparagraph (iv),  
reading: 
 
"Through the offices of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs,  
support and facilitate the collection, storage, exchange and  
dissemination of information useful in pre-disaster planning,  
preparedness (including early warning), response and recovery,  
and facilitate the exchange of cooperation between regions". 
 
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