SIDS: Decisions of the GA and CSD

Resolutions of the General Assembly

Decisions of the Commission on Sustainable Development

Commission on Sustainable Development, 7th Session
New York, 19-30 April 1999

Report of the CSD acting as preparatory body for the special session of the General Assembly for the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS
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Commission on Sustainable Development, 6th Session
New York, 13 April - 1 May 1998

Decision 6/4. Review of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States

A. Overall considerations

1. The Commission on Sustainable Development takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General on progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States27 and on development of a vulnerability index for small island developing States.28
2. The Commission recalls the decision of the General Assembly at its nineteenth special session on the modalities for the full and comprehensive review of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.29 In particular, the Commission notes the importance of the two-day special session to be convened immediately preceding the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly, in 1999, for an in-depth assessment and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action, as reaffirmed in General Assembly resolution 52/202 of 18 December 1997.
3. The Commission urges small island developing States to continue and enhance their preparations for the seventh session of the Commission and the 1999 special session, and calls upon the international community, United Nations agencies and intergovernmental bodies to provide assistance to small island developing States for practical and concrete actions. Noting the work already begun by the small island developing States and regional organizations and institutions in that regard, the Commission invites the international community, United Nations agencies and intergovernmental bodies to support regional initiatives and to collaborate in partnership with the regional organizations and institutions to speed up preparations for the review.
4. In the light of paragraph 24 of the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21,30 the Commission encourages all small island developing States to put in place national sustainable development strategies that take into account the links between economic, social and environmental indicators and policies on an ongoing basis, and invites bilateral donors and United Nations agencies and organizations, as well as the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank, to join in the promotion of coordinated capacity-building programmes to support the development and implementation of national, subregional and regional strategies. The implementation of strategies for sustainable development will be primarily the responsibility of small island developing States, with the essential support of the international community. The Commission urges proper consideration of the need for capacity-building to develop and implement strategies for sustainable development at the proposed donors? conference.
   
5. The Commission reaffirms the important coordinating role played by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat and its efforts to assist small island developing States with the review process, and calls on the Department to remain actively involved in the preparatory process leading up to the special session, including effective coordination with all relevant sectors of the international community in taking any necessary measures to provide support and assistance to small island developing States.
6. The donors? conference on small island developing States to be held in early 1999 is welcomed as a useful forum for assistance in the pursuit of small island States? sustainable development objectives, and the Commission encourages all small island States to fully utilize the donors? conference to that end. The Commission recommends that the envisaged donors? conference consider proposed project portfolios that reflect progress to implement the relevant components of the Programme of Action. The international donor community is urged to engage actively with small island developing States during the conference to achieve realistic and positive outcomes and concrete assistance for all small island developing States, including the sharing of updated information on current donor activities in support of the sustainable development of small island developing States. The Secretary-General?s preparations for the donors? conference will also need to take account of and work with ongoing national and regional round-table and consultative groups.
7. The Programme of Action recognizes that small island developing States are a special case for both environment and development because they are ecologically fragile and vulnerable, and because they face particular constraints in their efforts to achieve sustainable development. In that regard, the Commission recalls that the international community reaffirmed its commitment to the implementation of the Programme of Action at the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly.29 It was also noted at the special session that the considerable efforts being made at the national and regional levels need to be supplemented by effective financial support from the international community, and by facilitating the transfer of environmentally sound technologies in accordance with paragraph 34.14 (b) of Agenda 21.31 The Commission notes that the support of the international community is vital. The 1999 overall review of the implementation of the Programme of Action should include an assessment of changes in the financial resource flows to small island developing States, both overall and by sector, including private as well as public resources. That review will help to determine whether the international community is providing effective means, including adequate, predictable, new and additional resources for the implementation of the Programme of Action in accordance with chapter 33 of Agenda 21.32
8. The Commission calls upon national Governments, or regional intergovernmental organizations, as appropriate, to help ensure effective coordination of donor and recipient government efforts, which is a basic prerequisite for successful development assistance.
   
   B. Climate change and sea level rise
9. The Commission recalls the well-recognized vulnerability of small island developing States to global climate change, and the likelihood that accompanying sea level rise will have severe and negative effects on the environment, biological diversity, economy and infrastructures of small island developing States and on the health and welfare of their peoples. It recognizes that the ability of small island developing States to respond to the threat of climate change is hampered by the lack of institutional, scientific and technical capacity, as well as by the lack of financial resources.
10. The Commission recognizes the need to strengthen the response capability of small island developing States by education, training and public awareness-raising, and through regional and international cooperation. The Commission urges the international community to commit adequate financial and technical resources and assistance to help small island developing States in their ongoing efforts at the national and regional levels to build effective response measures, and to strengthen their institutional and human resources capacity to cope with the effects of climate change and sea level rise. The Commission calls on the international community to commit appropriate and additional support for the regional organizations and institutions to strengthen their effectiveness, in particular in support for ongoing regional assessments of probable environmental changes and impacts, mitigation and adaptation strategies; development and dissemination of guidelines for coastal protection and management as well as in other relevant areas; use and substitution of new and renewable sources of energy; and in the capacity-building programmes of the regional organizations and institutions.
11. The Commission notes that climate change will also have socio-economic consequences for small island developing States, and encourages them, in collaboration with regional organizations and institutions, to undertake integrated assessment studies of the effects of global warming and sea level rise on socio-economic issues, including population concentration and location infrastructure, food security, and effects on human health and culture.
12. The Commission notes that there is a critical need to further scientific and technical studies and research on the climate change phenomenon and its impacts in relation to small island developing States, and calls on the international community to continue to undertake and to assist small island developing States in such studies and research.
13. The Commission welcomes the adoption and the opening for signature of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and urges the international community, and in particular Annex 1 Parties to the Convention, to become Parties to the Kyoto Protocol as soon as possible in order to facilitate its early entry into force.
    
    C. Management of wastes
14. The Commission notes the difficulties and constraints confronting small island developing States in the management of wastes and in their efforts to minimize and prevent pollution. The Commission is concerned that significant work is needed at all levels to strengthen the capacities of small island developing States and to implement the actions, policies and measures identified in the Programme of Action. Since current waste disposal problems and issues present immediate challenges to island communities, the Commission calls on the international community to support the efforts of small island developing States in the development of effective institutional capacity to cope with those issues.
15. The Commission takes note that one of the main obstacles for small island developing States is the lack of an integrated or comprehensive approach to waste management strategies, and encourages Governments of small island developing States to focus appropriate priority on building integrated and environmentally sound waste management strategies and policies that involve all sectors and industries.
16. The Commission recognizes the ongoing work that is being undertaken by the United Nations system and by regional organizations and institutions in this process, and supports the continuation of such work in an integrated manner across small island developing States regions. Noting the important role played by the regional bodies in developing and coordinating regional waste management programmes, which often provide the framework for national action, the Commission encourages regional cooperation within respective small island developing States regions for the establishment of regional coordinating mechanisms for waste management in those regions where none currently exist, and calls on the international community and the United Nations system to continue to provide appropriate support for those efforts.
17. Noting that waste and pollution from ships, in particular the potential for major oil spills, represent an important concern for small island developing States in view of their consequences for the marine and coastal environment and biological diversity, the Commission proposes that the international community, in collaboration with regional organizations and institutions, provide effective support for international and regional initiatives to protect small island developing States regions from ship-borne wastes and pollution, including the development of facilities for receiving ship-borne waste in ports. The Commission calls upon all countries to adhere to and enforce existing International Maritime Organization regulations.
18. The Commission urges small island developing States to give early consideration to becoming Parties to important international agreements that cover waste management and disposal, such as the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and Their Disposal, as well as relevant regional agreements, such as the Waigani Convention to Ban the Importation of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes and to Control the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes in the South Pacific Region.
19. The Commission calls on the international community, in particular the United Nations system and the donor community, to continue to support small island developing States? efforts in this area, in particular in the development of sound waste management infrastructure, including through financial resources and transfer of environmentally sound technologies; building adequate legislative frameworks; and the strengthening of institutional capacity.
    
    D. Freshwater resources
20. The Commission notes that for small island developing States, the conservation and sustainable management of freshwater resources is fundamentally dependent on sound knowledge and understanding of the water resources potential, and that there is a vital link to the management of coastal and marine resources and waste.
21. The lack of an adequate knowledge base and ongoing monitoring programmes, often compounded by the small size, remoteness, physical structure and rapid urbanization of small island developing States, exacerbates difficulties in management and adequate supply of freshwater resources, particularly in the smaller islands and coral atoll communities. The Commission encourages small island developing States, with the vital support of the international community, to establish and strengthen, as appropriate, geographic information system (GIS)-based data collection, storage, analysis and retrieval systems, including monitoring programmes, and appropriate institutional frameworks, including legislation and national coordinating mechanisms for the management of freshwater and groundwater resources, and to give high priority to the immediate development and implementation of appropriate national water action plans. The Commission notes the importance of the World Meteorological Organization?s World Hydrological Cycle Observing System, in particular the Caribbean Hydrological Cycle Observing System.
22. The Commission encourages small island developing States to develop an effective integrated approach to freshwater management, involving the full collaboration of all interested stakeholders, in particular women, to ensure the sustainable utilization of water resources, through appropriate demand management policies, including pricing. This should include cross-sectoral planning and cooperation between relevant sectors and industries, such as land and waste management, tourism, and industrial and other sectors, as well as the active participation of the private sector and local communities. The Commission encourages Governments of small island developing States to prioritize public awareness programmes in efforts to promote environmentally sustainable use of freshwater and coastal waters.
23. The Commission notes the importance of regional and interregional cooperation on freshwater issues, and recommends greater cooperation and exchange of technical information, monitoring and modelling methodologies, and expertise within and among small island developing States regions in further efforts to promote sound water management programmes for the benefit of small island developing States. The international community is urged to support the efforts of small island developing States, including the implementation of GIS-based information and data systems and training programmes for key personnel.
24. Noting the ongoing work of United Nations agencies, in particular the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank, in their assistance programmes to small island developing States within the context of implementation of the Programme of Action, the Commission encourages the continuation of those efforts in conjunction with the regional organizations and institutions. The Commission calls on the international community to continue to provide support for regional and national efforts to promote sound water resources assessment and monitoring procedures, demand management and policy frameworks, including the transfer and development of appropriate and cleaner production technologies for small island developing States.
    
    E. Land resources
25. Small island developing States face special constraints in the management of land resources, particularly of agricultural, forestry and mineral resources. The Commission notes the efforts made so far at all levels in addressing the key issues identified in the Programme of Action, and notes in particular the significant gaps that remain in many areas, including in the knowledge base and understanding of the various land-based resources potential. Recognizing the environmental and cost impacts of land use on other sectors, such as water and forest resources, the Commission encourages small island developing States to implement a comprehensive and integrated approach to land-use management, involving all sectors, especially those at the community level and relevant stakeholders, in the process.
26. The Commission encourages small island developing States to prioritize institutional strengthening and capacity-building measures at the national and regional levels, including the development of national and regional legislative frameworks and sustainable long-term land management plans. It is essential that those be developed from the basis of sound knowledge and proper understanding of resources. In that respect, the Commission calls on the international community to continue to support the efforts of small island developing States, including through the provision of technical assistance and transfer of appropriate technologies for sustainable agriculture, forestry and mineral development practices and environmental impact assessments. Small island developing States are encouraged to create appropriate environment and resource databases, including GIS, which would be an invaluable basis for all aspects of land-use planning and management, including soil erosion control, to minimize environmental degradation, and to continue their efforts for public awareness programmes at all levels of society on the benefits of a sustainable approach to land-use practices. The international community is urged to support the efforts of small island developing States, including the implementation of GIS-based information and data systems and training programmes for key personnel.
27. The Commission notes the important role played by United Nations agencies and other intergovernmental organizations in promoting an improved approach to land-use management in small island developing States. The Commission calls on the international community to help to strengthen the ability of existing regional institutions to assist small island developing States in improving their land-use management. Where effective regional institutions do not exist, consideration should be given to establishing such institutions with the assistance of the international community.
    
    F. Biodiversity resources
28. The Commission takes note of the uniqueness and extreme fragility of biological diversity, both terrestrial and marine, in small island developing States, and in the light of their capacity constraints, of the disproportionate responsibility facing small island developing States in the conservation of those biological resources. It acknowledges the necessity for further action at all levels to realize the full implementation of the relevant parts of the Programme of Action and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
29. Noting that a lack of appropriately qualified and trained personnel is a significant obstacle to the vital management of those natural resources, the Commission encourages small island developing States to set a high priority on national technological and human capacity-building within strong institutional frameworks to address that imbalance. Small island developing States are encouraged to put in place effective conservation measures for the protection of biological diversity, with particular emphasis on management and effective monitoring and control of existing activities that may have serious environmental consequences, such as deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices and overfishing.
30. The Commission notes the importance of regional cooperation in the conservation of biological diversity, and encourages small island developing States to develop strong national, regional and interregional networks for cooperation at all levels of biodiversity conservation, including the exchange of data and expertise. Noting ongoing regional programmes in some small island developing States for the designation of conservation areas, the Commission urges those small island developing States that have not done so to designate and develop terrestrial and marine protected areas at an early stage for the conservation of biological diversity with the goal of long-term ecological sustainability.
31. The Commission notes ongoing work and programmes currently being implemented by small island developing States and by the international and regional organizations, and urges the international community to continue to provide support to small island developing States for national and regional capacity-building in their efforts for the conservation and sustainable use of those important natural resources. In particular, the Commission recommends that international support include technical assistance in the development of legislative and regulatory frameworks, technology transfer and appropriate training programmes. International support should also include technical assistance in the development of measures to establish intellectual property rights within the context of protection of biodiversity resources, and the Commission notes the development of programmes to assist developing countries in this area.
32. Given the important role of small island developing States as custodians of a significant proportion of the world?s biological diversity, the Commission stresses the importance of enabling small island developing States to participate in the global negotiation processes on biological diversity. In that regard, the Commission notes the significance of the Trust Fund under the Convention on Biological Diversity in supporting the participation of developing countries, including small island developing States.
    
    G. National institutions and administrative capacity
33. The Commission notes that the process of building institutional and administrative capacity for the effective achievement of sustainable development is a complex process, and that for small island developing States, efforts have been hampered by a severe lack of financial and technical resources and skills. The Commission urges the international community to assist small island developing States in strengthening their national institutional frameworks, including ? where they do not exist ? the establishment, with adequate staff and resources, of national coordinating mechanisms for the coordination of sustainable development policies and action plans.
34. The Commission encourages small island developing States that have not done so to enact the necessary legislative and administrative frameworks that will provide the basis of their national strategies and activities for sustainable development, including enhanced inter-agency cooperation and effective integration of environmental considerations in economic decision-making, and calls on the international community to assist their efforts in building national capacity through effective institutional and administrative reforms.
35. The Commission recognizes that small island developing States suffer from a lack of adequately skilled human resources. It also notes the importance of a highly skilled and effectively trained human resources base in the effective implementation and enforcement of sustainable development policies and measures. The Commission therefore calls on the international community and the United Nations system to continue to provide concrete assistance to small island developing States by providing appropriate training opportunities for both men and women and capacity-building programmes at all levels, such as the United Nations Development Programme Capacity 21 programme, to enable effective national implementation of sustainable development strategies, especially in the context of the Programme of Action.
36. The Commission encourages regional and subregional cooperation in this area, in particular in the sharing of information and expertise on national institutional and administrative capacity-building for the benefit of small island developing States. The Commission calls on the international community to continue their support for the activities of the regional organizations and institutions, including through the provision of adequate financial resources.
37. The Commission expresses concern at current trends in the levels of external assistance for small island developing States in national institutions and administrative capacity, and appeals to the international donor community to provide assistance to small island developing States at levels necessary to support the implementation of the Programme of Action.
    
    H. Regional institutions and technical cooperation
38. The Commission recognizes the necessity for regional organizations and institutions to play a strong and effective role in the implementation of the Programme of Action in small island developing States regions. Small island developing States are encouraged to increase their cooperation and support for regional organizations and institutions. The Commission notes that effective programme delivery will be enhanced through the continued clear identification of national priorities. The Commission notes that the work of existing regional organizations and institutions may need to be strengthened or supplemented where gaps are identified.
39. The Commission encourages existing regional organizations and institutions to continue their efforts to enhance their own effectiveness and delivery of services, including through focused and sustainable outcomes, increased regional and subregional cooperation and joint sharing of activities, and calls on the international community to support those efforts. The Commission calls on the regional organizations and institutions to enact appropriate screening measures before programme delivery to ensure that their work programmes and activities realistically target the needs and priorities of small island developing States. The Commission also invites regional organizations to monitor programme effectiveness.
40. The Commission views with concern the absence of permanent regional coordinating mechanisms in some regions of small island developing States, and invites States concerned to identify the most appropriate and effective means for addressing that situation.
    
    I. Science and technology
41. The Commission recognizes the lack of skilled and qualified scientific and technical personnel in small island developing States owing to small populations and lack of adequate educational and training facilities, and encourages small island developing States to accord high priority to science and technical education opportunities and programmes at all levels of development, including the strengthening of support for national and regional educational institutions. It would be desirable for small island developing States to collaborate at the regional and subregional levels to share resources and information, including traditional and indigenous knowledge, in the development of sound networks among scientific personnel. Small island developing States are also encouraged to promote a comprehensive approach and to support the strengthened linkages between educational and research institutions and all other sectors, and to actively engage the private sector in support for science development.
42. The Commission urges the international community to enhance international cooperation in the development and promotion of relevant environmentally sound technologies applicable to small island developing States, and ? where appropriate ? to make that a component of regional and international projects. The international community is encouraged to take necessary steps to facilitate the transfer of appropriate technologies to small island developing States, wherever appropriate, and to actively assist small island developing States in establishing regional centres for capacity-building and training. Noting the measures undertaken by the United Nations agencies in assisting small island developing States with the development of scientific resources, the international community and regional organizations and institutions are urged to take necessary measures for supporting small island developing States to implement active and effective science educational programmes.
43. The regional organizations and institutions are encouraged to better promote appropriate science and technology training programmes at the community level in small island developing States, and to share information, including the establishment and maintenance of information and databases on new and innovative technologies appropriate to small island developing States. Furthermore, regional organizations and institutions are encouraged to develop and deploy information systems using appropriate technologies, such as remotely sensed data, GIS and the Internet/Intranet, as the delivery mechanism.
    
    J. Human resources development
    
44. The limited human resources and other constraints facing small island developing States and the difficulties that those constraints exert on their sustainable development objectives are recognized. The Commission acknowledges the efforts by small island developing States and the progress made, and encourages them to continue to accord high priority to the comprehensive development of a strong and effective human resources base in all fields and across all sectors, giving particular attention to building health standards and care, development of education with specific environmental components and awareness-raising, the empowerment of women, and the provision of adequate training opportunities for all sectors. The establishment of incentive measures would help to retain key personnel in the public sector. Human resources development is an essential component in building the institutional capacity of small island developing States for delivering sustainable development.
45. The Commission calls on regional organizations and institutions to enhance their support for small island developing States in the area of human resources development by specifically targeting the human resources needs of small island developing States in regional development programmes, including through the provision of practical, effective and specific training opportunities. The regional organizations and institutions are urged to assist small island developing States in systematically identifying their needs and priorities and to give adequate effect to those needs in project planning for development. Greater regional and subregional cooperation is encouraged for the joint sharing of resources, technologies and expertise, as well as at bilateral and multilateral levels.
46. The Commission notes the work undertaken by United Nations agencies, intergovernmental organizations and donors to address human resources needs of small island developing States in their funds and programmes, and invites them to continue to give priority to human resources development.
47. The Commission expresses concern at current trends in the levels of external assistance for small island developing States in human resources development, and appeals to the international donor community to provide assistance to small island developing States at levels necessary to support implementation of the Programme of Action.
48. The Commission recognizes the importance of the Small Island Developing States Technical Assistance Programme and the Small Island Developing States Information Network in the overall implementation of the Programme of Action, and noting the ongoing efforts of the United Nations Development Programme to operationalize the two programmes, encourages the continuation of those efforts, in cooperation with Governments of small island developing States. The Commission further notes that the unavailability or insufficiency of financial resources is a main obstacle to the full and early operationalization of those programmes, especially of the Information Network, and invites the relevant organizations and the international community to provide support for their proper development.
    
    K. Vulnerability index
    
49. The Commission recalls that a vulnerability index that takes account of the constraints arising from small size and environmental fragility, as well as the incidence of natural disasters on a national scale, and the consequent relationship of those constraints to economic vulnerability, would assist in defining the vulnerability of small island developing States and in identifying the challenges to their sustainable development. The Commission notes the progress made on the index to date.
50. The Commission takes note of the report of the ad hoc expert group meeting on vulnerability indices for small island developing States,33 and of its conclusion that as a group, small island developing States are more vulnerable than other groups of developing countries.
51. The Commission recalls General Assembly resolutions 52/202 and 52/210 of 18 December 1997, as well as resolution 51/183 of 16 December 1996, in which the Assembly requested the Committee for Development Planning,34 at its thirty-second session, to formulate its views and recommendations on the report to be prepared by the Secretary-General on the vulnerability index for small island developing States, and to submit those views to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session, through the Economic and Social Council, and to make the information available to the Commission. The Commission looks forward to the report of the Committee.
52. The Commission calls on the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Environment Programme, the regional commissions, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and other relevant bodies of the United Nations system, as well as other relevant actors, to accord priority to the continuation of the quantitative and analytical work on the vulnerability of small island developing States, in keeping with the provisions of the Programme of Action and General Assembly resolutions 52/202 and 52/210.

United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, 5th Session
New York, 7-25 April 1997

Resolution 5/1. Modalities for the full and comprehensive review of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States

The Commission on Sustainable Development,

Recalling its decision 4/16 on the review of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States,1 in which, inter alia, it was stated that in the context of the special session of the General Assembly to be convened in 1997 to review the overall implementation of Agenda 21,2 specific modalities would be recommended by the Commission for the full review of the Programme of Action in 1999,

Recalling paragraph 117 of the Programme of Action, in which Governments call for the Commission on Sustainable Development to include, in the context of the full review of the Programme of Action, the question of convening a second global conference in accordance with chapter 17, section G of Agenda 21,

Recognizing also the important coordinating role of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development of the United Nations Secretariat in implementing the Programme of Action,

Having examined the report of the Secretary-General on implementation of the Programme of Action (E/CN.17/1997/14) and the recommendations that it contains concerning the modalities for the full review of the Programme of Action in 1999,

Stressing the importance of including in the full review in 1999 the vulnerability index being developed by the United Nations,

1. Recognizes the need to review outstanding chapters of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States prior to its full review in 1999;
2. Urges the task managers within the Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable Development of the Commission on Sustainable Development and the Small Island Developing States Unit of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development of the United Nations Secretariat to prepare reports on the outstanding chapters of the Programme of Action for consideration by the Commission's Ad Hoc Inter-sessional Working Group at its meeting scheduled for 1998;
3. Decides that it will undertake the review of all the outstanding chapters and issues of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States at its sixth session, in 1998;
4. Encourages Governments and participants at the high-level meeting of the Commission at its sixth session to address, inter alia, matters related to the sustainable development of small island developing States;
5. Urges all Governments, regional intergovernmental bodies or similar arrangements, relevant United Nations organizations, bodies and agencies of the United Nations system and major groups identified in Agenda 21 to commence preparations for the full review and comprehensive assessment of progress made in the implementation of the Programme of Action since its adoption at Bridgetown, Barbados, in 1994 by the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States;
6. Recommends that the General Assembly convene a two-day special session immediately preceding its fifty-fourth session for an in-depth assessment and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States;
7. Decides that the Commission on Sustainable Development will carry out the full review of the Programme of Action within its approved programme of work at its seventh session. That review will be considered as the preparatory process for the special session of the General Assembly recommended in paragraph 6 above;
8. Decides that the preparatory process for its seventh session, within its agreed format and programme, shall assist the Commission in carrying out the review and appraisal of the Programme of Action.

United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, 4th Session
New York, 18 April - 3 May 1996

Decision 4/16. Review of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States*/

A. Overall considerations

1. The Commission recalls that the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, held in 1994, adopted the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States to promote concrete action at the national, regional and international levels in 15 priority areas, with provisions for an initial review in 1996. The Commission notes that its recommendations are complementary to those contained in the Programme of Action. In the context of the special session of the General Assembly, to be convened in 1997 to review the overall implementation of Agenda 21, specific modalities will be recommended by the Commission for the full review of the Programme of Action in 1999.
2. The Commission, having examined the report of the Secretary-General on the sustainable development of coastal areas, tourism, energy resources, air transport, maritime transport, telecommunications, and management of environmental and natural disasters in small island developing States (E/CN.17/1996/20 and Add.1-7), the report of the Secretary-General on current donor activities in support of sustainable development in small island developing States (E/CN.17/1996/21) and the report of the High-level Panel Meeting on Island Developing Countries (E/CN.17/1996/IDC/3-UNCTAD/LLDC/IDC/3), and having the benefit of the views expressed, notes the action taken by small island developing States at the national and regional levels to implement the Programme of Action.
3. The Commission notes the support of the international community, and the plans and programmes of organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to assist in the implementation of the Programme of Action and in the coordination and monitoring of its implementation. The Commission welcomes the support given by other relevant intergovernmental organizations.
4. The Commission recognizes the importance of SIDSTAP and SIDSNET in the overall implementation of the Programme of Action, and encourages the United Nations Development Programme to continue, in cooperation with Governments, its action to operationalize the two mechanisms.
5. The Commission stresses the importance of coordination in the area of strategy and policy formulation and recognizes the importance of consultation and interaction at the national, regional and international levels. In this context, the Commission emphasizes the role played by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the Caribbean Community.
   
6. The Commission expresses concern at the overall trend of declining levels of flows of official development assistance to small island developing States (SIDS), but notes the need for better information on flows. The Commission emphasizes that it is imperative that the domestic efforts of SIDS to mobilize financial resources for the effective implementation of the Programme of Action are adequately supported by the international community, as envisaged in the provisions of the Programme of Action, in particular those contained in paragraph 66. Recognizing that small island developing States are among the most environmentally vulnerable, the Commission urges the international community to give special priority to their situations and needs, including through access to grants and other concessional resources.
7. The Commission notes that a vulnerability index that takes into account the constraints arising from small size and environmental fragility, as well as the incidence of natural disasters on a national scale, and the consequent relationship of these constraints to economic vulnerability, should bring greater clarity to the development challenges and needs of SIDS. The Commission notes the slow progress on the index to date and encourages the relevant bodies of the United Nations system to accord priority to the development of the index, in keeping with the provisions of the Programme of Action and General Assembly resolution 50/116. The Commission notes with appreciation the offer by the Government of Malta to host the centre for the computation of the index on an ongoing basis.
8. The Commission notes that current trends of trade liberalization and globalization are bringing new challenges as well as possible opportunities to SIDS. It recommends that to meet the new challenges and take advantage of the new opportunities SIDS need to undertake necessary institutional reforms; develop responsive economic policy frameworks and human resources in order to enhance their competitiveness and their ability to diversify quickly into new activities; explore cooperative approaches for sharing information and experience and building human and institutional capacity. The Commission urges the international community to recognize the inherent weaknesses of SIDS and recommends that it provide adequate support to SIDS to meet their adjustment costs and their information, human development and technology needs to enable them to sustain the development of their exports, while maintaining the integrity of their natural resource base.
   
9. Recognizing the coordinating role of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development in implementing the Programme of Action, the Commission recommends that the Secretary-General:
   • Take into account the need to continue to provide substantive secretariat support to intergovernmental and inter-agency processes related to the monitoring, review and coordination of the implementation of the Programme of Action;
   • Ensure that the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development continues to act as a liaison and focal point for agencies of the United Nations system, as well as other relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, on matters related to the follow-up and implementation of the Programme of Action;
   • Request the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development of the United Nations Secretariat, in its coordinating role, to look into the appropriate modalities for mobilizing resources for effective implementation of the Programme of Action.
10. The Commission stresses the important role the private sector can play in investment for sustainable development in SIDS, particularly in the infrastructure and tourism sectors. This should be based on a sustainable development strategy that integrates economic, social and environmental policies and regulatory frameworks to promote appropriate private investment.

    B. Climate change and sealevel rise

11. The Commission recalls that SIDS are particularly vulnerable to global climate change and sealevel rise. Potential effects of global climate change and sealevel rise are increased strength and frequency of tropical storms and inundation of some islands with loss of exclusive economic zones, economic infrastructure, human settlements and culture.
12. The Commission welcomes the growing number of ratifications of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the decision that commitments contained in article 4, paragraph 2 (a) and (b), were inadequate to meet the ultimate objective of the Convention.
13. The Commission also calls upon the international community to support SIDS in their efforts to adapt to the sealevel rise that will be experienced as a result of the impact of greenhouse gases that have already been emitted into the atmosphere.
    
    C. Natural and environmental disasters
14. The Commission noted that this issue was being considered following a two-year period in which SIDS experienced several major natural disasters that brought catastrophes of national proportions to these countries because of their small size and fragile ecosystems.
15. The Commission recognizes that the most effective strategy for responding to natural disasters is formulated through regional cooperation as an integral part of sustainable development frameworks, with international support. In support of this objective the Commission:
    1. Encourages the Governments of the small island developing States to further increase their efforts towards subregional, regional and interregional cooperation;
    2. Supports the implementation of the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action 27/ with particular regard to improved education and training in disaster reduction, including the creation of interdisciplinary scientific and technical networking at all levels, for the purpose of capacity-building and human resource development in SIDS;
    3. Calls upon all Governments to support the facilitation of an effective synergy between the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action;
    4. Invites Governments to consider establishing an informal open-ended working group within the existing International Framework of Action for the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, with the membership of concerned States, as well as of all relevant sectors in disaster reduction, with a view to ensuring full integration and participation of SIDS in the mapping of a concerted strategy for disaster reduction into the twenty-first century.
       
       
16. The Commission also calls on the international community to support the efforts of SIDS directed towards:
    1. Mobilizing additional resources to address urgent disaster reduction requirements in SIDS;
    2. Improving access to disaster and warning information in order to enhance the capability of SIDS with respect to disaster management;
    3. Providing technical, financial and expert support for the establishment of a mechanism for interregional cooperation and the exchange of information among small island States on disaster reduction, in particular with respect to training, institutional development and disaster mitigation programming;
    4. Targeting research and further development of knowledge in the following thematic areas for building risk-reduction capacities in small island States:
       1. Insurance as a preventive and mitigating tool for disaster reduction;
       2. Telecommunications and information systems as a tool for disaster reduction;
       3. Limits and opportunities for the establishment of national disaster emergency funds and emergency administrative procedures;
       4. Evaluation of constraints in the access of small island States to reliable data, disaster-specific knowledge, and technology means;
       5. A review of the linkages between disasters, development and environment, including the development of methods for the systematic appraisal of developments in relation to disaster risks;
       6. An analysis of the linkage between global climate change and the characteristics and occurrence of natural hazards in small island States.
          
          

    D. Coastal and marine resources

17. The Commission stresses the fact that for SIDS, effective coastal zone management is a prerequisite for sustainable development. In addition, the marine areas play an important role in meeting some essential needs. The importance of these areas in the sustainable development of SIDS were recognized in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea itself and in the 1995 Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (A/50/550, annex I), as well as in the International Coral Reef Initiative (convened in the Philippines in June 1995) and the 1995 Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities.
18. The Commission also recognizes the importance of decision II/10 of the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in the context of the protection and conservation of coastal and marine resources of SIDS.
19. The Commission recommends that in developing integrated national coastal area management strategies and plans, Governments should ensure that all steps are undertaken with the active participation of the private sector and local communities. Mechanisms for institutional coordination should also be established.
20. Within the context of integrated coastal area management (ICAM) for SIDS, the activities, planned or under way, by international organizations should be implemented in a coordinated and cost-effective manner. These activities should include, as one of the priorities, the protection and management of marine and coastal areas through ICAM, including a number of demonstration or pilot projects in integrated "island" management, in which marine and coastal resource issues are incorporated into the development planning process of selected SIDS.
21. To assist national authorities in their tasks of designing and implementing ICAM plans, guidelines for specific subsectors such as tourism, fisheries, agriculture and forestry, which are among the main users of resources in the coastal areas of SIDS, should be further developed. The experience gained by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in these areas should be used in the process. Such guidelines can be of assistance to planners and users in these subsectors.
    
    E. Energy resources
22. The Commission notes that SIDS continue to be heavily dependent on conventional sources of energy, although as a group the total consumed was a small percentage of world consumption. The Commission also notes that due to the small quantities involved the cost per capita was relatively high and use was generally inefficient.
23. The Commission calls upon the international community, including the Global Environment Facility, within the framework of its operational strategy, to support commercial energy development in SIDS based on those environmentally sound renewable sources with demonstrated viability, to support improvement of the efficiency of existing technologies and end-use equipment based on conventional energy sources, and to assist with the financing of investments necessary to expand energy supplies beyond urban areas.
24. The Commission notes that many SIDS continue to depend on biomass fuels. It encourages the implementation of projects that will ensure a sustainable fuelwood industry.

    F. Tourism resources

25. The Commission recognizes the continued importance of tourism as one of only a few development options for many SIDS, both as a dynamic sector and as one that can stimulate growth in others.
26. The Commission encourages SIDS to pursue policies of sustainable tourism development by:
    1. (a) Diversifying the tourism product, enhancing its quality and increasingly targeting the upper segment of the tourist market;
    2. (b) Strengthening linkages of other economic sectors with tourism so that domestic production can viably provide for the consumer needs of tourists to the maximum extent possible;
    3. (c) Investing adequately in the collection of data on all relevant indicators of benefits and costs necessary for cost-benefit analysis in order to be able to carry out systematic evaluations of the contribution of the tourism sector to the domestic economy in relation to other sectors and in relation to social and environmental costs;
    4. (d) Developing a multidisciplinary approach for the rigorous vetting of tourism development proposals, taking into account prospective cumulative impacts of tourism development, and establishing environmental standards for the approval of projects.
       
       
27. The Commission calls upon the international community to provide appropriate assistance for the improvement and development of basic physical infrastructures in SIDS, such as airports and harbours, roads, telecommunications systems and freshwater systems.
28. The Commission notes the importance of regional cooperation in tourism and proposes that consideration be given to the development of common policy guidelines and standards at the regional level for the mutual benefit of SIDS. The Commission calls upon the international community to support the efforts of regional tourism organizations to improve their effectiveness.

    G. Transport and communications

29. Bearing in mind the resource constraint for expansion and modernization of the telecommunications network in SIDS, the high per capita cost of infrastructure due to small market size and the lack of economies of scale, the Commission encourages SIDS to continue their telecommunications development and to improve facilities and availability. The Commission also encourages SIDS to maintain and strengthen communications and business links, on a regional and subregional basis, with larger neighbours in the continental shelf, as well as with development partners.
30. The Commission calls upon the international community to assist SIDS in identifying the most feasible ways and means of securing financial assistance from different sources, and invites the World Bank and the regional development banks, where appropriate, to systematically finance telecommunications development, particularly where most urgently needed.
31. The Commission takes note of developments in air transport since the 1994 Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and proposes a study of the impact on SIDS of changes taking place in the regulation of air transport. The Commission also proposes that more regional cooperation with regard to the regulatory aspects of air transport, such as joint negotiation of air transport agreements, should be pursued.
32. The Commission calls upon the international community, where appropriate, to facilitate and support new and existing initiatives taken at the regional level to improve air transport for the benefit of SIDS.
33. The Commission notes that with respect to the economies of SIDS which are open, maritime transport continues to represent an important lifeline to other markets. The Commission is convinced that improved maritime transport, which responds to the peculiar circumstances of SIDS and includes reduced overall costs, would be supportive of sustainable development goals.
34. The Commission encourages the modernization of fleets through appropriate investment incentives and innovative measures. It invites SIDS to consider becoming parties to relevant international legal instruments to promote maritime safety and environmental protection, and standardization in shipping. Regional initiatives are also encouraged to support these goals, expand maritime capabilities of regions, and provide an improved intra-regional sea transportation service with the support of the international community.
35. In view of the large investments involved in the development of infrastructure and acquisition of the means of maritime transport, the Commission calls upon the international community, where appropriate, to support the efforts of SIDS at the national and regional levels.