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Follow-up of the 2005 Mauritius Strategy for the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States |
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Towards implementing the Mauritius Strategy UN-OHRLLS SUPPORT Fulfilling
the Mandate of the UN Office of the High Representative for the
Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and
Small Island Developing States Introduction Since
its establishment by the United Nations General Assembly in 2001
and in accordance with its mandate, the UN OHRLLS has played a
role in furthering the implementation of the Barbados Programme
of Action for the SIDS hand in hand with the two other programmes
of Almaty and Brussels relating to the Landlocked Developing and
the Least Developed Countries respectively. In fact, this role
was given prominent recognition with the appointment of the Under-Secretary-General
and High Representative Mr. Anwarul K. Chowdhury, as Secretary-General
of the International Meeting for the ten-year review of the Barbados
Programme of Action held in Mauritius from 10-14 January 2005. The UN-OHRLLS mandate within the framework of the Mauritius Strategy and emanating from General Assembly resolution 56/227 gives it a continuing role for both advocacy and mobilization of resources for the implementation of internationally agreed development goals in respect of SIDS. The Office will therefore continue to initiate steps to advocate and seek support and resources on behalf of the Small Island Developing States to achieve the objectives set out in the Mauritius Strategy to further implement the Barbados Programme of Action. In this context, the Office continues to seek the full support of the SIDS, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), and the SIDS Unit of UN DESA, the UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO and other UN system organizations. The UN-OHRLLS has also recognized the important role of the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization, the World Tourism Organization, the Global Environment Fund, and the regional organizations in the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy. The role of civil society, the private sector and communities in the SIDS are vital to the success of the Mauritius Strategy. The UN-OHRLLS has appreciated the cooperation of the stakeholders concerned and looks ahead to further enhancing such cooperation in helping the SIDS in their development in the period ahead.
The
United Nations International Meeting for the ten-year review of
the Barbados Programme of Action for the sustainable development
of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) was a result of over
a year's preparatory work starting with individual SIDS and the
three SIDS regions of the Caribbean, Pacific and AIMS (Atlantic,
Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea) and at the Inter-regional
meeting held in the Bahamas in January 2004. These preparations
were followed by a global preparatory process involving the entire
international community in New York at the Preparatory Meeting
convened by the 12th session of the Commission on Sustainable
Development (CSD 12) and the informal meetings convened thereafter
by the facilitator, Ambassador Don MacKay, Permanent Representative
of New Zealand to the United Nations, right up to the informal
consultations on 8 and 9 January 2005, prior to the International
Meeting in Mauritius. "United Nations conferences from Rio to Johannesburg and Monterrey, and above all 10 years ago in Barbados, has sought to rally the world behind the cause of Small Island Developing States. There has been progress. Some small islands have carved out new market niches, in particular in services such as finance, tourism and information technologies. The latter in particular have helped to ease their isolation. But major economic challenges remain. On the whole, implementation of what was agreed and promised at Barbados remains disappointing at best. And in the meantime, new challenges have emerged. The AIDS epidemic has made deep inroads, especially in the Caribbean, which now ranks second to sub-Saharan Africa in the proportion of its adult population infected. So what was, a decade ago, an already pressing small islands agenda, has become even more urgent and daunting. Good progress is possible here in Mauritius. Partnerships with regional organizations and civil society will be crucial. The private sector's involvement is essential. The United Nations system will continue to do its part, including through advocacy aimed at keeping the issues of concern to small islands prominent on the international agenda." The
state of the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action
at the end of the decade was clearly highlighted in the abovementioned
statement made by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Hence, from
the Mauritius meeting onwards, Small Island Developing States
and the United Nations system must ensure that a new path, a new
direction, is adopted towards realizing the aspirations of the
small and vulnerable islands in the next few years. Since sustenance
of international interest and resources proved to be the most
serious of handicaps during the past decade 1994-2004 for implementing
the Programme of Action, this was a key point emphasized by the
Mauritius Strategy. HIGH REPRESENTATIVE LAUNCHES ADVOCACY FOR SIDS UN-OHRLLS SUPPORT ROADMAP
2nd
World Conference on International Strategy for Disaster Reduction,
Kobe, Japan The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters This conference was the first major international event relevant towards implementing aspects of the Mauritius Strategy. As in the case of the Mauritius International Meeting, this Kobe conference also acquired higher significance in view of the Asian tsunami disaster of 28 December 2004. Mr. Anwarul K. Chowdhury participated at the conference both in his capacity as the Secretary-General of the International Meeting and.the High Representative. In keeping with the mandate of his Office the High Representative made the following points towards advocating the cause of the SIDS and the further implementation of the Mauritius Strategy: *
He reminded the conference that the Barbados Programme ranked
the need to address natural and environment disasters as one of
its 14 priorities. The Programme had explicitly called on the
1994 Yokohama World Conference on Natural Disasters to give special
recognition to SIDS so that their unique characteristics are taken
into account in developing natural disaster reduction management
programmes. The Yokohama document had called for giving "priority
attention to the Small Island Developing States and Least Developed
Countries in the activities of the International Decade for Disaster
Reduction." The outcome of the WCDR, Kobe, was highly pertinent for the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy. The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters contains the following provisions that are relevant to disaster-prone developing countries: " (g) Disaster-prone developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States, warrant particular attention in view of their higher vulnerability and risk levels, which often greatly exceed their capacity to respond to and recover from disasters; (h) There is a need to enhance international and regional cooperation and assistance in the field of disaster risk reduction through, inter alia: *
The transfer of knowledge, technology and expertise to enhance
capacity building for disaster risk reduction Again, under "Priorities for action" the Hyogo Framework provides for the specific implementation of the Mauritius Strategy: "(h) Implement the outcome of the Mauritius Strategy for the further implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the sustainable development of small island developing States, including by establishing and strengthening effective early warning systems as well as other mitigation and response measures." Fifth Open Forum for Partnerships "Facing
disasters in the least developed countries: Need for preparedness
and international support" The UN OHRLLS organized this Open Forum where Mr. Salvano Briceno, Director of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Secretariat (ISDR) and Secretary-General of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) made a presentation. During the course of the discussions, Mr. Briceno was requested to update the participants on efforts being made by the UN to establish early warning systems of relevance to LDCs and the SIDS. In this context, it was noted that ·*
Individual countries and communities were strengthening their
disaster management capabilities. ISDR was working closely with
the Indian Ocean Commission and others concerned in the region. Encouraging
Civil Society involvement in the implementation of the Mauritius
Strategy THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MAURITIUS STRATEGY FOR SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES (SIDS) The UN-OHRLLS collaborated with the UN NGO Committee on Sustainable Development to organize discussions at UN headquarters in New York on 19 April 2005 with a view to clarifying the role of civil society in the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the SIDS. In his remarks, Mr. Anwarul Chowdhury said that as the Secretary-General of the Mauritius International Meeting (MIM) it had been his great pleasure to work closely with civil society. Civil society had contributed effectively both during the preparatory phase as well as at the MIM itself. The Civil Society Forum (CSF) which was held prior to MIM was well attended and it had come up with a declaration which had outlined a number of priority areas. The Forum had presented its report to the MIM opening session. In the two roundtable meetings of Heads of State/Government, civil society representatives were allocated two seats so that they could intervene when necessary. Mr. Chowdhury stressed the fact that no UN programme of action, let alone the Mauritius Strategy (MS), would be effectively implemented without civil society participation. Partnerships with civil society and NGO participation in intergovernmental meetings were essential but this approach still remained elusive and we were yet to find solutions to this matter. The Mauritius Strategy recognized the role of civil society and the private sector. The CARICOM had a charter provision for the participation of major groups. There should not only be regional charters like this but also a global charter for the involvement of civil society. Mr.
Gordon Bispham (Caribbean/Barbados civil society representative)
acknowledged the role during the last few years of UN-OHRLLS in
promoting civil society. The CSF had called for action in three
main areas: These could be considered the three minimum core areas of the CSF framework. Ms Vanessa Tobin, Chief, Water/Sanitation and Environment of UNICEF mentioned that there were three issues within the MS where UNICEF could play a role. These were in the areas of health, education, and child protection. In this regard UNICEF was supportive of Civil Society and to partner with them in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene. *
Globally sanitation and hygiene was lacking in terms of the goals
of the MDGs Ms.
Roma Stibravy, Chairperson, NGO Committee, saw some very positive
trends towards increased funding from major donors and alternative
mechanisms for meeting international development objectives. In
the course of the Q&A session and an interactive exchange
of views the following issues were touched upon: Ms. Roma Stibravy said that financial mobilization in the US was an industry in itself and perhaps some Civil Society persons could be trained in this regard. However, it was made known that such training had already been undertaken; rather it was often more a question of access from the government to the funds already there. UN-OHRLLS
and the World Bank The
World Bank delegation at the Mauritius International Meeting was
led by Vice-President Mr. Ian Goldin. Since then the High Representative
has discussed various ways in which the World Bank could contribute
towards implementating the Mauritius Strategy. * A five-year review was being undertaken for the Small States Forum. The Bank was evaluating the relevance of the Forum and examining whether the Forum should continue to be a global level forum or should it be taken to the regional levels. * The next meeting of the Forum would examine the recommendations of this review and take a decision. The Caribbean region would have the chairmanship of the Forum in 2005 and it is expected that Prime Minister Owen Arthur of Barbados will be invited to chair the event. * The Mauritius Strategy would be put on the agenda of the Forum. ·* The World Bank was supportive of the regional approach with regard to the follow-up of the Mauritius Strategy and felt that as the regional bodies like CARICOM and the Pacific Islands Forum had emerged as key players, such an approach would get the World Bank's support. * IDA-14 had some positive elements for SIDS, namely higher ceiling for SIDS to be eligible for IDA loans, and there were exceptions agreed upon for SIDS. The Bank would have increased resources for SIDS but the performance level of the SIDS needed to be better to obtain increased resources from the Bank. It was felt that the Caribbean countries were doing better than the Pacific Islands in this regard. * If there were any new ideas that UN-OHRLLS had on the follow-up of the Mauritius Strategy, the Bank would welcome them and would work together with the office.
Open Forum for Partnerships to discuss the issue of protecting the environment in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, with Global Environment Facility (GEF), 24 March 2005
Chairman of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Mr. Leonard Good said that there was a growing link between environment and development. He said that the Global Environment Facility had 431 projects with an investment of $1.1 billion in 49 Least Developed Countries and 260 projects with a financial undertaking of $425 million in 41 Small Island Developing States. "While GEF has an Island Biodiversity work programme focused on SIDS, mitigation of greenhouse gases has been a priority in Least Developed Countries," he added. The LDC Fund had been set up and the Least Developed Countries should push for more funding. "GEF is now focusing on several different environmental issues, for example issues relating to water. The Small Island Developing States have the perfect opportunity to get involved," Mr. Good said. 13th
session of the Commission on Sustainable Development On
11 April 2005 Mr. Anwarul K. Chowdhury made a statement at the
opening session of the Commission. This statement was critical
in drawing the attention of CSD 13 to the programmes of action
for the three most vulnerable groups of countries, and especially
the SIDS in the context of the Mauritius Strategy. On the opening
day itself, he pointed out that the documents presented to the
Commission should have reflected very prominently the issues concerning
these vulnerable countries, particularly the LDCs and SIDS as
the Brussels Programme and the Mauritius Strategy devote special
attention to water, sanitation and human settlements. He said
that it would have been appropriate to incorporate worthwhile
references to their concerns for consideration of the Commission.
He also mentioned that it was also disappointing to find that
the matrix of the IPM summary made by the Chairman did not include
the special profile that the Chairman had accorded to the needs
of these most disadvantaged countries. World Food Programme (WFP) The WFP informed the UN-OHRLLS vide their letter of 30 March 2005 that at the Kobe WCDR, WFP had launched the Humanitarian Early Warning System Web (HEWSweb), a global warning hub for early warning and alerts for UN, other partners, donors, governments and the humanitarian community at large. (www.hewsweb.org) Sixty-First
session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (ESCAP), Bangkok, Thailand Addressing
the Ministerial segment of ESCAP, Mr. Anwarul K. Chowdhury put
forward the case of the SIDS before the meeting. He said that
the region's 15 small islands as well as the associate members
had been enthusiastic participants at the Mauritius International
Meeting convened by the United Nations that resulted in the adoption
of the Mauritius Strategy for the implementation of the Barbados
Programme. He said that he was happy to note that the Pacific
Islands Summit would take place next year during the ESCAP's 62nd
session in Indonesia. The ESCAP Pacific Operations Center (EPOC)
had a major role in the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy
in the region working closely with the Pacific Islands Forum and
other relevant regional organizations. He also reiterated that
he had been underlining consistently the importance of the role
regional organizations can play in the implementation of the sustainable
development agenda of the small islands. The UN system and international
financial institutions needed to provide the support that these
small islands deserve due to their acute vulnerability and remoteness. Second
South Summit, Doha, Qatar The HR participated at the Second South Summit of the Group of 77 and China in Doha, Qatar (12-16 June 2005) with a view to highlight what had been done and what could be done within the framework of South-South cooperation for the three most vulnerable groups of countries. In the case of the SIDS, he brought the Mauritius Strategy to the attention of the Summit stating that this internationally agreed outcome stated that South-South cooperation was critical at the bilateral, sub-regional and regional levels in investment, capacity-building, disaster management, environment, food, agriculture, oceans, water, energy, health and education. Within this framework, SIDS-SIDS cooperation had acquired considerable significance. Based on their real developmental needs, South-South cooperation should be built as an integral part of the international community's support to the countries in special needs. The HR pointed out that a growing number of institutions with excellent standards of education and outstanding capacities and expertise in areas of health, manufacturing, hi-tech industries and ICT, as well as research and development exist today in the South. These countries had the means and the resources to further promote South-South cooperation to support the disadvantaged countries. In recent years, such cooperation was being promoted actively in areas ranging from health - more specifically in the fight against HIV/AIDS, capacity development, trade and agriculture to economic infrastructure, debt cancellation, population, disaster mitigation, governance and democratic institutions building and sharing of technology. Regional cooperation and greater market opportunities among developing countries in general, and with the most vulnerable countries in particular, appeared to be key factors for the expansion of South-South trade. This was also finding increasing reflection in the cooperation frameworks of the regional and sub-regional organizations of Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America-Caribbean. It is important to recognize the linkage between South-South cooperation with the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially with regard to poverty reduction efforts and social development, including raising the status of women. It was important to tie South-South agenda with the MDGs through mechanisms for more effective implementation of policies, agreements and action plans, with special emphasis on least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, Small Island developing States and Africa in general. The HR took the opportunity to tell the Summit what specific actions could be taken to focus on the special needs of the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS and the implementation of their respective Programmes of Action. The developing countries needed to give particular attention to the following six areas in order to: 1.
Remove all existing tariff and non-tariff barriers to their markets
for the products of LDCs and support LDCs to overcome their supply-side
constraints. |