|
Statement of the High Representative for the Least Developed
Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island
Developing States on Agenda Item 89 (f): “ Implementation
of the outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable
Development of Small Island States; and promoting an integrated
management approach to the Caribbean Sea area in the context
of sustainable development”
Second
Committee, 21 October 2002
Mr.
Chairman,
At the outset I wish to commend the Department of Economic
and Social Affairs for its informative report, which contains
useful information regarding measures undertaken by the United
Nations system organizations, individual Governments and other
international and regional organizations for the further implementation
of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development
of Small Island Developing States.
The United Nations has long since recognized the specific
problems of small island developing States. Small island developing
States are especially vulnerable to natural disasters, climate
change and the rise of sea level. The interplay of adverse
factors such as narrow resource base, small domestic markets
and heavy dependence on a few external and remote markets,
high costs for energy, infrastructure, transport, and communication
and low and irregular international traffic volumes impose
constraints on their socio-economic development efforts.
The environmental and economic vulnerabilities of these countries
present serious complications on the lives and livelihood
of their population. Therefore, urgent action is needed to
be undertaken by the international community to mitigate these
problems.
Economic and social development and environmental protection
are inextricably linked. For development to be sustainable,
environmental protection must be a priority aiming to serve
people who are already at risk in real and practical terms.
Small island developing States face formidable challenges
regarding trade liberalisation and globalisation. They are
at risk of remaining marginalized unless urgent measures are
undertaken to accord special treatment to these countries
in granting greater market access, ODA, debt relief, and capacity
building. Also, I wish to stress the necessity of the United
Nations and the multilateral financial and development institutions
to move with urgency to strengthen the development prospects
of these countries through supporting human and institutional
capacity, technology transfer and export and industrial base
diversification.
MR. Chairman,
In light of the above, the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, held last September in Johannesburg, accorded
high priority to sustainable development of small island developing
States. The Implementation Plan, adopted at the above summit,
set forth a number of concrete commitments and targets of
action with the time frame for this group of countries. In
particular, the summit agreed to undertake initiatives aimed
at implementing the Global Programme of Action for the Protection
of the Marine Environment from Landbased Activities; to develop
community-based initiatives on sustainable tourism; and to
support the availability of adequate, affordable and environmentally
sound energy services by 2004.
One of the major outcomes of the WSSD is its decision
to undertake ten-year comprehensive review of the implementation
of the Barbados Programme of Action in 2004, widely referred
to as Barbados+10. At its current session the General Assembly
is expected to make a decision on convening an international
meeting to this end.
It is high time that the international community lives
up to their commitments made Barbados Programme of Action
of 1994 and at the 22nd Special session. The ten-year
review of the Barbados Programme of Action is should not merely
take stock of, but must agree on specific measures to assist
small island developing States in attaining sustainable development.
The preparatory process should be organized in such a way
that it attains practical and operational outcomes that can
be effectively followed up at the global, regional, sub-regional
and national levels. The Barbados +10 should be seen as a
joint undertaking and common rallying point for Governments
of small island developing States with their development partners
with a single purpose of further galvanizing international
support aimed at mitigating consequences caused by their geographical
disadvantages. Consequently, efforts need to be made to ensure
that governments, UN agencies and other relevant organizations
have a sense of ownership of the preparatory process and outcome
of the ten-year review. I wish to underscore the importance
of the system-wide coordination.
Mr.
Chairman,
One of the key functions of the Office of the High
Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked
Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States is
to provide support to the coordinated follow-up of the implementation
of the Barbados Programme of Action. My Office has the responsibility
to coordinate, advocate and mobilize international support
measures and resources in favour of all three vulnerable groups
of countries.
In view of the above, it is my pleasure to report to
the Committee that since my appointment last April I launched
advocacy campaign and efforts to mobilize international support
for and awareness of issues related to the small island developing
States. At the Fourth summit of AOSIS, where I represented
the Secretary General of the United Nations, I had a rare
opportunity to inform the heads of the Governments and States
of SDS of these efforts and most importantly to hear from
them of their concerns. This summit served as a powerful impetus
in articulating the special needs of small island developing
States and in placing their agenda high at the WSSD.
Furthermore, at the Second Forum of Small States during the 2002 annual
meeting of the Bretton Woods Institutions I informed Ministers
of Finance and Governors of Central Banks of small States,
most of which are SIDS, of the UN system-wide activities in
favour of the small island developing States, including the
outcomes of the Johannesburg summit. At the same time I made
an appeal to devote special attention of the next session
of the Forum to the ten-year review of the implementation
of the Barbados Programme of Action. I hope such attention
at the World Bank and the IMF would contribute to the successful
preparation for the ten-year review.
Mr.
Chairman,
In
conclusion, I wish to emphasize that the attainment of sustainable
development for small island developing States requires the
full commitment of the international community to effect special
measures to address the challenges of globalisation, trade
liberalization and economic and environmental vulnerabilities.
My Office is determined to spare no efforts to forge the global
partnership and to secure commitments to a resurgence of political
will matched by adequate technical and financial resources.
Mr. Chairman, please rest assured that we will work tirelessly
in close cooperation with all the relevant stakeholders to
ensure success to the ten-year review of the Barbados Programme
of Action.
Thank
you very much.
I
wish every success to your deliberations.
|