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Economic Aspects | Natural Resource Aspects | Institutional Aspects | Social Aspects |Guinea-Bissau
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
All cooperation agreements are of the responsibility of the Ministry of International
Cooperation and Planning.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available.Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and Projects
A programme for economic stabilization based on a freer economy, including increased
credit for trade, particularly exports, among others, was drawn up and implemented in
1983, in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Also under the guidance
of the IMF and the World Bank, a structural adjustment programme was carried out in 1987.
Status
With a per capita income of 202 US$ (September 1997), a high poverty rate, and a low GNP
(240 US$), Guinea-Bissau is among the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and is therefore
extremely dependent on development assistance, both from international financial agencies
and the international community. Without this assistance, the country would not be able to
implement most of its development projects. Many important projects have been discontinued
due to the lack of financial and other resources needed for their implementation.
Cooperation with international governmental and non-governmental organizations, such as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), USAID, the World Bank, the IMF, UNESCO, UNDP, and the African Development Bank, among others, is extremely important for it promotes the participatory development approach.
Challenges
The implementation of policies, plans and strategies is made increasingly difficult due to
socio-economic and financial constraints, and to the lack of technology. Guinea-Bissau
calls on the international community and developed countries to meet their commitments so
we can face the environmental and development challenges and improve the living standards
of the population. To achieve this goal within the principles of Agenda 21, the following
needs to be taken into account:
- The multilateral trade system needs to be more open, equitable and predictable, compatible with the principles of sustainable development, and conducive to an optimal distribution of the global production, taking into consideration each country's comparative advantage.
- The capacity of developing countries to mobilize, through international trade, the resources needed to finance sustainable development needs to be strengthen by removing tariff barriers and other protectionist measures, improving market access and the terms of trade for the LDCs, among others.
- There is a need to increase technical cooperation, including technology transfer, know-how, and financial resources for sustainable development, taking into account the specific conditions of each country.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
In the area of fisheries, the country established new cooperation links aimed at
strengthening technical and financial cooperation for capacity building, and promote the
fisheries industry and the sustainable use of its marine resources, in an effort to
achieve food security.
In the context of cooperation with the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), Guinea-Bissau signed agreements with Portugal and Cape Verde in the areas of research, training, and institutional strengthening.
Cooperation with developed countries, particularly with Portugal, focus essentially on capacity building, training and financing for projects aimed at implementing Agenda 21 and other Rio commitments.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a member of the United Nations, the Organization of
African Unity (OAU), and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), among
others. It has established bilateral and multilateral relations with various countries in
such areas as trade, culture and education, and technology transfer, among others.
Cooperation with Portugal has also increased in recent years.
Both prior to and following the Rio Conference, the government of Guinea-Bissau signed various cooperation agreements with international organizations working in the area of environment and sustainable development, including the IUCN, UNESCO, FAO, the Inter State Committee for Combating Desertification in the Sahel (CILSS), among others.
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This information was provided by the Government of Guinea Bissau to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: January 1998.
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No information is available.
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This information was provided by the Government of Guinea Bissau to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: January 1998.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
The Government's policy has been to promote greater efficiency in the use of the country's natural resources, particularly in the energy sector. It has also attempted to reduce waste and minimize the over utilization of limited resources in the production process.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and Projects
No information is available.
Status
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
The Government of Guinea-Bissau intends to promote research projects and awareness-raising
campaigns, in collaboration with international organizations, aimed at reversing
unsustainable consumption patterns, particularly to reduce the pressure on limited forest
resources on which more than 90% of the population depend for fuelwood.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
Several research projects on consumption and production patterns have been carried out in
the country's major cities and regions to promote alternative sources of energy and
preserve forest resources. These include the following:
- A project carried out by the Ministry of Rural Development and Agriculture, in collaboration with FAO, to encourage the reuse/recycling of waste wood products.
- An educational campaign to raise awareness for the need to make production more efficient and consumption more sustainable.
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
No information is available.
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This information was provided by the Government of Guinea Bissau to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last update: April 1997.
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No information is available.
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For information on
participating States in the Global Environment Facility ere:
For information about
issues and projects in Africa from the World Bank, click here:
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available.
It is important to highlight the role of NGOs in this context. There is a joint project between the Ministry of Rural Development and an American NGO to introduce new technologies, such as solar energy, to be used in irrigation and increase agricultural productivity without negative impacts on the environment.
Programmes and Projects
No information is available.
In Guinea-Bissau, as in many developing countries, there is a need for a more favourable access to environmentally sound technologies and technical cooperation which allows for the transfer of skills and know how to operate those technologies.
The Government is aware of the fact that the availability of scientific and technological information and access to environmentally sound technologies is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development. Given the country's socio-economic conditions, it has not been possible to develop these. The lack of infrastructure and an adequate information system on environmental issues and available technologies, makes it necessary to take into consideration the two interrelated components, namely to improve access to both information on end technologies and their ecological risks, and to environmentally sound technologies.
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
No information is available.
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This information was provided by the Government of Guinea Bissau to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last update: April 1997.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
No information is available.
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Click here for the International
Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Biosafety WebPages
Click here to link to the Biosafety
Information Network and Advisory Service (BINAS), a service of the United Nations
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which monitors global developments in
regulatory issues in biotechnology.
Click here to go to the Web Site of UNEP's
International Register on Biosafety.
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No information is available.
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No information is available.
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No information is available.
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