SEVENTH SESSION OF COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
High-level Segment on the Review of the Barbados Programme of Action on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
New York, 23 April 1999
ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE TUALA SALE TAGALOA
Minister of Lands, Survey and Environment and Tourism

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Mr. Chairman,

I am deeply honoured to speak on behalf of the member States of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), at this important meeting as we prepare for the General Assembly special session to review the Barbados Programme of Action on the sustainable development of small island States. We regard the occasion a most crucial one for our countries, and a vital opportunity for our voices to be heard.

Five years ago, we the small island developing States and the international community, spoke with one voice, and of a unified vision. We spoke of the need, and here I quote from the Declaration of Barbados, to "... send a powerful message to the world’s peoples on the possibilities of joint action undertaken with a sense of common purpose and partnership". There seemed to be determination to put pledges into action. It was the first real test of the global alliance for sustainable development established at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.

Mr. Chairman,

It was also five years ago, in Barbados, that Heads of Government agreed that the sustainable development of islands was both essential and achievable.

That message of partnership and of real prospect for sustainable development was heard like a trumpet call in our islands. It served as our rallying cry and the Programme of Action as our framework for determining strategies and policies, at the national, regional and international levels. And I’m proud to say that island countries, through real endeavour, and with the assistance of the international community, have made progress. The Secretary General, in his report to this Commission, refers to "perceptible progress". Measured in the global context, and given the constraints we face, we would contend that this is a very significant result. Allow me to share a few examples of the initiatives our communities have taken:
· small island States have adopted strategies under the international coral reef initiative. Most South Pacific countries have set new fisheries policies, and plans for coastal zone management;

· in the Caribbean, twelve countries are now jointly planning for adaptation to climate change. Sea-level rise is being monitored in eleven South Pacific countries under a regional project;

· a number of countries have drawn up master tourism plans and new regulations. Caribbean nations have set a joint strategy for sustainable tourism;

· Indian Ocean islands are improving their preparedness for oil spills, and several Caribbean nations have adopted laws on waste; and
· small island States have ratified key environmental Conventions like those on climate change and on biological diversity. And in almost all of our island nations, national strategies for biological diversity have been incorporated into planning structures and in integrated coastal areas as well as marine resources plans.

Mr. Chairman,

In the context of the recent SIDS/Donors meeting, initiated by the United Nations, island countries submitted over three hundred project proposals for donor consideration, covering all fourteen chapters of the Programme of Action. The real importance of these proposals was that they provided an indication of national and regional efforts, and strategies for the implementation of the Programme of Action. All told, and especially given our resource constraints, we believe those project offerings involved no small achievement. We understand that our partners in the donor community are currently assessing the projects. It is our hope that they will provide us with concrete and positive responses in the near future.

Mr. Chairman,

We have gained much through shared experiences in our efforts to implement the Programme of Action. We have acted together because of our capacity limitations and in response to common challenges. There is therefore much scope for cooperation through subregional and regional initiatives. We need to share experiences, to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Mr. Chairman,

What message does the sum of our actions convey? A simple but deeply-felt one. We small island developing States have a strong sense of ownership, and are deeply committed to the Barbados Programme of Action. We remain convinced that its full and effective implementation will not only help our islands, but will potentially benefit the planet as a whole. Our communities are custodians of large areas of the world’s oceans, and we have been placed at the front line to confront the threats of climate change and resulting sea-level rise. The exposure and predicament of small island States underlines the urgency; it gives a special authenticity to the concerns that we voice. The solutions that we all must identify, for implementation, will point the way for larger countries. In essence, our agenda is the agenda for us all.

Mr. Chairman,

Island nations hold high the ethic of self-reliance. We know, and we maintain that the primary responsibility for implementing the Programme of Action must remain with us.

But we cannot implement alone. In large measure, the problems we face, and their origins, call for global responses. Moreover, since the Barbados Conference, the
challenges of globalisation and trade liberalisation, in particular the erosion of trade preferences, have seriously undermined our ability to compete effectively within the international trading system. The threat of marginalisation, compounded by vulnerabilities, including fragile environments and susceptibility to natural disasters, have hampered our efforts to achieve sustainable development.

Mr. Chairman,

The need for international support, and for urgent and targeted action, is reflected in the AOSIS submissions prepared for the SIDS text that is currently being negotiated. We have identified critical environmental issues and other concerns which we, small island States, consider of high priority. These largely mirror the issues highlighted in the Secretary General’s report. We have also stressed the need for our efforts to be further supplemented by effective technical and financial support from the international community, and the need for more focused action at all levels, particularly at the international level, to strengthen support to SIDS for programmes and projects targeted at capacity-building, institutional building and the transfer of environmentally sound technology.

Mr. Chairman,

The need for a partnership approach was the central message of Barbados, but we fear this message is not always being heard. Since the Conference there has been a significant decline in overall disbursements to small islands, bilateral and multilateral combined. This decline has been the subject of comment also in the UN Secretary General’s reports.

Let me make clear that this will not dampen our own efforts. National action remains paramount -- we do not, cannot and will not, walk away from our responsibilities under the Programme of Action. We will continue to work at the national level, and through regional agreements and organizations to achieve common, indeed global benefits.

I should recall, however, that the adoption of the Programme of Action in 1994 represented a commitment to partnership between SIDS and the international community; a commitment to work together, and to share resources and expertise so as to ensure meaningful implementation of this comprehensive blueprint for action. For our part, we sought to reinforce that commitment at the SIDS/Donors meeting. The full engagement and support of the international community, and the United Nations system, upon which the Programme strategy for implementation was built, is central to the future of our endeavours.

We wish to underscore that the efforts of small island States have already been the focus of reviews, at CSD-4, in 1996, and at CSD-6, in 1998. Further, and at the request of our partners in the donor community, island States outlined their current efforts and future "vision" under the Programme of Action during the recent SIDS/Donors meeting. The Co-Chairmen’s oral report of that meeting stated, and I quote, "It is worth highlighting... the truly impressive quality of project proposals, numbering over 300, and presentations made by both SIDS and by three regional organizations. These proved invaluable in casting light on the constraints, strategies and priorities of small island developing States".

We believe that SIDS efforts have already been analysed in some detail, and that it is now time to focus on the international side of our partnership.

Mr. Chairman,

In our view, what is necessary at the international level comes clearly from the experience of small islands, from the review undertaken by the Secretary General, and from the international actions outlined in the SIDS text now being negotiated, and which I have referred to. In part, we are looking to build on our national commitment and action through:
· more effective existing partnerships -- in particular a UN system more focused and able to support SIDS and work through their regional organizations;

· new partnerships -- better links between civil society and the action we ourselves must take towards sustainable development, including support for, and increased involvement of, the private sector which is often small but critical to our future developments; and

· the adoption of benchmarks at all levels to measure progress, and to help us focus and apply ourselves. Such benchmarks should carry time-frames within which we must all take assessments of performance and achievements. We may well find that we have achieved more than expected.
Mr. Chairman,

The full, effective and sustainable implementation of the Programme of Action can only be realized through strong and committed common action. We believe that this session of the Commission can strengthen our partnership, and help to recapture the energy, goodwill, and forward-looking approach of the Barbados Global Conference.

And so, in a spirit of true cooperation let us take the necessary steps to discharge our responsibility to this planet, to each other, and to future generations. And let us once again send a powerful message to the world’s peoples on the great possibilities that exist when joint action is undertaken with a sense of common purpose and partnership.

Thank you.