Organised by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for the Environment, Malta
together with the
Islands and Small States Institute of the Foundation for International Studies, University of Malta
in collaboration with the
United Nations Environment Programme
 

REPORT 
 

EXPERT SEGMENT:  24-26 NOVEMBER 1998

1. The Expert Segment of the Meeting on the Sustainable Development of the Small Islands Developing States in the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and Atlantic Regions was convened at the Foundation for International Studies, University Building, Valletta, Malta, from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 November 1998, with a view to prepare for the Ministerial Segment of the said Meeting which would be held on Friday 27 November 1998.
 
2. This meeting was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for the Environment, Malta together with the Islands and Small States Institute of the Foundation for International Studies, University of Malta in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme
 
3. The meeting had the following objectives:
? To prepare a position paper for SIDS in the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean(IMA region) to be presented at the UN Commission for Sustainable Development and United Nations General Assembly
? to propose the setting up of an institution to promote sustainable development in the IMA-SIDS regions.
? To issue a declaration which summarises the concerns and prospects for SIDS in the IMA region.

4. The following nine countries participated in the meeting:
? Bahrain
? Cape Verde
? Comoros
? Cyprus
? Madagascar
? Malta
? Mauritius
? Sao Tome and Principe
? Seychelles

The following countries could not attend: Maldives and Guinea Bissau

5. Representatives from the following organisations also participated:
? United Nations Environment Programme
? United Nations Development Programme
? Indian Ocean Commission
? South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission
 

6. The following organisations participated as observers:
? Cleaner Technology Centre
? Environment Protection Department
? International Environment Institute
? International Ocean Institute
? Malta Council for Science and Technology
? Malta Freeport Corporation
? National Tourism Organisation
? Planning Authority
 

7. The Honourable Jesmond Mugliett, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Education of Malta, inaugurated the Expert Segment of the Meeting on Tuesday 24 November 1998 at 0900 hours.
 
8. The experts elected the following members to form the Bureau for their meeting:
Chairperson  Malta
Vice-Chairperson Sao Tome and Principe
Rapporteur  Mauritius

9. The meeting adopted the Agenda, attached hereto as an Annex.
 
10. The representative of the United Nations Environment Programme presented a paper on Small Islands Developing States and the Environment in particular to the role of UNEP as catalyst in the implementation of the Barbados  Programme of Action as well as to the proposal for future UNEP actions to address the environmental challenges facing SIDS.
 
11. The ensuing discussion focused on the following points:
? The paper from this meeting should be submitted to the Governing Council and then to the CSD7
? On behalf of IMA-SIDS, UNEP should take up the outcome of this meeting with the Governing Council.
? A proposal was made that this bureau should represent  the IMA-SIDS, in the forthcoming meeting that would take place in 1999 in Nairobi . This proposal was unanimously agreed to. 
 
12. The representative of the United Nations Development Programme presented a paper on Small Island Developing States and the Exclusive Economic Zone - paper prepared by Dr. Gunnar Kullenberg, Executive Director of the International Ocean Institute.

13. The subsequent discussion highlighted the following points:
? Member states pointed out the difficulties in monitoring the resources and enforcement in the EEZ.  This Meeting was reminded that further  to a declaration by the Prime Minister of Mauritius in July 1998 during the International Small Islands States Association Meeting, Mauritius was prepared to host a meeting on the EEZ with the assistance of the international agencies. 
? Various aspects of the paper need  to be taken up at national level
? A proposition was made on the need for exchange of information or communication network in particular to monitoring and enforcement techniques among the IMA-SIDS.

14.  The next item on the Agenda was the presentation of a report on Sustainable Tourism Development in Small Island Developing States with special reference to Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Atlantic Small Island Developing States prepared by Mr. Anthony Ellul, Planning Authority. The member states agreed that the paper was a comprehensive one.
 
15.  The following points were mentioned in the ensuing discussion:
? the use of the Polluter-Pay Principle and other economic instrument to promote sound environmental attitudes. 
? the future use of a gold card scheme by Seychelles
? the use of Environment Impact Assessments; and 
? Integrated-Approach to Tourism  Management.

16. The representative of the United Nations Development Programme presented the       Small Island Developing States Network (SIDSnet) - Building Global Communities on Island Issues.
 
17. The experts from the nine countries present made a brief presentation of their country background papers in which the issues that are being currently faced by them were highlighted and actions at national and regional levels were also proposed. The common issues were mainly the following:
? coastal and marine resource management
? fresh water management
? sustainable tourism
? biodiversity
? waste management
? trade

18. The delegate of Malta made a presentation on the paper for “The Establishment of the IMA-SIDS Forum” to be submitted at the Meeting of Prospective Donors and Representatives of SIDS. The delegates agreed in principle with the concept of its inception. However in view of the commitment by the SIDS which would require clearances by the SIDS Governments, it was decided that this proposal should be referred to as the Malta Government proposal on behalf of the IMA-SIDS as the “Establishment of the IMA-SIDS Centre”.
 
19. The delegate of Malta presented the draft of the Valletta declaration on the “The Sustainable Development of Small Island Development in Indian Ocean, Mediterranean  and Atlantic SIDS  (IMA-SIDS). 
 
20. The delegate of Bahrain circulated a proposal on “Development of a methodology suitable for SIDS, for achieving the Integrated Management of the Coastal and Offshore Marine Development” for the consideration of the Ministerial Meeting and for its inclusion into the position paper.  The draft declaration was thoroughly discussed and various amendments were proposed.
 
21. The draft paper on the sustainable development of IMA-SIDS for submission to the 7th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development was presented in the Expert Meeting. Following the discussion on this item, it was agreed that a summary which should include a preamble, cross cutting issues (financing, limitation in human resources and capacity, institutional weaknesses, infrastructure development, integrated approach and vulnerability index), the common priorities identified as well as the proposals of actions be presented with the paper as an annex for consideration and support by the CSD 7.
 
22. The following papers were discussed, finalised and adopted.
? The establishment of the IMA-SIDS Centre for Sustainable Development
? IMA-SIDS position paper for submission to CSD7
? Valletta Declaration.

23.  The projects proposals submitted for consideration by the Prospective Donors in February 1999, by  Bahrain,  Maldives, Mauritius and Cyprus as well as the project proposal from Indian Ocean Commission for Waste Management in the Indian Ocean Countries were submitted to the Islands and Small Islands Institute of the Foundation for International Studies for onward transmission to the United Nations. The participants expressed their support for these proposals.
 
24.  The experts present expressed their thanks and gratitude to the Government of Malta, the Islands and Small States Institute of the University of Malta and United Nations Environment Programme for organising this important IMA-SIDS Meeting. 
 
25.  The rapporteur’s report, in so far as it covered the expert meeting, was presented and adopted.
 
26.  The Expert Meeting ended on Thursday 26 November 1998 at 2030hrs.

MINISTERIAL SEGMENT:  27 NOVEMBER 1998

1. The Ministerial Segment of the Meeting on the Sustainable Development of the Small Islands Developing States in the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and Atlantic Regions was convened at the Foundation for International Studies, University Building, Valletta, Malta, on Friday 27 November 1998, with a view of adopting the documents prepared by the Expert Segment.
 
2. The nine countries represented at the expert meeting also participated at the Ministerial meeting, with Malta, Cape Verde and Madagascar being represented by a Minister and the remaining country by a representative of a Minister.
 
3. The Honourable Joseph Borg, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malta, inaugurated the Ministerial Segment of the Meeting at 0900 hours.
 
4. The Honourable Francis Zammit Dimech, Minister for the Environment of Malta, delivered the opening statement.
 
5. The following country representatives were elected to form the Bureau for the ministerial segment:
Chairperson  Malta
Vice-Chairperson Sao Tome and Principe
Rapporteur  Mauritius

9. The meeting adopted the Agenda, attached hereto as an Annex.
 
10. The following documents, which were approved by the expert segment, were discussed, amended and adopted by the ministerial meeting:
? The establishment of the IMA-SIDS Centre for Sustainable Development
? IMA-SIDS position paper for submission to CSD7
? The Valletta Declaration.

11. The Valletta declaration was then signed by representatives of the nine countries present at the meeting.
 
12. The Ministers and the representatives of Ministers present, expressed their thanks and gratitude to the Government of Malta, the Islands and Small States Institute of the University of Malta and United Nations Environment Programme for organising this important IMA-SIDS Meeting. 
 
13. This rapporteur’s report was presented and adopted.
 
14. The Ministerial segment ended on Friday 27 November 1998, at 1230 hrs.