Jamaica: SIDS Roundtable - Presentations & Speeches

Statement by
H.E. Mr. Rajesh A. Bhagwan
Minister of Environment
Republic of Mauritius

Honourable Ministers
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

First of all, allow me to thank the Government of Jamaica for having organised this Global Roundtable on the vulnerabilities of SIDS. I extend my appreciation also to the UNDP for their initiatives on this matter.

This meeting has been convened at an opportune moment in order to allow the SIDS to fine tune their strategy in the run-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg in Aug-Sept this year. We are attaching high importance to this summit as we firmly believe that its outcome will set a concrete programme of action and deliverables which, among others, will have significant bearings on the future orientation of SIDS.

Over a decade ago in the context of the Rio Summit in1992, small islands from different regions joined the ranks to make their voice heard. They articulated the concerns of SIDS and they were finally successful in getting due recognition for their "special case for both environment and development" at the Global Conference on Sustainable Development of SIDS in Barbados in 1994. The conference adopted the Barbados Plan of Action which is a blueprint for the sustainable development of SIDS. The main emphasis of the BPOA has been to address the many natural disadvantages and vulnerabilities stemming from the small size and physical characteristics of SIDS.

We do reckon that while considerable amount of work has been done in the implementation of 'the BPOA, we still have to go a long way in our quest for sustainable development. One positive note that I wish to attribute to the BPOA is that it has been able to alert international opinion on the specific and difficult circumstances of SIDS. Since then, several international organisations and institutions have started showing greater interest on the concerns of small states which includes SIDS as well as small economies. The most recent one has been the Doha Ministerial Conference which formally agreed to establish a Work Programme on Small Economies.

I am glad to note that we, the SIDS, through our own leadership, have largely evolved over the last decade in our approach to sustainable development. While conservation of natural resources and protection of the environment remain high on our priority, we give equal importance to economic and social development. This Roundtable therefore provides opportunity for us to focus our actions on the three pillars of sustainable development: Economic development, Social development and environmental protection.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
As Minister of Environment, I am tempted to give some highlights on environment vulnerabilities. But in the interest of time, I have decided not to dwell upon it. I am sure we are all familiar with, and well-informed about, environmental problems of SIDS.

Allow me instead to venture to say a few words about trade vulnerabilities.

Trade is of crucial importance to SIDS. The wealth generated by trade helps to sustain the economy, improve the social quality of life and provide necessary financial resources to preserve and protect the environment.

The new international trade order poses serious challenges and opportunities for SIDS. They have so far derived little benefits from the process of globalization and liberalization. Their situation has been further compounded by the current world patterns of production and consumption, unequal terms of trade and high rate of indebtness. This inequitable process, if not urgently addressed, will undermine the path to sustainable development.

The SIDS are typically constrained in their trade and economic development by a combination of factors such as small domestic markets, diseconomies of scale, distances from major market centres, high cost of transporting their exports to overseas markets, limited resources, limited -arable lands, narrow production base, dependence on few export commodities, high infrastructure costs, proneness to natural disasters and inability to influence world prices.

The current WTO rules are not suitable to cater for the specificities and needs of SIDS. While the implementation of the WTO agreements constitutes onerous and cumbersome obligations to SIDS, the trade preferences, so far enjoyed by them, are being eroded and threatened. Certain WTO rules also restrict the ability of SIDS to pursue their development strategy, particularly in the process of industrialization and diversification.

I must stress that per capita GDP is not an appropriate tool for measuring the development of SIDS. International institutions must take due account of the vulnerabilities of SIDS when designing the policies and strategies. The vulnerability index must be considered as an important criterion to justify the need for special and differential treatment, the maintenance of trade preferences and access to concessional loans in favour of SIDS.

The Government of Mauritius strongly appeals to the international community to support the efforts of SIDS to adapt to the evolving multilateral trading system and to integrate into the world economic system. Failure to respond to the concerns of SIDS will further aggravate the risk of their marginalization.

It is, therefore, imperative for SIDS to ensure that their concerns are given high profile at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The results of the Summit will have considerable implications on the ongoing discussions on small economies at WTO level, and could be a precursor to an appropriate decision at the next WTO Ministerial Conference in Mexico next year.

To conclude, let me say that my Government is fully '" committed to the cause of SIDS. We strongly wish the SIDS to foster solidarity among themselves and to playa pro-active role in the international arena. I once again wish to thank the U N DP for its valuable support and to express my appreciation to the Government and people of Jamaica for their warm hospitability.

I thank you for your attention.

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