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Special Session of the United
Nations General Assembly on
Small Island Developing States
New York, 27-28 September 1999
BACKGROUND
The nineteenth special session of the
General Assembly (23-27 June 1997), in considering the further
implementation of Agenda 21 in areas requiring urgent action,
also reviewed SIDS' issues. In that context, the special session
requested that the Commission on Sustainable Development at its
sixth session in 1998 undertake a review of all the outstanding
chapters and issues of the Programme of Action for the
Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
adopted at the Global Conference in Barbados in 1994. It was
decided that a two-day special session of the General Assembly
would be held immediately preceding the fifty-fourth session of
the Assembly in 1999 for an in-depth assessment and appraisal of
the implementation of the Programme of Action and CSD was
requested to serve as a Prep-Comm for that special session.
CSD AS PREPARATORY BODY
The Commission on Sustainable Development
acting as the preparatory body for the special session of the
General Assembly for the review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States, met in New York
on April 23 and 30, 1999. Delegates reviewed progress in the
implementation of the Programme of Action and considered the
preparation of the special session.
Informal consultations also took place to
further discuss a text compiled by the Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc
Inter-sessional Working Group, as well as a draft declaration.
The text compiled by the Co-Chair contained contributions to the
special session of the General Assembly.
The Chairman of the seventh session of
the Commission on Sustainable Development, Mr. Simon Upton (New
Zealand) presided over the two meetings.
Highlights of the high-level dialogue
At the
first meeting held on 23 April,
the Commission acting as the
preparatory body engaged in an
interactive dialogue.
Recognizing that SIDS are the
custodians of large areas of the
world's oceans and significant
biodiversity resources,
participants reaffirmed the
Programme of Action as the
blueprint for the sustainable
development of SIDS. Attention
was drawn to the progress made
by SIDS in implementing
sustainable development
strategies through action at the
national and the regional level.
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Attention was drawn to the vulnerability
of SIDS in relation to their ability to withstand external
economic shocks, for example, as a result of fluctuating
commodity prices and susceptibility to natural disasters.
Participants placed particular emphasis on the early development
of a vulnerability index to supplement existing gross domestic
product (GDP)-based criteria in the assessment of eligibility of
SIDS for concessional finance.
Concern was expressed at constraints
still faced by SIDS in fully implementing sustainable
development strategies because of insufficient resources, due
particularly to declining levels of official development
assistance (ODA). Concern was further expressed that the decline
in financial resources might reflect a lessening of commitment
made at the Barbados Global Conference. It was recognized that
the special session of the General Assembly would provide an
opportunity for all countries to reaffirm commitments that had
been made at the time the Programme of Action was adopted.
In this regard, the recent SIDS/Donors'
meeting was acknowledged as a positive step. Participants
emphasized the need for improved donor coordination and the
importance of partnerships at all levels, including with the
private sector, in order to further assist SIDS in their efforts
to achieve sustainable development.
There
were expressions of concern at
adverse effects on SIDS of
globalization and trade
liberalization. It was
emphasized that the special
circumstances of SIDS should be
taken into account in the next
phase of negotiations under the
World Trade Organization.
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Participants also expressed concern at
the risks to SIDS of trans-shipment of hazardous wastes and
materials through their jurisdictions. In this regard, there was
a proposal to have the Caribbean Sea recognized as a special
area in the context of sustainable development, bearing in mind
the subregion's high degree of vulnerability as a result of the
large number of ships with hazardous cargo traversing the
Caribbean.
Preparations for the 22nd special
session of the General Assembly
At the 2nd meeting held on 30 April, the
Commission considered preparations for the comprehensive review
of the Programme of Action. The Commission acting as the
preparatory body approved and recommended for adoption by the
General Assembly, at its twenty-second special session, the
draft provisional agenda and organizational arrangements as
contained in document E/CN.17/ 1999/PC/CRP.1, as amended.
The
Commission took note of the
document E/CN.17/1999/PC/CRP.2,
which contained a letter from
the President of the General
Assembly to the Chairman of the
Commission acting as the
preparatory body regarding the
organization of the work of the
special session. The Commission
also took note of the document
E/CN.17/1999/PC/CRP.3, as
amended, which contained
information on the establishment
of the list of speakers for the
debate in plenary of the special
session.
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The Commission acting as the preparatory
body also agreed on arrangements for the accreditation of
non-governmental organizations at the special session.
The Commission also had before it a text
compiled by the Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Inter-sessional Working
Group, as well as a draft declaration, in English only, as the
Commission's contribution to the special session. The Co-Chair
reported on the outcome of informal consultations on the text.
In this connection, the Chairman of the Commission acting as the
preparatory body read out an oral decision recommending to the
General Assembly to authorize it to hold a resumed session of
two days in September, in order to complete its work. The
Commission acting as the preparatory body adopted the oral draft
decision, as amended. The Commission acting as the preparatory
body then adopted its report as contained in E/CN.17/1999/PC/L.2
The Commission acting as
preparatory body for the special
session met in its resumed
session on 9 and 10 September
1999 at the United Nations
Headquarters. It held three
meetings and a number of
informal meetings. The session
was opened by the Vice Chairman
of the seventh session of the
Commission on Sustainable
Development, Navid Hanif
(Pakistan).
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At its first meeting, on 9 September, the Commission acting
as preparatory body for the special session had before it an
informal paper containing the texts entitled "Draft declaration"
and "State of progress and initiatives for the future
implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States". The paper
reflected the results of informal consultations held on the
texts as contained in document A/S-22/2* following the first
session of the Commission acting as the preparatory body. The
Commission continued its work on the "Draft declaration" and the
review document at its second and third meetings. At its third
meeting held on 10 September 1999, the Commission acting as
preparatory body adopted the draft report on its resumed
session.
THE SPECIAL SESSION
The UN General Assembly convened its 22nd special
session on 27 and 28 September in New York to review and
appraise the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action
(BPOA). During the general debate, a total of 130 speakers
including heads of State and government and ministers made
statements.
Representatives of SIDS
outlined the concrete actions
they had taken so far in the
implementation of the BPOA and
highlighted their constraints,
and their ecological and
economic vulnerabilities. They
drew attention to the increasing
frequency and intensity of
disasters and the increasingly
severe damages their
countries・productive capacity
and infrastructure are
suffering. They underscored the
implications of globalisation
and trade liberalisation for
their small, highly open
economies, and the increasing
risk of their marginalisation in
the fast changing international
economic structure. In this
regard, they called for a
central role of the United
Nations in the globalisation
process to ensure the sharing of
benefits by all countries.
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Representatives of developing countries other than SIDS
agreed that SIDS have severe financial and capacity constraints
and need adequate financial support to implement the BPOA. A
number of them pledged to intensify their support to SIDS
through South-South co-operation by providing them with
assistance in areas where they have better expertise and
experiences tailored to their needs.
Likewise the developed countries recognised the constraints
and vulnerabilities of SIDS. The representative of the European
Union and associated States drew attention to the mechanisms of
the Lome Convention, and pointed out that the EU attached high
importance to the completion of a new post-Lome agreement which
would be a flexible instrument of co-operation and partnership
for the coming decade and beyond. The representatives of some
countries such as Ireland, Luxembourg, and UK expressed their
willingness to increase ODA to SIDS in future. While
acknowledging that globalisation is a cause for concern to SIDS,
the US representative observed that small islands still have
much to gain from the process.
The General Assembly adopted a Declaration in which member
States reaffirmed the principles of and their commitments to
sustainable development. The Declaration calls on the
international community to provide effective means, including
financial resources to support the sustainable development
efforts of SIDS. It also calls on the Secretary-General to
improve the existing institutional arrangements in the UN so
that the UN system may become more proactive in promoting and
assisting sustainable development in SIDS.
The General Assembly also adopted a review document entitled
"State of progress and initiatives for the future implementation
of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of
Small Island Developing States". The document sets forth
recommendations for action in priority areas requiring urgent
action, as well as on the means of implementation.
To open
or download special session
documents, please
click here
To open
or download CSD7 reports on
SIDS, please
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