sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

179
Chapter IV
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING
STATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
PRINCIPLE OF THE RIO DECLARATION ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
6 The special situation and needs of developing countries, particularly the least developed and those most
environmentally vulnerable, shall be given special priority. International actions in the field of
environment and <strong>development</strong> should also address the interests and needs of all countries.
A landmark outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the
Earth Summit) was the inclusion and recognition of small island developing states (SIDS) as a special
case for environment and <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>. Reflecting this outcome, principle 6 of the Rio
Declaration calls for priority to be given to the special needs of the least developed and most
environmentally vulnerable countries. In parallel, Agenda 21 recognizes the special situation of small
island developing States (SIDS) as follows:
“Small island developing States and islands supporting small communities are a special case
both for environment and <strong>development</strong>. They are ecologically fragile and vulnerable. Their small
size, limited resources, geographic dispersion and isolation from markets, place them at a
disadvantage economically and prevent economies of scale. For small island developing States the
ocean and coastal environment is of strategic importance and constitutes a valuable <strong>development</strong>
resource.” (United Nations, 1993, chap. 17, para. 124).
Since 1992, specific commitments and action plans have been adopted by and for SIDS. In 1994,
pursuant to General Assembly resolution 47/189 and as a follow-up to decisions taken at the Earth
Summit, the United Nations convened the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small
Island Developing States. At the Conference, held in Bridgetown, Barbados, the Programme of Action for
the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (the Barbados Programme of Action)
was adopted (United Nations, 1994). The Barbados Programme of Action defined and recommended a
number of actions and policies related to environmental and <strong>development</strong> planning to be undertaken by
SIDS, with the cooperation and assistance of the international community. In 1999, at a special session of
the General Assembly convened to conduct a five-year review of the Barbados Programme of Action, the
following six priority targets were identified for the following five <strong>years</strong>: adapting to climate change and
rising sea levels; improving preparedness for and recovery from natural and environmental disasters;
preventing worsening shortages of freshwater resources; protecting coastal ecosystems and coral reefs
from pollution and overfishing; developing solar and other renewable forms of energy; and managing
growth in tourism so as to protect the environment and the cultural integrity of the local population.
In <strong>20</strong>05, a conference was held in Mauritius to conduct a 10-year review of the implementation of
the Barbados Programme of Action. The conference resulted in the Mauritius Strategy for the Further
Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States (United Nations, <strong>20</strong>05a). The Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy are the
<strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> blueprints for SIDS in line with the implementation of Agenda 21 and include
<strong>development</strong> clusters in five areas: natural resources and environmental threats, economic issues, social
issues, governance and issues relating to implementation (UNDP Pacific Centre, <strong>20</strong>08).