CARIBBEAN REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETING TO THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING, MAURITIUS, 2004 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

1. CARIBBEAN REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETING TO THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING, MAURITIUS, 2004Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 6-10 October 2003 Arthur A. Gray ECLAC-CDCC

2. The SIDS Programme of Action:Implementation in the Caribbean 1994-2003(Documents LC/CAR/G.749 and 750) Sub-Themes: • Implementation: national/subregional/global; • The experience of the Agencies; • New/emerging issues of critical importance re Agenda 21/POA; • Recommendations for the Interregional Meeting and Mauritius, 2004; • Actions to further implement POA.

3. Summary Framework for Implementation/Review • The Rio Declaration and Agenda 21; • The SIDS POA; • The Programme for the further implementation of Agenda 21 and the Rio Principles (Rio+5); • The 22nd Special Session of the GA; • The WSSD Declaration and POI; • The MDGs (incorporating outcomes of global summits since 1992)

4. UNCED, Agenda 21 and the SIDS POA:Making the Connection • SIDS POA: adopted at UNGCSIDS, 1994; • UNGCSIDS convened at request of UNGA, on recommendation of UNCED; • UNGCSIDS: translating Agenda 21 into specific policies representing priority areas for SIDS; • UNGCSIDS: the first global conference on S.D. and implementation of Agenda 21.

5. Implementation of the SIDS POA: • National Level: The importance of National Reports • The Subregional Level

6. SIDS POA: Priority Areas • Climate change and sea-level rise • Natural and environmental disasters • Management of wastes • Coastal and marine resources

7. SIDS POA: Priority Areas ... cont’d • Freshwater; Land; Energy; Tourism; and Biodiversity • National institutions & administrative capacity • Regional institutions & technical cooperation • Transport & communication

8. SIDS POA: Priority Areas … concluded • Science & Technology • Human Resource Development • Implementation, Monitoring & Review

9. PRIORITY Concerns/Highlights • Coastal & Marine Resources • Climate Change and sea-level rise • Natural & Environmental Disasters • Tourism • Waste Management

10. Areas of Lesser Activity • Regional Institutions • Energy Resources

11. Evolution of the Process1997: The Watershed • The Caribbean Ministerial Meeting, Barbados, 10-14 November 1997 • Convened by ECLAC/CDCC, in collaboration with: ACS, CARICAD, CARICOM, CCA, CDB, DESA-DSD-SIDS, FAO, OAS, OECS,UNCHS, UNDP, UNEP: a model of collaboration • Objectives: SIDS + 5; prioritize actions to effectively allocate resources; exchange information; and recommitment to POA;

12. Structures for ImplementationThe Caribbean Model SIDS BUREAU Secretariat Member States Inter-Agency Collaborative Group Joint Work Programme

13. The Caribbeancontribution • Early identification of "new issues" that impinge on the S.D. of SIDS; • Caribbean perspectives endorsed by CSD and reflected in decisions of UNGA.

14. 22nd Special Session of UNGA • Articulated concerns already identified at subregional level • Amplified scope of implementation of POA

15. 22nd Special Session .… cont’d • Integration of economic, environmental and social components towards S.D. • Highlighted: poverty, globalization, trade, commodity & capital markets, access to markets & investment.

16. Implications for Caribbean SIDS • Scope for amplified JWP ; • Emphasised need for appropriate structures: national & regional; • Enhanced SIDS-SIDS collaboration including with other SIDS regions/AOSIS;

17. Implications for Caribbean SIDS … cont’d • Mobilisation of intra-subregional resources towards coping with financial & other constraints, post Donors’ Meeting, February 1999 • Approaches Explored: • Financial • Technical • Organisational

18. Financial resources • Joint approaches to Donor Countries/ Agencies • Joint funding of initiatives • region-wide funding or • among interested countries

19. Technical resources • Optimizing the subregion’s limited technical resources: • Disaster management • Conduct of post-disaster macroeconomic, social and environmental assessments • Training of a nucleus of experts available to the subregion

20. Organizational resources • Regionalization of initiatives, as feasible • Joint/coordinated representation of subregional concerns

21. The “New” Subregional Joint Work Programme (JWP) • Conceptualized in the context of the WSSD process; • MDGs

22. The “New” JWP … cont’d • Addresses new/emerging issues and sets the stage for the future evolution of the POA- by incorporation of relevant S.D. elements. • Also issues identified by WSSD as requiring increased effort: (Sec. VII: Ocean management; Waste and Pollution; WTO Issues; …….. Tourism; Disasters; Vulnerability Indices; Water and Sanitation)

23. Constraints to implementation • FINANCIAL • INSTITUTIONAL

24. Financial constraints • Explain the significant gaps in implementation • Critically needed projects beyond the resources of Caribbean SIDS

25. Financial constraints … cont’d • Present severe handicaps to establishment & strengthening of infrastructure; capacity-building etc • “The retreat from the sustainable development commitment and ideals agreed at Rio in 1992”

26. Institutional constraints • Integrating POA into national planning & decision-making; • Absence of Integrated Planning for S.D.; • Education/public awareness; • Need for capacity-building; training; adjustments in organizational behaviour.

27. Institutional constraints … cont’d • Establishment of SDCs • Regional Coordinating Mechanism

28. Constraints reported by Agencies • Policy: Lack of political support; fragmented policies • Institutional Capacity: Dispersed responsibilities; duplication; lack of data quality standards; inadequate/fragmented legislation; lack of required expertise; • Financial: Inadequate budget allocations; general lack of financial resources

29. Achievements • Relevance of the environment-development link • Enhanced understanding of S.D. issues • Improved identification of environmental and socio-economic concerns and projects;

30. Achievements … cont’d • Appreciation of the importance of institutional strengthening; • Enactment of environmental legislation; • Application of management tools e.g. EIAs

31. Caveat • Many activities relevant to POA neither conceived nor implemented in direct response • Many activities predated the POA and were pursued within national S.D. plans

32. However ..…. • The POA has impacted these activities. • Imparted greater focus and renewed emphasis on them in an S.D.context. • Contributes to more holistic development and management of new projects/programmes.

33. Future Implementation:Confronting Basic Issues • Intensify action at national level • Enhance subregional action - PromotionofPOAtoLending/FundingAgencies; • More focussed identification of priorities; • concerted articulation of subregional concerns; • Identify outstanding elements of POA; and modalities for implementation at all levels.

34. Confronting Basic Issues … cont’d International: Towards Mauritius 2004 • Renewal of commitment, at the highest political level, to the further implementation of the SIDS POA, the most concrete expression of Agenda 21 for SIDS.

35. Confronting Basic Issues … cont’d The entrenchment of SIDS concept • Entrenchment of the vulnerability concept; • Need for increased international support to overcome vulnerability/build resilience; • Reiteration of relationship between POA and Agenda 21 towards intensified implementation.

36. Confronting basic Issues … cont’d • Fundamentally, to identify gaps in the implementation of POA and measures to address them. • Mauritius 2004 to reiterate Selected Principles and other provisions of Agenda 21 and the POA

37. Selected Principles and Related Provisions Agenda 21 Principle 6 The special situation and needs of developing countries, particularly the least developed and those most environmentally vulnerable, shall be given special priority …...

38. Chapter 17.124: Small island developing States, and islands supporting small communities are a special case both for environment and development. 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 development resource.

39. Chapter 17.127: Because small island development options are limited, there are special challenges to planning for and implementing sustainable development. Small island developing States will be constrained in meeting these challenges without the cooperation and assistance of the international community.

40. Chapter 33.14: Funding for Agenda 21 and other outcomes of the Conference should be provided in a way that maximizes the availability of new and additional resources and uses all available funding sources and mechanisms ….

41. Selected Principles ... cont’d The Declaration of Barbados: Part Two Section 111.1 “The international community should cooperate with small island developing States in the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States by providingeffectivemeans, including adequate, predictable new and additionalfinancial resources in accordance with Chapter33 of Agenda 21; facilitating the transfer of the environmentally sound technology,

42. Selected Principles … cont’d including on concessional and preferential terms as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights as well as the special needs of developing countries; and promoting fair, equitable and non-discriminatory trading arrangements and a supportive international economic system”

43. The End Thank you for your attention