Transcript CARIBBEAN SUBREGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETING, …

CARIBBEAN REGIONAL
PREPARATORY MEETING TO
THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING,
MAURITIUS, 2004
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 6-10 October 2003
Arthur A. Gray
ECLAC-CDCC
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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.
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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)
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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.
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Implementation of the SIDS POA:
• National Level: The importance of National
Reports
• The Subregional Level
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SIDS POA: Priority Areas
• Climate change and sea-level rise
• Natural and environmental disasters
• Management of wastes
• Coastal and marine resources
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SIDS POA: Priority Areas ... cont’d
• Freshwater; Land; Energy; Tourism; and
Biodiversity
• National institutions & administrative capacity
• Regional institutions & technical cooperation
• Transport & communication
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SIDS POA: Priority Areas … concluded
• Science & Technology
• Human Resource Development
• Implementation, Monitoring & Review
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PRIORITY Concerns/Highlights
• Coastal & Marine Resources
• Climate Change and sea-level rise
• Natural & Environmental Disasters
• Tourism
• Waste Management
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Areas of Lesser Activity
• Regional Institutions
• Energy Resources
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Evolution of the Process
1997: 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;
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Structures for Implementation
The Caribbean Model
SIDS BUREAU
Secretariat
Member States
Inter-Agency
Collaborative Group
Joint Work Programme
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The Caribbean contribution
• Early identification of "new issues" that impinge
on the S.D. of SIDS;
• Caribbean perspectives endorsed by CSD and
reflected in decisions of UNGA.
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22nd Special Session of UNGA
• Articulated concerns already identified at
subregional level
• Amplified scope of implementation of POA
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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.
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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;
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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
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Financial resources
• Joint approaches to Donor Countries/ Agencies
• Joint funding of initiatives
– region-wide funding or
– among interested countries
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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
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Organizational resources
• Regionalization of initiatives, as feasible
• Joint/coordinated representation of subregional
concerns
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The “New” Subregional Joint Work
Programme (JWP)
• Conceptualized in the context of the WSSD
process;
• MDGs
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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)
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Constraints to implementation
• FINANCIAL
• INSTITUTIONAL
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Financial constraints
• Explain the significant gaps in implementation
• Critically needed projects beyond the resources
of Caribbean SIDS
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Financial constraints … cont’d
• Present severe handicaps to establishment &
strengthening of infrastructure; capacitybuilding etc
• “The retreat from the sustainable development
commitment and ideals agreed at Rio in 1992”
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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.
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Institutional constraints … cont’d
• Establishment of SDCs
• Regional Coordinating Mechanism
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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
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Achievements
• Relevance of the environmentdevelopment link
• Enhanced understanding of S.D. issues
• Improved identification of environmental
and socio-economic concerns and
projects;
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Achievements … cont’d
• Appreciation of the importance of institutional
strengthening;
• Enactment of environmental legislation;
• Application of management tools e.g. EIAs
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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
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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.
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Future Implementation:
Confronting Basic Issues
• Intensify action at national level
• Enhance subregional action
- Promotion of POA to Lending/Funding Agencies;
– More focussed identification of priorities;
– concerted articulation of subregional concerns;
– Identify outstanding elements of POA; and
modalities for implementation at all levels.
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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.
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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.
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Confronting basic Issues … cont’d
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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
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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 …...
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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.
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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.
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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 ….
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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 providing effective
means, including adequate, predictable new and
additional financial resources in accordance with
Chapter 33 of Agenda 21; facilitating the transfer of
the environmentally sound technology,
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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”
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The End
Thank you for your attention
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