Transcript No Slide Title

THE ROLE OF SMALL
ISLAND STATES IN
GLOBAL ISSUES
By Lino Briguglio
University of Malta
Prepared for the International Conference
Diplomacy of Small States
Coastline Hotel. Malta: 8-9 February 2008
Organised by Diplo Foundation
PIONEERING INITIATIVES
Although small states account for a very small proportion of
the World’s population (less than 0.5 of a per cent), they
have taken major initiatives in international fora, some of
which had, and still have major global implications and
repercussions.
Two major such initiatives relate to the Law of the Sea and
to Climate Change.
MALTA AND THE LAW OF THE SEA
In 1967, Malta was involved in a major initiative, namely
the Law of the Sea, which led to the adoption of the UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea as a Common Heritage
of Mankind, in 1982.
Associated with the Convention is the Exclusive Economic
Zone, which has given many small island states jurisdiction
over millions of square miles of Oceans, and vast potential
wealth in terms of marine resources.
THE MALDIVES AND CLIMATE CHANGE
In 1987, President Gayoom of the Maldives told the UN
General Assembly that a mere one-meter rise would mean
the death of a nation, referring to the possibility that the
1200 islands forming the Maldives would be submerged as a
result of global warming.
This was perhaps the start of the debate on climate change
in the international diplomatic arena.
MALTA AND CLIMATE CHANGE
In 1988, Malta put forward a proposal on the protection of
Global Climate, which considered climate change as the
common concern of mankind. The led the Framework
Convention on Climate Change which was adopted and
opened for signature at the United Nations Conference on
Environment And Development in 1992. Small Island States
are considered to be highly impacted by global warming,
especially due to sea level rise (IPCC studies confirm this).
AOSIS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
At the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) a number of small island states
officially formed the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
where the unifying factor was the high vulnerability of small
island states to climate change.
Since then, AOSIS has taken a leading role in promoting the
interests of small island states with regard to global climate
change.
AOSIS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Even before the Kyoto Conference, AOSIS took many
initiatives to convince the world that there should be a drastic
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
These initiatives have been influential in the drawing up of
the Kyoto Protocol.
AOSIS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
AOSIS was also instrumental in the organisation of two Global
Conferences on the Sustainable Development of Small Island
Developing States, the first held in Barbados in 1994 and the
second in Mauritius in 2005.
During these meetings, high level representatives of most UN
member states discussed the meaning of sustainable
development and its implications for small island states and
the global community at large.
MALTA, AOSIS AND THE EU
AOSIS is a lobby group within the Group of 77 i.e. the
group developing countries (which are aid recipient
countries). Because of this, Malta ceased to be a member
of AOSIS, as it is now an aid donor country, following
accession to the EU in 2004.
Malta's support for the cause of small island states within
the UN system however continues to this day, even though
Malta no longer forms part of the Alliance of Small Island
States (AOSIS).
ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY
Malta was a prime mover within the United Nations system to
place small island states’ economic vulnerability on the
agenda of the global community.
In 1990, during a UN meeting of Experts and Donor
Countries, held in New York, Malta proposed that the issue of
economic vulnerability should be given major importance, as
this impacts highly on the economic development of small
island states.
ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY
Subsequently a United Nations organ (UNCTAD) engaged
the present author to prepare a paper on the construction
of a vulnerability index. The study was one of the main
documents discussed during a meeting of a Group of
Experts on Island Developing Countries, held in Geneva on
14-15 July 1992, under the auspices of UNCTAD.
ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY
The vulnerability index was further developed by the
present author in the run-up to the United Nations Global
Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small
Island Developing States, held in Barbados in April 1994.
The General Assembly of the UN agreed that the
measurement of vulnerability would benefit a great number
of countries worldwide, especially Small Island Developing
States.
ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY
The Vulnerability Index featured prominently in the
Barbados Conference’s programme of action, later
endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 49/122
of 19 December 1994, as the Barbados Programme of
Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island
Developing States.
Paragraphs 113 and 114 of the Programme dealt with the
development of a vulnerability index for Small Island
Developing States.
ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY
Subsequently, at a meeting of a group of experts,
convened by the UN in December 1997, to discuss the
vulnerability index, a study by the present author was
discussed, and one of the main conclusions was:
“Small Island Developing States are more vulnerable than
other groups of developing countries and their vulnerability
is structural, which means that shocks are beyond the
control of national authorities”.
ECONOMIC RESILIENCE
Malta’s leadership in matters of interest to small island
states is now continuing with initiatives that promote
economic resilience aimed at withstanding economic
vulnerability.
Malta’s suggestion in this regard led to the inclusion of a
paragraph in the final document of the Mauritius 2005
meeting (Mauritius Strategy, paragraph 81) where the
international community requested donors to support
attempts to measure economic resilience.
THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT
Small states constitute the majority of members of the
Commonwealth and play a major role within the
Secretariat.
During the eighties, a consultative group on small states
was set up to consider the special needs of small states.
This led to the publication of the report “Vulnerability:
Small States and the Global Society” released in 1985.
THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT
In the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting (CHOGM) held in Malta, small states concerns
again took centre stage and the final communiqués (the
Gozo Statement) clearly placed small states as one of the
main thrusts of the work of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT
The “Gozo Statement on Vulnerable Small States” issued by
the (CHOGM), 25-27 November 2005 began as follows: “We,
the Heads of Government, reaffirm our longstanding and
dedicated commitment to small states, which constitute a
majority of our membership, recognising their particular
challenges and vulnerabilities. We also reaffirm that the
Commonwealth will continue to be a strong advocate for
vulnerable small states and their concerns.”
THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT
Small states, led by Malta, have also taken leadership, within
the Commonwealth, regarding ICT. The Malta Declaration on
Networking the Commonwealth for Development
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), 2527 November 2005 inter alia states: “We firmly believe that
the Commonwealth can contribute meaningfully to measures
aimed at bridging and closing the digital divide, and are
resolved to do so. ICTs provide an opportunity for individuals
to learn, to grow, to participate more actively in society and to
compete more effectively in markets
THE WORLD BANK
Small states have also taken major initiatives within the
World Bank. In 2006, the World Bank and the
Commonwealth Secretariat drew up of the Report “Toward
an Outward-Oriented Development Strategy for Small
States: Issues, Opportunities, and Resilience Building”.
This report laid down the agenda for small states for the
coming 5 years.
THE WORLD BANK
Another initiative taken by small states is the setting up of
the small states network. This network was approved by
the World Bank during the 2006 Small States Forum held in
Singapore. The Secretariat of this network will be located in
Malta. An innovative arrangement is the establishment of a
multi-donor trust fund to enable the Network to promote
sharing of expertise between small states in order to help
them to take advantage of the globalisation process.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY
Some of the small highly developed states, with a population
of about 5 million or less, are often involved in world security
affairs and are taken seriously by large states within the UN
system. These include Norway, Denmark, Iceland and
Singapore.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY
However, so far, the impact of small states on security council
decisions was minimal and the permanent powers tend to
marginalise the small states, There have been various alls for
reforms, including enlarging the council. Recently one of the
smallest countries in the world namely Liechtenstein
(together with Switzerland, Singapore, Jordan, Costa Rica)
took the initiative by proposing a UN Assembly resolution to
make the Council more accountable, transparent and
inclusive. This is still being debated.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY
That small states can have a major impact on peace and
security was shown in two cases where such states held their
own in spite of heavy international pressure:
 The first case relates to Malta brinkmanship in the
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe in
Geneva (1975) and in Helsinki (1973) when proceedings
were delayed on Malta’s insistence the Mediterranean
should feature in European Peace arrangements.
 The second case is more recent. Latvia supported the US
war in Iraq, despite Mr. Chirac's comment that "immature"
Central and East European nations "missed a great
opportunity to shut up" over the divisive Iraq issue.
CONCLUSION
Many small states produced leaders who were not afraid to
take initiatives in and were not intimated by the
international diplomatic arena.
One can anticipate that small states can have a still larger
role in global affairs for 2 main reasons (a) the process of
integration gives a more effective voice in the decision
making of the regions, as is the case of Malta and Cyprus
in the EU (b) as small island states gain more effective
control over their exclusive economic zone, their ability to
influence global developments will increase - this is
especially so in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION