NARR: The capacity of small-island developing States (SIDS), to
effectively move towards the achievement of their development objectives in the
areas of transport, waste management, chemicals, mining and sustainable
consumption and production patterns must be viewed against the backdrop of the
ongoing effects of the recent economic and financial crisis. That's what
Grenada's Representative Ambassador Dessima Williams told Commission on
Sustainable Development as it began a session aimed at taking policy decisions
on practical measures to bolster implementation on five areas: again transport,
waste management, chemicals, mining and sustainable consumption and production
patterns; and the increasing volatility of the prices of food, fuel and other
commodities on which their economies of small island developing states are
heavily dependent. Speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island
States (AOSIS), Ambassador Williams said this increasing volatility bears
heavily on the economies of small developing states in addition to the burden
of the impacts of Climate Change. And she noted that challenges such as these
have undoubtedly depleted the already limited capacities of AOSIS to pursue
their overall development agenda.
WILLIAMS: AOSIS will continue to make known its priority issues
within the key thematic clusters during these two weeks of the CSD proper, but
today, we would like to take the opportunity to briefly highlight some of these
main issues. Transport and communication are the life lines of the SIDS within
their own countries, as well as with each other and the outside world.
Furthermore, the impacts of climate change have severe negative effects on the
transport capacity of SIDS, given the close proximity of our transport
infrastructure to the coast and rising sea-levels. This year, the Secretary
General's report on "Policy options and actions for expediting progress in
implementation: transport" states that transport and mobility are
essential preconditions for sustainable development. Clearly transport remains
at the heart of sustainable development and SIDS remain at a disadvantage which
makes this a major impediment to the growth of the SIDS economies. These
factors, in addition to the geographical remoteness which characterises most
SIDS, mean that transportation costs are quite exorbitant, and constrain these
states' ability to provide reliable and efficient air, land and maritime
transport services.
NARR: Ambassador Williams stressed that AOSIS looked forward to
the Outcome Document reflecting the prioritization of adequate and sustained
international support to address the high and increasing costs of transport
services and communication in small island developing states, through support
for improved infrastructure and networks and climate proofing. This, she said,
is especially so given that the Commission on Sustainable Development is the
primary intergovernmental forum for monitoring the implementation of the
Mauritius Strategy and the Barbados Programme of Action.
WILLIAMS: SIDS are committed to efficient management of waste, and
while significant progress has been reported for some SIDS, research shows
otherwise . There remain numerous challenges which must be addressed as a
matter of urgency given the negative effects which poor waste management
practices are having on the sustainability of marine areas, health, food
supplies and tourism in SIDS. One major challenge has been the flooding of
waste disposal sites due to their proximity to coastal areas. The
trans-boundary movement of hazardous wastes and chemicals also affects the
marine ecosystems of SIDS given that their economic and environmental
sustainability and livelihoods are intrinsically linked with the sea. It is for
this reason that more effective regional mechanisms have to be developed to
protect SIDS' oceans and coastal zones from ship-generated wastes and
challenges posed by the transboundary movement of hazardous material.
NARR: Ambassador Williams said SIDS supported the recommendation
of an earlier Commission on Sustainable Development Intersessional Conference
on Building Partnerships for Moving Towards Zero Waste for the promotion of the
3R's leading to the reduction of waste at its sources and the reduction of the
total volume of waste requiring disposal, as well as the reuse and recycle of
waste. And on the subject of chemicals:
WILLIAMS: The use of Chemicals continues to be necessary in the
economic development of all countries, including Small Island Developing States
(SIDS). Therefore, the need to manage chemicals in an environmentally sound
manner as highlighted in Agenda 21 and in the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation remains relevant to this day. We continue to support the
effective implementation of the main chemicals-related Multilateral
Environmental Agreements (MEAS), namely the Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam
Conventions as well as the Montreal Protocol. However, the fulfillment of all
the obligations under many of these treaties remains a major challenge for
developing countries, especially Small Island Developing States. In this
regard, we request that a comprehensive global financing strategy for chemicals
be developed as a matter of priority to support implementation of these MEAs by
developing country Parties. It is also necessary to further enhance the support
given to regional technical centres designated under the Basel and Stockholm
Conventions so that they can effectively respond to the needs of their
constituents.
NARR: Grenada's Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador
Dessima Williams. This is Donn Bobb reporting.
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