STATEMENT BY
THE DELEGATION OF

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
TO THE
FIRST GLOBAL CONFERENCE
FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

Bridgetown, Barbados

April 26, 1994

Mr. President,

Yesterday, the international community took its first step down the long road leading to the global partnership that was engineered at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. When your Prime Minister declared open The Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island States, we commenced the first "test" of the partnership between developed and developing countries intended to achieve worldwide sustainable development. As one of many cricket-loving nations assembled here today, it is appropriate that beautiful Barbados --home to many of the true legends of that wonderful game-- is the venue for the symbolic first "ball" of this "test".


The difficult task which your Government faced in preparing for this Conference was no less daunting than the task of convincing the global community that small island developing States are "a special case, both for the environment and development", and that this vulnerable category of States will require generous international attention. Barbados has met and exceeded our expectations in preparing for this conference; let us hope that the international community will also meet and even exceed our expectations in their generosity.


In 1962, when the first of the small island States of the English-speaking Caribbean gained political independence, an earlier generation was certain that we could move into the industrial age with clever planning and astute leadership. Sir Arthur Lewis, the first of two Nobel prize-winners from the small island State of St. Lucia, was the intellectual wellspring of a development strategy which even the South East Asian nations have followed assiduously. Thirty years later, in 1992, it was your Prime Minister, continuing in the tradition of Caribbean genius, who took the lead in Brazil, articulating the sustainable development strategies which were ultimately embodied in Chapter 17, Section G of Agenda 21. George Lamming, the Barbadian writer who is best known for In the Castle of My Skin --a remarkable insight into the yearnings of Caribbean people for freedom from the colonial yoke-- would have applauded the genius of the Barbados delegation at the Earth Summit. We applaud you yet again today for the remarkable achievement of your Government and your countrymen.


During the next ten days, we will seek to achieve consensus on a document which embodies The Programme of Action for the sustainable development of small island States. Its fifteen chapters dwell on the most acute difficulties faced by small island States like mine; they focus also on our response strategies. In this document, we have tried to integrate environmental, social and economic factors into the maintenance of biological diversity and to ensure economic growth. The conservation of critical habitats on land and sea, and the protection of endangered species are also addressed, within the context of sustainable development.

Our approach has been thoughtful and deliberate. Two regional meetings were held in Vanuatu, the South Pacific, and in Trinidad and Tobago, next door. Much to the credit of our negotiating partners in the international community, there is agreement on almost every element. In that regard, my delegation wishes to thank Ambassador Wensley of Australia for her stewardship, dedication and competence during the two negotiating sessions that were held at the United Nations Headquarters. We note with satisfaction that our high regard for this Australian diplomat is shared by all member States; she has been unanimously elected to serve as Chairman of the Main Committee of this Conference where she will shepherd the negotiating process.

The all important Chapter 15 on implementation is the most difficult to negotiate; but we are confident, given the past flexibility on all sides, that we will satisfactorily resolve all remaining issues before us. This demonstrable flexibility will, I am sure, continue to guide us throughout these negotiations, abetted by the knowledge that the longer we take to agree on the text, the less time we will have to enjoy Barbados' pleasurable combination of sun, sea and sand. My delegation, grounded in the practice of collective bargaining, is prepared to demonstrate flexibility. We are aware that in all political endeavours aimed at improving our societies and their governance, compromise will be necessary to achieve our ends.


In this regard, Mr President, we direct your attention to six very important implementation directives within the Programme of Action. They are aimed at achieving the sustainable development for which we yearn.

First, the allocation of adequate, predictable, new and additional financial resources is essential for the support of comprehensive sustainable development programmes.

Second, the formulation of a whole range of indicators of economic and ecological vulnerability is needed to measure sustainable development in small island States as an alternative to the GNP per capita device.

Third, the greater diversification of the commodity sectors within a macro-economic framework is necessary for small island States, taking into account each country's economic structure, resource endowments, market opportunities and supportive trade and environment policies.

Fourth, the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and corresponding know-how to small island States should be on concessional and preferential terms, taking into account the need to protect the intellectual property rights of resource owners.

Fifth, the subregional offices of each of the relevant regional commissions of the United Nations should be provided adequate resources and the necessary autonomy to enable them to support regional activities and to co-ordinate the implementation of the outcomes of this Conference.

Sixth, the follow-up and monitoring of the implementation of the programme of action will require specific mechanisms at the national, regional and international levels. In this regard, the United Nations system will have an important role to play through a clearly identifiable unit with qualified and competent focal points within the appropriate departments to provide secretariat support for the various intergovernmental and inter-agency co-ordinating mechanism.

Since this is the first post-Rio Conference devoted to achieving sustainable development in general, and the sustainable development of Small Island States in particular, the active support and participation of the entire international community will surely be crucial in this regard. The small island developing States, have articulated our commitment to the path of sustainable development with our programme of action. It is now the responsibility of the international community to provide the necessary financial and technical assistance in order to ensure that our sustainable development objectives are met. Failure to do so in this, the start of the post-Rio era, will result in a lost opportunity to fulfill the commitments made at UNCED and to implement the provisions of Agenda 21.

Finally, Mr. President, in 1965, when V.C. Bird of Antigua and Barbuda, Forbes Burnham of Guyana, and Errol Barrow of Barbados lent their signatures to the Dickenson Bay Declaration creating CARIFTA in Antigua, they started a movement towards integration among island countries that has now surpassed any previous attempt. On May 6, 1994, when this conference concludes, the common interests of island-states will have been furthered to the same degree that the CARIFTA experience galvanized the english-speaking Caribbean.

Barbados will go done in history for having provided the necessary means for our success.

I congratulate you and the people of Barbados.

Thank you, Mr. President.