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PREAMBLE:

At the beginning of the week the entire preamble was in brackets since delegates did not have sufficient time to address it during the September PrepCom session. By the conclusion of the week, the brackets around the entire preamble were removed but many of the paragraphs contained therein remain in brackets.

Two of the three paragraphs in the chapeau, which acknowledge that this Conference is the first global conference on sustainable development and the implementation of Agenda 21 and note the contents of the Programme of Action, still remain bracketed. Other sections of the preamble that remain in brackets are as follows:

• The first section of paragraph 1, which identifies human beings as the center of concerns for sustainable development;

• Paragraph 3's reference to environmental destruction caused by external interventions;

• Paragraph 5's statement that despite population density, the small population size of SIDS inhibits them from generating economies of scale;

• Paragraph 8 on per capita income of SIDS still contains various formulations in brackets as to the vulnerability of the economic performance of SIDS;

• An amendment to paragraph 9 that reaffirms women's critical contributions to sustainable development;

• The reference in paragraph 11 to the special situation and needs of the least developed countries.

• Reference to the regional technical meetings held in preparation for the PrepCom in paragraph 12; and

• Paragraph 13's references to national governments as being primarily responsible for the implementation and financing of the action programme.

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