ENB:08:24
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PLENARY
The Plenary elected the remaining Vice President from the Eastern European Group, Croatia. It was announced that Germany had resigned as Vice President and that the WEOG had nominated Italy in its place. The election of Rapporteur- General was postponed.
NEPAL: Lila Sharma said that Nepal shares SIDS' commitment to preserving the environment, protecting its unique heritage and developing human resources.
MADAGASCAR: Andrei Rasolo stressed the role of women, without whose involvement sustainable development is impossible.
COLOMBIA: Amb. Reno Lung said that there is increased pressure on the international community to deliver new and additional financial resources and technology transfer.
PAKISTAN: Tehmina Janjua said that the Programme of Action should include realistically achievable measures backed by political will and clearly identifiable follow-up mechanisms through the CSD and the UN secretariat. The Barbados Declaration should be a reflection of principles.
THAILAND: Manop Mekprayoonthong noted that this Conference is a first test of the international community since Agenda 21. Thailand will be a more active partner in development cooperation in the Asia/Pacific region.
FAO: On behalf of Director-General Jacques Diouf, the representative said not enough attention has been paid to food security and the rural sector.
UNESCO: On behalf of Director-General Federico Mayor, Dr. Gisbert Glaser stressed sustainable human development and higher education systems in SIDS. UNESCO has established a focal point for SIDS within its secretariat.
US VIRGIN ISLANDS: Carlyle Corbin applauded UN member States for their responsiveness to the needs of non-independent countries, and allowing them to participate as observers. Poverty alleviation has to be a central tenet of sustainable development.
UNCTAD: Hama Arba Diallo, on behalf of the Director-General, said UNCTAD has been the focal point for SIDS since their needs were first raised. He also mentioned a number of problems and vulnerabilities faced by SIDS.
EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Hilario Torres said that his country was recently subject to a wave of storms with untold human suffering and material damage. Equatorial Guinea has recently established a ministry for women, who are central to sustainable development.
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM: Amb. Pergiran Momin noted that with a long coastline many of the problems of Brunei are shared with SIDS.
SUDAN: Ahmed Yousif Mohamed hoped that the Conference would produce an ambitious Programme of Action as a prelude for other international efforts to assist developing countries.
WFUNA: Leonard Hill of the UNA of Barbados drew attention to the role played by the Bretton Woods Institutions and the international trading system.
CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL: Stan Malone called attention to the commitments made to partnership with NGOs in Agenda 21, the safeguard of traditional knowledge, and the establishment of a SIDS intellectual property center.
ARUBA: Cornelius Wilson said that SIDS are marine entities with small terrestrial components, and they are custodians for the marine environment.
TONGA: Sione Tongilava said that the environment Bible was written in Stockholm and re-translated in Rio. The Bible says that it is better to give than to receive; thus, the rich polluters should give more to SIDS than greenhouse gases.
COMOROS: Sittou Raghadat Mohamed, Minister of Social Affairs, Population, Employment and Work, called for: support for her government's sustainable development plans; change in macro-economic factors that affect SIDS' economies; increased ODA; and preferential trade.
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA: Amb. Lionel Hurst said that unwillingness to fulfill the commitments made at UNCED and resistance to implementing the provisions of Agenda 21 are tantamount to condemning our planet to a very nasty, short and brutish future.
CYPRUS: Costas Petrides, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, said that in the quest for sustainability, efforts should concentrate on debt reduction and access to technology.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION: Amb. Arnold Kalinin said that it is very important to reach practical results that will reflect the will of the international community in concrete action.
HUNGARY: Dr. Andras Lakatos said that the Conference must show that the post-Cold War period created not only new problems and contradictions, but also opened up new possibilities for international cooperation.
BAHRAIN: Amb. Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar said that sustainable development is a process of change that takes into account present and future generations, with human beings at the center of the development process.
NAMIBIA: Amb. Tunguru Huaraka said that SIDS are at the frontline in the battle against environmental degradation. The other frontline is held by desert and/or drought stricken developing States.
TUNISIA: Ghazi Jomaa highlighted the progress that has already been achieved in the negotiation of the Programme of Action. He added that agreement was still to be achieved on the issue of financial resources and mechanisms.
BURUNDI: Melchiade Bukuru said that support for SIDS needs to be more consistent and more systematic.
ACCT: Maurice Portiche said that the community of francophone countries now participates more actively in global conferences such as this one.
INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION: Mr. Khalimonov said that the IMO is directly involved with maritime safety and prevention of marine pollution in SIDS.
BARBADOS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION: The representative called on governments to encourage NGO participation in the implementation of the Programme of Action, restructure military and social budgets, and lift the trade blockade of Cuba.
UNEP: Peter Schroeder said that "the sun never sets on the UNEP Regional Seas Programmes." Integrated Coastal Management is very complex and hard to achieve but comprehensive island management could be a first step.
BARBADOS: Harcourt Lewis, Minister of the Environment, Housing and Lands, said that SIDS have limited options that are open to them. In the final analysis, their people are their greatest resource.