Pacific SIDS
PACIFIC SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES
United Nations Member States
Phone: 212-937-0074
Fax: 212-937-0079
E-mail: nauru@un.int
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Nauru to the United Nations
800 Second Avenue, Suite 400A, New York, N.Y. 10017
Nineteenth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development
Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting
Comments on the Chair?s draft negotiating text
Statement by Mr. Martin Zvachula
Permanent Mission of the Federated States of Micronesia
on behalf of the
Pacific Small Island Developing States
4 March 2011
New York
Check against delivery
Thank you Mr. Chairman,
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS)
represented at the United Nations, namely, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New
Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and my own country, Micronesia.
We like to align ourselves with the comments made on behalf of AOSIS.
Mr. Chairman,
We would like to thank you for the summary you have provided which shows the way forward
for CSD proper in May. You have highlighted many pertinent points and I would like to point out
a few from our perspective. For example, we are encouraged that you reflected the
recommendation from the S-G report on increasing financial support and public and private
investment from national and international sources for transport systems in developing
countries, including in particular for SIDS in paragraph 9(c). We also agree with the need to
factor the impacts of climate change into transport infrastructure planning in 13(h), however,
finding the necessary resources can be a challenge in SIDS.
Mr. Chairman, in our opinion, the listing of conventions in paragraph 32(e) should also include
the Waigani Convention given its importance.
We agree with the need to reduce marine pollution, including plastics in the oceans in 35(c) as
an important factor in safeguarding our food sources as well as the world?s coral reefs. We are
also encouraged by the call to mobilize financial resources to build waste management
infrastructure in 38(a). We have some success stories in the Pacific and hope to make further
progress with the help of our development partners.
Cook Islands, Federated State of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu,
Vanuatu
2
Mr. Chairman,
We further agree with the urgency of the message in paragraph 60 as well as the important
steps you have outlined in 83(a).
Let me now turn to the issues that the PSIDS have previously circulated as an annex to our
introductory statement on Monday and we consider them as missing from the document. We
consider that the CSD as the body responsible to implementing the Barbados Program of Action
and the Mauritius Strategy and we should include a brief section on SIDS dealing with the
following items:
? Firstly, the shortcomings in the institutional support for SIDS, as highlighted in the Highlevel
review of the Mauritius Strategy, as well as other constraints to the full and effective
implementation of the MSI and BPoA need to be effectively addressed;
? As such the lack of specificity in the BPoA and the MSI are major constraints in
assessing their implementation and a more focused and results-oriented approach, with
specific benchmarks, goals and targets needs to be implemented to effectively address
the unique and particular vulnerabilities of SIDS and the implementation and monitoring
of the BPoA and the MSI;
? There is also a need for more technical data and analysis to inform options by which the
UN system could more consistently and effectively address the unique and particular
vulnerabilities of SIDS and implement the BPoA and the MSI, including consideration of
the creation of a formal UN SIDS category;
? Generally, a more formal, holistic coordination mechanism for delivering UN and non-UN
support to SIDS is essential to the effective implementation of the BPoA and the MSI;
? Finally, the importance of the conservation and sustainable management of ocean and
marine resources, including fish stocks and the protection of coral reefs to the themes of
Rio plus 20 needs to be emphasized;
Mr. Chairman,
It is the hope of the PSIDS that the issues I have raised above will make it to the final outcome
document of CSD 19.
Thank you.
United Nations Member States
Phone: 212-937-0074
Fax: 212-937-0079
E-mail: nauru@un.int
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Nauru to the United Nations
800 Second Avenue, Suite 400A, New York, N.Y. 10017
Nineteenth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development
Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting
Comments on the Chair?s draft negotiating text
Statement by Mr. Martin Zvachula
Permanent Mission of the Federated States of Micronesia
on behalf of the
Pacific Small Island Developing States
4 March 2011
New York
Check against delivery
Thank you Mr. Chairman,
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS)
represented at the United Nations, namely, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New
Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and my own country, Micronesia.
We like to align ourselves with the comments made on behalf of AOSIS.
Mr. Chairman,
We would like to thank you for the summary you have provided which shows the way forward
for CSD proper in May. You have highlighted many pertinent points and I would like to point out
a few from our perspective. For example, we are encouraged that you reflected the
recommendation from the S-G report on increasing financial support and public and private
investment from national and international sources for transport systems in developing
countries, including in particular for SIDS in paragraph 9(c). We also agree with the need to
factor the impacts of climate change into transport infrastructure planning in 13(h), however,
finding the necessary resources can be a challenge in SIDS.
Mr. Chairman, in our opinion, the listing of conventions in paragraph 32(e) should also include
the Waigani Convention given its importance.
We agree with the need to reduce marine pollution, including plastics in the oceans in 35(c) as
an important factor in safeguarding our food sources as well as the world?s coral reefs. We are
also encouraged by the call to mobilize financial resources to build waste management
infrastructure in 38(a). We have some success stories in the Pacific and hope to make further
progress with the help of our development partners.
Cook Islands, Federated State of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu,
Vanuatu
2
Mr. Chairman,
We further agree with the urgency of the message in paragraph 60 as well as the important
steps you have outlined in 83(a).
Let me now turn to the issues that the PSIDS have previously circulated as an annex to our
introductory statement on Monday and we consider them as missing from the document. We
consider that the CSD as the body responsible to implementing the Barbados Program of Action
and the Mauritius Strategy and we should include a brief section on SIDS dealing with the
following items:
? Firstly, the shortcomings in the institutional support for SIDS, as highlighted in the Highlevel
review of the Mauritius Strategy, as well as other constraints to the full and effective
implementation of the MSI and BPoA need to be effectively addressed;
? As such the lack of specificity in the BPoA and the MSI are major constraints in
assessing their implementation and a more focused and results-oriented approach, with
specific benchmarks, goals and targets needs to be implemented to effectively address
the unique and particular vulnerabilities of SIDS and the implementation and monitoring
of the BPoA and the MSI;
? There is also a need for more technical data and analysis to inform options by which the
UN system could more consistently and effectively address the unique and particular
vulnerabilities of SIDS and implement the BPoA and the MSI, including consideration of
the creation of a formal UN SIDS category;
? Generally, a more formal, holistic coordination mechanism for delivering UN and non-UN
support to SIDS is essential to the effective implementation of the BPoA and the MSI;
? Finally, the importance of the conservation and sustainable management of ocean and
marine resources, including fish stocks and the protection of coral reefs to the themes of
Rio plus 20 needs to be emphasized;
Mr. Chairman,
It is the hope of the PSIDS that the issues I have raised above will make it to the final outcome
document of CSD 19.
Thank you.