Representatives of 111 governments, more than 90 NGOs, and numerous officials from various United Nations agencies, intergovernmental organizations and the media attended the Conference, which was mandated by Agenda 21, the action plan adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"It's generally thought to be the first specific effort at implementation of Agenda 21 that the UN has undertaken," said Marina Lent, program officer for the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service. "It's the instance where they brought sustainable development to a further level of detail, taking a specific case -- small island developing states -- and putting more definition on what is needed."
As is commonly the case at such international conferences, the question of finance was one of the more difficult issues. Yet the final wording of the Program of Action states that implementation will require "adequate, predictable, new and additional financial resources in accordance with Chapter 33 of Agenda 21," and recommends more efficient use of existing resources.
"If you take into account the recession worldwide, there was general reluctance on the part of donor countries to generate any more money," said Lelei Lelaulu, outreach coordinator for the conference. "But in Barbados, there was notable success. These countries all agreed to commit to new, additional, and regular sources of finance. A lot of critics were expecting that very little would come out of this conference, but the fact that they were able to make this commitment is significant."
The Program of Action acknowledges the specific consequences to small island developing states of such problems as climate change and sea level rise, natural and environmental disasters, and toxic and hazardous wastes. Recommendations include training, capacity-building, and development of appropriate technology. The Program also aims at safeguarding natural resources, encouraging renewable sources of energy, planning sustainable tourism, and emphasizing the importance of biodiversity.
An unexpected, but highly significant outcome of the conference was the strengthening of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), said participants. Initially formed to spotlight a single issue of urgent concern to all small islands -- the consequences of climate change and sea level rise -- the Alliance has matured during the nine month process preceding the conference into a viable coalition capable of negotiating within the UN system for the interests of small island developing states from far-flung regions.
"They've all agreed that their development should be sustainable," said Mr. Lelaulu. "That's what the Earth Summit was seeking for all areas of the planet. By taking a small step, it insures overall success in the long run."
The problems confronted by small island states and low-lying coastal regions, such as rising water levels, natural disasters, the destruction of coral reefs and rainforests, and the management of toxic wastes carried by passing ships, were indeed highlighted by the Conference. But more to the point, said participants, these issues also came to be viewed in the larger context, as intertwined environmental and economic challenges that are a microcosm of the global picture. And many noted that the solutions developed at this level could contribute to solutions on a worldwide scale.
"Small islands have some environmental problems that are clearly
not caused by small islands, such as climate change and ocean level
rise," said Ms. Lent of the NGLS. "It would be extremely
costly for them to resolve these problems on their own. They're
bearing the cost for something they didn't cause. This was a test of
how the international community functions. It's one thing to agree on
a program of action, another thing to implement it. It remains to be
seen how well and how thoroughly it gets implemented."