UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 54th SESSION
Second Committee - Item 100: Environment and Sustainable Development
(sub-items C to F)
Statement by Ms Amanda Hawkins, Second Secretary
25 October 1999
Mr Chairman,
My delegation is pleased to address the Second Committee once again under the item 100 on Environment and Sustainable Development - this time with specific reference to sub items (c), (d), (e) and (f).
The UNGA Special Session on the review of the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action was an important opportunity which focused the international community's attention on environment and development problems faced by Small Island Developing States. Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, who also has responsibility for our aid program, was pleased to be able to make Australia's statement in that forum and to highlight the breadth of Australia's assistance and support to SIDS. We need to take the opportunities offered by fora such as the Special Session to recognise and respond to the challenges of sustainable development for small island states.
Many SIDS noted at the Special Session that development partners had not responded to the extent they had anticipated with assistance for implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action. As our statement made clear, Australia is one of the largest donors to SIDS, and we incorporate Barbados priorities in all aid activities through our country and regional strategies. However, issues other than aid are also of importance for sustainable development in SIDS. Trade is clearly of fundamental importance. The forthcoming and all future international trade talks must have a balanced agenda which recognises the circumstances of SIDS and other developing countries.
We also used our statement to draw attention to the importance of taking the vulnerability of small states into account in international decision-making processes. The South Pacific Forum, of which Australia is a member, recently reaffirmed its intention to work at the UN to defer decisions on the graduation of least developed countries until a satisfactory position on vulnerability is agreed. Australia urges all parties to recognise the importance and desirability of continuing work on the development of a rigorous and reliable vulnerability index. However, should agreement on such an index prove to be elusive, we must look for alternative ways to measure the vulnerability of SIDS, and take it into account in decisions affecting their economic and environmental future.
Mr Chairman,
As one of the world's mega biologically diverse countries, Australia places great importance on both international and domestic actions to protect and conserve our unique flora and fauna. We are a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity and actively implement its commitments through a range of programs and policies, including The National Strategy for Conservation of Australia's Biodiversity and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This Act is a new and progressive piece of legislation that pulls together in a single piece of comprehensive legislation the means to ensure the protection of all matters of national environmental significance in Australia.
Australia is also working constructively in the international arena on a number of important initiatives designed to further protect Australian and global biodiversity. Such initiatives include a leading role on the development of policies and guidelines to address alien invasive species, as well as the establishment of the Global Taxonomy Initiative under the Convention. The proposed Protocol on Biosafety is another significant initiative on which Australia is working constructively. We see this initiative as one that can achieve the important goal of synergy between environmental and trade policies, ensuring that trade arrangements and environmental instruments are mutually supportive.
Mr Chairman,
As regards the important issue of climate change, on which Australia continues to place very considerable emphasis, we look forward to productive negotiations at the Fifth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is taking place in Bonn. As a demonstration of the seriousness with which we take this issue, the Australian Government is committed to spend almost $A1 billion on domestic measures to address climate change issues.
Australia wants to see as much progress achieved as possible at COP5 on the development of bracketed negotiating text on the Kyoto flexibility mechanisms so that final decisions can be taken at COP6 in 2000 - as required under the Buenos Aires Plan of Action agreed at CON last year. Delivering market-based solutions for the three mechanisms - International Emissions Trading, Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism - will ensure that the Kyoto Protocol's environmental objectives are achieved at least economic cost.
To secure substantive progress in addressing climate change will require the active participation of all countries.
Thank you Mr Chairman.