Summary Statement by the Chair

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Commonwealth Environment Ministers and Senior Officials met on 28 March 2004 for the tenth session of the Commonwealth Consultative Group on Environment (CCGE). The meeting was convened to coincide with the Eighth Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Environment Ministers Forum held in Jeju, Republic of Korea. The CCGE was chaired by New Zealand's Minister for the Environment, the Hon. Marian Hobbs, M.P.

Ministers focused their discussion on the effectiveness of partnerships in the areas of human settlements, water, sanitation and waste management, as well as priority concerns for the International Meeting (IM) to Review the Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA) on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

In sharing their experiences of partnerships, Ministers focused on three areas: data collection; water quality and provision; and arrangements for bilateral and multilateral support. Ministers recognised the valuable role that community/municipality partnerships can play in enabling the poorest communities to collect data about their own settlements and services. Such approaches have helped some authorities to plan and implement services and major resettlement programmes with the co-operation of the communities concerned. They can also help to build a network for data collection as an embedded system to facilitate planning and programme implementation. Delegates spoke about the need for communities to take responsibility for data collection in a spirit of partnership with government, but also for communities to feel confident about the ways in which data will be used, stressing that data collection should start with the priorities of the communities themselves, so that people can see how data collection will help them. The sharing of best practice could be valuable, enabling partnership groups to see for themselves how others have approached issues. Other delegates noted the role that partnerships have played in creating momentum for data collection and a more integrated, rather than sectoral, approach to data based around planning for sustainable development. Ministers noted that there were challenges associated with data collection in remote and rural areas, and that some governments face particular concerns in providing services to communities in remote and mountainous areas.

Ministers recognised that since water and sanitation concerns involve many different sectors and stakeholders, a partnership approach in these areas can be particularly useful. There was also a potential for fruitful discussion between Ministers with responsibilities for environmental issues and human settlements. While some outlined the role that communities were playing in assessing and monitoring water quality, other partnership examples included the strengthening of water authorities and participation in UNEP's GEMS Water programme, to help to ensure that a broader picture was built up from water data, which could then be fed back to communities. One delegate noted that PRSPs had been useful in generating basic services for the poorest groups; another urged that water be identified in PRSPs to ensure that this concern was effectively addressed. Ministers also discussed water pricing, noting that this was an important and complex area. Aspects included the demands of multilateral agencies to introduce water pricing when large sectors of the population still had no service provision, and concerns about the under-pricing of water services to network users and high-income areas, while resources were needed to deliver water services to all. This matter included the need for effective strategies for cross-subsidy. It was noted that several Commonwealth countries were not on target to meet a number of the Millennium Development Goals, including that on water. In this respect, there was recognition that the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer's proposal for an International Finance Facility could be useful in meeting funding gaps identified by the World Bank and others.

With respect to international partnerships, delegates raised the need for closer co-operation between multilateral and bilateral donors to ensure they were working in harmony towards national goals and priorities and that they did not pursue contradictory policies. Ministers noted that some governments had experienced problems in accessing multilateral funding, since they had been unable to provide the necessary counterpart funding to ensure its release. Untied aid in the form of direct budget support that a number of Commonwealth donors were now providing could be helpful here. Another concern was the slow pace at which some international projects were implemented, due to the lack of harmonisation in donor procedures, which placed an onerous burden on capacity-constrained countries. Ministers welcomed the efforts being made to address this problem.

In general terms, delegates noted that there was a potential for innovative partnerships, especially those involving communities directly. The most successful partnerships appeared to be strong partnerships that involve the sharing of resources and decision-making. There was a need to recognise the demands that partnership can place on people and communities in their daily lives and some effort may be needed to create awareness on the benefits of partnerships in countries with a history of welfare provision.

Ministers reviewed Commonwealth priority concerns for the International Meeting (IM) to Review the Barbados Programme of Action on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and discussed elements of a possible joint statement for presentation to the 12th session of the Commission for Sustainable Development. Ministers noted new challenges that have emerged for SIDS, including security concerns, and the need to address the adverse impacts of natural disasters, as well as those of climate change and sea level rise. One minister emphasised the need to build the capacity of SIDS to participate in the multilateral trading system and to ensure a supportive international environment. Another delegate called for dedicated policy spaces to be provided so that SIDS may better integrate into the multilateral trading system. Ministers noted that what is agreed for SIDS may also be applicable to other small states in addressing their vulnerabilities.

Ministers urged a renewed partnership between SIDS and the international community to foster their sustainable development. They encouraged participation at the IM at Head of Government level. Delegates sought a focus on implementation of the BPoA and highlighted the need for financial support to facilitate the participation of SIDS in the forthcoming Preparatory Committee meeting and the IM itself.

Ministers appreciated the Commonwealth's support for preparations for the IM, which included support for integrated national assessments of BPoA implementation in five member states. They also commended the Commonwealth Secretariat for its collaboration with regional organisations on preparations for the review.

Ministers agreed to meet again in conjunction with the 23rd Session of the Governing Council of UNEP/Global Environment Ministers Forum to be held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2005. They asked the Secretariat to continue on-going consultations to identify a Chair for the next session.

Jeju, Republic of Korea - 29 March 2004