Commonwealth Secretariat
  1. Small States Home
  2. About Small States
    1. Countries
  3. Framework of Assistance to Small States
    1. Commonwealth Secretariat Framework
    2. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Framework
    3. African Development Bank Framework
    4. European Union Framework
    5. United Nations Framework
  4. What We Do
    1. Sustainable Development
    2. Human Development
    3. International Finance, Capital Markets and Small States
    4. International Trade and Small States
    5. Peace and Democracy
    6. Vulnerability and Resilience
    7. Small States Agreeing a Future Strategy
  5. News Archive
  6. Meetings/Events
    1. International Trade and Small States Meetings
    2. International Finance, Capital and Small States Meetings
    3. Sustainable Development and Small States Meetings
    4. Small States Forum
  7. Reports
  8. Publications
    1. More Publications...
  9. FAQs
  10. Links

CCGE identifies new challenges

Security concerns and the emergence of highly communicable and vector-borne diseases are the new challenges to the sustainable development of small island developing states (SIDS). The Commonwealth Consultative Group on Environment (CCGE), comprising Commonwealth environment ministers and senior officials, made these observations at a meeting on 28 March 2004, in Jeju, Republic of Korea. They met ahead of the Eighth Special Session of the UN Environment Programme/Global Environment Ministers Forum, also held in Jeju.
 
Ministers highlighted the need to build the capacity of SIDS to participate in the multilateral trading system and to ensure that they have a supportive international environment to help them integrate into that system. Other issues discussed included the impact of natural disasters and the need to address the adverse effect of climate change and rise in the sea level.
 
Sharing their experiences of partnerships in the areas of human settlements, water, sanitation and waste disposal, ministers recognised the valuable role played by community/municipality partnerships in enabling poor communities to collect data about their own settlements and services, and so support effective planning and programme implementation in these key areas. The need for communities to take responsibility for data collection in partnership with government, and for them to feel confident about the ways in which data will be used, starting with the priorities of the communities themselves, was highlighted.
 
Water and sanitation concerns involve many different sectors and stakeholders, and ministers recognised that a partnership approach in these areas can be particularly useful. The important and complex area of water pricing and issues related to the funding of partnerships and development projects through international collaboration was discussed. Ministers noted the potential for innovative partnerships, especially those involving communities directly. The most successful partnerships included the sharing of resources and decision-making.
 
These issues will be further addressed at the International Meeting in Mauritius in August 2004 to review the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS.
 
Click on icon for the Summary Statement by the Chair of the Tenth Meeting of the Commonwealth Consultative Group on Environment, 28 March 2004, Jeju, Republic of Korea.

Chairs Summary StatementChairs Summary Statement