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CONTENTS
IN FOCUS
p 2 - Small islands step into the limelight
NEWS
p 7 - Six West African countries tackle deteriorating
environment
p 8 - H.R.H. Prince Talal donates US$1 million to Solidarity
Fund for Safe Water
p8 - A water action plan for Africa
p 9 - Summit recognizes researchers’ need for affordable
Internet
p 9 - 150 multimedia centres for Africa
p 10 - Geologists campaign for Year of Planet Earth
p10 - Young scientists get their own Academy
INTERVIEW
p 11 - Luc Montagnier on developing a vaccine to protect
infants from AIDS
HORIZONS
p 14 - After the earthquake
p 17 - Doubling the world’s water professionals
IN BRIEF
p 20 - Diary
p 20 - New releases
p 20 - Governing bodies
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Small
islands, big agenda
The current political crisis waging in Haiti and the civil
unrest that peaked in the Solomon Islands last year are serious
concerns for the Caribbean and Pacific regions. These incidents
have brought home to their continental neighbours that these
islands may be small but are in no way insignificant.
Haiti and the Solomon Islands are two of the world’s 41 Small
Island Developing States (SIDS), an umbrella term grouping
the likes of Tokelau, a territory of just 10 km2, with Papua
New Guinea and its 453,000 km2. SIDS could be perceived as
being an odd grouping, given that they vary greatly in size
and cannot even all be labelled ‘developing states’, as Singapore
and Malta demonstrate.
They
may not be a homogeneous group but SIDS often face similar
challenges. These include geographical isolation, small markets,
limited natural resources and vulnerability to natural disasters
and climate change. The very survival of some SIDS is being
threatened by sea-level rise, prompting their leaders to urge
that the status of ‘environmental refugee’ be recognized by
international law.
The
1994 Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA) was a watershed for
SIDS, the first time the island states had formally outlined
specific measures in support of sustainable development. It
was at this time that the islands formed the Alliance of Small
Island States to make their voice heard on the world scene.
If, ten years ago, talk was very much focused on environmental
concerns, it is interesting to observe a fundamental shift
in discussions in the lead-up to the Mauritius meeting in
August to review the BPoA. Environmental concerns have been
joined by such ‘hot topics’ as security and the importance
of building resilience in small islands. These topics are
omnipresent in discussions today both among islanders themselves
and with observer countries – generally continental neighbours
or countries with strategic or financial interests in islands.
Drug-trafficking, illegal trade in small arms and the disposal
and transport of radioactive waste are posing real problems
both for archipelagic SIDS and for those with long coastlines
but inadequate resources for surveillance. Moreover, small
islands are seeking to enhance their preparedness for natural
disasters by reinforcing security measures concerning energy,
water and food, such as through agricultural diversification
and aquaculture.
The
world community will be meeting in Mauritius to review implementation
of the BPoA and finalize the all-important follow-up strategy
beyond 2004. ‘Mauritius’ will be an opportunity for SIDS to
take centre stage and reaffirm their place in the global landscape.
W.
Erdelen
Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences
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UNESCO
Scientific 
