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Matters of concern

Natural and environment disasters: Delegates agreed to add text in the strategy document on the recent tsunami in the Indian Ocean and the hurricanes in the Caribbean and the Pacific region to highlight the vulnerability of SIDS to natural disasters. The political declaration recognised the need to develop and strengthen effective disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, emergency relief and rehabilitation capacities.

Sunken vessels: Japan was unwilling to commit to action to prevent pollution from sunken vessels and accept liability for rehabilitation in the event of such pollution. As a result, a weak text was approved, merely recognising concerns over the environmental implications of potential oil leaks from sunken vessels to the marine and coastal ecosystems of SIDS. The burden now remains on SIDS to address the issue bilaterally with vessel owners on a case-by-case basis.

Transporting radioactive material: SIDS want an end to transportation of radioactive material through their territories. Recognising the right to freedom of navigation, this desire of SIDS finds a mention in the Mauritius Strategy. Japan and the US were opposed to the demand of SIDS to address safety, liability, security and compensation issues in dialogues with shipping states. However, the reference was retained.

Biodiversity: The developing countries group, G-77/China, proposed including language regarding the "illegal access to' and "the immoral appropriation of' genetic resources. But this was opposed by most developed countries and delegates eventually had to draw upon language from the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to address the issue.

Aid: SIDS have been witnessing a decline in the aid flowing to them and have relied primarily on their own resources to implement the Barbados Programme of Action for their sustainable development. At the international meeting, there was reluctance on the part of development partners to directly endorse this reality; they preferred to attribute it to the secretary-general's report.

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