UN General Assembly
1993

our offer, placed its confidence in our capacity to host successfully a conference of this size and importance. The Conference will be the first of the follow-up activities of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) to be completed. It presents an early opportunity for the implementation of the commitments reached at the Rio Earth Summit. As such, the Conference also represents a test of the political will of the international community to match the solemn commitments of Agenda 21 with real action towards more sustainable development. My colleague the Minister of the Environment, Housing and Lands of Barbados recently briefed the Preparatory Committee of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States on the progress of preparations for the Conference. My delegation will submit details on further progress when the item comes up for discussion in the substantive Committee. However, let me at this stage put on record my Government’s appreciation of the spirit and atmosphere which prevailed in the Preparatory Committee. Unfortunately, the meeting of