Tehmina Janjua said that the Programme of Action should include realistically achievable measures backed by political will and clearly identifiable follow-up mechanisms through the CSD and the UN secretariat. The Barbados Declaration should be a reflection of principles. Manop Mekprayoonthong noted that this Conference is a first test of the international community since Agenda 21. On behalf of Director-General Jacques Diouf, the representative said not enough attention has been paid to food security and the rural sector. Carlyle Corbin applauded UN member States for their responsiveness to the needs of non-independent countries, and allowing them to participate as observers.
Poverty alleviation has to be a central tenet of sustainable development.
Hilario Torres said that his country was recently subject to a wave of storms with untold human suffering and material damage. Equatorial Guinea has recently established a ministry for women, who are central to sustainable development. Ahmed Yousif Mohamed hoped that the Conference would produce an ambitious Programme of Action as a prelude for other international efforts to assist developing countries. Leonard Hill of the UNA of Barbados drew attention to the role played by the Bretton Woods Institutions and the international trading system. Stan Malone called attention to the commitments made to partnership with NGOs in Agenda 21, the safeguard of traditional knowledge, and the establishment of a SIDS intellectual property center.