The General Assembly,
Recalling the report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and in particular Agenda 21, chapter 17, section G, relating to the sustainable development of small island developing States,
Recalling also its resolution 47/186 of 22 December 1992 on specific measures in favour of island developing countries,
Reaffirming its resolution 47/189 of 22 December 1992, in which it decided to convene the first Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States,
Reaffirming, in particular, the goals and objectives of the Global Conference identified in paragraphs 4 and 5 of resolution 47/189, and mindful of the important contribution that their successful accomplishment could make to the promotion of sustainable and environmentally sound development with respect to small island developing States,
Stressing that, because the development options of small island developing States are limited, there are special challenges to planning for and implementing sustainable development, and that small island developing States will be constrained in meeting those challenges without the cooperation and assistance of the international community,
Also stressing the need for the intergovernmental preparatory process for the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States to be completed before the Conference itself,
1. Takes note of the report of the Preparatory Committee for the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States on its organizational and first sessions;
2. Decides to convene the first Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States in Barbados from 25 April to 6 May 1994, including a high-level segment on 5 and 6 May;
3. Urges once again that representation at the Conference be at the highest possible level;
4. Decides to convene one day of pre-Conference consultations at the venue of the Conference on 24 April 1994;
5. Also decides that the first session of the Preparatory Committee shall be resumed in New York for a period of five working days, from 7 to 11 March 1994, to complete the preparatory work assigned to it in paragraph 11 of resolution 47/189, including the draft programme of action for the sustainable development of small island developing States contained in annex III to the report of the Preparatory Committee, and that adequate facilities shall be made available for this purpose within the approved budget limit set for the biennium 1994-1995;
6. Endorses Preparatory Committee decisions 1 and 4 concerning the participation of associate members of regional commissions and of non-governmental organizations, including major groups, in the Conference and its preparatory process;
7. Also endorses Preparatory Committee decisions 3 and 13 and decides to transmit the provisional rules of procedure and the provisional agenda to the Conference for adoption;
8. Requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with the relevant United Nations agencies and organizations, and taking into account the submissions he may receive from bilateral, regional and multilateral donor agencies as well as from non-governmental organizations, to ensure the timely submission to the Preparatory Committee, at its resumed session, of the report requested in decision 11 of the Preparatory Committee;
9. Also requests the Secretary-General, through the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat, to ensure that the goals and purposes of the Conference receive the widest possible dissemination within Member States, non-governmental organizations and national, regional and international media, with a view to encouraging their active contribution to and support for the Conference and its preparatory process;
10. Expresses its appreciation for the contributions made to the voluntary fund established for the purpose of assisting small island developing States and the least developed countries to participate fully and effectively in the Conference and its preparatory process, and invites all Member States and organizations in a position to do so to contribute generously to the fund;
11. Decides to include in the agenda of its forty-ninth session, under the item entitled "Implementation of decisions and recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the sub-item entitled "Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States", and requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session the report of the Global Conference.
86th plenary meeting
21 December 1993
