Review of Barbados POA 10 for Saint Lucia

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• Review of Barbados POA 10 for Saint Lucia

Caribbean Regional Preparatory Meeting for the
10-year Review of the BPOA Port of Spain,
Trinidad and Tobago October 6-10, 2003 Chris
Corbin Ministry of Physical Development,
Environment and Housing
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Country Profile
Source Statistics Department, St. Lucia (2001)
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Saint Lucia as a SIDS

• Special characteristics/needs and vulnerability
  of SIDS
• Small size and economies, limited range of
  natural resources, fragile resource base,
  susceptibility to natural hazards, extreme
  openness of economies, susceptibility to external
  shocks, high per capita user of foreign capital.
• Implications of globalization, external factors
  and impacts on trade
• Greater collaboration among sectors and issues
  environment, poverty, trade, health, energy
• Capacity building in policy development and
  analysis, technological assessment, and
  negotiations

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National Development Objectives

• Eradicate Poverty (18.7 of the households and
  25 of the country population)
• Diversify Economic Base Generate new production
  employment opportunities (19 Unemployment)
• Maintain a stable macroeconomic framework
• Environment Preservation of natural environment
  for continued economic and social development
• Sustainable use of natural resources with greater
  involvement by private sector

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Sectoral Objectives

• Agriculture Diversifying agricultural base,
  creating links with tourism and manufacturing,
  food security and reduce food imports,
  rationalize banana industry, promote agro
  industry
• Tourism Improve quality and competitiveness of
  product, increase investment
• Trade Increase exports of manufacturing and
  services financial services, informatics

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Sectoral Objectives contd

• Education finance and resource allocation,
  curriculum development, literacy and numeracy,
  youth at risk, teacher education and information
  technology
• Environment Strengthening of institutional,
  legislative and policy frameworks, implementation
  of MEAs
• Planning Increase level of coordination among
  Agencies .greater inclusion of civil society in
  decision-making

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SD Achievements

• Improved Institutional Frameworks NEMO, SDE,
  SWMA, NCST, NCA, WASCO, CC, PRF, BNTF, NSDC
• Policy and Strategy Development Education,
  Disaster Preparedness, Coastal Zone, Water
  Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Solid
  Waste, Poverty Reduction, Tourism, Education,
  Youth, Energy, Land Use, Agriculture, Fisheries,
  Nature Heritage Tourism, Gender, Environment,
  Sustainable Development, Social Development,
  Housing
• Legislative Reform and Development Solid Waste,
  Disaster Preparedness, Physical Planning, Water
  Resources, Family Court

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SD Achievements con't

• Budgetary and Public Sector Reform Judiciary,
  Health, Education, Local Government,
  Telecommunications
• Protected Area Designation Co management
  Approaches
• Regional and International Agreements SGD, OECS
  Dev. Stra., MEAs
• Phase out of ODS and Leaded Gasolene
• Increased adoption of International Standards by
  private sector goods and services (Green Globe,
  ISO, HACCP. Blue Flag?)

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Constraints

• Production Export
• Market research capabilities, management,
  training in service industries (SMEs)
• Insufficient Information Policy Synergies
• Serious gaps in info gathering, unavailability of
  data for decision-making (lack of synergies
  between sectors) public awareness, research and
  data/information management

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Constraints cont'd

• Institutional Capacities
• Lack of infrastructure research institutions,
  accredited labs with advanced testing equipment,
  poor management and enforcement capacity, limited
  skills , small size of scientific community
  policy and regulatory frameworks existing
  organizational culture
• Trade
• Market research capabilities, product
  development, management for SMEs
• Research into trade in Environmentally Preferable
  Products and Services

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Emerging Issues

• Global (External) Pressures Globalization,
  Trade Liberalization, SARS, Terrorism, Security,
  Priority focus away from Caribbean SIDS, Climate
  Change and variability
• National (Internal) Pressures unplanned
  development, housing demands, health-care,
  unemployment increases in crime, domestic
  violence, substance abuse vulnerabilities of
  youth and elderly, unsustainable use of
  resources, ecosystem degradation, pollution, land
  use conflicts
• Role of IDP (NEP/NEMS/MTDS/SDS) NSDS
• Challenge of Regionalization across varying
  cultures, economies Role of OECS within CARICOM
• Caribbean Sea as a Special Area for Sustainable
  Development

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National Implementation

• Implementing an Integrated Development Framework
  
• Development of a National Strategy for
  Sustainable Development and mechansims for
  coordination and integration of planning
  processes
• Institutionalizing stakeholder involvement in
  decision-making
• Integration of environmental and social
  considerations into macroeconomic and trade
  policies
• Training in the use of economic instruments
  (economic valuation of tradable environmental
  resources)
• Strengthening and Enforcement of environmental
  and social legislation
• St. George's Declration and OECS Development
  Strategy

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Conclusion

• Capacity Building (CB) to increase resilience and
  capacity to cope with impacts of vulnerability
• CB must be accompanied by financial assistance
  and transfer of appropriate technology
• More coordinated and streamlined approach at
  regional and international levels to CB for
  Sustainable Development
• CB necessary but not sufficient need for
  complementary policies (stable macroeconomic
  environment, good governance, strong legal
  framework, Incentives for appropriate investment)

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Conclusion cont.....

• Sustained and broad based public awareness and
  education Regional Champion?
• Increased involvement by society in planning
  processes
• Consultative Priority Setting National and
  Regional
• Evaluation and Monitoring SD Principles
  incorporated at Policy, Programme, Project and
  Activity Levels
• Role of Sustainability Indicators and
  Vulnerability Indices
• How do we overcome vulnerability?
• Regionalization? - External
• Policy Integration? - Internal

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• Thank you