Resolve to continue consolidating our national policies of sustainable development, strengthening the institutions, improving the legislative instruments, speeding up the introduction of an environmental dimension to economic and social development processes, applying environmentally-friendly technologies, promoting human resource and skill development and constantly increasing the participation of citizens and all major groups.

Recognize that all major groups, including the private sector and local authorities, have a role to play in bringing about sustainable development, economic growth and the eradication of poverty. Various groups, especially young people, also play an active role in promoting environmental values and in raising the consciousness of all social actors.

Express concern at the increasing negative effects of global warming caused by the anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, and exhort all states and international organizations to work together towards negotiated and mutually beneficial solutions, to ensure implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and pf the Kyoto Protocol.

Reaffirm the importance of the reduction and mitigation of, and response to disasters caused by natural phenomena, and stress the need for continued support for measures aimed at vulnerability reduction and adaptation to climate change.

Also recognize with considerable concern that the international community is yet to generate an adequate indicator of " sustainable developmenf'. Caribbean SIDS view the operationalization of the concepts of sustainable development and of "vulnerability' as holding out great promise in the development of tools that would guide the activities of international institutions concerned, in their relations with SIDS. In this regard, it is recalled that, at the twenty-second special session of the United Nations General Assembly, agreement was reached on the question of "Completion of the quantitative and analytic work on a vulnerability index for small island developing States, preferably by the year 2000.

Recommend that Johannesburg 2002 reiterate the commitment made at UNCED by which the international community agreed on the need to optimise the availability of "adequate, predictable, new and additional resources using all available funding sources and mechanisms as stipulated in Chapter 33 of Agenda 21", and also urge that this commitment be implemented as a matter of urgency.

Strongly urge the developed nations to meet their commitment to reach the goal accepted by the United Nations of giving 0.7% of GDP to the Official Development Assistance, as agreed at UNCED, reaffirming the necessity for additional, stable and predictable financial resources to enable the further implementation of national programs of sustainable development in the countries of the sub-region.

Resolve to extend regional dialogue and exchange in order to strengthen intra-regional cooperation and the development of our capabilities and capacities to achieve the objective of sustainable development in the Caribbean.

Agree to promote, in international fora on the environment and development, particularly in the current preparatory process leading to the World Summit on Sustainable Development of 2002, the strengthening of regionalization and decentralization, to be conducive to a greater flow of resources to the region and a greater participation by the Forum of Environment Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean in the international decision-making process. The meeting expressed concern that the Caribbean countries have experienced difficulty in finalizing their national reports as part of the process leading to the Johannesburg Summit. The representatives therefore agreed to request the urgent support of the UN system, in particular UNEP, ECLAC, UNDP as well as other agencies to assist countries in finalizing their national reports in advance of the preparatory meeting for the Latin American and Caribbean region, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in October, 2001.