ABSTRACT
In 1992, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the world community adopted Agenda 21. Agenda 21 reflects a global consensus and political commitment at the highest level on development and environment cooperation. The Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States is the first global conference on sustainable development and the implementation of Agenda 21. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development identifies human beings as being at the center of concerns for sustainable development. The small size of small island developing states means that development and environment are closely interrelated and interdependent. Recent human history contains examples of entire islands rendered uninhabitable through environmental destruction owing to external causes. Due to the small size, isolation and fragility of island ecosystems, their renowned biological diversity is among the most threatened in the world. This requires that in pursuing development, special attention be paid to protecting the environment and people's livelihoods.
