ABSTRACT
The Small Island Developing States of the Caribbean are a complete picture of the environmental, ecological, social, developmental, and other challenges as recalled in Section II.17.G of Agenda 21 titled, “Sustainable development of small islands.” Their development options are extremely limited and will become even more so unless real efforts are made now to create a global-developmental climate more favorable to these nations’ very survival. To secure sustainable development, there is a need for fundamental, revolutionary change in the design, development, and implementation of norms and rules that determine Global Environmental Governance. The fact that instruments, e.g. the Barbados Programme of Action, were adopted and that some implementation efforts are being made, are no proof that the process of sustainable development is progressing meaningfully in Caribbean Small Island Developing States. These nations must seek to push the international community to accept the need for and practice of Global Environmental Governance based on a legal framework that guarantees them justice. That process must be based on a set of legally binding principles and norms that recognize this planet as one whole and indivisible system. Caribbean Small Island Developing States must play a respected and key role in formulating this new legal order of Global Environmental Governance, for without this, they shall not be able to give full effect to their efforts to achieve sustainable development.
