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E/CN.17/1998/7/Add.9 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
20 April-1 May 1998
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
Economic and Social Council
Commission on Sustainable Development
Sixth Session
20 April-1 May 1998
Implementation of the Programme of Action for the
Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
Report of the Secretary-General
Addendum
Human resource development in small island developing States*
(* The present report was prepared by the Department of Economic and Social
Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, in accordance with arrangements
agreed to by the Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable Development; it is the
result of consultation and information exchange between United Nations
agencies, interested government agencies and a range of other institutions and
individuals.)
Contents
Paragraphs Page
I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 3
II. Human resources profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8 3
A. Population and human health. . . . . . . . . 4-5 3
B. Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3
C. Economic factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3
D. Geographic characteristics . . . . . . . . . 8 4
III. National action to develop human resources . . . 9-15 4
IV. Regional cooperation for human resources
development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 5
V. Action taken by the United Nations system. . . . 17-32 6
A. United Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-20 6
B. Funds and programmes . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-27 6
C. Specialized agencies and other institutions 28-32 7
VI. External resources allocated to human resources
development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33-34 8
VII. Conclusions and recommendations. . . . . . . . . 35-43 8
A. Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35-38 8
B. Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39-43 8
I. Introduction
1. Agenda 21 recognized that the ability of a country to
pursue sustainable development is determined, inter alia,
by the capacity of its people. 1/ In the Programme of Action
for the Sustainable Development of Small Island
Developing States adopted at the Global Conference on the
Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
(Barbados, 26 April-6 May 1994), human beings were
recognized as being at the centre of concerns for sustainable
development. 2/ Recent development experience in small
island developing States confirms the primary role of
human resources in sustainable development.
2. The present report reviews progress in this field in
small island developing States since the Global Conference;
it focuses on action taken by Governments, regional
organizations and the international community to address
the human resource challenges facing small island
developing States, and analyses relevant policy issues.
II. Human resources profile
3. Small island developing States are at different stages
of development, with per capita income, health and
education indicators varying considerably from country to
country. Such differences notwithstanding, small island
developing States share economic and geographic features
that constitute serious constraints on their efforts to develop
human resources.
A. Population and human health
4. Recent studies on the vulnerability of small island
developing States agree that they suffer from the limitations
of a small population. The majority of small island
developing States have populations of less than one million
people, in most cases less than half a million people.
Factoring in the dependency ratios, their economically
active labour force is extremely small. Except for a few
small island developing States, their local technical
capacity is insignificant. For instance, in Kiribati, total
personnel engaged in research and experimental
development in all sectors numbers 3, in Tonga 15, in
Seychelles 33 and in Cyprus 366. 3/ With a small population
and labour force on which to build endogenous capacity,
small island developing States experience great difficulties
in developing local expertise to meet the wide-ranging and
growing demands of sustainable development.
5. The problem of a small population is aggravated in
several small island developing States by poor health status.
Although social indicators in most small island developing
States have improved considerably, infant mortality rates
in several of them that are classified as least developed
remain high. Life expectancy in those countries are
correspondingly low. Other health indicators, such as
maternal mortality rates, are also a cause of concern, and
public expenditures on health are generally low. In Haiti,
for instance, annual public health expenditure amounted to
1.3 per cent of gross domestic product during the period of
1990-1995.
B. Education
6. Most small island developing States have achieved
high net enrolment ratios at the first level of education.
Their enrolment ratios at the secondary level are lower but
relatively high among developing countries. Illiteracy rates
are generally low, except in some least developed countries.
But the ratios of third-level enrolment are very low in most
small island developing States, which serves as a constraint
to the development of domestic technical capacity.
Although many small island developing States allocate
considerable resources to education, public expenditures
on education are low in some of them. For example, in the
Dominican Republic, total public expenditure on education
in the latest year for which data are available accounted for
1.9 per cent of its gross national product (1994), and in
Haiti 1.4 per cent (1990).
C. Economic factors
7. A number of economic factors in small island
developing States also hinder their human resource
development. With the exception of a few larger States,
most have highly specialized and concentrated output
structure as a result of their indigenous resource
endowments and small populations. The heavy dependence
on tourism in a large number of small island developing
States, particularly in the Caribbean, is a case in point. In
some others, there is a strong dependence on a few selected
commodities as the principal source of export earnings.
That highly concentrated pattern of the economy leads to
a narrow range of locally available expertise since a small
population does not allow the building of a critical mass
except in a few selected sectors. Lack of expertise in other
sectors inevitably hampers small island developing States'
efforts at diversification when such needs arise as a result
of market forces or changes in trade regimes. Moreover,
concerns over sustainability of economic activities add a
new dimension to the development endeavour requiring
additional new technical skills. Since their total indigenous
capacity is already limited, that new need amounts to an
additional constraint to growth and calls for special efforts
to augment their capacity.
D. Geographical characteristics
8. The geographical characteristics of small island
developing States tend to aggravate the above-mentioned
difficulties. They have small land areas, and some comprise
scattered archipelagos. Their geographic layout,
particularly in the archipelagic small island developing
States, combined with small populations, is not conducive
to achieving economies of scale in economic and social
infrastructure, and increases the unit cost of public services,
and insofar as human resources are concerned, it also
generates additional demands, both administrative and
technical, and adds to the operational difficulties of
providing health care, education and training.
III. National action to develop human
resources
9. Small island developing States Governments are
keenly aware of the consequences of lack of human
resources development. For instance, in its country report
to the Commission on Sustainable Development at its fifth
session, the Government of Barbados emphasized that
strains on national human and institutional resources have
hampered Barbados' efforts at implementing policies and
programmes to address the issues of trade and environment
(see E/CN.17/1997/Misc.57). The Government of Bahamas
indicated that the country does not possess the human and
financial resources to expand and further develop the
sustainable use of its natural resources (see
E/CN.17/1997/Misc.66). In Seychelles, lack of well-trained
personnel was identified as a key factor constraining the
effective management of national parks. 4/ In Haiti,
according to the country report, no research scientists or
engineers work full time in the field of environment and
development (see E/CN.17/1997/Misc. 25).
10. In a Caribbean meeting of experts held in May 1995
on the implementation of the Programme of Action, it was
noted that not much progress had been made in its
implementation at the national level. Among the major
reasons identified was the insufficiency of human resource
capacity in the region. The meeting underscored the critical
need for capacity-building, including training and
information management.
11. In the face of such difficulties, small island
developing States Governments are taking initiatives to
address the various aspects of the human resource problem.
The available information indicates that the policy
measures adopted by a number of them cut across a broad
range of issues, covering institutions, environmental
education, training, upgrading of local expertise in specific
environmental areas, and science and technology.
12. A key component of the strategic initiatives by small
island developing States is strengthening institutions
responsible for the various aspects of human resource
development. A number of small island developing States
have created high-level bodies to monitor and coordinate
the design and implementation of sustainable development
strategies, including human resource development. In Cuba,
as part of the Government's reorganization efforts, the
Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment was
created in 1995, within which the Environmental Agency
and its Centre for Information, Education and Public
Environmental Awareness were set up to strengthen
environmental education and awareness in all sectors of the
economy and among all groups of society (see
E/CN.17/1997/Misc.67). In Barbados, the Ministry of
Education and Youth Affairs, and the National Council for
Science and Technology participate in the work of the
National Commission on Sustainable Development. The
Ministry of Education and Youth Affairs also engages in
the activities of the Environmental Education Committee
of the Ministry of Health and Environment (see
E/CN.17/1997/Misc.57).
13. Some of these actions have received regional and
international support. For instance, with help from the
Caribbean Centre for Development Administration
(CARICAD), six Caribbean countries have established
broad-based and participatory national sustainable
development councils, with a bottom-up approach to
sustainable development issues. The operational process
of those bodies has allowed broad civic participation, which
has broadened debate and dialogue on sectoral issues. The
public education and awareness effects of such a
consultative process help to increase the level of
environmental knowledge of the general public.
14. In view of their population constraints, most small
island developing States Governments have accorded
priority attention to universal education and training. In
Barbados, the school curricula have been revised to
adequately address environment health as a cross-cutting
issue at all school levels. Environment and development
concerns have been introduced in teacher-training
programmes. Teachers are now trained through various
in-service programmes and workshops (see
E/CN.17/1997/Misc.57). In Mauritius, the Government
provides an environmental education programme aimed at
raising awareness of the nature of pollution problems, and
increasing commitment and motivation to finding solutions
(see E/CN.17/1997/Misc.41). In the Bahamas, school
curricula at the primary and secondary levels have been
revised to address environmental and development
concerns; environmental health, sanitation, ecosystems,
recycling, energy saving, safe drinking water and food are
now fully covered in the curricula. Schools and universities
are now part of a national network addressing sustainable
development issues (see E/CN.17/1997/Misc.66). In the
Pacific region, the University of the South Pacific now
offers an undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in
environmental studies, an interdisciplinary programme.
Student enrolment has increased substantially in the last
few years. The demand has spawned other environmental
study programmes, both degree and non-degree, as well as
post-graduate. 5/
15. Another initiative adopted by a number of small
island developing States Governments is to further
strengthen the role of major groups at the national and local
levels so as to fully tap national potentials. In such
countries as Barbados, the Bahamas, Mauritius, Sao Tome
and Principe, Seychelles and several others, women are
encouraged to take non-traditional jobs. Education and
training facilities have been established to facilitate this
process. Increasingly, women are being brought into the
decision-making process and appointed to key decision-making
positions in ministries concerned with sustainable
development.
IV. Regional cooperation for human
resources development
16. Small island developing States Governments are
increasingly realizing that by pooling resources -- both
material, financial and human -- through regional
cooperative arrangements, they could do much to alleviate
the constraints on sustainable development arising from
inadequate resources, including human resources. The
following are a few major examples of efforts at regional
cooperation for human resources development:
(a) In the Caribbean region, where 16 small island
developing States are situated, regional cooperation has
been initiated in a broad range of areas. On the issue of
climate change an issue of vital interest to small island
developing States and where local expertise is limited, a
Caribbean project for adaptation to global climate change
is under way, assisting 11 countries in strengthening
regional capacity to monitor and analyse sea level dynamics
and trends. The project focuses on capacity-building of
national and regional institutions to implement specific
measures, administer the information systems, research and
monitor selected parameters, analyse data and manage the
process of preparation for adaptation; 6/
(b) In the South Pacific, the Pacific Island Climate
Change Assistance Project is being implemented through
South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme
(SPREP), the South Pacific Applied Geoscience
Commission (SOPAC), the University of the South Pacific
and other institutions. SPREP has carried out studies in 12
Pacific island countries to assess climate change impacts;
SOPAC has assisted Fiji and Kiribati in carrying out studies
of vulnerability to erosion, and has run seminars on coastal
monitoring in Tuvalu, Kiribati and Samoa. The projects
focus on "enabling activities", and aim to facilitate the
implementation of effective response measures by the
Pacific island countries; 6/
(c) Dealing with natural and environmental
disasters is another area in which regional cooperation can
help to alleviate the constraints of inadequate human
resource. In the Caribbean, where most small island
developing States lie within the hurricane belt, limited use
or knowledge of appropriate building codes and guidelines
as well as inadequate administrative and human resources
for the execution of those codes have been identified as key
concerns in disaster relief. In order to overcome such
constraints, several regional and subregional cooperation
and coordination mechanisms have been working together,
among them the Eastern Caribbean Donor Disaster
Coordination Group and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency
Response Agency; 7/
(d) Regional cooperation in the areas of waste
management, coastal and marine resources, as well as
tourism, has also been initiated. In hazardous and
ship-generated wastes -- an area where small island developing
States are lacking in expertise, training workshops have
been organized in the South Pacific and Caribbean regions
to enhance awareness and strengthen national capacities.
V. Action taken by the United Nations system
17. The United Nations system has participated in the
implementation of the Programme of Action through the
provision of either programme or project funding or
technical assistance. In point of fact, human resource
development has been one of the priority areas in the
programme activities of United Nations organizations and
agencies. The projects implemented cover a broad range of
substantive areas, including health care, teacher training
and training in expertise in specific fields, such as waste
management, disaster relief, communications and trade. A
brief account of some of those activities is provided below.
A. United Nations
18. In the framework of the "Train for trade" programme
of training in the field of international trade, the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
contributes to developing the capacity of trade policy
advisers and trade practitioners in small island developing
States to enhance the external trade of those countries in a
manner conducive to sustainable development. Ongoing
projects involve Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Atlantic and the
Pacific small island developing States. One of the themes
of the programme is "Trade and the environment in small
island developing States".
19. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (ESCAP) has implemented several projects on
human resource development in Pacific small island
developing States, including a project focusing on reaching
the poor through government/non-governmental
organizations cooperation in the planning and delivery of
human resource development services; ESCAP has also
carried out a study on maritime manpower resources in the
ESCAP region to identify the requirements for and
availability of trained and qualified seafarers, including the
employment potential for seafarers from small island
developing States, to meet the growing world shortage. In
addition, ESCAP has organized workshops, training courses
and seminars on trade and investment, assessing the state
of environment, statistics, population census and survey
data analysis, remote sensing and other aspects of
sustainable development, with participants from small
island developing States in the ESCAP region.
20. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (ECLAC) has developed a significant
programme component focusing on Caribbean small island
developing States. It covers important areas identified in
the Programme of Action, including "Coastal and marine
resources", "Tourism resources" and "Biodiversity
resources". In the area of human resource development,
ECLAC has implemented a project on the integration of
population policies into development planning, including
women in development, in the Caribbean subregion.
ECLAC is also implementing plans to strengthen
environmental and sustainable development training at
several universities in the subregion.
B. Funds and programmes
21. As a follow-up to the Global Conference, the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has initiated the
Small Island Developing States Technical Assistance
programme (SIDSTAP), which is designed to facilitate the
exchange and transfer of knowledge, experiences, policies
and practices among small island developing States. In that
context, it has undertaken an assessment of the needs and
gaps in technical cooperation and capacity building in
priority areas, and has funded the preparation of a
four-volume directory of small island developing States experts
and institutions to facilitate the use of small island
developing States expertise. In addition, it has been
working on the implementation of the Small Island
Developing States Information Network (SIDSNET), which
will enable small island developing States to access and
make available information on the Internet. A total of 30
workshops are envisaged to enhance the awareness of
stakeholders of the Internet, teach them basic World Wide
Web publishing skills and prepare them for participation
in SIDSNET. At the request of UNDP, the International
Training Centre of the International Labour Organization
conducted initial training sessions in Internet skills for
selected small island developing States regional
institutions. Lead training institutions have been identified,
and further training sessions were held in Barbados, Fiji and
Mauritius.
22. In addition, UNDP has focused its support in small
island developing States on the skills and competencies
needed for achieving sustainable development. In the
Pacific island countries, it has adopted an integrated
approach, involving not only education and training but
also poverty alleviation, increased opportunities for women,
and the creation of jobs and sustainable livelihoods.
23. In the Caribbean small island developing States,
UNDP has undertaken an assessment of the human resource
needs in such areas as productivity enhancement, industrial
standardization, telecommunications, port management,
civil aviation and computer technology. In addition, it has
provided assistance in implementing a training programme
in health, including environmental health in the member
States of the Caribbean Common Market.
24. UNDP also has tailored its support to country-specific
conditions. In Mauritius, it has focused on the provision of
highly specialized training to decision makers, including
government officials, the private sector, non-governmental
organizations and other civil society organizations in the
formulation of sectoral and intersectoral strategies and
policies for economic and social development. In Cape
Verde, it provides assistance to develop local capability to
formulate, implement and evaluate policies supporting
small and medium-sized enterprises. A lesson that has
emerged from UNDP experiences is that in some small
island developing States, the retention of trained manpower
is comparatively low, leading to persistent demand for
further training.
25. To enhance the capacity of small island developing
States for dealing with environment and development
issues, the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) provides integrated environmental management
courses for key personnel from Governments, industry and
business, as well as trainers from tertiary institutions. In a
partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UNEP is carrying
out activities aimed at infusing sustainable development
ideas into education curricula of small island developing
States.
26. The organization also has provided assistance to small
island developing States in specific programme areas. In
assessment of land-based activities that threaten freshwater,
coastal and marine resources of islands, it has organized
four regional workshops and plans to hold eight more in
1998, and plans to provide assistance to small island
developing States in developing strategic action
programmes on sustainable tourism, including waste
minimization and pollution prevention. In freshwater
management, UNEP and small island developing States
cooperated closely in the preparation of regional source
books on water augmentation technologies. A source book
on alternative technologies for augmenting freshwater
resources in small island States was compiled specifically
to address the needs of small island developing States.
27. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has
channelled its assistance to the least developed small island
States in a number of programme areas. In Maldives, it has
provided support for on-site teacher training and for
developing an accreditation system for in-service training.
In Cape Verde, it has assisted in improving educational
quality and improving school meals and supplies. In the
Caribbean region, UNICEF and UNESCO have
collaborated in providing support to the Organization of
Eastern Caribbean States in the implementation of the
Education Reform Strategy. UNICEF has also presented to
the Government of Barbados recommendations on
education reform, and supported the development and
validation of didactic guides for elementary schools in
Dominica.
C. Specialized agencies and other institutions
28. UNESCO has demonstrated its commitment to the
special needs of small island developing States by
establishing in the early 1990s its Unit for Relations with
Small Member States. Operation activities under several
major programmes have been designed and implemented
for small island developing States, including those for basic
education, environment and development in coastal regions
and small States, and information flow.
29. UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission (IOC) has also developed operational activities
aimed at assisting small island developing States in
integrated coastal area management, particularly through
a regional approach. Several workshops have been
organized, focusing on the specific human resource needs
of small island developing States. In some instances,
technical assistance has been provided to individual small
island developing States based on country-specific needs,
especially over the last two years, when a gradual shift from
human capacity-building to operational activities has taken
place, indicating the maturity of scientists in some small
island developing States. The shift from education towards
operational activities is also gradually taking place in the
fields of marine pollution, coastal processes and critical
habitats.
30. World Health Organization (WHO) activities in
support of human resource development in small island
developing States focus on health and the environment. In
the Caribbean and Pacific, WHO, in collaboration with
other organizations, has organized meetings and workshops
addressing issues related to water and sanitation, health
inspection, and disease prevention and care of environment.
Assessments of human resource needs have been carried
out in Pacific small island developing States and efforts
have been made to develop a school of medicine as a
potential regional human resource centre to assist in
meeting health and environmental challenges.
31. The World Bank provides funding for sustainable
development in small island developing States, including
human resource development. The funding related to
human resources includes projects in education, health,
nutrition and women's development. In addition, the World
Bank provides loans for projects that benefit human health
and yield high returns in terms of productivity, such as in
waste management, sanitation and water supply.
32. The United Nations University (UNU) has established
the Small Islands Network to strengthen research on small
islands. Among other objectives, the Network seeks to
integrate research on small islands and sustainable
development under the auspices of a global network of
scholars; create a small island information base and
disseminate the relevant information; and to run electronic
seminars and develop a body of scholars that can act as a
global think-tank on small island development issues.
VI. External resources allocated to
human resources development
33. Human resources development has been one of the
few selected areas that have received high allocations of
external resources in relation to other programme areas of
the Programme of Action, perhaps reflecting the awareness
of the importance of human resources in relation to the
priorities established by the small island developing States
Governments. Resource commitment data indicate that in
1994, bilateral assistance to human resources development
in small island developing States totalled US$ 75.19
million, ranking the fourth among 15 programme areas.
Multilateral commitments for the same year totalled US$
14.85 million, ranking the second highest among the 15
programme areas.
34. However, the commitment data conceal a disturbing
trend. Resources allocated to human resources development
in small island developing States witnessed significant
declines between 1991 and 1994. Bilateral commitments
to this area fell from US$ 153.84 million in 1991 to US$
75.19 million in 1994. The decline in multilateral
commitments was even more dramatic from a high of US$
160.25 million in 1991 to US$ 14.85 million in 1994. In
regional terms, Pacific and Caribbean small island
developing States have seen the largest declines, both
proportionately and in absolute values (see
E/CN.17/1996/21).
VII. Conclusions and recommendations
A. Conclusions
35. The importance of human resources development in
small island developing States has been recognized by all.
Small island developing States Governments, regional
organizations and the United Nations system have accorded
priority to this area, as reflected in the initiatives by small
island developing States and support action by both
regional organizations and the United Nations system.
However, the unique demographic, economic and
geographic constraints faced by small island developing
States call for a strengthening of the concerted efforts at
human resources development.
36. Policy initiatives by some small island developing
States Governments in institutional building, educational
reform, training and regional cooperation in environmental
management provide useful experiences, and should be
shared with others in their efforts to formulate and
implement human resource development strategies.
37. Although the present review demonstrates both the
commitment of small island developing States to improving
and strengthening their national and local human capacity
and the support action being taken by regional
organizations and the United Nations system, it is by no
means certain that such initiatives and action are sufficient
to meet the challenges, especially when the efforts are
measured against the combined constraints and the scale of
those challenges.
38. The recent declines in external resources allocated to
human resources development in small island developing
States are a cause of grave concern: a continuation or
worsening of that trend is bound to adversely affect the
human resource development prospects in small island
developing States.
B. Recommendations
39. It is strongly recommended that small island
developing States Governments continue to accord priority
to human resources development in all its dimensions
human health and care, basic education, environmental
education, and training and resource management in
specific fields.
40. Given the demographic, economic and geographic
constraints, small island developing States should consider
a well educated, highly adaptable and environmentally
conscious population and workforce as a central pillar of
national sustainable development. Small island developing
States Governments should create conditions, including
through regional mechanisms, to retain newly acquired or
updated endogenous expertise.
41. Small island developing States should further
strengthen regional cooperation through pooling resources
and expertise, should increase the effectiveness of such
cooperation through systematic identification of needs and
planning of projects, and should increase the efficiency of
regional resource use through better coordination.
42. Regional organizations and the United Nations system
should strengthen their support to small island developing
States. In particular, the organizations and bodies of the
United Nations system should increase their operational
activities for providing training and expertise to small
island developing States in integrated resource
management. Areas where local capacity is relatively
insignificant should be accorded priority in the funding and
provision of technical assistance.
43. The declines in external resources provided to small
island developing States for human resource development
should be reversed as a matter of urgency. In that regard,
the envisaged meeting between representatives of small
island developing States and bilateral and multilateral
donors would provide a great opportunity for taking
concrete actions.
Notes
1 See Report of the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June
1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and Corrigendum),
resolution 1, annex II, para. 37.1.
2 See Report of the Global Conference on the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States,
Bridgetown, Barbados, 26 April-6 May 1994 (United
Nations publication, Sales No. 94.I.18 and Corrigenda),
chap. I, resolution 1, annex II, para. 60.
3 For details, see UNESCO 1996 Statistical Yearbook.
4 "Achieving sustainable development: environmental
management plan of the Seychelles, 1990-2000", Paper
prepared by the Government of Seychelles, with the advice
and assistance of the United Nations Environment
Programme, United Nations Development Programme and
the World Bank.
5 See "Report of the Commission on Sustainable
Development on activities to implement the Programme of
Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island
Developing States in the Pacific", prepared by the South
Pacific Regional Environmental Programme jointly with the
ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre, and with the financial
assistance of the Governments of Australia and New
Zealand.
6 See Global Environment Facility, Quarterly Operational
Report, November 1996.
7 Review of the implementation of the Programme of Action
for the Sustainable Development of Small Island
Developing States priorities for the future, paper prepared
for the Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean/Caribbean Development and Cooperation
Committee (ECLAC/CDCC) by Simmons and Associates,
16 September 1997.
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Date last posted: 8 December 1999 15:15:30
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