Port Louis, Mauritius: The tsunami has pushed a disaster early-warning system to the top of the agenda at a meeting of the world's small islands, potentially crowding out concerns about climate change and trade, some delegates say.
The United Nations conference of 37 island countries, to be attended by the UN's Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and donor- nation representatives, opened on Monday to discuss island challenges bred by geographical isolation, limited resources and exposure to the forces of nature.
But the earthquake and tsunami has given the meeting in Mauritius a new urgency and focus on island vulnerability to natural disasters.
The meeting's secretary-general, Anwarul Chowdhury, said it was now time to give the Indian Ocean and other regions a key protection.
Mr Annan's recent call for a global early warning system needed serious attention, said Mr Chowdhury, the UN Undersecretary-General and High Representative for small island developing nations, in his opening speech to delegates.
Its absence was believed to have contributed to thousands of preventable deaths across the coasts of the Indian Ocean.
Mr Chowdhury chided donor nations for giving islands less and less help to achieve goals set at a 1994 Barbados conference, which dealt with climate change, energy needs, tourism and the management of fresh water, waste and biodiversity.
"Despite the efforts made by the small island developing states, the expectations for international support and cooperation for the implementation of the Barbados program have not materialised," he said.
Mr Annan arrived in Mauritius on Monday evening after touring Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other areas struck by the tsunami. UN officials said he was expected to work behind the scenes on small island issues before addressing the high-level session of the meeting tomorrow.
The Prime Minister of Mauritius, pressed donor nations to help with two areas of increasing concern.
"I urge for continued flexibility and understanding on behalf of all delegations to try to reach agreement on outstanding issues, in particular climate change and trade," Mr Berenger said.
The end of global trade quotas had opened fragile and traditionally undiversified island economies to competition from the likes of India and China, and some islands' existence was threatened by rising sea levels.
Delegates said progress on trade issues was made at informal talks over the weekend, but none had been made in the contentious area of climate change.
The Maldivian ambassador to the UN, Mohamed Latheef, said: "I don't see any major progress in the text of the final document as the positions of some developed countries are anchored too strong to make a shift."
The international community has traditionally resisted island calls for continued preferential trade arrangements, and some rich nations have fought any suggestion their fossil-fuel emissions contribute to global warming and rising seas.
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