<B>Unesco commits to warning system</B>

Unesco’s director general, Koichiro Matsuura, has undertaken to set up a regional tsunami warning system, which should be functional by 2006. A global system would then be ready for 2007. The first project will cost US$ 30 million but this amount is already available. Every country concerned will have a warning centre and they will have to deal with the management of these centres. The global system should cost around US$ 160 million. The NGOs will meet in Paris to discuss the necessary structure that will take the specificities of all countries into account. They will work in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organisation.

<B>A conference within a conference</B>

The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) held its fifth meeting in Mauritius within the United Nations (UN) conference of the Small Islands Developing States (SIDS). The meeting was chaired by prime minister Bérenger and the presence of UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, at the meeting was considered a strong signal. “We had the great privilege and honour of having Kofi Annan amongst us. Work sessions went on held in a very positive way. There were many heads of state, ministers and ambassadors present and this allowed the UN conference to take place in a positive atmosphere.”

<B>Youth makes its point</B>

96 young people, who took part in the Youth Visioning for Island Living Initiative (YVILI), called upon the delegations at the international conference to recognise the specificities of the obstacles they have to face. The YVILI declaration gives a refreshing alternative to the failure of the Barbados conference. Mauritian participants promised to “assist job creation for young people”. Education and unemployment seem to be the main preoccupations of SIDS inhabitants in the Indian Ocean.

But they are conscious that they will need support from their governments, private sectors and civil societies. “We should be involved in decisions on the social, cultural and physical environment and in the development of politics and the implementation of laws to ensure good governance.”