Businesses and members of civil society will have an opportunity to weigh in on discussions around the issue of sustainable development, when the Rio Dialogues come off from June 16 to 19 at the Bellairs Research Institute of McGill University, Folkestone, St. James.
Environmental Officer in the Ministry of the Environment and Drainage, Amrikha Singh, said they were currently working with the Bellairs Research Institute to provide a forum where local non-governmental and community-based organisations can get together and feed into the international dialogues over a four-day period.
"With the technocrats meeting, civil society will have a forum to talk. There must be participation in Rio and we have to hone the input from civil society," Ms. Singh stressed.
She added that local experts will be on hand at the Institute to guide the dialogues from Barbados and allow the discussions to feed into Rio.
Topics to be discussed include oceans, disasters, energy, jobs, water, food and cites.
Those interested in being a part of the dialogues may contact Director of the Bellairs Research Institute, Susan Mahon, at telephone number 422-2087.
The schedule for the discussions will be published later this week.