Highly respected in the region and?? beyond?? for its leadership?? on environmental issues of?? relevance to Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Barbados ??will next week join regional counterparts?? for two high-level meetings?? expected to address several key?? international?? environmental issues.

The opportunity comes as the 3rd Joint Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) and the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) takes place in Georgetown, Guyana, from September 1-3.

Minister of the Environment, Dr. Denis Lowe, will head a four-member delegation to the Georgetown talks, whose packed agenda will also include discussion on climate change, the implementation of the Caricom Single Market Economy (CSME) and International Environmental Governance (IEG), among other pertinent issues.

Agenda items of importance to Barbados include:?? Item 4 – Implementation of the CSME: The Environmental Division; Item 6 – Climate Change and Renewable Energy Issues; Item 8 – Preparations for the Mauritius Strategy and + 5 Review Process and the Rio + 20 Process; Item 9 – Sustainable Consumption and Production in the Caribbean and Item 10 – United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Issues.

Coming out of the historic SIDS Conference of 1994, the Government of Barbados has been viewed by the international community as a leader on issues of reliance to SIDS, and as a result, has taken the lead in a number of key developmental issues and areas.

With?? the?? special needs of SIDS often?? overshadowed?? in the?? wake of major international?? groupings, Government has underscored?? the need?? to reassert?? the region’s development priorities?? as a platform for the CARICOM Common Environmental Policy.

Next week’s joint meeting will be divided into two segments – the Meeting of Officials Preparatory to the Third Joint Meeting on September 1 and the Ministerial Session on September 2-3.

The other members of the delegation are Permanent Secretary, Lionel Weekes; Senior Environmental Officer, Travis Sinckler and Director of the National Heritage Department, Steve Devonish.????cgaskin@barbados.gov.bb

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