Barbados will host the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Inter-Regional Meeting for the Third International Conference on Sustainable Development of SIDS Global from Monday, August 26, to Wednesday, August 28.

The high-level meeting, being held at Hilton Barbados, Needhams Point, St. Michael, is being staged in preparation for the third International Conference on the Sustainable Development of SIDS to be held in Apia, Samoa, in September 2014.

Barbados??? Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart, is expected to deliver the feature address during the opening ceremony of the three-day conference, on Monday, August 26, beginning at 8:30 a.m., while Minister of the Environment and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe, will deliver the welcome remarks. The sessions are expected to begin at 10:00 a.m. and run until 7:00 p.m. daily.

Some 250 delegates are expected for the summit, including Ministers and Senior Technical experts from the 43 SIDS, Observer Members States of the United Nations Community led by Under Secretary General for the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Wu Hongbo, and several members of major groups of international, regional and local non-governmental organisations.

Topics to be addressed during the conference include areas for the renewed political commitment for the sustainable development of SIDS; new and emerging challenges and opportunities impacting development in SIDS, and ways and means to address them; Strengthening Cooperation and Partnerships-Framework for the Supporting Partnerships for SIDS Intra-Regionally, Inter-Regionally and through Triangular Cooperation; and celebrating the first UN International Year of SIDS.

There will also be a range of discussions on the key priorities for the sustainable development of SIDS, including the collaboration of the Post 2015 UN development agenda.

julia.rawlins-bentham@barbados.gov.bb

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