Multi-stakeholder consultation slated for Tuesday

ConfabGeorgetown: The Government of Guyana, with support from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Guyana Office, is facilitating national preparations for the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Adviser to the President on Sustainable Development, Science and Technology, Navin Chandarpal has indicated that a Multi-Stakeholder Consultation will be held on Tuesday, May 14, at the Regency hotel, at which participants are expected to discuss issues related to the implementation of the BOPA and the MSI. Based on the outcomes of the consultation and the stocktaking process, the national report will be prepared.

In preparation for the Third Conference, a Regional Preparatory meeting will be held for the Caribbean in July 2013 to identify and develop collective Caribbean inputs for the International Conference.

As part of the preparatory process, a stock-taking process has been undertaken to gather background information. A background document will be provided to participants outlining key areas related to the process and the stock-taking exercise.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), known as Rio+20) called for, “the convening in 2014 of a Third International Conference on SIDS, recognising the importance of coordinated, balanced and integrated actions to address the sustainable development challenges facing SIDS.

The First Conference on SIDS which was held in 1994, and produced the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) which reaffirmed the principles and commitments to sustainable development embodied in Agenda 21 and translated these into specific policies, actions and measures to be taken at the national, regional and international levels. The Second Conference held in 2005, served as a 10- year comprehensive review of the BPOA and resulted in the Mauritius Strategy of Implementation (MSI) for the Further Implementation of the BPOA.