25 April 2014: The Preparatory Committee for the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) held an intersessional meeting to conduct negotiations on the outcome document of the conference, which is scheduled to take place in Apia, Samoa, from 1-4 September 2014. Discussions focused on a compilation text consisting of the zero draft released by the Co-Chairs in March, and written responses from UN Member States.

Phillip Taula (New Zealand), Co-Chair of the Preparatory Committee, reminded delegates that the Conference should result in an ambitious, action-oriented outcome that places the needs of SIDS at the center of the post-2015 development agenda. A statement from Conference Secretary-General, Wu Hongbo, said the Conference should strengthen SIDS’ social, economic and environmental resilience, and focus on action, partnerships and implementation.

Nauru, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China (G77/China), said SIDS must maintain ownership of every step of this process, but the draft text reflects the old paradigm of designing and implementing programmes according to the priorities of donor countries. The text must be clear on ensuring that development partners’ commitments will be met, to provide the means of implementation for SIDS to meet their goals. She also said the new global partnership for development should be based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR), with North-South cooperation at the core, and that sustainable development is our best chance to break the cycle of dependency on aid, by building self-sustaining institutions and a healthy environment.

In an initial reading of the compilation text on the first morning of the Intersessional, governments exchanged general views on the entire document. The remainder of the week was devoted to a second, more detailed reading of the text.

A plenary meeting on Friday afternoon led by Karen Tan, Permanent Representative of Singapore to the UN and PrepCom Co-Chair, closed the Intersessional meeting of the PrepCom, but Member States continued to meet in Working Group format on Friday evening. The Working Group is expected to resume on Tuesday, 29 April 2014, to complete the second reading. [Website for Intersessional Meeting] [IISD RS Sources] [IISD RS Story on Zero Draft]