January 2013: The preparatory committee for the UN Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) has invited governments and Major Groups to organize side events on the margins of its first meeting, taking place in New York, US, from 24-26 February 2014.

Requests to organize side events are to be submitted by 31 January 2014, and the Conference Secretariat has issued guidelines for organizers.

The First Preparatory Committee will begin procedural and substantive discussions toward the Third Global Conference on SIDS, convening in Apia, Samoa, in September 2014. Governments, intergovernmental organizations and Major Groups may host side events, coordinated through the Conference Secretariat, during lunchtime and evening sessions over the three-day period of the PrepCom meeting.

Side events are aimed at giving delegates alternative spaces for dialogue, beyond the formal negotiations. [Side Events Announcement] [Guidelines and Request Form] [SIDS Conference Website]