13 May 2011: The May 2011 issue of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Unit’s “SIDS Newsletter” includes an article on the soft launch of the revitalized SIDSnet.org druing the 19th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 19) Partnerships Fair.

According to the newsletter, the participants at the soft launch emphasized the need for disaggregated data, together with a “one-stop shop” for information on SIDS. A full launch is anticipated during the 66th UN General Assembly in September 2011, and potentially could be held concurrently with the SIDS Interregional Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). Interested parties may contact the SIDS Unit at dejesuse@un.org to access and evaluate the new site before its official launch.

The newsletter notes that the SIDS Unit and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) are preparing a joint paper, titled “Green Economy in the Blue World,” on the challenges and opportunities for SIDS’ transition to a green economy, through analysis of a green economy’s potential influences on key sectors of importance to SIDS, such as fisheries and tourism.

Finally, the newsletter announces details of the SIDS preparatory process for the UNCSD. Three SIDS sub-regional meetings will take place in July and August 2011 in the Pacific, Caribbean, and the African, Indian Ocean and Mediterranean (AIMS) sub-regions, in addition to the interregional PrepCom. The three sub-regional meetings will form the basis for a consolidated SIDS position text, to be reviewed at the interregional meeting, which will take place at the Ministerial level at the beginning of UNGA 66. [Publication: SIDS Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 2]