19 July 2013: The third and final Regional Preparatory meeting for the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) took place in Mahé, Seychelles, from 17-19 July 2013. The meeting for the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea (AIMS) SIDS concluded with the adoption of an outcome document detailing “regional priorities for the sustainable development of SIDS (post-2015).” The Third International Conference on SIDS will take place in Apia, Samoa, in September 2014.
Participants at the meeting included representatives of six of the eight AIMS SIDS—Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles and Singapore—as well as representatives from New Zealand, India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), and a number of UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and Major Groups. The other two AIMS SIDS, Comoros and São Tomé and Príncipe, did not attend the meeting.
During the meeting, AIMS countries presented an overview of their national consultative processes, delegates discussed progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the BPOA and the MSI, and an interactive dialogue took place with the UN system and regional organizations on ensuring integrated approaches to SIDS’ sustainable development. The meeting also included high-level sessions on “Emerging Opportunities in the Region,” oceans governance and the blue economy, and presentations and discussions on building partnerships.
On the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the outcome document notes that priorities include: that oceans should have prominence in the post-2015 development agenda, with a dedicated SDG on oceans and support for the blue economy mainstreamed into the development agenda as a whole; aggressive and innovative efforts to promote renewable energy, including wind, solar and ocean energies, in the post-2015 development agenda and SDGs; and health issues, under a goal entitled “universal health coverage.”
Among other priorities, the document highlights: efficient and effective management of natural resources—water, land, and biodiversity— and sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns; the critical climate change adaptation needs of SIDS, including water, sanitation, coastal protection and protection of critical coastal infrastructures, and their integration into the post-2015 development agenda, supported by measurable targets by developed countries for adaptation assistance to SIDS; and establishment of a robust global monitoring system on implementation of the BPOA, MSI and the outcome of the 2014 Conference as an integral part of the post-2015 development agenda.
The Aims meeting was preceded by the Caribbean Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 2014 Conference, held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 2-4 July 2013, which resulted in the Kingston Outcome, and the Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting in Apia, Samoa, from 10-12 July, which adopted the Nadi Draft Outcome Document. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage] [IISD RS Overall Coverage of 2014 Preparatory Process] [DESA Website on 2014 Conference]