January 2002: The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Inter-Regional Preparatory Meeting for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) convened from 7-11 January 2002 in Singapore. Hosted by the Government of Singapore, the meeting was organized by the office of the AOSIS Chair, and coordinated and assisted by the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Unit of the Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). Approximately 120 participants from governments, UN agencies and intergovernmental organizations were in attendance.
Participants heard presentations on: the outcomes of sub-regional and regional WSSD preparations from several SIDS regions; the UN Secretary-General’s Report to the second session of the Preparatory Committee; the G-77/China’s WSSD preparations; and an update on the preparatory process and Bureau consultations. Participants also heard presentations and engaged in discussions on capacity building and the role of civil society for sustainable development, and on issues surrounding climate change, adaptation and renewable energy, land degradation, oceans, SIDS’ vulnerability, and the Financing for Development process.
The meeting produced the Singapore Declaration, which contains detailed proposals for future steps and calls for future consideration and implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) on Sustainable Development of SIDS by the UN. The Declaration will be formally submitted to the WSSD preparatory process. [http://www.sidsnet.org/workshop/singapore_meeting.html]