January 2004: The Inter-regional Preparatory Meeting for the Ten-year Review of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) took place from 26-30 January 2004, at the Radisson Cable Beach Hotel in Nassau, the Bahamas.
During the week, delegates engaged in a general debate and six panel discussions, and considered and adopted the Nassau Declaration and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Strategy Paper for the Further Implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA). The AOSIS Strategy Paper follows the chapters outlined in the BPOA, and identifies new and emerging issues since 1994 such as trade, health, and culture. Among the key concerns raised at the meeting were those relating to how many SIDS have faired under globalization and trade rules since the adoption of the BPOA.
The outcomes of this meeting will be forwarded to the G-77/China for consideration in advance of the intergovernmental preparatory meeting at UN headquarters in New York from 14-16 April 2004, during the 12th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development. This preparatory meeting will then make recommendations to the International Meeting for the Ten-year Review of the Programme of Action on SIDS, scheduled to take place in Mauritius from 30 August to 3 September 2004. [Earth Negotiations Bulletin coverage: http://enb.iisd.org/sids/bpoa10/bahamasprep/]