8 August 2003: The Pacific Regional Meeting for the Review of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) took place from 4-8 August 2003 in Apia, Samoa. Organized by the SIDS Unit of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the regional preparatory meeting sought to review the progress achieved in ensuring positive long-term development of SIDS in the Pacific region and prepare a regional position for the International Meeting on the review of the BPOA to be held in Mauritius in August/September 2004.
In an “International Overview” working session, delegates discussed, inter alia, linkages between the BPOA, Millennium Development Goals, Monterrey Consensus, Doha Agreement, and post WSSD events and outcomes, while a “Regional Overview” session considered the draft Regional Assessment. Throughout the meeting, participants also engaged in working sessions and open discussions that addressed: national assessment reports and sustainable development strategies; objectives of the international meeting; how to improve implementation of the BPOA; the ministerial level preparatory committee meeting to be held at CSD-12; and modalities for action. [http://www.sidsnet.org/docshare/other/20030813142441_Apia_Meeting_
Final_Report_8_August_2003.pdf]