22 June 2012: The Governments of Samoa and Fiji have offered to host the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in 2014. The offers were made during the countries’ respective interventions at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), which took place from 20-22 June 2012, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In addition, Nauru called for early appointment of the Conference Secretary-General.

Paragraph 180 of the Rio+20 outcome document calls “for the convening of the Third International Conference on SIDS in 2014, recognizing the importance of coordinated, balanced and integrated actions to address the sustainable development challenges facing SIDS and invites the General Assembly at its 67th Session to determine the modalities of the Conference.”

The outcome document also: reaffirms that SIDS remain a special case for sustainable development in view of their unique and particular vulnerabilities; acknowledges that climate change and sea-level rise pose threats to SIDS’ survival and viability; calls for continued and enhanced efforts to assist SIDS in implementing the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS (BPoA) and the Mauritius Strategy for Implementation (MSI), and for strengthened UN system support to SIDS to address ongoing and emerging challenges.

According to the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Rio+20 had decided that the Pacific region would host the meeting. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage, 22 June and Summary] [SPREP Press Release]