SEforALL in the focus of the third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

2 September 2014/Apia Samoa - The third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) conference in Samoa was formally opened on Monday by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the President of the General Assembly John Ashe and the Prime Minister of Samoa. The meeting - the largest ever held in the Pacific region - brings together almost 3000 delegates, including over 100 Member States (many Pacific leaders at heads of state level), as well international organizations, development banks, civil society and private sector. The theme of the conference is “The sustainable development of small island developing States through genuine and durable partnerships”. The aim of the conference is to high-light the unique challenges facing small island states in achieving sustainable development and combatting climate change, while promoting partnerships between all stakeholders. “Small island states live on the front line of climate change and sustainable development” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki -moon. “The problems of our small islands will sooner rather than later impact every country, irrespective of the level of development and prosperity”, said H.E. Fonotoe Nuafesili Pierre Lauofo of Samoa. On the first day of the conference the UN Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly chaired a panel on Sustainable Energy for All, with additional participation of Helen Clark, Adnan Amin, Naoko Ishii, the Foreign Minister of St.Vincent and the Grenadines and the Minister for Water and Drainage of Barbados among other SIDS Ministers and Ambassadors. There is strong interest among SIDS representatives to learn more about SEforALL and connect with the initiative. The objective of SEforALL in participating in the conference is to deepen the practical understanding and added value of SEforALL for SIDS. The representatives of SEforALL, Liz Thompson and Minoru Takada conducted numerous bilaterals at all levels: with governments from the Caribbean, the CARICOM Secretary General, Caribbean NGOs and private sector, and UN agencies based in Caribbean. The outcome document of the conference, which had been agreed to through prior negotiations in New York, specifically high-lights the role of sustainable energy and SEforALL in reaching these objectives. Read the draft outcome document here For more information on the conference and side-events, please see IISD reports here Ban Ki-moon opening speech video SIDS conference video