Development in small island nations focus of Caribbean meeting - UN

Development in small island nations focus of Caribbean meeting - UN
 

6 October – More than 150 representatives of Caribbean nations, regional and 
international agencies, and the private sector are in Trinidad and Tobago 
this week to discuss plans for the development of the Caribbean region, a 
United Nations spokesman said today.

The meeting in the capital, Port of Spain, is in preparation for next year's 
International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The August 
2004 meeting will be a 10-year review of the implementation of the 1994 
Barbados Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of SIDS.

The UN spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said the participants at the Port of Spain 
meeting are discussing 15 priority areas for the Caribbean region, including 
coastal and marine resources, natural and environmental disasters, land 
resources, waste management and trade.

According to the UN definition, SIDS also include low-lying coastal countries 
that share similar sustainable development challenges, including small 
population, lack of resources, remoteness, susceptibility to natural 
disasters, excessive dependence on international trade and vulnerability to 
global developments. In addition, they suffer from lack of economies of 
scale, high transportation and communication costs, and costly public 
administration and infrastructure.


SOURCE: United Nations, New York