By the Caribbean Journal staff
Barbados’ government and the United Nations Development Programme are co-hosting an informal ministerial meeting dubbed “Sustainable Energy for All” this week.
The two-day meeting, which begins Monday, comes ahead of a preparatory Rio+20 meeting meeting on Wednesday.
The Barbados talks aim to produce a declaration which decries the realities and opportunities of SEFA from the perspective of Small Island Developing States.
The meeting also looks to outline a clear statement on the circumstances, needs and vulnerabilities of SIDS and call on various stakeholders to commit to supporting the actions and garner support from SIDS DOCK — a sustainable energy project which provides a mechanism for investment in green energy and energy efficiency.
It was pioneered by the Alliance of Small Island States, UNDP Barbados and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.
The Rio+20 Preparatory Meeting, which will take place immediately after the SEFA meeting, seeks to “strengthen the bonds and coordinate the common voice of such a large and geographically disparate group of developing countires.”
More than 100 high-level officials from SIDs, representing the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, South China Sea, the Caribbean and the Pacific will attend the conference.
A Barbados Declaration will be signed on Tuesday.