August 31, 2014 - David Anderson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will travel to Apia, Samoa, to participate in the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from September 1 to 4, 2014. This will be the third time Canada has participated in an international conference focusing on the unique challenges and special vulnerabilities of small island developing states, demonstrating Canada’s commitment to supporting the sustainable development efforts of SIDS.
“The International Conference on SIDS is a great opportunity for Canada to engage with small island developing states in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans and the Caribbean region on themes of particular relevance to these countries, such as the conservation and sustainable use of ocean resources and sustainable energy,” said Anderson. “It is also an opportunity to advance Canada’s priorities of human rights, democracy, peace and security, and disaster relief.”
SIDS are low-lying coastal countries, mostly islands, that tend to share similar sustainable development challenges, including small but growing populations, limited resources, remoteness, susceptibility to natural disasters, vulnerability to external shocks, excessive dependence on international trade, and fragile environments. They are located in or on oceans and seas around the world.
Canada participated in the first international SIDS conference in Barbados in 1994 and the second in Mauritius in 2005. This year’s conference is expected to adopt the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (or SAMOA) Pathway, a political commitment between SIDS and the broader international community to act in partnership to promote the sustainable development of these small island countries.
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