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Advancing Small Island States' Concerns in Mauritius

13 January 2005

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon is in Mauritius to participate in the International Meeting on Small Island Developing States. The purpose of the meeting, which takes place from 10 to 14 January 2005, is to review implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.

Small States
The purpose of the meeting is to review implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.
In his address to the meeting, Mr McKinnon will highlight the unique vulnerabilities of small states -- which make up nearly two-thirds of the Commonwealth's membership -- and urge immediate action to address them.

"We must be honest and recognise that the international community has not done all it pledged to do for small island developing states a decade ago. There is a time for promises and a time for action. Now is the time for action," he is expected to say.

"We know what the problems are. We also know what the solutions are -- or should be. What is needed, now more than ever, is the political will to implement them. Doing more for small states is our shared responsibility. The issue here is not lack of knowledge. It's not lack of technology. It's not even lack of resources or money. It is, quite simply, a matter of inspired leadership and commitment."

The Secretary-General also called for stronger advance preparedness and responsiveness to natural disasters in the wake of the devastating tsunami which hit the Indian Ocean region recently.

Mr McKinnon met with the Secretaries-General of the Caribbean Community, the Indian Ocean Commission and the Pacific Islands Forum. A joint statement was issued in which it was decided to examine ways the organisations can collectively reduce the future impact of natural disasters by strengthening advance warning networks across international borders.

While in Mauritius, he will have a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Paul Bérenger, who is also Chair of the Southern African Development Community. They are expected to discuss issues of common interest including preparations for the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Malta in November 2005, and Commonwealth co-operation programmes.

CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 217 12 January 2005

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