• Wu Hongbo heads planning mission from the United Nations in New York to Apia, Samoa

• Wu Hongbo Named Secretary-General of 2014 Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States

• Report of the Expert Group Meeting on Small Island Developing States and the Post-2015 Agenda

This Featured Event will contribute to the dialogue and advocacy for some of the key themes – including disaster risk reduction – towards ensuring the delivery of concrete and tangible outcomes for the 2014 conference along with an exchange of ideas towards the 2015 development agenda.

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The Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States will be held in Apia, Samoa, in 2014. It will focus the world’s attention on a group of countries that remain a special case for sustainable development in view of their unique and particular vulnerabilities.

The United Nations General Assembly has decided that the Conference will seek to achieve the following objectives:

1. assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation;
2. seek a renewed political commitment;
3. identify new and emerging challenges and opportunities for the sustainable development of SIDS and means of addressing them; and
4. identify priorities for the sustainable development of SIDS to be considered in the elaboration of the post-2015 UN development agenda.

The resolution calls for “a concise, focused, forward-looking and action-oriented political document.” The small island States have also expressed their desire to highlight successful partnerships and areas of innovation.

The preparations for this important Conference are getting underway now, starting with a robust, SIDS-directed national preparatory process. These national preparations will feed into regional meetings in June and July of 2013, followed by an inter-regional preparatory meeting scheduled for August or September.

After the small island developing States have completed their preparations, the global process will begin in early 2014, bringing together the full range of stakeholders—Member States, civil society, private sector representatives, and others. As these partners add their voices to those of the SIDS, the result will be a constructive and meaningful Conference advancing the cause of sustainable development in SIDS, strengthening partnerships, and contributing to the wider dialogue on a sustainable future for all.