Apia, Samoa, 4 September 2014/ ACP: Representatives of the ACP Secretariat participated in a critical forum on private sector development for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which called for the creation of a Global Business Network for SIDS – 36 of which are ACP member countries – to build fruitful partnerships and accelerate their sustainable development.
The event was held on August 31 in Samoa, in the lead up to the major SIDS International Conference on SIDS earlier this month.
“The ACP Group believes that the theme of the conference, “The sustainable development of small island developing states through genuine and durable partnerships”, is very relevant given the vital role the global community can play, through Cross Sector Partnerships between government, the private sector and civil society,” said ACP Assistant Secretary General in charge of Sustainable Economic Development and Trade, Mr Achille Bassilekin III, who attended the meeting along with climate change expert Mr Edmund Jackson.
“The Private Sector Partnerships forum provided a powerful platform for effective, innovative and concrete partnerships to be developed, strengthened and announced, in support of the implementation efforts of SIDS sustainable development priorities.”
The event included panel discussions on oceans and marine resources, connectivity, sustainable agriculture, sustainable tourism, disaster risk reduction, renewable energy, and financing and support measures for a sustainable private sector in SIDS.
This culminated in a High-Level Dialogue focussed around options for creating an enabling environment for business expansion, featuring the President of the UN General Assembly, the Prime Minister of Samoa, the UN Secretary General, the Foreign Minister of Australia, the EU Commissioner for Development, and various other intergovernmental organizations and private sector representatives.
The ACP Group recently adopted an ACP-wide strategic framework for private sector development, as well as a Joint ACP-EU Cooperation Framework for the sector under the 11th European Development Fund (2014-2020).
(Photo: ACP ASG for Sustainable Economic Development and Trade Mr Achille Bassilekin III (left) with UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki Moon (centre, in white) and participants at a SIDS side event on private sector development/ IISD)
– ACP Press