Antigua and Barbuda to host major SIDS Conference in May 2024

Over five thousand delegates including world leaders, private sector, civil society and youth from around the world are expected to arrive in Antigua and Barbuda in May next year when the country will be host to the Fourth International Conference of Small Island Developing States or SIDS

The major conference is geared at generating a holistic approach that will examine and identify challenges for sustainable development and building the resilience of SIDS

The UN-sponsored event is costing millions of dollars according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne who believes that it will be one of the biggest conferences the island will ever host in recent times.

“It is going to cost a few million dollars to put on this conference. But we have several partners who will assist to fund it. I can tell you that the United Kingdom, for example, they have been very forthcoming in terms of support for the SIDs conference. So look out next year, the biggest conference that would have been held anywhere in the Ox.

The first SIDS conference was held in Barbados but Browne believes that next year’s event will surpass the numbers in Bridgetown

“I’m sure it’s going to be far bigger than the Barbados one. It may end up being one of the largest conferences in the history of the English-speaking Caribbean. So Antigua and Barbuda can look out for that. And again, you can see Antigua and Barbuda continues to punch above its weight and attract these international events here because of the work that we’ve been doing in the National Committee.,” Browne added

The prime minister also commended Ambassador Walton Webson who he said has been providing strong leadership at the United Nations in addition to the Secretary General of the UN António Guterres who has been an ear to the issues of common interest and other areas of collaboration in the international forum

The conference carded for May 27-31, 2024 will also provide an opportunity for all SIDS and the wider global community to agree on new priority areas of action to support the sustainable development priorities of the Small Islands (and low-lying) Coastal State