His Excellency, Joseph Goddard, Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations,
Her Excellency Marlene Moses, Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States,
Members of the Bureau of the Inter regional Preparatory Meeting,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for inviting me to this resumed SIDS Inter-regional Preparatory Meeting.
This meeting represents the culmination of the regional and inter-regional preparatory processes for the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States.
I congratulate you on the successful adoption of the Outcome Document.
Together with the Ministerial Declaration adopted in Bridgetown, Barbados on 28 August, this document will serve as the basis for negotiations with SIDS partners in the global preparatory process.
I commend the SIDS delegations on your renewed efforts, under the chairmanship of Barbados, to reach consensus and articulate your position with one unified voice.
I know first hand how tirelessly you have worked to get to this point. It was no easy task.
But you have succeeded, thanks to your tenacious dedication.
You now will go to Samoa as a united force with a clear vision of your priorities and expectations.
Excellencies,
Your internal deliberations will now feed into the next stage which will begin with the negotiations of the modalities of the global preparatory process and of the Conference.
I encourage you to continue to build on the close collaboration that you have no doubt strengthened in the course of the national, regional and inter-regional preparatory processes.
As you move forward, I also encourage you to raise the voices of the SIDS in the other ongoing General Assembly processes, including the Open Working Group on SDGs, and the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing.
As I mentioned when we were in Barbados, you have the full support of my team, as well as of the entire UN system. Through EC-ESA Plus, the UN system will continue to contribute to the preparations of the Conference, including fostering partnerships.
We will continue to be genuine and durable partners with SIDS.
And we will work tirelessly to ensure that this Conference is a resounding success.
I thank you.