Preparatory Meeting for the SIDS Global Business Network Forum 2024

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Thursday, 19 October 2023 - 2:00pm to 5:00pm

The next SIDS Global Business Network Forum will be held in 2024 prior to the fourth International Conference for Small Island Developing States with a preparatory process running from 2023 up until the Forum. As the last Forum under the SAMOA Pathway, the 2024 Forum will provide a unique opportunity to take stock of the Network’s first decade and hear from the private sector on the new Programme of Action for SIDS. In this context, the preparatory process of the 2024 Forum will include activities that can feed into discussions on the new SIDS agenda.

This preparatory process will be kicked off with a meeting. It will be held in the Conference Room 6 at the UN headquarters in New York for those who have access to UNHQ and virtually for everyone else, on 19 October 2023.

The purpose of the meeting is to connect private sector representatives with SIDS missions in New York, development partners and UN agencies to discuss shared priorities for a new SIDS agenda, under the following objectives:

Inform the private sector on the SIDS4 process and the SIDS-GBN Forum 2024 process and learn how to better engage the private sector in these processes.
Hear from the private sector on their priorities for the new SIDS agenda.
Identify participants’ priorities for focus areas of the SIDS-GBN.
Discuss how to better build public-private partnerships that contribute to their sustainable development.

Programme

Moderator: Mr. Damien Sass, Programme Management Officer, UN-OHRLLS

14.00-14.05	Opening Remarks UN-OHRLLS
14.05-14.15	Update SIDS4 Process H.E. Walton Afonso Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua & Barbuda to the United Nations
14.15-14.25	Update SIDS-GBN Forum 2024 process Ms. Tishka Hope Francis, Team Leader of the SIDS sub-programme, UN-OHRLLS
14.25-14.35	Introduction on Public-Private collaboration in SIDS Mr. Darian Stibbe, Founder of the Partnering Initiative
14.35-15.35	Private Sector Presentations Presentations from private sector representatives on: Challenges, priorities and opportunities of SIDS private sector Recommendations for governments and opportunities for collaboration Reflections on SIDS4 and SIDS-GBN Forum 2024 processes Speakers: Ms. Manuela Stravens, Owner Eco-tourism Villas, Seychelles Ms. Dilma Vieira Moreira, CEO, Business Incubation Center, Cabo Verde Ms. Lidia Diaz, Founder and CEO, Dominican Republic Ms. Petipha Lewis, Chair, Caribbean Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Grenada Mr. Howard Politini, Pacific Island Private Sector Organization, Fiji Mr. Deodat Maharaj, Executive Director, Caribbean Export Development Agency, Barbados Moderator: H.E. Stan Oduma Smith, Permanent Representative of The Bahamas to the United Nations
15.35-16.50	Open Discussion Questions and comments as well as feedback on: SIDS-GBN thematic areas in the new agenda SIDS-GBN principles Themes of preparatory webinars Themes of sessions for 2024 Forum
15.50-17.00	Closing Remarks H.E. Stan Oduma Smith, Permanent Representative of The Bahamas to the United Nations