Delegation attends Small Island Voice Project Inter-regional meeting

A delegation led by Mr.Alain De Comarmond, the project's coordinator, comprised Mr. Matthew Servina representing the NGO sector and Ms. Sabrina Marie as the youth representative. The four-day meeting took place in Palau, Micronesia from the 18th -22nd November 2002.

Small Islands Voice, supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is an inter-regional initiative bringing together islanders from the Pacific, Indian Ocean and Caribbean regions to find out their concerns regarding environment and development issues. Several activities had been organised throughout 2002 in Seychelles, including the Global and Young Islanders internet-based forums, workshop/meetings with Youth workers and district administrators as well as the community survey on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.

The main objectives of the meeting in Palau was to bring together representatives from government, non-governmental organizations and youth in these islands to: promote direct interaction and linkages between island countries in the three regions (Pacific, Indian Ocean and Caribbean); discuss and further advance specific activities for Small Islands Voice, nationally, regionally and inter-regionally; start discussions on specific issues emerging from Small Islands Voice, which can be presented to the 2004 review of the Programme of Action for Small Island Developing States.

The workshop brought together for the first time representatives from the islands directly involved in Small Islands Voice, providing them the opportunity to learn about lifestyles and people in the different regions, and to exchange information both formally and informally. The different countries got to exchange experiences in terms of activities that had been organised in 2002 as well make proposals for future activities in 2003. Seychelles made several proposals how to engage the local media, youths and the NGO sector. To know more about the project, check the project's website at http://www.smallislandsvoice.org or contact Mr.Rolph Payet and Mr. Alain De Comarmond at the Ministry of Environment.

Source: Seychelles Nation, 20th December 2002