19th June 2017 -- The British Virgin Islands as a co-Chair of the Global Islands Partnership (GLISPA) co-led efforts at United Nations Headquarters to raise awareness about the challenges faced by islands during the Ocean Conference in New York from 5-9 June 2017.
At a side event in the Security Council Chamber entitled, ‘Our Oceans, Our Islands, Our Future: Partnerships implementing SDG 14,’ Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources & Labour Dr. Hon. Kedrick Pickering gave remarks on behalf of the territory. The Deputy Premier highlighted the common challenges faced by islands and called on international partners to support the efforts of islands to address their unique challenges.
“Let us remember that most inhabited islands are largely made up of coastal communities that are vulnerable to storm surges and sea-level rise. Thus we can understand why SDG 14 carries so much importance for islands, particularly Small Island Developing States. We are here at the Oceans Conference to reinforce our commitment to the sustainability of the Ocean, Seas and marine resources upon which islands depend and to strike partnerships to achieve this goal,” the Minister said.
The territory also co-sponsored a high-level reception on 8th June on the same theme at Unite Nations Headquarters that saw attendance by President of the UN General Assembly His Excellency Peter Thomson and involved senior UN officials who pledged their support for Small Island Developing States. They also congratulated GLISPA for its leadership on island issues.
Commenting on BVI’s leadership role in GLISPA at the Ocean Conference the Deputy Premier said,
“We were pleased to do our part as one of the leaders of GLISPA to raise the profile of islands and highlight their challenges. This is important as the BVI too is affected by the same issues and need partnerships and cooperation to address them. The level and calibre of attendance demonstrates that by working together the international community is hearing our voice.”
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British Virgin Islands News