We Say 4
We Say 4
'...was there a need for the January Bahamas meeting? Is there a genuine need for the Mauritius meeting? Like Barbados, should they be classified as fine junkets for a lucky few?'
Ten years ago, in the Caribbean island of Barbados, most of the world's small islands developing states (SIDS) met under United Nations auspices to prepare a list of things to be done to help SIDS forge a little secure prosperity for themselves.
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The list was long and naturally needed a lot of money to be implemented. Naturally, large wealthy countries, conspicuous for the lack of important people they sent, were called on to supply the money.
Ten years later, what has happened? In January, in the Bahamas Islands, SIDS representatives met to agree on a "strategic paper", meaning some sort of agenda for yet another meeting to be held in the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius from August 30 to September 4 to look at what has happened since Barbados.
What will come out of Mauritius? Probably a firm decision to organise another junket to meet again in 2014 to look at what happened after 1994 and 2004.
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Harping back to Barbados, a feeling then and there was a feeling of despondency since no really influential people from big, wealthy powers, and not even the secretary-general of the sponsoring United Nations, was there to kick matters along.
The only interesting appearance was that of the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, whose presence naturally infuriated the United States. He was a hugely popular presence, which caused yet more irritation in circles where Castro isn't admired.
A lot of what was called for at Barbados was to do with climate change, a subject in which the Americans, Chinese, Indians, Russians and Australians have certain set views, and on matters to do with energy‹the hope was for cheaper energy; waste management‹is the world less free of plastic junks?; biodiversity‹that now really means anything that can be genetically engineered; and the development of human resources, perhaps meaning finding jobs for SIDS unemployed.
Ten years later, what has been achieved? At the United Nations, relevant officials are prepared to concede "not much" and blame it on the meanness of those large wealthy nations. Ah, well, some circumstances affecting SIDS countries have changed.
One is HIV/AIDS, rearing up now in the Pacific Islands. Another is the Internet, which appears to be a definite asset of help in breaking certain communications, information, education and business barriers that affect SIDS countries.
Other than that, was there a need for the January Bahamas meeting? Is there a genuine need for the Mauritius meeting? Like Barbados, should they be classified as fine junkets for a lucky few?
