Bridgetown, Barbados – Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott, and President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, discussed a number of areas of importance to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) during Mr. Bozkir’s recent visit to Barbados. These matters are likely to come up in negotiations during the quadrennial conference of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD 15).

The areas of interest include, among other things, sustainable development, the multidimensional nature of the vulnerability of SIDS, expanding the eligibility criteria to allow for easier and greater access to concessional financing by vulnerable SIDS and Middle Income Countries (MICs), and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism-dependent countries.

National Coordinator for UNCTAD 15, Teresa Marshall, was among a number of local officials who participated in a working lunch with Mr. Bozkir, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. During the event, Minister Walcott gave the assurance that Barbados aims to strengthen and continue its cordial relationship with the UN General Assembly.

Registration is now open for UNCTAD 15 at https://unctad15.org/participation. The conference will be hosted virtually by Barbados from 3-7 October 2021. END