Thursday 24th July 2014: The Prince of Wales hosts a meeting for leaders of Commonwealth Small Island States at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The Duke of Rothesay (as The Prince of Wales is known in Scotland) has convened leaders from Small Island States across the Commonwealth at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire today to look at the unique challenges and opportunities facing Small Island States. Small islands represent approximately half of the Commonwealths membership and their geography means they are particularly affected by the impact of climate change. Notably rising sea levels, extreme weather and ocean acidification. A heavy dependence on tourism and a narrow range of resources make small island states especially vulnerable whilst declining ocean health is having a serious impact on fisheries, tourism and health. Conversely, it is also recognized that the Commonwealth Small Island States have a wealth of natural capital which offers tremendous opportunity if action is taken to develop marine resources in a sustainable way and in cooperation with the international community. By inviting the leaders of Commonwealth Small Island States to Dumfries House, The Duke of Rothesay has looked to create a forum in which they can share experiences, exchange ideas and encourage greater collaboration, in order to help build sustainable and resilient island economies for future generations. Speaking at the meeting, The Duke of Rothesay said: As the custodians of your oceans you have the opportunity to provide a truly durable social, economic and environmental legacy to your people and to the wider global community, through developing your marine resources in a sustainable way. His Royal Highness added: Cooperation to develop sustainable, ocean-based economies fits with the development and values agenda that are both so central to the Commonwealth, as reflected in its charter. Commonwealth Small Island States represented at todays meeting (full list below), included The Hon. Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta, and the host of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2015; and His Excellency Kailash Purryag, President of Mauritius. Earlier this month (10th July), The Prince also hosted a meeting organised by his International Sustainability Unit at St Jamess Palace, to look at the financial support available to countries wishing to transition to sustainable fisheries and strengthen the broader blue economy. The event was attended by representatives from countries including Mauritius and the Seychelles, which also attended the meeting at Dumfries House today. List of attendees of Commonwealth Small Island States meeting: 1. Bahamas 2. Commonwealth Secretariat 3. Commonwealth and Investment Council 4. Cyprus 5. Maldives 6. Malta 7. Mauritius 8. New Zealand 9. Papua New Guinea 10. St. Kitts and Nevis 11. St. Lucia 12. St. Vincent and the Grenadines 13. Seychelles 14. Singapore 15. Tonga 16. Turks & Caicos Islands 17. United Kingdom Following the meeting, His Royal Highness met young people taking part in 33Fifty, a leadership programme for young Commonwealth leaders aged 18 to 25. The programme takes its name from the statistic that states 33 per cent of the worlds population lives in the Commonwealth and 50 per cent of those are under 25. The group took part in a workshop led by The Princes International Sustainability Unit and included representatives from Commonwealth countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong, Nairobi, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 11:06:29 +0000
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