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MOFA, Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 24, 2017 – The Honourable Lindsay Grant, Minister of Tourism, made a call for a broad global alliance to advance the cause of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the 3rd Crans Montana Forum held in Dakhla, Morocco. The tourism minister was at the time addressing a high level audience of SIDS representatives from various regions around the world at the Extraordinary Conference of Small Island Developing States being convened as part of the forum.

The conference focussed on the global integration of SIDS as the new dynamic actors of South-South cooperation and highlighted the impact of climate change on agriculture and tourism industries.

Minister Grant’s intervention, concentrated mainly on the effects of climate change on the tourism sector, also called for the inclusion of sustainable tourism to be embedded within the broader framework of the critical range of interrelated sustainable development initiatives.

In concert with the Caribbean leaders, including the Foreign Minister of Jamaica and the Economic Development Minister of St. Lucia, Minister Grant summoned global and collective action to combatting the detrimental effects of climate change on the tourism sector in the Caribbean and urgent implementation of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Other interventions were made by the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa.

Minister Grant also attended a special luncheon in honour of CARICOM Countries, hosted by the Government of Morocco. Also, Minister Grant enjoyed a brief encounter with Morocco’s Ambassador to the Federation, His Excellency Kamari Abderrahim.

The forum is considered a platform for advocating and accelerating the dialogue on avenues for south-south cooperation. Moreover, it creates an awareness and promotes the Kingdom of Morocco as a gateway towards deepening our relations with other countries on the African continent.

Further, it provides opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the Federation and Morocco, one of the Federation’s closest partners in south-south cooperation.

Ms. Asha DeSuza, Foreign Service Officer and Mr. Mohammed Benchekroun, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Honorary Consul to Morocco comprised the delegation.