Grenada and British Virgin Island co-hosting of Environment Summit

St. George’s, Grenada 20 September, 2012: The Prime Minister of Grenada, Hon. Tillman Thomas, and the Premier of the British Virgin Island Dr. Orlando Smith will be co-hosting the Leadership Summit of Caribbean Political and Business Leaders on Necker Island, BVI.

The nation’s involvement in the Summit is expected to result in the cashing in on significant financial resources to be used to conserve the coastal and marine environment and to boost sustainable sectors such as fisheries and tourism.

Summit Organizer Sheldon Cohen, Director of External Affairs, Caribbean Program, of The Nature Conservancy, visited Grenada on Wednesday, 19 September to meet with environment officials to make preliminary arrangements.

Amongst officials at that meeting was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment, Sally Anne Bagwhan-Logie, who will head the Local Organizing Team for Grenada.

The Summit carded for May of next year will bring together leaders from 10 Caribbean islands with global private sector leaders.

At this stage the leaders have to agree on a final date for the summit by way of invitations which will be sent to them. It is expected that a Government Leaders Declaration will be signed at the end of the summit.

Grenada was again affirmed as a leader in the fight for sustainable development when Virgin Atlantic’s President Sir Richard Branson asked Prime Minister Thomas to be a co-host of the upcoming Summit at their meeting at the Rio +20 Conference in Brazil earlier this year.

At that meeting the Grenadian Leader was hailed as a transformative figure in the fight for green economies especially for Small Island States. Necker Island is owned by Sir Richard Branson.