Department of Sustainable Development

Small States Resilience Index Finalized

at Malta Conference

April 23-25, 2007

Chief of the DSD’s Caribbean Division, Caribbean Division, Cletus I. Springer was among 52 representatives of governments, academic institutions and regional and international organizations who met at the University of Malta from April 23-25 to put the finishing touches on a Resilience Index for Small States. Mr. Springer attended the meeting in his capacity as a member of the UNDP Experts Group on Vulnerability and Resilience which was established in 2001.

The Resilience Index which was mandated at the Mauritius Meeting on the Further Implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) has been under construction since 2004, under the direction of Professor Lino Briguglio of the Small States Institute of the University of Malta. Over the past years, the Experts Group has worked assiduously to construct an Index that is rigorous enough and that can be used by Governments and development partners to inform policy making.

The Caribbean Division and the Commonwealth Secretariat (Economic Affairs Division) are working towards the hosting of a seminar (as part of the Caribbean Seminar Series on Sustainable Development) in Washington DC at which the Resilience Index will be presented.

Final Statement from the Malta Conference

Malta Conference in Session

DSD - Caribbean Division Chief, Cletus I. Springer chairing the final session of the Malta Conference.