Sharing Knowledge For Resilient,
Sustainable And Prosperous
Islands Worldwide
Thanks to all our Speakers, Sponsors, Partners and Attendees for a great event.
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What is the Virtual Island Summit?
Join Islanders From Around The World To Share Ideas, Good Practices And Solutions.
Climate Action & Adaptation
Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean
Agriculture, Trade & Food Security
Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion
Circular Economy
Sustainable Tourism
Blockchain & Cryptocurrency
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Meet our Sponsors
The Open Society Foundations champions the search for bold, democratic solutions to our urgent, common challenges that advance justice, equity, and human dignity.
We do this by supporting a wide array of independent voices and organizations around the world that provide a creative and dynamic link between the governing and the governed.
Our approach seeks to counter the narrow pursuit of political self-interest and short-term opportunism—in pursuit of a sustainable future for people and planet that leaves no one behind.
The Waitt Institute creates and implements sustainable ocean plans in partnership with committed governments and local stakeholders. They currently have partnerships with the governments of the Azores, Barbuda, Bermuda, Curaçao, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Maldives, and Tonga. The Waitt Institute is a founding member and the organizing body of the Blue Prosperity Coalition, a network of NGO’s, academic institutions, foundations, and other organizations working together to assist committed governments to protect the environment and improve the economy at the same time.
BuzzMaker is an award-winning global political and public affairs consultancy. BuzzMaker has operated at the highest levels of campaigns in 30 countries, territories and regions around the world. Our references include several sitting and former Prime Ministers, Presidents, Opposition Leaders and major international brands.
We have deep experience providing government relations, public affairs, public relations, communications and advertising campaigns in dozens of small island developing states. In total, we've worked in 16 islands in the Atlantic and Caribbean and, beyond our island work, we've worked on every continent in the world. If you're looking to advocate for a policy change, advance an issue position, understand and engage with government and civil society stakeholders or win an election, we'd love to help.
ChanceryESG provides comprehensive legal advice on the laws of the Cayman Islands, with particular focus on the new economy, including ESG, decentralization, digital asset transactions, hedge fund and alternative investments, as well as helping clients navigate increasingly fragmented sanctions regimes and the new era of boycott and anti-boycott regimes.
Edge is the independent education charity dedicated to making education relevant. We believe a coherent, unified and holistic education system can support social equity and enable all young people to fulfil their potential.
Edge’s research shows that a broad and balanced curriculum, including creative and technical subjects, rich employer engagement, teacher autonomy and interactive pedagogy, can help to bring learning alive and prepare students for more than just a set of exams.
Edge runs the Island Education Network, which brings together islands around the British Isles and British Overseas Territories to discuss issues relating to education policy in an island setting.
The Ministry of Economic Development of Curacao gives direction to sustainable economic development in order to realize a higher level of prosperity for the society of Curaçao and stimulates a strong competitive position and high quality production. This is achieved by providing optimal service, strengthening the economic structure and effectively responding to social and international developments.
The Ministry is responsible for policy, implementation and control on the following areas:
- Business, consisting of (micro) SME policy, economic development, capital market, competition policy, infrastructure, knowledge, economic and Agricultural fisheries production and business establishment policy.
- Economic Development and Innovation, consisting of market forces, innovation, energy, industry development, employment and macro-economic stability.
- Foreign Economic Cooperation, consisting of trade policy, international business and foreign investment.
The Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency (MSCR) was established on 26 April 2021 by the Cabinet of the Cayman Islands Government (CIG). Utilising a multi-stakeholder and forward-focused approach, MSCR will aim to deliver on the CIG’s commitment to achieve environmental, social, and economic balance, with a view to maximise benefits across all three areas of this triple bottom line.
The ministry is responsible for the strategic development of programmes and policies that shall be guided by decision-making processes, to ensure the Cayman Islands is best placed to solve current challenges and meet the needs of the present, without compromising future generations.
Concentrated actions to transform environmental systems and build capacity to anticipate climate risks and hazards, absorb shocks and stresses, reshape and transform development pathways in the longer term are of paramount concern. These key actions include and are not limited to, the review and update of the Cayman Islands’ Climate Change Policy. The aim of the policy review shall be to utilise a risk assessment framework as a means of agreeing and prioritising mitigation and adaptation actions to protect the environment in respect to: innovation, biodiversity, food security, green technology, renewable energy and the further expansion of protected areas.
The Stop Ecocide Foundation is a charitable fundraising and commissioning body, operating in close partnership with global advocacy non-profit organisation Stop Ecocide International towards shared objectives:
- To have ecocide recognized as an international crime at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague;
- To have ecocide recognized as a crime at national and regional level and monitor the effective implementation of all legislation that criminalizes ecocide.
- To carry out all further actions that are related to or may be conducive to the above in the broadest sense
Established in 2012, the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) is the realization of a bold vision to create reliable, long-term funding for conservation and sustainable development in the Caribbean region. The CBF and a group of National Conservation Trust Fund form the Caribbean Sustainable Finance Architecture, which, among other objectives, supports and incentivizes targeted Caribbean nations to meet the goals of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI), national conservation priorities, and targets under other international and regional commitments.
Supported by Interreg VA France (Channel) England, the Intelligent Community Energy (ICE) project aims to design and implement innovative smart energy solutions for isolated territories in the Channel area. The project designs and produces an innovative low-carbon energy system (smart grid), able to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emission of the territories concerned (50% to 100% compared to a fuel-based system) and secure energy access security. It covers the entire energy cycle from production to consumption, exploits local renewable energy sources and integrates new and existing technologies currently at different levels of readiness in order to deliver a comprehensive innovative solution.
The ICE consortium brings together researcher and business support organizations in France and the UK, and engagement with SMEs will support project rollout and promote European cooperation. Among the consortium are Bretagne Développement Innovation,Technopôle Brest-Iroise, Technopôle Quimper- Cornouaille, the Syndicat Départemental d’Énergie et d’Équipement du Finistère, the Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique, the University of East Anglia, the University of Exeter, the University of Plymouth and Marine South East Ltd.
OurEnergy is an engineering, advisory and project development company headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. Our focus is on renewable energy, water, green building and integrated civil infrastructure. We are a collaborative team of professionals who work with select clients to implement sustainable systems from concept to completion. We serve clients globally, with staff, offices and collaborators in several international markets and throughout the US.
Le Village by CA is the startup accelerator of Crédit Agricole Group, seeking to bring startups, corporates, partners and Regional Banks to support business and innovation. Le Village ecosystem covers regions in France to Italy & Luxembourg, with 39 villages, 1000 startups and 600 partners
#VIS2022 Sessions Recordings!
- Content Tracks: Agriculture, Trade & Food Security, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency, Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Circular Economy, Climate Action & Adaptation, Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion, Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition, Sustainable Tourism
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- Content Tracks: Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Climate Action & Adaptation, Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
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- Content Tracks: Agriculture, Trade & Food Security
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- Content Tracks: Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean
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- Content Tracks: Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Climate Action & Adaptation
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- Content Tracks: Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Climate Action & Adaptation
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- Content Tracks: Climate Action & Adaptation, Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
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- Content Tracks: Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Sustainable Tourism
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- Content Tracks: Climate Action & Adaptation, Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion
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- Content Tracks: Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
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- Content Tracks: Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Circular Economy, Climate Action & Adaptation, Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion
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- Content Tracks: Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Circular Economy
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- Content Tracks: Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion
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- Content Tracks: Agriculture, Trade & Food Security, Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion
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- Content Tracks: Climate Action & Adaptation, Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion, Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
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- Content Tracks: Agriculture, Trade & Food Security, Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion
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- Content Tracks: Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Climate Action & Adaptation, Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
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- Content Tracks: Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean
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- Content Tracks: Climate Action & Adaptation, Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion
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- Content Tracks: Climate Action & Adaptation, Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion, Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
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- Content Tracks: Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion
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- Content Tracks: Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
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- Content Tracks: Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
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- Content Tracks: Agriculture, Trade & Food Security, Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Circular Economy, Climate Action & Adaptation
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- Content Tracks: Agriculture, Trade & Food Security, Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Climate Action & Adaptation
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- Content Tracks: Agriculture, Trade & Food Security, Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition, Sustainable Tourism
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- Content Tracks: Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Climate Action & Adaptation
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- Content Tracks: Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
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- Content Tracks: Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition
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- Content Tracks: Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition, Sustainable Tourism
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- Content Tracks: Climate Action & Adaptation, Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion
- VIS2022
- Content Tracks: Agriculture, Trade & Food Security, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency, Blue Economy, Conservation & the Ocean, Circular Economy, Climate Action & Adaptation, Health, Education, Diversity & Inclusion, Renewable Energy & Clean Energy Transition, Sustainable Tourism
- VIS2022
Featured Speakers
The Hon. Mia Mottley
The Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C., M.P., became Barbados’ eighth and first female Prime Minister on May 25, 2018.
Ms. Mottley was elected to the Parliament of Barbados in September 1994 as part of the new Barbados Labour Party Government.
Prior to that, she served as one of two Opposition Senators between 1991 and 1994. One of the youngest persons ever to be assigned a ministerial portfolio, Ms. Mottley was appointed Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture from 1994 to 2001.
She later served as Attorney General and Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados from 2001 to 2008 and was the first female to hold that position.
Ms. Mottley is an Attorney-at-law with a degree from the London School of Economics, specialising in advocacy. She is also a Barrister of the Bar of England and Wales.
In 2002, she became a member of the Local Privy Council. She was also admitted to the Inner Bar, becoming the youngest ever Queens Counsel in Barbados.
The Hon. Mia Mottley
The Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C., M.P., became Barbados’ eighth and first female Prime Minister on May 25, 2018.
Ms. Mottley was elected to the Parliament of Barbados in September 1994 as part of the new Barbados Labour Party Government.
Prior to that, she served as one of two Opposition Senators between 1991 and 1994. One of the youngest persons ever to be assigned a ministerial portfolio, Ms. Mottley was appointed Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture from 1994 to 2001.
She later served as Attorney General and Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados from 2001 to 2008 and was the first female to hold that position.
Ms. Mottley is an Attorney-at-law with a degree from the London School of Economics, specialising in advocacy. She is also a Barrister of the Bar of England and Wales.
In 2002, she became a member of the Local Privy Council. She was also admitted to the Inner Bar, becoming the youngest ever Queens Counsel in Barbados.
Prime Minister, Government of Barbados
Ambassador Solo Mara
Ambassador Solo Mara is the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF), since October 2019. Ambassador Mara began his career in May 1989 as a graduate trainee at the Ministry of Home Affairs and later on in the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Over the years, Ambassador Mara rose through the diplomatic ranks to serve as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [2009-2011], High Commissioner to the United Kingdom [2011-2015] and Ambassador to the United States America [2015-2019]. In recognition of his 20 years contribution in the Diplomatic Service of the Republic of Fiji, Ambassador Mara received from the President of Fiji, His Excellency MajorGeneral [Ret] Jioji Konrote, the Fiji 50 Independence Commemorative medal at the State House on October 2020. Ambassador Mara holds a Master Degree in International Relations from the International University of Japan (1997) and a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of the South Pacific (1988). He also received various diplomatic training at the Korean Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (2000) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australia [2006]. Ambassador Mara is married to Kerry Megan Mara and blessed with two daughters and two sons
Ambassador Solo Mara
Ambassador Solo Mara is the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF), since October 2019. Ambassador Mara began his career in May 1989 as a graduate trainee at the Ministry of Home Affairs and later on in the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Over the years, Ambassador Mara rose through the diplomatic ranks to serve as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [2009-2011], High Commissioner to the United Kingdom [2011-2015] and Ambassador to the United States America [2015-2019]. In recognition of his 20 years contribution in the Diplomatic Service of the Republic of Fiji, Ambassador Mara received from the President of Fiji, His Excellency MajorGeneral [Ret] Jioji Konrote, the Fiji 50 Independence Commemorative medal at the State House on October 2020. Ambassador Mara holds a Master Degree in International Relations from the International University of Japan (1997) and a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of the South Pacific (1988). He also received various diplomatic training at the Korean Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (2000) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australia [2006]. Ambassador Mara is married to Kerry Megan Mara and blessed with two daughters and two sons
Secretary General, Pacific Islands Development Forum
Hon. Lord Zac Goldsmith
The Rt Hon Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park is the Minister for Pacific and the Environment at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). He was first appointed as a Minister of State in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and Defra on 13 February 2020. He was previously Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and at the Department for International Development from 10 September 2019 to 13 February 2020 and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and at the Department for International Development on 27 July 2019 and 10 September 2019
Hon. Lord Zac Goldsmith
The Rt Hon Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park is the Minister for Pacific and the Environment at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). He was first appointed as a Minister of State in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and Defra on 13 February 2020. He was previously Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and at the Department for International Development from 10 September 2019 to 13 February 2020 and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and at the Department for International Development on 27 July 2019 and 10 September 2019
Minister for Pacific and the Environment at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of the Marshall Islands
Ocean Policy Research Institute, The Sakasawa Peace Foundation
Kumi Naidoo
Kumi Naidoo is a South African human rights and climate activist. As a fifteen-year old, he organised school boycotts against the apartheid educational system in South Africa. His work made him a target for the Security Police and he was forced into exile in the United Kingdom until 1990. Kumi returned to South Africa and was asked to lead the process to formally register the African National Congress (ANC) as a political party. Kumi then served as the official spokesperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the overseer of the country’s first democratic elections in April 1994. He has served as International Executive Director of Greenpeace International (from 2009 to 2016) and Secretary General of Amnesty International (from 2018 to 2020). Kumi has lectured at Fossil Free University and was a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy until early 2022. Kumi is currently a Senior Advisor for the Community Arts Network (CAN) and a special Advisor to the Green Economy Coalition. He is Professor of Practice, Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University and continues to serve as a Global mbassador, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity. Kumi is a Visiting Fellow, Oxford University and Honorary Fellow, Magdalen College
Kumi Naidoo
Kumi Naidoo is a South African human rights and climate activist. As a fifteen-year old, he organised school boycotts against the apartheid educational system in South Africa. His work made him a target for the Security Police and he was forced into exile in the United Kingdom until 1990. Kumi returned to South Africa and was asked to lead the process to formally register the African National Congress (ANC) as a political party. Kumi then served as the official spokesperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the overseer of the country’s first democratic elections in April 1994. He has served as International Executive Director of Greenpeace International (from 2009 to 2016) and Secretary General of Amnesty International (from 2018 to 2020). Kumi has lectured at Fossil Free University and was a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy until early 2022. Kumi is currently a Senior Advisor for the Community Arts Network (CAN) and a special Advisor to the Green Economy Coalition. He is Professor of Practice, Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University and continues to serve as a Global mbassador, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity. Kumi is a Visiting Fellow, Oxford University and Honorary Fellow, Magdalen College
Founding Chair, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace & Dignity
Gaamang “Gaamaa” Gloria Simms
Gaama Gloria Simms/Tekina Nuna is a woman of the African diaspora, a spiritual worker and community builde rooted firmly in Maroon and Rastafari traditions. She tirelessly serves her people as preistess, healer and cultural curator. Gaama Gloria Simms received the title of Gaama (Paramount Queen) from the Okanisi Maroons of Suriname, the title of Tekina (teacher) and Council member of Yukayeke Yamaye Guani (Jamaican Hummingbird Taino Tribe) and is the founder of the Maroon Indigenous Womens Circle.
As Gaama, Gloria continues to pursue her ultimate vision. She sees the restoration of the family as a must. Presently, she is taking steps towards the establishment of a Women’s Museum as well as a Traditional University that aligns with indigenous ways of learning via the ethos, “What life experience has taught onto me, I will teach those who want to learn.”
Gaamang “Gaamaa” Gloria Simms
Gaama Gloria Simms/Tekina Nuna is a woman of the African diaspora, a spiritual worker and community builde rooted firmly in Maroon and Rastafari traditions. She tirelessly serves her people as preistess, healer and cultural curator. Gaama Gloria Simms received the title of Gaama (Paramount Queen) from the Okanisi Maroons of Suriname, the title of Tekina (teacher) and Council member of Yukayeke Yamaye Guani (Jamaican Hummingbird Taino Tribe) and is the founder of the Maroon Indigenous Womens Circle.
As Gaama, Gloria continues to pursue her ultimate vision. She sees the restoration of the family as a must. Presently, she is taking steps towards the establishment of a Women’s Museum as well as a Traditional University that aligns with indigenous ways of learning via the ethos, “What life experience has taught onto me, I will teach those who want to learn.”
Spiritual Leader of Maroons of the Diaspora
Head of the department for Climate and Circular Economy at the Environment Agency of Iceland
Dr. Keith Mitchell
Dr. the rt. Hon. Keith C. Mitchell, former Prime Minister of Grenada, is a recognised leader for SIDS, expert and advisor to island Heads of State on blue economy reform, sustainable finance and international development policy under the UN – SAMOA Pathway Partnerships.
In 2017, Dr Keith C. Mitchell led the blue economy partnership dialogues under the global goals of the 2030 Agenda and SDG 14 ‘Life Below Water, explicitly highlighting the linkages between the blue economy and SDG 14.7, as well as maritime island security, safety at sea and disaster risk management.
As Chair of the World Bank’s Small States Forum in 2017, he called for a new economic approach for island development partners under the SIDS narrative “Large Ocean states” at the World Bank with finance and economic ministers. He led numerous political and diplomatic negotiations for island economic reforms, international investment, and aid for cooperation.
Dr. the rt. Hon. Keith C. Mitchell is a former professor of mathematics, accounting and economics and has an active role at the University of the West Indies (UWI), where he leads a team of technical experts reviewing the islands’ academic affairs concerning the blue economy, particularly education and professional development and innovation.
He brings his long experience negotiating with the IMF and the World Bank and his knowledge of the SIDS blue economy, which SIDS called for in Agenda 21. He brings aspirations and peer-to-peer learning to the form of Island Government Officials and Ministers Responsible for the Blue Economy and Oceans, Local 2030 islands network and island innovation hubs.
Dr. Keith Mitchell
Dr. the rt. Hon. Keith C. Mitchell, former Prime Minister of Grenada, is a recognised leader for SIDS, expert and advisor to island Heads of State on blue economy reform, sustainable finance and international development policy under the UN – SAMOA Pathway Partnerships.
In 2017, Dr Keith C. Mitchell led the blue economy partnership dialogues under the global goals of the 2030 Agenda and SDG 14 ‘Life Below Water, explicitly highlighting the linkages between the blue economy and SDG 14.7, as well as maritime island security, safety at sea and disaster risk management.
As Chair of the World Bank’s Small States Forum in 2017, he called for a new economic approach for island development partners under the SIDS narrative “Large Ocean states” at the World Bank with finance and economic ministers. He led numerous political and diplomatic negotiations for island economic reforms, international investment, and aid for cooperation.
Dr. the rt. Hon. Keith C. Mitchell is a former professor of mathematics, accounting and economics and has an active role at the University of the West Indies (UWI), where he leads a team of technical experts reviewing the islands’ academic affairs concerning the blue economy, particularly education and professional development and innovation.
He brings his long experience negotiating with the IMF and the World Bank and his knowledge of the SIDS blue economy, which SIDS called for in Agenda 21. He brings aspirations and peer-to-peer learning to the form of Island Government Officials and Ministers Responsible for the Blue Economy and Oceans, Local 2030 islands network and island innovation hubs.
Former Prime Minister of Grenada
H.E. Sir Ronald Sanders
Sir Ronald Michael Sanders is an Antiguan Barbudan diplomat, academic former broadcast-journalist, and the current Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and to the Organization of American States since 2015. He is also the non-resident High Commissioner to Canada since 2017. He served twice as Antigua’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (1983–1987, 1996–2004) as well as ambassador and negotiator to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (1997–2004).
He was a member and Rapporteur of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group (2010–2011 ]whose seminal report entitled, A Commonwealth of the People: Time for Urgent Reform, laid out a plan of action to make the Commonwealth effective and relevant.
He is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, and is a speaker at conventions and conferences on global financial services issues and on Caribbean states in the political-economy of the Americas and the Commonwealth.
H.E. Sir Ronald Sanders
Sir Ronald Michael Sanders is an Antiguan Barbudan diplomat, academic former broadcast-journalist, and the current Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and to the Organization of American States since 2015. He is also the non-resident High Commissioner to Canada since 2017. He served twice as Antigua’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (1983–1987, 1996–2004) as well as ambassador and negotiator to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (1997–2004).
He was a member and Rapporteur of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group (2010–2011 ]whose seminal report entitled, A Commonwealth of the People: Time for Urgent Reform, laid out a plan of action to make the Commonwealth effective and relevant.
He is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, and is a speaker at conventions and conferences on global financial services issues and on Caribbean states in the political-economy of the Americas and the Commonwealth.
Ambassador of Antigua & Barbuda to the US and OAS
Jojo Mehta
Jojo Mehta co-founded Stop Ecocide in 2017, alongside legal pioneer the late Polly Higgins, to support making severe harm to nature an international crime.
As key spokesperson and Executive Director of Stop Ecocide International, Jojo has overseen the remarkable growth of the global movement while coordinating legal developments, diplomatic traction and public narrative. She is also Chair of the charitable Stop Ecocide Foundation and convenor of the Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide chaired by Philippe Sands QC and Dior Fall Sow.
The core work to make ecocide an international crime at the international criminal court, is supported and progressed by a large network of over 25 teams and associate groups globally. There are over 50 thousand endorsing signatories across civil society and faith groups, and a growing number of endorsing businesses and organisations.
Jojo Mehta
Jojo Mehta co-founded Stop Ecocide in 2017, alongside legal pioneer the late Polly Higgins, to support making severe harm to nature an international crime.
As key spokesperson and Executive Director of Stop Ecocide International, Jojo has overseen the remarkable growth of the global movement while coordinating legal developments, diplomatic traction and public narrative. She is also Chair of the charitable Stop Ecocide Foundation and convenor of the Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide chaired by Philippe Sands QC and Dior Fall Sow.
The core work to make ecocide an international crime at the international criminal court, is supported and progressed by a large network of over 25 teams and associate groups globally. There are over 50 thousand endorsing signatories across civil society and faith groups, and a growing number of endorsing businesses and organisations.
Chair, Stop Ecocide Foundation, Convenor of the Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide
Preeti Sinha
Preeti Sinha, Executive Secretary, United Nations Capital Development Fund.
Preeti Sinha is a globally experienced investment and development banker with a 30-year track record associated with raising and managing institutional public and private development capital. She served as CEO & President of FFD Financing for Development LLC, a specialist development finance firm focused on financing the UN SDGs. Ms. Sinha’s role as CEO and President was built upon her experience as a pioneering Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum, on the Financing for Development Initiative, with the UN FFD Office.
Ms. Sinha managed the YES Global Institute, a practicing private sector think-tank for socio-economic development in New Delhi, building the impact investment ecosystem in India. She also served in senior resource mobilization roles at the African Development Bank including managing its ADF-13 Replenishment raising US$ 7.3 billion from 27 donor countries. Previously, she was an investment banker at HSBC, Rabobank, Lehman Brothers and JP Morgan in London, Hong Kong, Mumbai and New York.
Ms. Sinha graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Executive Education program in Public Financial Management. She also holds a Masters in Global Leadership from the World Economic Forum and a Masters in Public and Private Management (MPPM)/MBA from the Yale School of Management (SOM). Ms. Sinha graduated from Dartmouth College with Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Computer Science.
Preeti Sinha
Preeti Sinha, Executive Secretary, United Nations Capital Development Fund.
Preeti Sinha is a globally experienced investment and development banker with a 30-year track record associated with raising and managing institutional public and private development capital. She served as CEO & President of FFD Financing for Development LLC, a specialist development finance firm focused on financing the UN SDGs. Ms. Sinha’s role as CEO and President was built upon her experience as a pioneering Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum, on the Financing for Development Initiative, with the UN FFD Office.
Ms. Sinha managed the YES Global Institute, a practicing private sector think-tank for socio-economic development in New Delhi, building the impact investment ecosystem in India. She also served in senior resource mobilization roles at the African Development Bank including managing its ADF-13 Replenishment raising US$ 7.3 billion from 27 donor countries. Previously, she was an investment banker at HSBC, Rabobank, Lehman Brothers and JP Morgan in London, Hong Kong, Mumbai and New York.
Ms. Sinha graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Executive Education program in Public Financial Management. She also holds a Masters in Global Leadership from the World Economic Forum and a Masters in Public and Private Management (MPPM)/MBA from the Yale School of Management (SOM). Ms. Sinha graduated from Dartmouth College with Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Computer Science.
Executive Secretary, UNCDF
Dr Godffery Nyongesa Nato
Hon. Dr. Godffrey Nyongesa Nato is the current County Executive Committee Member for Environment, Waste Management and Energy, a position he has held since November 2017. He is also the Ag. CECM for Health Services, in the County Government of Mombasa. He is accredited for spearheading the development and adoption of the Mombasa County Climate Change Policy, the Mombasa County Solid Waste Management Act 2021, among other legislative documents.
Dr. Nato has a demonstrated history of working in Higher Education Management. He previously served as the Chairman, Department of Social sciences and Dean for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Technical University of Mombasa. He is a Researcher in the field of Social Ecology and has several publications attributed to him.
He is currently a Co-investigator with Mijibora, a 3-year research project funded by WIOMSA whose objective is to transition Mombasa into a smart and sustainable city in the context of climate change. Dr. Nato holds a master degree in Human Ecology and a PhD in Sociology of Rural Development.
Dr Godffery Nyongesa Nato
Hon. Dr. Godffrey Nyongesa Nato is the current County Executive Committee Member for Environment, Waste Management and Energy, a position he has held since November 2017. He is also the Ag. CECM for Health Services, in the County Government of Mombasa. He is accredited for spearheading the development and adoption of the Mombasa County Climate Change Policy, the Mombasa County Solid Waste Management Act 2021, among other legislative documents.
Dr. Nato has a demonstrated history of working in Higher Education Management. He previously served as the Chairman, Department of Social sciences and Dean for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Technical University of Mombasa. He is a Researcher in the field of Social Ecology and has several publications attributed to him.
He is currently a Co-investigator with Mijibora, a 3-year research project funded by WIOMSA whose objective is to transition Mombasa into a smart and sustainable city in the context of climate change. Dr. Nato holds a master degree in Human Ecology and a PhD in Sociology of Rural Development.
Minister of Environment , Waste management and Energy, Mombasa County Government
Meet our Partners
The Institute for Small Islands is an independent policy and legal institute, which rests on four pillars: the environment (with a particular focus on climate change), human rights, sustainable development and culture. We look at small islands across the world from an interdisciplinary angle.
We are Future Islands! An active and independent platform with a mission! We want to accelerate the sustainability of the Dutch Caribbean. We do this by developing and sharing knowledge, communicating inspiring examples and hosting events to connect people and organizations. Future Islands is a product of the Sustainable Dutch Caribbean Foundation. We are supported by partners and experts who are passionate about sustainability and innovation. From the 6 islands and the Netherlands content creators are writing and publishing articles on the platform. Furthermore, several business developers are recruiting partners on the islands and in the Netherlands and manage the relations of those partners.
Climate Tracker (CT) is an international non-profit organization, aiming to support, train and incentivise better climate journalism globally. We believe in the power of journalism, but recognise that many young journalists don’t have the training, resources or support to identify and tell the climate stories they want to. We also recognise that this challenge is often greatest in the countries hardest hit by climate change. Our mission is to support, train and incentivise young journalists in developing countries to tell better climate stories. By 2023, we aim to create a regionally diversified network that provides the best opportunities, training and support for early career climate journalists across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. To do this, we focus on provide training and fellowships for young journalists around the world to tell better climate stories locally, conduct action-oriented media research to better understand the biggest challenges, trends, and obstacles to powerful climate reporting around the world, fund young journalists to report on the world’s most pressing issues and cover the world’s biggest moments, UN negotiations and conferences, and support global collaborations between young climate journalists, newsrooms and NGOs around the world.
Pacific Venture was created in early 2015. Our mission is to help organizations (and individuals) understand today’s world and tomorrow’s human challenges. We thus support organizations in change by helping them to understand the complexity of our world and of the human being and, on this basis, to develop intentional, open and impactful leadership. Our services are available internationally but mainly focused on Asia and the Pacific. We are able to provide services in both English and French and always operate with awareness of your organization’s cultural environment.
EcoVybz Environmental Creatives is a creative changency focused on building powerful environmental content through storytelling initiatives and developing innovative tools to mobilise youth as strategic agents of change. Specialised in topics such as climate change, water management and ocean conservation EcoVybz also offers consultancy services in the field of environmental research and youth capacity building workshops.
Loop News is the number one source for Caribbean-wide, local and global content. We provide the best coverage of news, sports, entertainment, lifestyle, business, community and events. With our dedicated team of journalists working locally in each market, we strive to bring all the breaking and most up-to-date coverage from a team you can trust.
Loop News launched in April 2014 and quickly grew to have teams in six markets across the Caribbean: Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Haiti, Cayman and St Lucia. And in 2020 we launched the newest website in the Loop family – Loop Caribbean!
We became the Caribbean’s number one news app in the Google Play store and Apple App store within two months of launch, and with more than 1 million downloads, Loop News is still the number 1 today!
Launched in March 2013, @SriEvent has been globally the first and is so far the sole Twitter handle exclusively devoted to telling the stories of events on sustainable finance. @SriEvent stands among the world’s top social media influencers on #sustainablefinance and more broadly sustainability issues, and partners with distinguished organizations/events in the sustainable finance field at international level. @SriEvent specializes in creating, searching and aggregating, valorizing and promoting Twitter-based contents for events on sustainable finance. #SriAgenda, #Livetweeting, #TwitterChat, #TwitterInterview are the main services provided by @SriEvent in the framework of a modular and customizable offer. In May 2019 @SriEvent launched its first local chapter @SriEvent_It focused on the Italian landscape. @SriEvent is also present on Linkedin (since 2020) and Instagram (since 2021). @SriEvent is part of a network of Twitter handles launched by @andytuit, a story-tweeter, blogger, journalist, writer, adjunct professor on sustainable finance, member of Managers For Future Pioneer Team, with 20+ years of experience in the field.
The Pacific Islands Development Forum Le Forum (PIDF), headquartered in Suva, is a regional organization created by the Fijian Government in 2013, following its exclusion from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in 2009.
The PIDF’s main objective is to support sustainable development in Pacific Islands by facilitating:
- The integration of sustainable development’s three pillars (Environmental, Social and Economic) to combine sustained economic growth and the needs of society with environmental resilience.
- The use of tools and innovations associated with the green economy, leadership, adaptation, and the implementation of sustainable partnerships.
The PIDF seeks to act as a multipartite platform for government leaders, the private sector and civil society, to create dynamic partnerships in which leaders and representatives of Pacific countries take ownership of the decisions and actions implemented to meet their specific development needs.
Solar Head of State (SHOS) is an international non-profit organization that promotes access to solar energy. Their model was inspired by a campaign initiated in 1979 by US president Jimmy Carter who had solar water heaters installed on the White House to conserve energy and set an example for the American public amidst an energy crisis. Since then, the NGO has focused its work on small island developing states (SIDS) with installations of solar panels on government buildings in Jamaica, Saint Lucia and the Maldives. SHOS is now working in partnership with the Organizational of Eastern Caribbean States and the Pacific Island Development Forum to install solar panels on government buildings across these organizations’ combined 24 member states.
The Journal of Caribbean Environmental Sciences and Renewable Energy (CESaRE) was developed in 2016 out of a recognized need to modernize and revolutionize the Caribbean’s scientific research publishing. With the global shift towards renewables over traditional energy sources, together with a collective rise in environmental consciousness, CESaRE is the perfect opportunity for highlighting such research conducted in the Caribbean. CESaRE will provide a suitable forum to encourage research dissemination in the region and promises to be more than just a collection of academic articles. Our innovative media and growing audience will provide a nexus for Caribbean leaders, key industry partners, and authorities to catalyze more effective decision making processes within our increasingly vulnerable region.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are continuing to build out our program to include new virtual features, and especially networking opportunities. We are continuing to expand program the Hubs and Ambassador programs, which allows our global virtual evennt to directly connect with local communities.
The summit will be broadcast LIVE, taking place over multiple days in various timezones. Ideally, guests should join live for opportunities to ask questions and interact with fellow attendees. However, all sessions will be recorded and made available online a few weeks after the event.
We have limited opportunities for sponsors of specific sessions or the event as a whole. If you are interested in sponsoring the event click here and we will be in touch.
We are exploring opportunities to screen parts of the summits on islands around the world to ensure local communities can take part. If you would like to organize a screening on your island please get in touch.
Thanks for your support! You can explore the Island Ambassadors program for opportunities to be involved.
We always welcome ideas! Please get in touch.