Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)

In january 2005, the representatives of several small island states gathered in Mauritius to recommit themselves to a program of action for sustain able development, first adopted in Barbados 10 years previously. This meeting, attended by the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, 13 heads of state, 19 member representatives, and 11 observers, affirmed the need to focus international attention on this issue, particularly in the area of climate change. The motivation to convene was fortified by the dramatic demonstrations of the scale of natural disasters in 2004, paired with significant cuts of funding from major international bodies.

The delegates in Mauritius represented an organization created in 1990 under the aegis of the UN, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). This group acts as the lobbying ...