Overview of activities before and during the Mauritius meeting

1. Overview of activities before and during the Mauritius meeting Preparation • Testing the Youth Visioning Concept:The Bahamian Ministry of Education in collaboration with UNESCO sponsored, as a side event to the interregional preparatory meeting, Youth Focus Bahamas, under the theme 'Youth Vision for Island Living'. This event was held January 28 - 29, 2004. • Additional preparatory activities in SIDS around the world, including: • Regional meetings, poetry and essay contests • Art contest, organised with UN Cyber School Bus In Mauritius A week of discussions focusing on the sharing of ideas and experiences between youth from the three regions and on using this exchange to develop concrete, youth-led project proposals for implementation in their home islands

2. Key Partners • Pacific Regional Office – UNESCO Apia • Caribbean Regional Office – UNESCO Kingston • Indian Ocean Regional Office – UNESCO Dar es Salaam • United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Pacific Office, Fiji • United Nations Development Programme, Mauritius • UN Headquarters Department of Public Relations • Caribbean Community (CARICOM) • Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States – Environment and Sustainable Development Unit • Indian Ocean Commission • Secretariat for the Pacific Community • Pacific Concerns Resource Centre • Lighthouse Foundation • Taking IT Global • Mauritius Government • National Commissions and government ministries in a number of the SIDS

3. Youth commitments for follow-up work • Life and Love in Islands – island lifestyles and cultures (17 projects) • Culture – 7 islands • HIV/AIDS – 4 islands • Substance abuse – 3 islands • Youth and governance – 2 islands • Teenage pregnancy – 1 island • My Island Home – safeguarding island environments (15 projects) • Environmental education - 6 islands • Waste management – 4 islands • Beach protection – 4 islands • Reforestation – 1 island • Money in my pocket – economic and employment opportunities (11 projects) • Youth employment – 5 islands • Education – 4 projects • Career guidance – 2 islands

4. Principal action plan elements for project implementation 2005-2006 • Project implementation • Youth prepare project outlines • Together with National Commissions and regional and inter-regional partners support youth initiatives • Establish an Island Youth Fund with partners to provide seed funding for youth projects • Monitor project implementation together with partners • Hold regional follow-up meetings with partners • Networking and awareness • Establish an email discussion group for youth networking • Prepare a publication and DVD featuring the Youth Visioning event in Mauritius • Regularly update the Island Youth website

5. Youth Visioning and the Mauritius Declaration and Strategy The need to involve youth in working for the sustainable development of SIDS is repeatedly emphasized Recognize that women and youth as well as the civil society are playing a key role in promoting sustainable development activities in small island developing States and encourage them in their efforts -----Mauritius Declaration, paragraph 15 Small island developing states recognize the integral role of youth in sustainable development and express the need to further ensure their participation….-----Mauritius Strategy, paragraph 14 Further action is required by small island developing States, with the necessary support of the international community to: (h) Involve youth in visionioning sustainable island living -----Mauritius Strategy, paragraph 72