Gavin Allwright, IWSA Secretary General was honoured to be the Master of Ceremonies for the World Islands Forum at the United Nations Ocean Conference on 9 June 2025. We were delighted to have IMO Secretary General, Arsenio Dominguez delivering the keynote along with three Prime ministers on the panels and other leading policy makers at the event.
This second phase of the Island Forum was an opportunity for several Caribbean countries to announce a regional initiative financed by the Green Climate Fund to combat climate change. The following discussion focused on the decarbonization of maritime transport, a major challenge both for island connectivity and supply,
and for achieving international climate objectives. Read more…
Introduction : Thani Mohamed Soilihi, Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Partnerships of France
Panel 1
• Feleti Teo, Prime Minister of Tuvalu
• Ian Borg, Vice Prime-Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Malta
• John Briceno, Prime Minister of Belize
Launching of a multilateral platform of Caribbean countries
• Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados
• Terrance Michael Drew, Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Benarva Browne, Minister of Urban Development, Energy, Seaports, Grenadines Affairs and Local Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Mafalda Duarte, Executive Director, Green Climate Fund
Panel 2
• Apóstolos Tzitzikóstas, European Commissioner for Transport
• Guillaume Le Grand, CEO, TransOceanic Wind Transport
• Antidia Citores, Director General, Green Marine Europe
• Huguette Bello, President of the Réunion Region
• Hervé Berville, French MP, Former Secretary of State for the Sea and Biodiversity of France
Conclusion : Philippe Tabarot, Minister in charge of Transports of France
