Thanks to all our Speakers, Sponsors, Partners and Attendees for a great event.

10,000
ATTENDEES
175
SPEAKERS
60
SPONSORS & PARTNERS
250
ISLANDS
178
AMBASSADORS

WHAT IS THE VIRTUAL ISLAND SUMMIT?

Free access to world-class experts. The Summit will be a free event to attend in order to ensure maximum accessibility to expertise from a variety of fields.
Interactive sessions in various formats. The Summit will imitate a traditional in-person event with opportunities to interact with speakers and other attendees with the goal of creating an online community.
A diverse range of viewpoints. Speakers and attendees from 100+ island communities including the Arctic, Caribbean, Europe, Indian Ocean, Pacific Islands, South America and beyond…
A zero carbon conference. The Summit will use modern technology to maximize opportunities for participation and minimize harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
The SDGs and beyond. The Summit will covers all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in addition to other topics pertinent to island communities.
Cross-sector collaboration. The Summit will emphasize the need for input and partnerships from across the private, public, academic and NGO sectors.

10,000+ attendees including policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics and NGO leaders share their expertise on island communities bringing examples of good practices from around the world.

SPONSORS

Leclanché

Building on 100 years in the development, production and application of batteries Leclanché is a leading provider of turnkey battery energy storage solutions (BESS) based in Switzerland and operating internationally.

Leclanché is currently developing the largest solar generation plus energy storage project ever to be built in the Caribbean, a 35.6 MW solar energy plant and 44.2 MWh battery storage facility that will be built on government provided land in the Basseterre Valley, adjacent to the City of Basseterre and the current SKELEC PowerStation on the island of St. Kitts.

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance between countries and territories in the Eastern Caribbean. It also performs the role of spreading responsibility and liability in the event of natural disaster.OECS currently has eleven members which together form a continuous archipelago across the Leeward Islands and Windward Islands. The membership of OECS is comprised of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Monserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe and Martinique are also associate members of OECS.

Pathable

Pathable was formed in 2007 by a group of people with deep roots in technology, social networking, and event industries. Our collective experience, forged and honed at companies like Microsoft, Intel, Sirius XM, and Zillow ensures that our company has a culture of delivering robust, high-quality software and support when and how you need it.

Our goal is to help attendees around the world through our event technology platform and services get the most out of the conferences and tradeshow you manage. While growth is important, our team and values are our priority. We strive to be conscientious, inclusive, and innovative, creating event technology your attendees want and need rather than chasing overnight success.

BuzzMaker

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.

Institute of Island Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island

The Institute of Island Studies is a research, education, and public policy institute based at the University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown.
The Institute of Island Studies is committed to contributing to the formulation and enhancement of public policy applied to small islands and, in particular, to Prince Edward Island. To that end, we will use our resources to engage stakeholders on current and topical island issues via public symposia, lectures, policy papers, and research projects. We will strive to be inclusive and take an objective, evidence-based approach to island issues, serving as a forum for collaboration and consensus among those with differing points of view.
The Island Studies constellation at UPEI also includes an undergraduate Minor in Island Studies and a Master of Arts in Island Studies Program, which is an interdisciplinary, and policy-driven graduate program that critiques islands on their own terms. Finally, the Institute of Island Studies is the proud institutional home of Island Studies Journal, an open-access scholarly journal dedicated to the study of islands.

The Edge Foundation

Edge is the independent education charity dedicated to shaping the future of education in the UK. 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.

University of the West of England

UWE Bristol is a University Alliance university with a common mission to make the difference to our cities and regions. We use our experience of providing high quality teaching and research with real world impact to shape higher education and research policy for the benefit of our students and business and civic partners. We innovate together, learn from each other and support every member to transform lives and deliver growth.

Ricardo Energy & Environment

Ricardo supports clients to decarbonise their use of energy. In the past 10 years we have worked with over half of the FTSE 100 businesses, providing advice on cutting energy costs and carbon emissions. We are the consultant of choice for these organisations because of the strength of our track record combined with our experience in providing support for governments. The strength of our team lies in our ability to combine strategic, financial and technical advice as an integrated consultancy service. Furthermore, our knowledge of the policy and regulatory landscape worldwide enables us to support both public and private sector clients on many fronts. Our services include: Smart grids; Energy regulation; Power sector planning; Low carbon and sustainability; Private investors services; Capacity building and training; Renewable Energy; Combined heat and power (CHP)

University of Delaware

The University of Delaware’s Island Policy Lab leverages a history of partnerships on technology and innovation policy through its Biden School of Public Policy & Administration, Energy and Environmental Policy Program, the College of Earth, Oceans and Environment, Mangone Center for Marine Policy, the International Scientific Committee on Ocean Research and others. The new Island Policy Lab works with the UN Universities Consortium of Small Island States providing a unique participatory space dedicated to island research where innovative researchers can experiment and carry out professional projects. The overarching goal of all work is to contribute to sustainable policy solutions in island contexts. Researchers brainstorm fresh ways of thinking about complex socio-economic and environmental questions, so as to create practical solutions. The laboratory works collaboratively with a global network of public and private partners. Researchers benefit from the lab's flexible and experimental approach, that combines research and action, mobilizes skillsets from different disciplines, and enhance the evidence base for data driven, science-based policy strengthening in island jurisdictions.

Intelligent Community Energy

Funded by the INTERREG VA France (Channel) England Programme, the Intelligent Community Energy project (ICE) aims to design, implement and promote innovative smart energy solutions for isolated territories facing issues in terms of efficiency, reliability and sustainability in the Channel area. It runs for 50 months, from June 2016 to August 2020, but aims to deliver durable impacts beyond its duration. The project designs and produces an innovative low-carbon energy system (smart grid), able to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of the territories concerned (50% to 100% compared to a fuel-based system) and secure energy access security. It will cover the entire energy cycle from production to consumption, exploit local renewable energy sources and integrate new and existing technologies currently at different levels of readiness, in order to deliver a comprehensive innovative solution.

Island Institute

The Island Institute works alongside Maine's island and coastal leaders to catalyze community sustainability in the state's 120 island and coastal communities and share what works among these diverse communities and beyond.

Waitt Institute

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.

EarthFund

Our mission is to empower countries with innovative education programs, break-through technologies and reliable capital to meet and exceed national climate, clean energy and sustainability goals, customized to the needs of each country. We are a global organization starting in Greece working towards the empowerment of each country to reach climate neutrality through our holistic approach to clean energy and sustainability. We partner with governments, project developers, top tech companies, other non-profit organizations, international organizations, and civil society. Our team includes pioneers in renewable energy, geo-spatial mapping, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and human rights.

Sustainable Development Movemement

The Sustainable Development Movement Summit creates an exciting space where Senior Government Officials, Industry and Private Sector Leaders, Global Entrepreneurs and Civil Society converge over two days. Come to network, experience real transformation and chime in on the exchange of thoughts, best practices, untold stories and strategies concerning sustainable growth and development within the Caribbean.
It is with this awareness, that SDM2020 will attract and drive change among over 3000 delegates from across the region and internationally. And with a highly engaging integrated digital and electronic media campaign, the ‘MOVEMENT’ – leading up to the summit and beyond- is expected to connect with over 30 million persons worldwide.

Caribbean Electric Utility Service Corporation (CARILEC)

The Caribbean Electric Utility Service Corporation (CARILEC) is an association of energy solution providers and other stakeholders operating in the electricity industry in the Caribbean. CARILEC was established in 1989 with nine (9) members as part of an electric utilities modernization project funded by USAID and implemented by NRECA under a five-year "Co-operative Agreement." Currently, CARILEC comprises over one hundred members. This includes thirty-three (33) Full Members that are electric utilities, and over eighty (80) Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Associate and Affiliate Members that are companies involved in some aspect of servicing the electric utility business.

Orkney International Science Festival

It’s the oldest science festival anywhere outside Edinburgh, and in its 30th year welcomes the challenge of going online as an opportunity to reach out worldwide. Speakers have included Jane Goodall and Nobel laureates Peter Higgs, Brian Josephson and Sir Paul Nurse, and the Festival has a particular interest in cutting-edge ideas, and in the connections between science and history, music, and the arts generally. Astronomy and archaeology are also featured strongly. From the start it has highlighted Orkney’s energy potential, and the old island challenge of turning waste into resources. It is also involved in several innovative upcycling projects. It wants to share the skills of creating a science festival and will next year launch an online course for communities seeking to develop their own. It opens in the week before the Virtual Island Summit, with events over the seven days of 3-9 September. On the preceding weekend, 29-30 August, it features events from a new Foraging Fortnight in Scotland. After the session that it’s hosting on Wednesday 9 September, it warmly invites all Summit attenders to continue the discussion at its closing ceilidh, with traditional music too. Everything can be accessed through its website www.oisf.org, or email [email protected]

Soloricon

Soloricon is a consulting and advisory services company, dedicated to providing strategic support in our areas of expertise. Our solutions are practicable, cost effective and designed to make optimal use of your existing resources of partnerships, and these are an important element of our approach. We seek to develop partnerships with our clients, and between our clients and strategic agencies that can provide the level of support that is required for success.

Our consulting team has a wide range of experience in the areas which we cover, in both the public and private sectors.

Our focus is on the development challenges of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and developing countries. We strive to help these countries confront and overcome the obstacles to their sustainable development. Equally importantly, we help them identify opportunities and take advantage of these so that they can find themselves on a long term growth and development trajectory.
in Saint Lucia, stimulating digital entrepreneurship, and enhancing the management of water resources is also highly lauded.

Falkland Islands Government

A growing, diverse and resilient island community that has prospered over time thanks to the pioneering efforts and ingenuity of the generations of people who have chosen to make this archipelago their home. Sustainable by nature, where the sun and wind are harnessed to generate power, and agricultural practices not only feed local families, but go hand in hand with the preservation of the unique flora and fauna of our home. We are a thriving and forward-looking society where sharing best practice is second nature and our culture is founded on hard work and collaboration – we are the Falkland Islands.

St Helena Research Institute

The St Helena Research Institute (SHRI) is a collaborative organization founded on St Helena creating and promoting opportunities for research, ensuring research and new knowledge is accessible and used for the benefit of St Helena. Established under the Lifelong Learning Sector of the Education and Employment Directorate, we work to build and maintain effective partnerships and networks, locally and internationally, to support and conduct research. The St Helena Research Institute is part of a growing network of Research Institutes across the South Atlantic and UK Overseas Territories, generating and sharing knowledge for the benefit of the Overseas Territories.

Ministry of Economic Development Curaçao

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.

Primo Energy

Primo Energy was founded in 2013 to provide “Last Mile” power. We have learned that sometime Last Mile is in our own backyard. We design and build hybrid energy platforms using wind, solar, and battery storage. Our products are easily be erected and can be fitted with lights, USB charging, WIFI extension, AC power and more. Distributed power can provide energy for remote locations, island territories, and disaster relief. With typical island resources of good wind and solar, our EnergiTree is the most efficient way to provide power.
Virtual Island Summit 2020 Session Recordings
FEATURED SPEAKERS

Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu

High Representative, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, United Nations

Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu is the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. She assumed her role in May 2017.

Ms. ‘Utoikamanu is responsible for monitoring and following up on the implementation of all three Programmes of Action under the purview of UN-OHRLLS. She is also called on to advocate for the issues and concerns of these vulnerable countries as well as to ensure their integration into and coherence with global processes, including those related to the 2030 Agenda and other global development frameworks. Ms. ‘Utoikamanu also coordinates advocacy work related to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in forums and platforms outside the United Nations.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Ms. ‘Utoikamanu was Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Tourism, Tonga; Acting Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the Council of the University of the South Pacific (2015); Deputy Pro-Chancellor and Deputy Chair of the Council of the University of the South Pacific (2009-2016); Deputy Director General and Director of Education, Training and Human Development of the Secretariat of Pacific Community (2009-2015); Permanent Representative and Ambassador of the Government of Tonga to the United Nations, United States of America, Cuba and Venezuela and High Commissioner to Canada (2005-2009); and Secretary for Foreign Affairs and European Commission’s National Authorizing Officer for Tonga (2002-2005).

A Tongan national, Ms. ‘Utoikamanu speaks Tongan and English. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics (1980) and a Masters in Commerce in Economics (1983) from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu

High Representative, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, United Nations

The Honourable Frank Bainimarama

Prime Minister, Fiji

Frank Bainimarama has been the Fijian Prime Minister since 2007. Under his leadership, Fiji has undergone a broad program of social, economic, electoral and constitutional reforms, leading up to the establishment of Fiji’s first genuine parliamentary democracy of equal votes of equal value in 2014.

The Prime Minister is one of the leading global voices calling on the international community to commit to more ambitious targets to curb the carbon emissions that are warming our planet. Joining his fellow leaders from the Pacific, he is committed to drawing global attention to the impact climate change is having on vulnerable communities, including Pacific Islanders and the residents of other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and low-lying areas of the world.

Under his leadership, Fiji was the first country to ratify the Paris Agreement. It has also offered to give permanent refuge to the people of Kiribati and Tuvalu should their countries become uninhabitable due to rising sea levels. The Prime Minister has issued a worldwide call for every level of government, every section of civil society, and all businesses great and small to join him in forging a “Grand Coalition” to defend the collective agenda and increase the momentum for change, with a particular focus on climate adaptation and building resilience.

The Prime Minister was born in Suva and educated at Marist Brothers High School in the capital. He enlisted in the Royal Fiji Military Forces Naval Division as an Ordinary Seaman in 1975 and was commissioned from the ranks as an Ensign in 1977. He assumed the appointment of Chief of Staff of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces in October 1997. Later, he was appointed Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and promoted Commodore on 01 March 1999.

Session: Grand Opening - Eastern Hemisphere.

The Honourable Frank Bainimarama

Prime Minister, Fiji

Dr. The Honourable Ralph Everard Gonsalves

Prime Minister, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Dr. The Honourable Ralph Everard Gonsalves, Political Leader of the Unity Labour Party (ULP), was appointed by His Excellency the Governor-General to the Office of Leader of the Opposition with effect from October 1, 1999. Dr. Gonsalves succeeded the distinguished statesman, the Honourable Vincent Ian Beache, who voluntarily demitted that Office. On December 6, 1998, Dr. Gonsalves was elected Political Leader of the ULP in succession, to Mr. Beache. He is now into his third term as Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, his Unity Labour Party (ULP) having successfully contested the General Elections of 2001, 2005 and 2010.

Session: Grand Opening - Western Hemisphere.

Dr. The Honourable Ralph Everard Gonsalves

Prime Minister, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Grace O'Sullivan MEP

Member of the European Parliament, Republic of Ireland

My vision: My overarching vision is for a fairer, more equitable Ireland, where the most vulnerable in society are given top priority in all political decision making.

What I stand for: I stand for access and equality of opportunity. As a mother and ecologist I want my three children to grow up in an ecologically sound country that will recognise their various abilities and be a safe and secure place to live. I want all people, whatever their ability or background, to have a reasonable expectation of a living wage and a roof over their heads.

My priorities: My number one priority is people and the well being of society in general. If we are thriving as individuals, the country, too, is healthier. “Your health is your wealth” is more than a catchy adage. Human health and the health of the environment underpin our ability to survive and are a priority for me. I want to see housing policy and property development that puts the needs of people first – a core principle in providing a decent quality of life for all.
Prioritising the protection of the natural world – air, sea, and land – whilst creating sustainable, green jobs for life.

My experience I’m a mother of three, an ecologist, and an environmental education specialist. I’m a former Greenpeace activist, a former Irish surf champion, and a green entrepreneur. Having grown up in Tramore, Co. Waterford, I’ve been a lifelong nature-enthusiast and environmentalist, with a particular love of the sea. Two years ago I was honoured to be elected as a member of Seanad Éireann. Since entering the world of politics I have worked within committees and on the ground in a number of key areas with an ecological and human dimension to them, tackling environmental and social issues head-on, with passion and dedication.

Session: Technology and Innovation Policy for Island Sustainability.

Grace O’Sullivan MEP

Member of the European Parliament, Republic of Ireland

His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali

President, Guyana

Dr. Hon. Mohamed Irfaan Ali is a Guyanese politician, sitting Member of Parliament and a former Minister of Housing in Guyana. Ali was elected Presidential Candidate for the People's Progressive Party on January 19, 2019.

EARLY LIFE & EDUCATION
Ali was born in Leonora, a village in the West Coast Demarara region of Guyana. The child of two educators and one of two sons, Ali also spent much of his formative years on the island of Leguan. He is a past student of the Leonora Nursery and Primary schools and Cornelia Ida Primary. Ali completed his secondary education at St. Stanislaus College in Georgetown, Guyana. He holds a doctorate in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of the West Indies.

PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Ali served as Project Manager of the Caribbean Development Bank's Project Implementation Unit in the Ministry of Finance and Senior Planner in the State Planning Secretariat.

POLITICAL CAREER
Ali became a member of the National Assembly of Guyana in 2006. He was subsequently appointed to the portfolios of Minister of Housing and Water and Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce.

During his tenure as Minister, Ali performed the functions of President and Prime Minister on separate occasions. In 2015, the People's Progressive Party (PPP/C) went into opposition during which time he served as chair of the Public Accounts Committee and co-chair the Economic Services Committee of the Parliament of Guyana.

Session: Grand Opening - Western Hemisphere.

His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali

President, Guyana

Alexa Lightbourne

Special Advisor to the Premier of Bermuda, Government of Bermuda

A seasoned management professional, Alexa Lightbourne currently serves as a Special Advisor to the Premier of Bermuda. Her previous government experience included serving as a Policy Analyst in the Ministry of Health.

In the political sphere, she managed the Progressive Labour Party's successful 2017 general election campaign in Bermuda and was involved as a campaign consultant with political parties in Antigua & Barbuda, St. Kitts & Nevis and Grenada. She also worked on President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign for President.

In the corporate sector, she was a consultant with Deloitte and worked on a number of private sector management projects. Ms. Lightbourne holds an LLB from the University of Westminster.

Session: Democracy in the Islands: Political, Issue & Public Affairs Campaigns.

Alexa Lightbourne

Special Advisor to the Premier of Bermuda, Government of Bermuda

Benito Wheatley

Special Envoy, British Virgin Islands Government

Benito Wheatley is the Special Envoy of the Premier and British Virgin Islands (BVI) Government Advisor on International Relations, with a particular focus on the United Kingdom (UK), European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN).

He was formerly the BVI Representative to the UK and EU during which time he served as the Territory’s chief diplomat and Director of the BVI London Office, as well as Senior International Strategist for the Premier’s Office with responsibility for UN and the Commonwealth.

Benito is a member of the prestigious International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and AMLP Forum—The Financial Crime and Corruption Association.

He holds a Master of Science degree in Diplomacy and International Strategy from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Morehouse College.

He has represented the BVI in numerous international fora on a range of subjects such as financial services, climate change, biodiversity, hurricane recovery and constitutional relations, among other things.

Session: Overseas Territories after Brexit: Opportunities and Challenges of being part of ‘Global Britain’.

Benito Wheatley

Special Envoy, British Virgin Islands Government

Lisa Hanna MP

Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade, The People's National Party

As a 14 year old, she co-hosted, for 4 years, the Jamaican TV Talk Show named “Rappin” that exposed youth views and inculcated in her empathy for all youth. She was Queens High School Head Girl and UNDP appointee as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. In 1993, she won the Miss Jamaica World and Miss World Titles.

She’s a Karate black belt and a Karate Instructor and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communications from University of the West Indies (UWI). Her leadership qualities shone during her stint at UWI when, as a final year undergraduate, she conceptualized and raised funds to build a much needed Computer Lab for the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. She also served as External Affairs Chairperson for the Student Government.

Lisa Hanna became Jamaica’s youngest female Member of Parliament when she was elected in 2007 to represent South-East St. Ann. She has twice been re-elected. She was also Chairperson of her Party’s Region One between 2008-2016 and Youth and Culture Minister from 2012-2016.

In 2013 under her leadership she formed an Inter- Ministerial Committee for Children which involved all relevant Ministries, The Office of the Children’s Advocate; and other State Agencies that worked with Children. This approach yielded great results including the separation of children from Adult Correctional Facilities and police lock ups, the introduction of the Arts For Life Programme at the South Camp Facility for Girls to teach drama, dance and art, the allocation of increased resources to help find missing children under the Ananda Alert System, a 50% reduction in violence in schools under the Safe Schools Programme, more children being removed from state care to family environments, the removal of children being locked up for uncontrollable behaviour, the introduction of the Smiles Mobile Unit to help children with counseling, additional resources to build child friendly spaces at police stations across the country, the introduction of the Children’s Advisory Panel and the implementation of The Keating Report to name a few.

The UN acknowledged these achievements and as a result, Marta Santos Pais, UN Secretary General's Special Advisor on Children and Violence travelled to Jamaica to host the first ever regional conference discuss best practices and solutions for countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.

By 2014 Jamaica recorded solid progress at UNICEF, especially with finding solutions to persistent problems involving child rights. Jamaica’s success, particularly in the way we turned around our approaches to children in lockups and correctional facilities, resonated globally through the walls of the UN. From our interventions and programmes, Jamaica moved up 52 places in the most recent UNICEF Kids Rights Index, to be ranked 51 out of 163 countries globally.

As Minister, she also spearheaded the successful lobby for Jamaica’s first ever election to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee leading to Jamaica’s Blue and John Crow Mountains’ dedication as an official World Heritage Site.

She currently serves as the Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

She is Treasurer of the People's National Party (PNP)

She’s Married to Richard Lake and is Mother to Alexander Panton.

Lisa Hanna MP

Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade, The People’s National Party

Celeste Connors

Executive Director, Hawai'i Green Growth Local2030 Hub

Celeste Connors has twenty years of experience working at the intersection of economic, environment, energy, and international development policy. Before joining Hawai‘i Green Growth, she was CEO and co-founder of cdots development LLC, and served as the Director for Environment and Climate Change at the National Security Council and National Economic Council in the White House where she helped shape the Administration’s climate and energy policies, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Celeste also served as a diplomat in Saudi Arabia, Greece, Germany, and U.S. Mission to the UN. Celeste is a Senior Adjunct Fellow at the East-West Center. Celeste has served on numerous boards including her current service on Hawaiian Electric Industries, the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA), the Institute for Sustainability and Resilience at the University of Hawaii and Icebreaker One. Celeste grew up in Kailua, O‘ahu.

Session: Plenary Session - Island Collaboration and Planning for the Future.

Celeste Connors

Executive Director, Hawai’i Green Growth Local2030 Hub

Marisol Andrade Cárdenas

Mayor, Municipality of Porvenir, Tierra del Fuego

Marisol Andrade Cárdenas, was born on August 23, 1962, in the Porvenir Commune, Tierra del Fuego Province, near Chile.
Basic studies carried out at the Bernardo O’Higgins School, secondary education is carried out at the Higher Institute of Commerce, with the title of Accountant; In the city of Punta Arenas, in the same city, she carries out higher education at the University of Magallanes, graduating as an Accountant Auditor.

In the workplace, she worked at Hospital de Porvenir, Head of the Accounting Department and in the Provincial Government of Tierra del Fuego, position, Head of Administration and Finance. She currently holds the position of Mayor of Porvenir.

Session: Local Government Roundtable (Sesión en Español)

Marisol Andrade Cárdenas

Mayor, Municipality of Porvenir, Tierra del Fuego

Pedro Pablo Edmunds Paoa

Mayor, Municipality of Rapa Nui

Pedro Edmunds Paoa has been Mayor of Easter Island for six terms and is a member of the Council of Elders and Honui, which groups together the Rapa Nui clans.

As a Culture Manager and Leader, he participated in the first genealogical research of the Rapa Nui people, in language conservation projects, in toponymy studies and in the projection of the Indigenous Law, which recognized the original peoples of the country.

As a participant in various seminars worldwide and the creator of the LOVE Plan, with its components being Self-Sustainability, Continuous Improvements, Resource Optimization and Respect, Pedro promoted an alliance with the United Nations, making Easter Island a mirror territory of the application of the 2030 Agenda, the basis of the work carried out by the municipality during the pandemic, reaching a territory without coronavirus and establishing itself as the first commune to return to classes.

Session: Local Government Roundtable (Sesión en Español)

Pedro Pablo Edmunds Paoa

Mayor, Municipality of Rapa Nui

Hon. Lourdes "Lou" A. Leon Guerrero

Governor of Guam

Lourdes “Lou” Aflague Leon Guerrero is one of three children born to the late Jesus S. Leon Guerrero and Eugenia A. Leon Guerrero. Along with her brothers Tony and Jesse, she learned from her parents the importance of hard work, compassion, and the responsibility we all have to give back to our community.

A graduate of the Academy of Our Lady of Guam, Lou embarked on a career in nursing, securing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from California State University, and later a Masters of Public Health from UCLA. She has worked as a staff nurse in hospitals in both California and Guam. Lou also has held several management positions in health care at both the Guam Memorial Hospital and FHP Inc., as well as serving on the GMHA Board of Trustees. To this day, Lou continues to be passionate about health care and has maintained her licensure as a registered nurse.

In 1994, Lou was elected to the first of five terms in the Guam Legislature. As a Senator, Lou held the posts of Majority Leader as well as Chair of the Rules and Health Committees. Among her achievements are laws creating the Healthy Futures Fund and banning smoking in restaurants and bars.

With the passing of her brother Tony, Lou assumed the helm at the Bank of Guam as its new CEO and President. Under her leadership, the Bank of Guam doubled its assets to become a $2 billion enterprise. Lou has also served on the boards of many civic organizations. In particular, Lou is a founding member, past board member and past President of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Her many awards and honors include Guam Business Magazine’s 2010 Executive of the Year, SBA –Women in Business Champion, AOLG Hall of Fame and American Nurses Association Excellence in Nursing award.

Lou is married to Attorney Jeff Cook and they have two children and seven grandchildren.

Session: Grand Opening - Eastern Hemisphere.

Hon. Lourdes “Lou” A. Leon Guerrero

Governor of Guam

The Honourable Enele Sopoaga

Former Prime Minister of Tuvalu and Current Leader of Opposition

The Hon Enele Sosene Sopoaga is the former Prime Minister of Tuvalu and current Leader of Opposition. Hon. Sopoaga holds a Master of Arts in International Relations, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom. He was born on the 10th February 1956. Below is a summary of Hon. Sopoaga's skills and experience:

Extensive foreign policy analytical and application skills
Development and management of Tuvalu’s diplomatic relations for over twenty years:
foreign policy analysis and implementation, bilateral negotiations, multilateral negotiations, representation in conferences and implementation strategies.

National Sectoral planning skills
Project design, implementation and management. Negotiations and donor co-operation.
Analysis and implementation of macroeconomic policies and aspects of fiscal policies.

Sustainable development experience
Over thirty years of practical work experience both at the local and regional level in thePacific, and management of regional and international affairs and development issues which affect small-island developing States. Extensive involvement in high-level negotiations with development partners on development assistance programmes; advocacy and negotiations on climate change and global warming issues particularly mitigation and adaptation to their adverse effects.

The Honourable Enele Sopoaga

Former Prime Minister of Tuvalu and Current Leader of Opposition

His Excellency David W. Panuelo

President of the Federated States of Micronesia

His Excellency David W. Panuelo is the Ninth President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).

Born April 13, 1964, Panuelo completed his early education on his home island of Pohnpei, and continued his education in the United States of America where he received his Bachelor’s in Political Science from Eastern Oregon University in 1987. Panuelo returned to his beloved home and, aspiring to serve the Nation and its citizens, started his career with the FSM National Government in the Department of Foreign Affairs as a Foreign Service Officer. A year later, he was confirmed as the Deputy Ambassador for the FSM Embassy to Fiji where he served until 1993 where, upon his return to Palikir, he was re-appointed to serve his Nation in the same role at the FSM Mission to the United Nations from 1993 through 1996.

After nearly a decade serving the FSM abroad, Panuelo returned home and, having been recognized as deep, strategic, and passionate thinker, was immediately offered a Cabinet position in the Pohnpei State Government, which he accepted so as to address more focused and pragmatic issues at the state level. In 1997, Panuelo was named the Director of the Department of Resource Management and Development for the State of Pohnpei and, for the next four years, devoted his energy and cross-cultural experiences to enhance the development of resources in Pohnpei, correlating with Pohnpei’s increased GDP per capita. At the end of the Administration in 2000/2001, he returned to the FSM Department of Foreign Affairs and served as the Assistant Secretary for the Division of American and European Affairs.

In 2003, Panuelo—recalling the Government’s desire to grow the private sector and create jobs for the citizens of the Nation—resigned from government work to re-direct his energy and efforts to the development of the private sector. For the next seven years, Panuelo established various businesses ranging from construction to human services, including the non-profit Care Micronesia Foundation.

Having demonstrated to himself that the FSM is capable of sustaining a healthy private sector, Panuelo entered his name in the national elections of 2011 with the goal of developing the Nation’s economy and human capacity.

On May 11th, 2011, Panuelo was seated as Pohnpei State’s two-year Senator from Congressional District Three to the 17th Congress, and was re-elected unopposed in 2013 and 2015. During the special election of 2015, Panuelo entered the race for, and was seated, as the State of Pohnpei’s four-year at-large representative to the 19th Congress, which he maintained into the 20th Congress.

Panuelo campaigned for the March 5th, 2019 election for the State of Pohnpei’s at-large seat for the 21st Congress, highlighting his various service-centered and people-centered accomplishments—including growing the FSM Trust Fund from $11,000,000 to more than $250,000,000—and on May 11th, 2019, Panuelo was elected by the 21st Congress of the FSM to serve as the Nation’s ninth President.

Panuelo is the loving father of five beautiful children and seven equally beautiful grandchildren.

His Excellency David W. Panuelo

President of the Federated States of Micronesia

Ovais Sarmad

Deputy Executive Secretary, UNFCCC

Mr. Ovais Sarmad joined the United Nations Climate Change secretariat (UNFCCC) on 1 September 2017.

Mr. Sarmad advises the Executive Secretary on a range of issues relating to the inter-governmental affairs and strategic planning of the UNFCCC process. He provides oversight to the overall operations of the UNFCCC covering human and financial resources as well as organizational development.

Previously he served as Chief of Staff/Chef de Cabinet at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva. Mr. Sarmad worked in several management and policy capacities in IOM over a period of 27 years. Prior to IOM, he worked in the private and public sectors in London, where he qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). He graduated from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India, as a Bachelor of Commerce.

He is married to a Spanish national and has two boys.

Session: Plenary Session - Island Collaboration and Planning for the Future.

Ovais Sarmad

Deputy Executive Secretary, UNFCCC

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