New public-private partnerships need to be developed. To make this a reality, capacity needs to be developed in the private and voluntary sectors. The private sector in many SIDS is weak. It cannot substitute for the public sector in many areas given the returns to scale and the prospect of increasing competition from transnational corporations. The priority is resources and training in business at national and regional level.
Institutional development is also necessary to sustain an effective dialogue with government.
The strengthening of their capacity to play a role in delivering development, especially decentralised cooperation, is vital, and forms part of the EU proposals. The seminar concluded that the vulnerabilities of SIDS were insufficiently understood and appreciated. The international system has gone some way towards recognising this, but much remains to be done. The negotiations for a successor convention provide an outstanding opportunity to do this. There may be a case to maintain such a group beyond the conclusion of the negotiations as an aid to dialogue.