The countdown started with years, months, weeks and now there are only hours left before the beginning of the Third United Nations Small Island Developing States (S.I.D.S) Conference.
As of yesterday, delegates and meeting participants were busy running last minute errands, to ensure everything is in place before the show starts.
Among them were officials from the Republic of Maldives, whom the Weekend Observer caught up with while they were setting up a stall inside the S.I.D.S village.
A country with 1,100 islands floating in the Indian Ocean, the delegates are keen to promote their country through handicrafts while they are in Apia.
Speaking to the Weekend Observer, Assistant Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mariyam Midhfa Naeem, said 200 of the islands in the Maldives are inhabited.
Ms Naeem explained that the people of the Maldives use a dhoni, an indigenously designed sailboat to get from island to island.
She said some islands are used for agriculture purposes and others are specifically for tourist attractions.
“The islands are so much smaller but we have a population of 350,000 people,” she said.
So what are some of the issues that the Maldives would want to address during the S.I.D.S Conference?
According to the Director General of the Ministry of Environment and Energy in Maldives, Shaheeda Adam Ibrahim, the most important issue for them is fresh water.
Other issues are climate change and sustainable development.
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Ms Ibrahim said fresh water is a priority for their country because of the limited ground water they have access to.
“The majority of the islands drink from desalination water, salt water being treated,” said the Director General.
“While there isn't enough land water, another problem we face is the ground water we have is contaminated. Desalination water is expensive, the same as the process of transporting them from island to island.”
Delegates from Maldives hope that those issues specifically fresh water can be addressed and get ways to overcome their problem.
A member of the International Trade Centre in Geneva, Jarle Hetland is excited about a project the organisation will launch next week Tuesday.
A media officer for I.T.C, Mr Hetland said the project that focuses on women in the Pacific will be launched on Tuesday called Economic Empowerment of Women in the Pacific project.
The organisation sees women as playing a key role in the Pacific economies.
The partnership is to provide businesswomen with the capacity to capitalize on potential opportunities to participate in Samoa’s government procurement.
Other delegates from Tanzania were also making last preparations before the big conference on Monday.
Although the officials from East Africa weren’t authorised to speak to the media, they were happy to say they are ready to voice their concerns and issues in S.I.D.S.
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