A Government representative is participating in a meeting of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to discuss environmental and economic issues facing the islands.Dr Derrick Binns, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Planning, is attending the meeting in Barbados along with representatives from small islands around the world.He said Bermuda can benefit from discussing its challenges with other small islands.“There is great value in attending regional and international meetings such as these which give us a voice on issues that will ultimately impact us,” Mr Binns said.“We recognise that the issues that we face are not unique to us,” he added. “Other SIDS have the same challenges as us regarding debt, energy security, climate change, youth, labour, etc and to be able to discuss these issues and produce ideas and solutions in formats such as these is simply invaluable.”Mr Binns also noted the shared interest SIDS have in environmental issues and efforts to resolve them.“There is also tremendous interest among other SIDS in both the Blue Economy and the Green Economy, as there is here in Bermuda,” he said. “In fact, Bermuda’s efforts to protect the seas around us are consistent with objectives of the SIDS.”“Our Ministry’s efforts to create a new Agriculture Strategy, to protect our environment, to address climate change, are all critical efforts that we must continue in an effort to make us sustainable.”The meeting has been entirely funded by the United Nations.It is designed to prepare for the Third International Conference of Small Island Developing States, which will take place in Samoa in September 2014.