Former Prime Minister Sir Lloyd Sandiford was honoured on Monday night for the lead role he played in drawing attention to the issues confronting Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Prime Minister Freundel Stuart presented Sir Lloyd with a plaque in recognition of his foresight and his advancing the interests of SIDS, during a cocktail reception on the first day of a three-day intraregional preparatory meeting on SIDS at Hilton Barbados.
During the presentation ceremony, acting Chief Information Officer at the Barbados Government Information Service, Sharon Lynch, recounted that during his tenure as Prime Minister from 1987 to 1994, Sir Lloyd championed the cause of SIDS, bringing the peculiar issues facing these countries to the attention of the rest of the world through the first SIDS conference in April 1994.
She explained that Sir Lloyd addressed the 1992 United Nations Conference On Environment And Development in Rio, Brazil, where he was elected a vice-president and chaired a session of the conference.
She noted that while presiding over that conference, Sir Lloyd also sought greater flows of resources and higher levels of assistance and cooperation between SIDS and industrialized countries.
“Sir Lloyd’s commitment to the concept of sustainable development among Small Island Developing States, the promotion of the idea of partnerships and collaborations between such nations of sustainable development and his passion for the cause will ever be remembered,” Lynch told the gathering.
She added that Sir Lloyd also placed considerable focus on making contributions to the environment and often spoke of a society that respected the environment, including the physical condition of the land, its vegetation, animal species, the waters on and around it, and its atmosphere.
She noted that his vision was of “a society of healthful people who through their lifestyles and efforts seek to prevent disease, protect and promote health”.
Sir Lloyd served as Barbados’ first resident ambassador to the People’s Republic of China where he oversaw the opening of Barbados’ Embassy there.
During the evening, local and overseas delegates attending the conference were treated to a cultural presentation featuring the tuk band, Barbados Green Monkey, stilt walking and limbo dancing. (BGIS)