KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica says regional Small Island Developing States (SIDS) must place high on the agenda of next year’s SIDS conference, the issue of highly indebted countries being categorised as middle income countries.

Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Minister Robert Pickersgill, said that the classification, while indicative of progress, has limited the ability of small island states to access concessionary and development financing.

“The reality is that our categorisation as middle income countries has adversely impacted on our ability to achieve specific sustainable development goals and targets,” he said as he addressed the Caribbean Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 3rd International Conference on SIDS, scheduled for Apia, Samoa in September 2014.