MAXINE PAMELA OMETA MCCLEAN, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, said that in design, delivery and implementation, the post-2015 development agenda must address the unique vulnerabilities and challenges of small island developing States.  It must also make provisions for middle-income countries, which were often overlooked on the presumption that, by virtue of their GDP per capita, they did not require international assistance.  That measure could not be the sole defining criteria for accessing concessionary financing.  The social, economic and environmental vulnerability of countries such as hers must also be taken into account.

On climate change, she said that her country had implemented a cross-sectoral green economy initiative, which prioritized natural resource protection policy intervention, business and investment choice, human development programming and the facilitation of export market development strategies.  However, she added, those efforts to transition to a green economy would be undone if the international community did not take action to address climate change.