During the second meeting of the Board of Trustees, members agreed that a regionally representative panel of eminent persons be appointed by the Network, following recommendations by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the World Bank, in order to draft a provisional Work Programme of the Network and to carry out a consultation process relating to the same Work Programme.  

Following consultation with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the World Bank, as well as with the members of the Board of Trustees, the Chair appointed a panel composed of the following persons:
  • Hon Owen Arthur, former Prime Minister of Barbados (Head of Panel),
  • Hon Michael Frendo, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta, who will conduct the consultation process among small states in Asia, Europe and the Indian Ocean;
  • Mr Dumisani Masilela, Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Swaziland, who will conduct the consultation process among African Small States;
  • Mr Kolone Vaai, Former Financial Secretary for Government of Samoa, who will conduct the consultation process among the Pacific Small States; and
  • Sir Dwight Venner, Governor of the eastern Caribbean Central Bank, who will conduct the consultation process among Caribbean Small States.

After a preliminary review of relevant documents, the panel (with the exception of  Mr. Masilela who joined the panel at the beginning of July) met in London, June 19-20, to compare first thoughts and set out the broad parameters of a selective work programme that could meet the needs of all the Network’s regions.  At the London meeting, the panel was joined by the Chair and Secretary of the Network.  
 
SSNED

The panel of eminent persons at the London meeting. Front row:  Hon Michael Frendo, Hon Owen Arthur, Sir Dwight Venner. Back row Mr Kolone Vaai. Mr Dumisani Masalela joined the panel at a later stage. Professor Briguglio (front second from left) and Mr Henry Chase (back on the right) assisted the panel in their deliberations.

The discussion focused on the provision of support services in the following areas of activity:
  • public sector institution building, principally aimed at modernizing the economy and facilitating participation in the world economy
  • private sector development, principally aimed at developing institutional capacity needed to promote competitiveness
  • private-public partnerships, aimed at adopting business methods in the efficient provision of services that have traditionally been provided by the public sector
  • environmental mitigation, adaptation, and risk reduction
  • education and training on issues of major concern for small states.
The first draft of the work programme was prepared by the panel members during the last week of June 2008.

During July and August 2008, the panel of eminent persons carried out an extensive consultation process involving the small states in the region and a number of regional organisations. On the basis of the input from the governments and the organisations consulted, the panel drew up a revised draft of the work programme. This draft was further reviewed by the World Bank and the Commonwealth Secretariat in consultation with the Chair of the SSNED, and the  reviewed work programme was approved by the Board of Trustees at its third meeting  held in Washington on 10 October 2008.