safety steps

AUA, 14 th April, 2023…With just over a month to go before Antigua and Barbuda welcomes hundreds of delegates for the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States, an intense period of training is underway to prepare volunteers for their various roles in helping to make the conference a success.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been managing the volunteer initiative, which is integral to the overall successful coordination of the conference.

There was a massive response to a recruitment drive some months ago as scores of Antiguans and Barbudans responded to a call to enlist as volunteers with the SIDS4 Conference.

The Ministry’s Protocols Office, under the guidance of its Chief of Protocols Karen Cabrall, is now leading a series of training exercises that are all geared at fully preparing the volunteers for their responsibilities during the May 27 – 30 international conference. The UK Government, an important partner in the overall effort, facilitated a virtual Train the Trainer exercise last week.

The orientation sessions for the wider group kicked into high gear on Saturday as just under 200 of the selected volunteers packed one of the meeting rooms at the American University of Antigua, the venue for the SIDS4 Conference, to be taken through a series of modules aimed at providing them with the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding of their respective roles.

The main facilitator was Anika Kentish, an experienced trainer, who carried the selected volunteers through the various paces specifically designed to ensure that all levels of the conference benefit from the knowledgeable and nimble support of a responsive and enthusiastic group of individuals.

Sessions were split into segments that allowed participants to ask questions and fully engage in role playing activities that brought to life various potential situations that could develop during the conference.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be leading another series of training activities this week, this time targeting the Protocol Officers who will be part of the coordinating mechanism for the conference.