H.E. Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Pa’olelei Luteru, Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations and Chair of AOSIS addresses the SIDS Future Forum Credit: AOSIS
Held at the seat of the United Nations in New York at the beginning of March, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Future Forum laid the groundwork for the next ten years of SIDS policies on climate, development, and resilience-building. Set as a prelude to the Fourth International Conference on SIDS (SIDS4) happening in Antigua & Barbuda at the end of May, the Future Forum was a catalyst for conversations between diplomats, researchers, and civil society experts. SIDS4 will lead to the creation of the Antigua & Barbuda Accord, which will outline the decision-making pathways guiding SIDS between 2024-34.
As such, the Future Forum in New York put onus on the latest research and policy developments that can help inform decision-makers. The two-day hybrid event in New York co-hosted by the global affairs think tank ODI, home to the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI), the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), the UK Government, United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), and Island Innovation. In addition to 75 people attending in person, over 500 people attended the event virtually.
Setting the Tone
To steer deliberations, the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI) commissioned 12 policy-oriented research papers, offering cutting-edge analyses on the thematic agendas and challenges delineated in the zero draft of the SIDS4 outcome document, namely: Resilient Economies, Safe and Prosperous Societies, A Secure Future, Environmental Protection and Planetary Sustainability, as well as means of implementation.
Chair of the SIDS Future Forum and Director of RESI, Dr. Emily Wilkinson, urged SIDS and development partners to contemplate “a package of measures of assistance for SIDS” as well as “a strategy for elevating SIDS’ special circumstances in international arenas, including on debt reform. What we need are genuine partnerships and firm commitments from partners to support the implementation of the SIDS agenda,” she emphasized.
Echoing her calls for reform at a larger scale, Tumasie Blair, Antigua & Barbuda’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN added, “Our consultations with diverse partners gravitated towards the innovative ideas put forth by Antigua & Barbuda, advocating for a departure from the conventional approaches typically adopted by the UN towards small states. For the past thirty years, the UN system has faltered in its support for SIDS, but the SIDS Future Forum and SIDS4 present an opportunity for a paradigm shift and a reassessment of perspectives.”
The voices of SIDS communities have been growing on the international stage, especially at the UN’s yearly climate conferences (COP), where broken promises of financial assistance for developing countries have underscored questionable policy choices by major economies. As such, the need for a new approach to resilience building and sustainable development tailored to the needs of developing communities is sorely needed. The SIDS Future Forum highlights that we are on our way to making this a reality, “Antigua & Barbuda’s vision for this ten-year framework is exceedingly audacious,” Blair affirmed.
Road to SIDS4
On top of the discussions held, a synthesis paper providing a comprehensive roadmap for SIDS stakeholders to navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead is set to be released. This will add to the conversations and analysis happening in technical workshops across the world’s islands ahead of SIDS4. Speaking at one such workshop in Samoa, AOSIS Chair Peseta Noumea Simi expressed similar sentiments as those explored at the Future Forum, noting, “2024 presents itself as an important point of departure for our future development. This is where we right our sails. This is where we collectively get it right. The last decade presents a collection of lessons for us to build on.”
All eyes will be on Antigua & Barbuda between May 27-30, as leaders from SIDS and beyond will gather alongside the private sector, civil society, and young people to address SIDS-specific challenges using workable sustainable solutions. Interested in following the deliberations and the outcomes? Register to receive updates on SIDS4.
