SIDS Future Forum
The SIDS Future Forum 2024 had marked a pivotal moment for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Held just before the crucial Fourth International Conference on SIDS (SIDS4), this groundbreaking event brought together policymakers, development partners, academics, and researchers in a collaborative effort. Their mission: to shape the next 10-year agenda for SIDS.
As Conference Secretary-General Li had emphasized, SIDS4 required an “actionable, doable, and ambitious” roadmap. The SIDS Future Forum tackled this challenge head-on, addressing critical issues that had plagued SIDS – unsustainable debt, declining productivity, devastating climate events, and limited access to climate finance.
The discussions were underpinned by 12 cutting-edge research papers commissioned by the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI). These papers delved into key thematic areas, including building resilient economies, fostering safe and prosperous societies, securing a sustainable future, protecting the environment, and identifying means of implementation.
But the SIDS Future Forum went beyond research presentations. It had been an opportunity for active engagement with leading experts, a chance to shape the future of SIDS. Through collaborative dialogue and knowledge exchange, participants had aimed to close knowledge gaps and identify pathways towards ambitious outcomes by 2034.
