SAINT LUCIA, May 26 (IPS) – The International Conference on Small Island Developing States is held every 10 years, with the upcoming SIDS4 event scheduled for Antigua and Barbuda. IPS is on the ground covering the event as 39 SIDS around the world prepare survival plans in the face of climate change. Representatives from small island developing States (SIDS) around the world are meeting in Antigua and Barbuda to plan their next strategy. 10 years.
The Small Island Developing States Conference is held every 10 years. This year will be our fourth meeting. Known as SIDS4, the theme of the May 27-30 conference is: chart a course towards resilient prosperity; It has enormous implications for the future of 39 SIDS around the world.
Despite their minimal contribution to climate change, SIDS are particularly vulnerable to its impacts. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change warns that without mitigation and adaptation measures, the effects of climate change could make these islands uninhabitable.
SIDS have limited financial, technical and institutional resources, hindering their ability to effectively mitigate and adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. Leaders such as Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley have continued to appeal to the global community for innovative financing mechanisms for SIDS and special agreements, such as temporary debt service moratoriums in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters.
SIDS4 will explore opportunities for collective action.
“These 39 small islands, home to about 65 million people, are stewards of the ocean and gatekeepers of some of Earth’s most important biodiversity. But these countries are grappling with a series of overlapping crises that threaten their very existence,” Rabab Fatima, the UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing States and Small Island Developing States, said in a May 24 statement.
“The case for ensuring strengthened global support for these vulnerable island nations is clear. This means building more sustainable economies, building greater resilience to climate change, creating cutting-edge early warning systems for all and protecting biodiversity. This not only generates revenue through SIDS-related industries, but also helps prevent additional costs that may arise due to climate change, soil erosion, pollution, flooding or natural disasters.”
The SIDS High Representative, who is also a Special Advisor to SIDS4, emphasized the need for ‘collective strength, partnerships and cooperation’ to help SIDS overcome their challenges.
“Everyone has a role to play to ensure that the SIDS4 conference is a huge success and a truly innovative event,” she said.
In some ways, the SIDS conference is the Conference of the Parties (COP) of small island developing states. All countries will attend the summit. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to speak at the opening ceremony. All major UN organizations will attend the event, along with the world’s largest development banks, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and youth and gender advocates. The conference calendar lists over 170 side events.
SIDS are located in the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and South China Seas. In addition to the 39 UN member states, it represents 18 associate member states. The UNFCCC states that the international community has long recognized that SIDS are unique cases requiring special attention and support to address their specific needs and concerns.
In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing the potential adverse impacts of rising sea levels on islands and low-lying coastal areas. In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development approved Agenda 21, a broad action plan for sustainable development that emphasized SIDS and called on the international community to consider the vulnerabilities inherent in SIDS.
SIDS4, from 27 to 20 May, is a critical moment for these countries as they plan for the next decade. SIDS will attempt to establish global policies to increase resilience amid ongoing environmental, economic and social challenges through its new 10-year action plan, the Antigua and Barbuda SIDS Agenda (ABAS).
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