The Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS-4) will be convened  (May 27-30) in Antigua and Barbuda, North America.

Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS-4) 2024

• Theme: Charting the course toward resilient prosperity
• Aim: To Assess the ability of SIDS to achieve sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. 

About Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a distinct group of 39 States and 18 Associate Members of United Nations regional commissions that face unique social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities.

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• Located: The three geographical regions in which SIDS are located- the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
• Recognition: SIDS were recognized as a special case both for their environment and development at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

Receive Support

• Regional Level: SIDS are supported by inter-governmental organizations, primarily the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC).

• UN Programmes of Action in Support of SIDS: 

  • Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA), 1994: It prescribed specific actions that would enable SIDS to achieve sustainable development. 
    • The Barbados Declaration is a statement of political will underpinning the commitments contained in the BPoA.
• Mauritius Strategy, 2005: The Mauritius Strategy for further implementation of the BPoA was adopted to address remaining gaps in implementation.
• SAMOA Pathway, 2014: It recognizes the adverse impacts of climate change and sea-level rise on SIDS’ efforts to achieve economic development, food security, disaster risk reduction and ocean management, among other challenges. 

Global Environment Facility & SIDS

• The Global Environment Facility has provided $1.9 billion in grant finance to SIDS through national, global, and regional projects. 
• The current GEF-8 funding cycle (2022 – 2026) continues to provide strong support and an emphasis on the needs of SIDS and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

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