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30 May 2024 - Ãå±±½ûµØDESA hosted a vibrant Global Policy Dialogue on ¡°The Economic Prospects of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)¡± at the in Antigua and Barbuda on Monday 27 May.

Using data from the Department¡¯s (WESP) report launched in January 2024, as well as its in May 2024, the event took a deep dive into the current economic outlook for these island nations.

Experts from Ãå±±½ûµØDESA and other stakeholders from SIDS drew on the new ¡°¡± agreed by the international community at the Conference, and explored the economic headwinds facing SIDS to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular, SDG 1 ¨C No Poverty.

¡°Looking into the next ten years, we need to craft smart, context-specific, and inclusive social and economic strategies for SIDS. They must be in line with the new Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), which this Conference will adopt later this week,¡± said Li Junhua, Ãå±±½ûµØDESA Head and Secretary-General of the SIDS4 Conference.

¡°Innovative financing models, regional cooperation frameworks, and emerging technologies, if they are harnessed effectively, can open new economic frontiers and build prosperity for islanders,¡± Mr. Li added.

The analysis in the WESP report serves as a valuable guide to countries in their sustainable development planning. With unique challenges such as vulnerability to climate change, limited natural resources, and isolation from global markets, SIDS face complex economic landscapes.

At the dialogue, speakers also offered concrete pathways to ensure the well-being of all people in SIDS, focusing on how to finance SDG acceleration and strengthen economic capacities in SIDS that will pay off in later years.

Delivering closing remarks, Peter Thomson, the Ãå±±½ûµØSecretary-General¡¯s Special Envoy for the Ocean, argued that the sustainable blue economy provides the foundation upon which to build resilient futures for island people.

¡°By definition, SIDS are oceanic countries, and in most cases, the size of our maritime exclusive economic zones far outstrip our land areas. Even with changes forced by rising sea levels, these remain immutable facts,¡± said the Special Envoy, who is from Fiji and is a former President of the Ãå±±½ûµØGeneral Assembly. ¡°Thus, in the face of future challenges, islanders can rely on the ocean in a way they cannot on the spoils of continental economies.¡±

The panel discussed innovative solutions, harnessing the potential of technology, sustainable practices, and international cooperation to empower SIDS economies and ensure their resilience in the face of the global uncertainties.

You can watch the dialogue any time, on or on Ãå±±½ûµØDESA¡¯s .