SIDS4: Stage is Set for Policymaking History in Antigua & Barbuda

Policymakers from 57 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and associate member states will be present in Antigua & Barbuda between 27-30 May as they craft a set of sustainable development frameworks that will dictate the next decade of policy making. The Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) aims to assess the ability of SIDS to achieve sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Goals.

Over four days, leaders from SIDS and beyond will gather in a spirit of solidarity and solutions with the private sector, civil society, and young people to advance new ideas, raise new pledges of support, spur delivery on agreed commitments, and seek to deliver specific initiatives and concrete deliverables to address SIDS-specific challenges including the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and debt.

Following the conference, a new ten-year plan will be unveiled that will outline impactful policy frameworks aimed at helping SIDS build resilience and develop their economies.

SIDS4 provides an opportunity for island nations to set their own targets and goals, instead of via larger policymaking conferences such as the UN’s climate summits (COP) where the voices of island communities have historically held less weight despite being on the frontlines of climate change. While there has been an increase in visibility in recent years, island leaders have used COPs to call for more ambitious goal-setting from the global community, leaning on science, innovation, and best practice in resilience-building, mitigation and adaptation.

Where COPs have stalled or offered incremental change, expect SIDS4 to yield more progressive and committed action. Speaking at a pre-SIDS4 workshop in Samoa, AOSIS Chair Peseta Noumea Simi noted, “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.”

At a similar workshop in New York, 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.”

The stage is set for important decisions to be made in Antigua & Barbuda.

As a company and platform focused on sustainable development and innovation in island communities around the world, Island Innovation will be actively participating on the ground at SIDS4. Already involved in pre-conference meetings such as the SIDS Future Forum, as well as COP, the Island Innovation team will be hosting several side events at SIDS4 in addition to providing expert insights to its network. Interested in following the deliberations and the outcomes? Register to receive updates on SIDS4.