The UN and SIDS
The Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) of 1994, a policy document that emerged from a conference mandated by the UN General Assembly, was one of the first steps towards recognising that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have their own peculiar vulnerabilities and characteristics. UN Support for this group of states comes through the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). The office mobilises international support and raises awareness about the economic, social and environmental characteristics of these countries.
Bahrain Opting Out
Notably, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Bahrain was removed from the UN SIDS classification in April 2023 at its own request. The reasons behind this request were not communicated, neither domestically nor on the global stage, despite the potential negative implications for the country. In essence, Bahrain has opted out of the special considerations it had, by acknowledgement of its own Supreme Council for Environment, despite the increased vulnerabilities that it faces and the relatively limited capacities that it has.