The international community must fulfil its promises to provide greater financial support to small island countries at the frontline of climate change.
This was the main rallying call at the [Leaders’ Summit of the Small Island Developing States [SIDS] on Climate Change](https://www.youtube.com/live/psjaDc1PqkQ), jointly convened by the COP29 Presidency and Commonwealth Secretariat, in Baku today.
The summit was told that, despite contributing the least to the climate crisis, SIDS are grappling with a relentless assault from extreme weather, floods and cyclones, among other impacts from the climate crisis. These climate change-induced weather events can destroy decades of development and infrastructure gains and often burden SIDS with mounting debt.
The summit, chaired by the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, was attended by HE Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General.
Secretary-General Scotland spoke of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s actions to help small and other vulnerable states tackle the climate crisis.