From the Pacific to the Caribbean, there is a palpable shift in the air as both regions forge new sustainable development trajectories. The end of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) last month saw the world’s islands take stock of their development and agree on the frameworks for the next ten years of policy.
The once-in-a-decade conference, this time held in Antigua and Barbuda, was a showcase of expertise, resilience, and innovation in action. It highlighted that despite the complex situations islanders find themselves in around the world, there is a level of solidarity and collaboration between these communities that enables them to lean on one another for knowledge and support.
Heading into SIDS4, the Pacific Island Development Forum (PIDF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), alongside several international partners, wrapped up a successful solar project that spanned 10 Pacific nations — exemplifying the regional and international cooperation needed to maximize sustainable development.
A $1.3 million USD programme funded by the Government of India aimed at highlighting the benefits of solar energy and providing training for green jobs, the “Solarization of Residences of Pacific Heads of State Project” saw 12 public buildings in the region equipped with solar panels. This included the official residences or offices of the governments of the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Nauru saw panels installed on the island’s Dialysis Center, as did Tonga’s National Women’s Council.