James Ellsmoor | SIDS4 offers opportunity to set ambitious tone for global development

Next month, Antigua and Barbuda will be host to a bevy of international diplomats, civil society experts, and policymakers – all working together to define the development pathways of small island developing states (SIDS) for the next decade. Taking place May 27-30, the Fourth International Conference (SIDS4) will be a pivotal moment for island communities the world over.

Key agenda issues such as long-term resilience building and adaptation to climate change, as well as the unique sustainability challenges faced by islanders, are set to be discussed and create the framework for the 2024-34 development plan, the Antigua & Barbuda Accord. SIDS4 comes at a time when the voices of island leaders and their communities are increasingly strengthening on the global stage.

As one of the groups the most affected by climate change, islanders have become more vocal on the international stage in recent years. From addresses by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Tuvalu Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Kofe to the appointment of Grenadian diplomat Simon Stiell as UNFCCC secretary, or innovative blue economy policies adopted in Fiji and Palau – SIDS also stand as beacons of hope, rather than vulnerability.