Ahead of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) in Antigua and Barbuda, the SIDS Future Forum 2024 gathered policymakers, researchers, development partners and community leaders for a collaborative effort to build a 10-year roadmap for SIDS.
The Forum addressed urgent issues facing SIDS, including debt, declining productivity, climate threats and access to climate finance. Underpinning these discussions were 12 draft research papers – commissioned by the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI) – exploring five key themes: resilient economies; safe societies; secure futures; environmental integrity; and data and implementation.
All 12 papers will be finalised and published on the RESI website ahead of SIDS4, when they will contribute as supporting material/annexes to the next 10-year roadmap for SIDS – the Antigua and Barbua Agenda for SIDS. An outcome document, summarising the solutions developed at the Forum, will also provide recommendations to SIDS4.