The current and looming challenges being faced by Small Island Developing States
(SIDS) are getting the attention of major international agencies and development
partners as Antigua and Barbuda prepares to host the May 27-30 SIDS4
Conference.
In Thailand, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD), the UK Government and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific hosted a workshop type session under the specific theme of “Co-
creating solutions for enhancing capacity strengthening in Small Island Developing
States.”
Some 60 participants, to include representatives from SIDS, development partners,
stakeholders and regional bodies from over 30 countries around the globe
participated in the engaging two-day meeting at the UN Conference Centre in
Bankok last week. The attendees explored ways that development partners can
improve working in SIDS for more sustainable, impactful, and contextualised
capacity strengthening support.
In attendance was Antigua and Barbuda’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the
United Nations Tumasie Blair, who noted the opportunity was a fruitful and
productive exercise in building support for SIDS and for bringing focused attention
on the need for the SIDS4 Conference to deliver the strongest possible outcome.
Delivering remarks as the featured speaker in the opening session of the workshop,
Blair informed attendees on the preparations for the Fourth SIDS Conference and
the anticipated outcomes of the Conference.
“SIDS4, must be seen as a reset, a rethinking and a reinvigorated approach of the
relationship between SIDS and the international community,” Blair stressed.
“When we leave St. John’s, there must be a sense of relief that we, the
international community, got it right, and the next 10-year framework for SIDS,
will be less about promises but more about action,” he further emphasised.
