SIDS4 Antigua & Barbuda

08/03/2025

Countries that make up Small Island Developing States (SIDS) yesterday rallied in accelerating the pace of implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS).

The ABAS is the outcome document of the groundbreaking 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States, which was held in Antigua and Barbuda last year.

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) convened a one-day retreat of Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of SIDS on Friday to ensure course is maintained in the implementation of the ABAS.

The discussions sparked a robust exchange of ideas that underscore the urgency in addressing the grave issues facing SIDS while charting the way forward over the next few months.

UN-DESA also used the forum, hosted by the Government of Singapore at its Mission in New York, to demonstrate its shared commitment with SIDS in bringing to reality the vision and ideals of the ABAS.

21/02/2025

For the past few years, Tumasie Blair has served as an exemplary champion of the sustainable development cause of SIDS.
He has passionately pursued the necessary and crucial solutions that our islands need to survive and thrive.

His diplomatic savvy, courage and dedication has not only helped to amplify our voices on the global stage but ensured that key initiatives were successfully implemented and brought to fruition.

We owe him a debt of gratitude for his influential role in Antigua and Barbuda’s hosting of the SIDS4 Conference and key outcomes of the ABAS to include the Debt Sustainability Support Services for SIDS and the Centre of Excellence.

Tumasie was a key figure in the negotiations and the crafting of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, which was adopted by the United Nations last August.

Last week, Tumasie’s inspirational journey came to an end as he said farewell to the Antigua and Barbuda Mission to embark on a new journey in his promising professional career.

There was an outpouring of deserving farewell tributes to a remarkable individual who has done so much in championing our cause. His selfless, dedicated and unwavering service will stay with us as a lasting legacy, for which we are truly thankful.

Take good care Tumasie.

12/02/2025

The work is intensifying to fully integrate the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) into the programmes and policies of development and finance partners of SIDS.

The MVI was adopted by the United Nations last August and is seen as a complementary tool available to international financial institutions in assessing a country’s vulnerability beyond the outmoded measurements of GDP per capita.

As the United Nations prepares for its 4th International Conference on Finance for Development in Spain this year, SIDS are making sure the MVI is a major consideration in the effort to reform the international financial architecture.

On the sidelines of the third preparatory session for the meeting, which will take place in Seville Spain from 30 June – 3 July, the Permanent Missions of Antigua and Barbuda and Portugal along with UN-OHRLLS and UN-DESA collaborated in hosting a side-event geared at fostering dialogue between SIDS and its development and finance partners on the MVI.

The meeting provided the opportunity for robust discussions on strengthening partnerships that will help SIDS, through tools like the MVI, increase their access to concessionary finance and overcome their development challenges.

The FFD4 Conference will be pivotal in advancing these discussions and embracing the MVI as a game changer in redefining vulnerability thereby giving SIDS greater access to development finance.

21/12/2024

We wish to express heartiest congratulations to the Government of Samoa for its steadfast and courageous leadership over the past two years as Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States .

The 4th International Conference of Small Island Developing States , successfully hosted in Antigua and Barbuda, and the adoption of the Multi-Dimensional Vulnerability Index are to be hailed as monumental achievements secured under its watch.

At the final plenary of the year at the United Nations headquarters on Thursday, AOSIS Chair Ambassador Dr. Pa’olelei Luteru, reflected with colleagues on the challenges of the past year while noting the significant progress made in getting SIDS on the road to a brighter future.

“The plight of our people in small island developing states demands the utmost urgency, and the often very slow pace of progress can be disheartening,” Ambassador Lutero lamented.

But he was quick to add that this will not stand in the way of the work they need to pursue so our populations can enjoy “a future of dignity and opportunity for all.”

With Samoa’s chairmanship coming to an end, it is now over to the western Pacific island nation of Palau to take up the mantle. Palau’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ilana Victorya Seid, heaped praise on Samoa for its sterling leadership and the tireless and unceasing efforts of everyone in negotiating on behalf of SIDS.

By the very same measure, we equally wish Palau the very best and looking forward to its leadership in securing climate action and achieving sustainable development for all SIDS.

17/12/2024

Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with the people of in this difficult hour.

Significant and multiple casualities have been reported in a devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake felt heavily near the country's capital of Porta Vila early on Tuesday.

Be assured , as Small Island Developing States (SIDS), we stand with you in yet another moment where the resiliency of our islands is tested.

We join with you in praying that whatever outside assistance or support that is required reaches your shores swiftly and without delay.

12/12/2024

12/12/2024

A resolute and inspiring group from our islands are taking the fight to the industrialised world before the International Court of Justice, seeking to prove that the world’s carbon polluters are culpable for the escalating climate crisis.

Some of the legal and scholarly contributions over these past few days have been coming from our young climate warriors, whose passion and knowledge for a struggle that spans decades, was nurtured through the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

Like Zachary Phillips of Antigua and Barbuda, Annika Bellot of Dominica and Dana-Marie Salina of Trinidad and Tobago we are proud of them all as they look to fulfill their promise to carry the torch of many of those who have long championed the fight.

Zachary, Annika and Dana-Marie were all AOSIS Fellows, providing them with up close and real-life experiences and the chance to learn from some of our most knowledgeable experts on the pressing issues of climate change.

As they argue our case before an international court, we are truly encouraged by their fight and resolve, distinguishing them as beacons of hope in an ongoing struggle to save our islands.

In wishing them well, the words of Martinican author, Édouard Glissant, are apt and quite timely: “We cannot be silent in the face of injustice.”

11/12/2024

SIDS are looking for more than just a seat at the table at next year’s 4th International Conference on Finance for Development in Seville, Spain.

They are making sure their unique circumstances and special considerations are front and centre in charting the way forward during the June 30 – July 3 meeting, which will attract political leaders, policy makers, the World Bank and major UN agencies.

With many SIDS facing an escalating debt crisis, is being seen as a crucial opportunity for the international financial system to engage with the solutions outlined in the proposed Global Debt Sustainability Support Service (DSSS).

On the final day of a two-day workshop aimed at ensuring the views and needs of SIDS are reflected in the agenda, discussions were narrowed down to the debt situation in SIDS and how strategies like the DSSS can be helpful. The DSSS is one of the pillars of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) and was designed with the support of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

Participants explored layered debt strategies like parametric insurance, resilience bonds, and debt swaps under the DSSS framework that would support the creation of the fiscal space needed for climate adaptation and resilience investments in SIDS.

The issue of financial system reform that integrates climate risks and resilience metrics was also addressed. Fostering partnerships between governments, multilateral agencies and private sector stakeholders was underscored as crucial in achieving this goal.

Presentations also stressed the importance of tools like the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) and tailored financial mechanisms to support SIDS in overcoming systemic financial challenges.

09/12/2024

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are making sure their best interests and most pressing needs are fully reflected in the discussions that will take place during next year’s 4th International Conference on Financing for Development.

The conference will take place in Seville, Spain from the 30th June – 3 July and will address a broad range of issues, many of which directly impact the ability by SIDS to achieve sustainable development.

At a workshop at the United Nations this morning, representatives of SIDS advocated strongly for tangible solutions on matters like their mounting debt, equitable access to international funding that are responsive to their unique economic and climate related challenges.

Deputy Chair of AOSIS Ambassador Tania Romualdo, of Cabo Verde stated at the very outset that it is an imperative to recognize SIDS unique vulnerabilities by addressing their specific needs and emerging concerns n alignment with the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS).

“SIDS have long advocated for compensation mechanisms to address irreversible climate impacts. At the recent COP29 of UNFCCC we saw how heated the discussions were on this specific topic and although we register some advancements much is yet to be achieved,” Ambassador Romualdo stressed to the participants of the two-day workshop, which is preparing for one of the most important talks on international finance in the coming year.

The workshop will also hear details on the SIDS Global Debt Sustainability Support Service (DSSS), another crucial outcome of the ABAS.

05/12/2024

Work is pushing ahead on one of the major imperatives of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS).

A pivotal outcome of the SIDS4 Conference and a cornerstone of the was the establishment of the Global SIDS Debt Sustainability Support Service (DSSS).

The DSSS was envisioned as a game changer for island nations dealing with the challenges of staggering debt as a consequence of the impacts of climate change.

With Preparatory Sessions now underway at the United Nations for next year’s 4th International Conference on Finance for Development in Spain, the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and the Maldives hosted a side event that brought sharp focus on the the potential role of the DSSS in reshaping the international financial architecture to better support the needs of SIDS.

The highly engaging and interactive session, among other things, sought to:

✅️ Present the DSSS framework and how it will address debt sustainability and resiliency challenges in SIDS.

✅️ Highlight the limitations of current financial systems, including credit rating methodologies
Build support and encourage advocacy for credit rating reform.

✅️ Foster multistakeholder collaboration in developing actional strategies to achieve international financial reforms.

Credit is to be given to Ritu Bhardwaj, Director of Climate Resilience and Loss and Damage – for her passionate and dedicated guidance and support on this crucial project.

03/12/2024

Vanuatu, which is leading the charge in the climate case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and Antigua and Barbuda have made a compelling case for the industrialised world to be held accountable for the role it continues to play in a crisis island states did not cause.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne is among the representatives of over 90 countries around the world, many of them Small Island Developing States, that will be presenting before the court over the next two weeks.

The court has been asked to deliver an opinion, albeit not legally binding, that the blame for the climate crisis legally falls at the feet of high emitters of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, scientifically proven to be the cause of climate change.

For more on this developing story, read the CMC piece here: https://antiguanewsroom.com/antigua-and-barbuda-pm-pleads-with-the-icj-to-help-sids-deal-with-the-impact-of-climate-change/

02/12/2024

Many Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are beginning oral arguments today (Monday) at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

They're making a strong case that industrialized nations bear legal responsibility for climate change impacts and must help vulnerable countries on the frontlines of the crisis 🌪️

This historic moment gives us pause to reflect on the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS 📜, a groundbreaking 10-year framework that emerged from the Conference in Antigua a few months ago. The ABAS includes climate change as a fundamental challenge for small island developing states.

Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, is in the Netherlands to lend his voice to the legal case. He joins countries like Vanuatu, whose leadership initiated the legal battle. With over 90 countries arguing their points, this is the longest line-up of legal presentations the court has ever seen in its 80-year history.

While the opinion is non-binding, an outcome in favor of SIDS will be a symbolic victory at the highest level, ultimately helping their case for climate justice.

In photo📷 l-r: Antigua and Barbuda’s delegation is led by Prime Minister Browne, along with Zachary Phillips, Crown Counsel II Nneka Nicholas, Permanent Observer of the OECS to the UN Office in Geneva Ambassador Colin Murdoch, Crown Counsel II Jeniece St Romain, and COSIS Officer J’Moul Francis.