Small Island Developing States

On March 1, 2021, the Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. John Briceño, participated in a high-level session with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) executive and regional leaders to discuss some of the climate vulnerability challenges that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are facing.

On December 3, 2020, Hon. Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration, participated in A SIDS (Small Island Developing States) Moment in December. The event marked the 30th anniversary of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), which Belize is presently chairing.

The UK, working with co-hosts Belize and Fiji, has brought together Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in a virtual roundtable to broker better access to finance and identify solutions for a resilient recovery from coronavirus. Small island states are on the frontline of climate change and are already bearing the brunt of its impacts. They have a high vulnerability to natural disasters, and will suffer as sea levels rise and fragile ecosystems and biodiversity come under threat. They also face significant challenges for employment, government revenues, and export income, most acutely from tourism and remittances which are highly vulnerable to economic shocks and climate change. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated these issues, putting more pressure on small island’s finances and diverting resources from ongoing work to protect against natural disasters and climate change. The conference aimed to find practical recommendations for improving access to concessional finance to support continued progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

SIDS DOCK, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience Organization, has signed an agreement with GRID-Arendal to collaborate on the promotion of nature-based solutions and technologies for the sustainable use and management of marine resources to support the economic and livelihoods systems of the populations of small islands and low-lying developing countries. The signing ceremony took place on Thursday, 14 May 2020, by means of a virtual conference between representatives in New York City and Norway, as a way to contain the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The regional preparatory meeting is an opportunity to review what is known as the SAMOA pathway and see how the countries in the region have applied its implementations.