Small Island Developing States: FAO Liaison Offices convene global dialogue

The FAO Liaison Offices in Brussels, Geneva and New York together with the FAO Office of SIDS, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries jointly organized the First FAO Global Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Solutions Dialogue.

The Dialogue has provided governments and development partners with an update of the outcomes of a SIDS Solutions Forum held in Fiji in August 2021 and revealed the multiple challenges faced by SIDS in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – as highlighted by the Fiji forum – as well as the urgency of ensuring their resilience to climate change and natural disasters.

Although located in different regions of the world, SIDS share many similar challenges for sustainable development. These include limited landmass and arable land; fragile natural environments; heavy reliance on food imports; geographical isolation; distance from global markets; and the triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency and obesity.

In his opening remarks, the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) George Rebelo Chikoti called on the international community to improve access to low-interest finance, in order to address the increasing vulnerability of OACPS Member States, especially with regard to climate change. “The OACPS will continue its advocacy and engagement to convey the message that climate change is a global crisis and an existential threat,” he said.

European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships Head of Unit for Sustainable Agri-food Systems and Fisheries Leonard Mizzi urged the importance of taking stock of the impacts of COVID-19 on SIDS’ agrifood systems, including higher food prices and reduced production potential.

Isolina Boto, Head of Networks and Alliances at the Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee, highlighted the key role of smallholders, cooperatives, micro, small and medium enterprises, and youth- and women-led businesses as the economic pillars of small island economies. “More advocacy is needed for them on market intelligence and business linkages,” she told the dialogue.

Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly Carlos Zorrinho emphasized the importance of the three new regional parliamentary assemblies under the upcoming Post-Cotonou Agreement, which is expected to place a further focus on regional issues and challenges.

Among the participants contributing to the dialogue were: Thilmeeza Hussain, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the UN and Special Envoy of the President of the General Assembly; Walton A. Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations and Chair of the Alliance of the Small Island Developing States (AOSIS); Nazhat Shameem Khan, Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations in Geneva, Co-host of the SIDS Solution Forum; and a representative from the International Telecommunication Union.

You can read more on FAO’s work in SIDS here.

You can read the full press release on the event here.