1st meeting of the Steering Committee on Partnerships for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

 

1^ST meeting of the

Steering Committee on Partnerships for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

Remarks by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Delivered by the Director of the FAO Liaison Office to the UN, Carla Mucavi

25 February 2016, United Nations, New York

 

Mr. Co-facilitators

Distinguished delegates

 

 

I would like to start by joining the previous speakers in expressing FAO´s solidarity to the people and government of Fiji. We are committed to working with Fiji and partners to assist in the recovery efforts and to increase resilience in the country.

 

FAO welcomes the establishment of the Steering Committee on Partnerships for Small Island Development States. Partnerships are crucial for success in meeting the ambitious 2030 Development Agenda and in accelerating action in support of the sustainable development of SIDS.

 

FAO works with different partners at the local, regional and global levels and looks forward to strengthening this engagement in pursuit of our common goals. In this context, I would like to inform that FAO has started the facilitation of the process that will lead to a food and nutrition action programme for SIDS, as requested in Paragraph 61 of the SAMOA Pathway.

 

This effort is being facilitated by FAO in close partnership with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the UN Office of the High Representative of for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Development States (UN OHRLLS).

 

A broad and participative multi-stakeholder consultative process will inform the preparation of this action programme, ensuring that the voices of Member States, non-state actors, and other SIDS partners are heard through a combination of in person and electronic consultations.

 

The first series of consultations will take place during side events at the FAO Regional Conferences for Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and for Latin America and the Caribbean that are taking place in March and April.

 

To ensure that the dialogues capture the broad areas that affect food and nutrition in SIDS, participants will include representatives from agriculture, health, environment, social protection, education, and other sectors.

 

The results of these side-events will feed into other in-person and electronic consultations, including during the Regional Economic Fora on Sustainable Development and the High-Level Political Forum.

 

Partnerships will be instrumental not only in the development of the action programme, but particularly in its implementation.  As our work advances, FAO, DESA and O-H-R-L-L-S will keep Member States and the SIDS Partners informed.

 

Thank you very much for your attention.