FAO at SIDS4

The fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) will be held from 27 to 30 May 2024 in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.

Under the overarching theme of “Charting the course toward resilient prosperity", the Conference will aim at assessing the ability of SIDS to achieve sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. It will result in an intergovernmentally agreed, focused, forward-looking and action-oriented political outcome document.

SIDS4 and FAO’s role

FAO has increased its support to SIDS with the establishment of a dedicated Office of SIDS, Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), as well as through series of programmes and initiatives - anchored in the Organization’s Strategic Framework- including, among others:

• The Hand in Hand Initiative
• The Digital Villages Initiative
• The Green Cities Initiative
• The Blue Transformation Roadmap
• The SIDS Solutions Platform
• The Global Roadmap: Achieving SDG2 without breaching the 1.5° C threshold

FAO continues to foster the sharing of experiences between SIDS- and with other developing countries and partners, including the SIDS Solutions Forum and the High-Level Ministerial Event Transforming Agrifood Systems to Increase Resilience and Achieve the 2030 Agenda: Harnessing the potential of Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries.

The latter resulted in a Call for Action, where Ministers and high-level representatives proposed the establishment of a Ministerial network with technical support from FAO to share experiences and collectively build resilience to climate change, resilience to food insecurity and secure investments to scale-up transformation of agrifood systems.

In support of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States (ABAS) – a Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity, FAO reiterates its commitment to support SIDS to deliver on these commitments and the 2030 Agenda through the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Agenda of FAO’s participation in SIDS4

• Side event: Delivering concrete solutions for SIDS through the FAO Global Roadmap: Achieving SDG2 without breaching the 1.5 C threshold, in collaboration with CARICOM  - Monday, May 27 2024 from 14:00 to 15:30 EDT| Room 8, American University of Antigua                                                                            
• Press briefing : Global Report on Food Crises 2024 in the context of SIDS - Tuesday, May 28  2024 from 11:30 to 12:00 EDT | Press Briefing Room, First Floor, North Block - Live on UN WebTV                                                              
• ECESA Plus Principals to discuss the UN system’s implementation of the outcome of the Conference, the Antigua and Barbuda Action Agenda (ABAS) - Tuesday, May 28 2024 from 14:00 to 15:00 EDT | UN Staff Meeting Room, American University of Antigua                                                                                                               
• Interactive dialogue 2: “Enhancing critical forms of financing and aid effectiveness through collaborative partnerships: a conversation” - Tuesday, 28 May 2024 from 16:00 to 18:00 EDT| Interactive Dialogue Room, American University of Antigua                                                                                                                                       
• Side event: UN Oceans Ocean action to support resilient prosperity in SIDS -Wednesday, 29 May 2024 from 10:00 to 11:30 EDT| Room 5, American University of Antigua                                                   
• Side event: UN actions to advance Sustainable Development of SIDS through Tourism: Fostering Sustainable and Circular Solutions  - Thursday, 30 May 2024 from 10:00 to 11:30 EDT| Room 9, American University of Antigua                                                                                                                                                                     T

Links to FAO initiatives

• The Hand in Hand Initiative
• The Digital Villages Initiative (Publication, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean)
• The Green Cities Initiative
• The Blue Transformation Roadmap
• The SIDS Solutions Platform
• The Global Roadmap: Achieving SDG2 without breaching the 1.5° C threshold