Small island developing states, or SIDS, require the full support of the international community to deliver on a 10-year strategy for sustainable development and resilience or risk “far-reaching consequences,” a United Nations declaration has warned.
The Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, which took place in Antigua and Barbuda this week, was a once-a-decade moment for the global community to agree on a specific set of priorities to safeguards the future of small island developing states.
SIDS, a grouping of 39 island states and 18 associate members, have unique development circumstances due to their size, their remoteness from international markets and their vulnerability to climate and economic shocks.