Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - Midterm Review of the SAMOA Pathway

Opening Statement at the 2020 SIDS National Focal Point Meeting: AIS Region

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

4 August 2020
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to this meeting of the National Focal Points of SIDS in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Seas (AIS) region.

I thank you all for getting together on this virtual platform at a time when the challenges of your countries are most severe.

The annual meetings of the national focal points are increasingly important in enhancing the coherence of SIDS issues in UN processes, including at the national, regional and global levels. They are also a more and more critical force in steering the focus and efforts of my Office and the UN system in general to deliver targeted support and policy advice at the regional and global levels.

In this connection, I would like to express my gratitude to the colleagues from the UN and other international and regional organizations for your active participation and your spirit of partnership in this endeavor.

This year, with the impact of the COVID pandemic, we are not able to hold the regular in person meeting of the national focal points, which he had planned to convene in the Caribbean for the first time, in Antigua and Barbuda.

Further, with the time differences, and other technical constraints, we have had to convene separate regional meetings, which do not allow for the cross-regional discussions and face-to-face networking that are so important to this mechanism.

We have already convene the virtual meetings for the Pacific and Caribbean regions, over the last few weeks, and they have only served to confirm exactly how necessary and useful these virtual meetings are. They allow our national focal points to remain engaged at a time when the sharing of information, lessons learned and best practices is perhaps more important than ever.

The meeting for the Pacific and the Caribbean region reminded us that country nuances matter; that we must respond to unique needs.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Last year, the high level Mid Term Review of the SAMOA Pathway revealed that while some tangible progress had been made over the past five years in implementation, there were still major gaps and challenges that need to be addressed.

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens this hard won progress. The pandemic has also resulted in a new array of challenges to implementation, while aggravating existing ones.

COVID-19 has laid bare the weaknesses of the health sector in SIDS. It has negatively affected the education sector, especially for the most vulnerable with unequal access to digital technology infrastructure. The pandemic has put tremendous pressure on already limited social protection systems and has triggered large-scale unemployment, which disproportionately affects the poor and vulnerable.

Over the past few months, SIDS have experienced an unprecedented decline in economic activity, with rapidly plummeting tourism and remittance flows, and the disruption of global supply chains. Already shrinking ODA, major loss of foreign investment challenges, and challenges related to debt servicing have resulted in limited fiscal space to both respond to COVID-19 and to build back better, including in the face of growing environmental challenges and pressures of climate change.

Indeed, in the AIS region, COVID-19 has further exacerbated the vulnerabilities with which these countries are already confronted. Further, The AIS region is made up of a group of diverse countries, which comes with its own set of challenges. With no formal coordinating mechanism, the development of regional platforms for the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway in AIS has proven to be a complex undertaking. This also speaks to the challenges in coordinating among these countries toward taking better advantage of possible regional platforms for lesson learning and sharing best practices in the face of COVID-19.

This notwithstanding, the AIS region is also made up of a group of innovative, creative and resilient countries that will no doubt overcome these challenges. The region has produced thought leaders and taken key actions in many areas, including sustainable energy and tourism, innovative financing, climate change and resilience-building. And it is this type of thinking, which will undoubtedly help these countries on a path to recovery.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is clear that however that SIDS will also need targeted and effective international support, in order to innovate and implement bold changes that would boost economic resilience to exogenous shocks, including COVID-19, and to build diversified economies.

In this connection, the UN system has prioritized the most vulnerable countries, including SIDS, in its response to COVID-19 at the national, regional and global levels. My Office continues to advocate for and promote partnerships in SIDS on a range of issues, including on access to concessional financing, debt sustainability, sustainable energy solutions and food security.

In the context of the focal point mechanism, we are working to build capacities to respond to the range of shocks facing SIDS, toward the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway. We will be circulating the SIDS National Focal Point Guide in due course, and will continue to explore ways to implement the capacity building strategy that we have shared with you earlier in the year.

As a part of this effort, we will be working with Malta and the Small States Centre for Excellence toward the recovery of the tourism sector in SIDS. We will also work with the Maldives on a high-level dialogue, later in the year, on how the sector has been impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate best practices in re-starting the sector. We will share more on this in the coming weeks.

We are also working toward finalizing the toolkit that we considered during last year’s focal point meeting.

As you may be aware, the toolkit is provide guidance to national governments and relevant stakeholders on effective and harmonized monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway, in alignment with the monitoring and reporting frameworks of other international agreements, including the SDGs and the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction.

One of the biggest challenges of finalizing the toolkit is the lack of a clear reporting framework, with validated targets and indicators, for those areas of the SAMOA Pathway that do not overlap in categorization and focus with the SDGs or Sendai Framework.

Last year, the United Nations General Assembly called upon the Secretary-General to identify those SAMOA Pathway priority areas not covered by the SDGs or the Sendai Framework, and to develop targets and indicators for those priority areas. This work will build on the work done by OHRLLS on the toolkit and provide the validation process for these targets and indicators.

OHRLLS is working with DESA to complete this work by the next year September, which would also allow for the finalization of the reporting toolkit. This will in turn allow us to better evaluate and track success in the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway, which is even more critical as we face these multiple and ongoing crises.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This meeting provides us with the opportunity to reflect on these and other responses that have been put in place, as well as those that are still needed to put us back on track to realize the SAMOA Pathway and the 2030 Agenda in SIDS.

It will feature resource persons and country representatives from across the region, who will share their challenges, strategies and approaches in response to COVID-19 at the national, regional and global levels.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that we launched our new website week before last under the UN online umbrella at www.un.org/ohrlls. We hope that you will find the website to be an important resource for information on events, reports and activities carried out by the office, relevant official documentation and other reports covering the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS and on how global trends, from COVID-19 to climate change, are playing out in the world’s most vulnerable countries.

This website will also be fully integrated to the advocacy and social media work of the office, providing a forum for information exchange on ways to move forward.

Now, I look forward to listening to you.

Thank you.

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Reporting on the United Nations General Assembly through Island Voices

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 17:16:00 +0000

sids_journalist_group_photo_unga74.jpg

OHRLLS/Malwina Buldys

NEW YORK, 1 October 2019 – World leaders gathered last week at the United Nations Headquarters to signal how they will boost action to respond to the climate emergency, ensure health and well being of people, accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and support small island developing States.

Through the period 23 to 27 September, 2019 five high-level summits took place, namely the: Climate Action Summit, High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, Sustainable Development Goals Summit, High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development and the High-level Midterm Review of the SAMOA Pathway.

Working behind the scenes to report on the proceedings was a group of fifteen journalists from small island developing States (SIDS) who were selected through the Island Voices journalism campaign by the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). Their presence was an opportunity to focus on global issues through an island lens.

Welcoming the journalists to the United Nations, Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States said “The discussions that are taking place here at the global level has direct impacts on the lives of islanders back home. This is why your presence is critical. Because it is through you that these stories can be told to audiences back home.”

Throughout the high-level week, the journalists were immersed not only in the major summits but also covering the speeches of the heads of state and governments from their respective countries. Furthermore, several journalists moderated interview panels with high level participants, covering major development issues ranging from oceans to private sector partnerships.

UN-OHRLLS also took the opportunity to turn the spotlight on the journalists, carrying out video interviews where they shared their perspectives on the major development issues their island nations are facing, the role of the media in reporting on the SAMOA Pathway as well as sharing their advice for young journalists starting their careers in small island developing States. A three-part video of the interviews will be released in the autumn of 2019.

High on the agenda for the journalists was the Midterm Review of the SAMOA Pathway held on 27 September which provided leaders with the opportunity to discuss progress on combating the devastating impacts of climate change, building economic and environmental resilience, and other challenges facing SIDS.

Speaking at the dedicated press conference for the SAMOA Pathway Midterm Review, High Representative ‘Utoikamanu said “The SAMOA Pathway stands for the voices, priorities and hopes of small island developing States to build inclusive and sustainable societies.” She added, “It is a roadmap for action. This Midterm Review represents a strategic moment. It affords us the opportunity to review and to renew the international community’s commitments to small island developing states.”

The SAMOA Pathway is the overarching 10-year framework adopted in 2014 at the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States in Apia, Samoa. It guides island nations in their global, regional and national development efforts and is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The political declaration adopted at the Midterm Review by UN Member States outlines the progress made on implementing the SAMOA Pathway while identifying gaps and remaining challenges, including the climate crisis as well as socio-economic concerns.

The Island Voices journalism campaign was made possible through the financial support of the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

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Remarks at the High Level Ministerial Breakfast Meeting on Migration and Climate Change – A Focus on SIDS

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 17:50:00 +0000

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

26 September 2019
New York, USA

Honorable Ministers,
Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for including OHRLLS in your high-level breakfast meeting.

What a critical week this is for our shared planet and all peoples!

Your house, the house of the peoples, brings together the global community for urgent action on sustainable development and climate change.

It is an intense week of 5 summits including the very critical mid-term review of the SAMOA Pathway taking place tomorrow.

But it MUST be. We no longer face a climate challenge, we now face a climate emergency. An emergency impacting the SIDS disproportionately since long and likely to impact them ever more violently.

Just as there is no plan B for our planet, there can only be one plan for this week: galvanize global efforts and above all ACTION towards the 2030 agenda and the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Do we want more Hurricane-ravaged Bahamas, lost lives and desperate survivors trying to leave the island to seek shelter ?

SIDS experience complex and special situations for sustainable development per se. Add now that they bear the brunt of climate change impacts on their scarce lands and their oceans.

Extreme temperatures, rising sea levels and slow onset events all threaten lives, livelihoods of islanders, cause significant loss of life and bio-diversity, destroy basic infrastructure, threaten food security. In short they threaten survival, security and any hope for the future. This ultimately triggers forced migration and displacement.

I called it previously "our perfect storm."

Ever since the Barbados Conference SIDS have called for action, never waivered in making a case for their peoples and it is good that we now have much heightened awareness on the vulnerability of SIDS and how SIDS are in the focus of the global debate on climate change induced migration.

We have no time left and must now invest fast in building resilience to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change on SIDS and their people if indeed we have the resolve to reduce instances of forced migration.

We must support SIDS to devise planned and managed migration for populations facing daily the grave climate impacts as part of SIDS' adaptation strategies.

SIDS have the least resources and capacity to cope with climate change and involuntary relocation. Just as we now have a climate emergency , we have an emergency to increase now and simplify now access to climate finance and capacity building.

So why care if you do not live in an island setting ? Well, the past few years have shown more than clearly that climate change and migration concern ALL of us - they are global challenges.

This is why we urgently need global partnerships, stronger and sustained support of the international community and generally bolder and faster actions. This is our responsibility, task and this is what young people tell us: enough words, ACTION NOW.

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is a good step in that direction. Concerted efforts and action at the national, regional, sub-regional and global levels are needed to address the complex dynamics of climate-induced migration in SIDS.

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

OHRLLS has spared no effort in advocating and rallying support and resources for the SIDS and we must even redouble those efforts.

In partnership with IOM, we analyzed climate migration in vulnerable groups of countries. I hope the brief recommendations that we provide will be of value and assistance to you.

We truly risk running out of time and we all must redouble our efforts to enhance effective partnershis, increase awarenees and action on the climate-migration nexus.

We must support implementation of concrete solutions for the benefits of the peoples of the SIDS. We must lead by example and we must give hope through action.

Thank you.

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Statement at the Parley Maldives Event

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 17:18:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

25 September 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am very honored to address your important gathering.

It is so encouraging to be amidst such a diverse group of partners, all working with a shared objective — bolster action around marine plastic pollution to ensure that we implement SDG 14 and the objectives of the SAMOA Pathway.

This evening’s unveiling of the “Future Island Nation” underpins strongly how important partnerships are so we get results.

This spirit also drives OHRLLS. Our SIDS Global Business Network, joined hands with Parley for the Oceans to promote their initiative to Avoid, Intercept, and Redesign (A.I.R) strategy to end plastic pollution in September in 2016.

Three years on, here we are to share tangible results.

I express our and certainly my own profound gratitude to President Ibrahim Solih for your leadership and for pioneering this innovative solution.

The focus of this partnership is on a single, very focused aspect of ocean pollution, although its impact, I am confident will bring positive outcomes for the health of the ocean overall. You have provided an impetus for other nations to now follow suit.

I also congratulate, Mr. Cyrill Gutsch, CEO and Founder of Parley for the Oceans, for your initiative to partner with SIDS.

Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

Small Island Developing States are the custodians to vast ocean spaces. 70 per cent of our shared planet is oceans! Oceans are the lifeline of our planet.

The sustainable and equitable management and use of the oceans is at the core of ensuring that the SIDS and their peoples fully benefit from what Agenda 2030 set out to achieve for ALL.

SIDS too often on their own have made remarkable efforts to preserve and conserve the ocean space within their exclusive economic zones but they continue to face major challenges and the challenges are increasing.

The pressures on the ocean’s finite resources are eroding the oceans’ assets base at a rate that undermines sustainability, value and access for future generations.

The most immediate challenges we must tackle with urgency are associated with losses of biodiversity, pollution; noting that what affects the ocean directly affects those on land as it impacts jobs, income, government revenue from tourism and other marine related sectors and triggers health issues, leads to food insecurity and malnutrition.

SIDS require and deserve strong partnerships.

We must give a hand of support to build their resilience and adapt to conditions that have already and seem to accelerate in fundamentally altering the life of the island communities across the globe.

Genuine and durable partnerships for SIDS was the overarching theme of the Third SIDS Conference.

The role of partnerships is reaffirmed in the political declaration expected from the high-level review of the SAMOA Pathway this Friday.

We must strengthen and accelerate our efforts with urgency. We must do so through action and not more words or platitudes.

I am pleased to announce that OHRLLS together with the Government of Palau, Parley for the Oceans and other partners will host a Dialogue on “Fostering partnerships with Small island developing states towards the 2020 Our Ocean Conference” in Oslo, Norway, on 23 October in the margins of the Our Ocean Conference.

I hope you will join hands with us!

People expect action. People will no longer wait.

Actions speak louder than words. It is time to move from bold statements to more ambitious actions to keep our oceans healthy.

The health and wellbeing of oceans concerns us all. The challenges of ocean management must be addressed collectively.

As the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, I want to reassure you that you can count on OHRLLS' and my continued support.

Thank you.

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Welcome Remarks at Islands Voices

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 20:57:00 +0000

Welcome Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

23 September 2019
New York, USA

Good afternoon and a very warm welcome to the United Nations,

You have arrived during one of the most important times in the UN calendar. World leaders and stakeholders such as civil society, youth, the private sector and the UN system itself are all here to address some of the most important issues of our time.

As you would have seen from the climate demonstrations which dominated the headlines over the last couple of days, young people all around the world are making their voices heard. And they are being heard loud and clear. The urgency that they feel was not just out on the streets, but here in the UN. The Youth Climate Summit over the weekend demanded solutions and bold action from world leaders.

In many ways, young people have set the stage for a week of high-level summits.

Today, the Climate Action Summit kicked off and you may have seen in the news that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made it clear that he did not want leaders to bring speeches, but rather, bold actionable solutions. We also have the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage starting today to galvanize global commitments to ensure health for all.

Tomorrow, the Sustainable Development Goals Summit will take place into Wednesday and is seeking solutions from world leaders on how they intend to accelerate action on achieving the goals with just over a decade left until 2030.

While we talk about the big bold solutions that are needed, we know full well that there will be costs involved. This is why we also have the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development taking place on Thursday. The meeting is bringing together leaders from Government, business and the financial sector to help unlock the resources and partnerships needed to finance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

Finally, on Friday, leaders will focus their attention on small island developing States at the Midterm Review of the SAMOA Pathway. As islanders, you know firsthand that island nations are among the most vulnerable countries in the world. But the story is not just about vulnerability, it is also about resilience. Island nations may be small, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be heard.

The SAMOA Pathway represents the voices of small island developing States, saying these are the challenges we face, and this is how we need to go about solving them.

The Island Voices journalism campaign has been about raising awareness among island journalists of the SAMOA Pathway in particular, but also the Sustainable Development Goals. It is about giving island journalists the opportunity to tell these important stories from an island perspective.

The campaign has culminated in inviting you to the UN to witness and to report on how the international community intends to solve global challenges and partner with island nations to achieve the SAMOA Pathway.

Most importantly, the discussions that are taking place here at the global level has direct impacts on the lives of islanders back home. This is why your presence is critical. Because it is through you that these stories can be told to audiences back home.

I personally hope that the story we all come away with this week is that while small island developing States are on the frontline of global challenges, including the climate emergency, there is hope that our collective efforts around the world will win the day.

I encourage you to use this occasion to bring these important stories home and I hope that you will find the opportunity personally enriching as well.

Thank you and I wish you all the best for the busy week ahead.

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Remarks at the Economic and Social Council Operational Activities for Development Segment

Anonymous — Tue, 21 May 2019 19:57:00 +0000

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

21 May 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

For me, it is very important to be here with you today at this session on the MultiCountry office review. No, not just because I am from a SIDS region that haslongstanding experience in this regard. But indeed, this is an especially critical exercise for the SIDS. Let the figures do the talk: 38 of the 41 countries served by multi-country offices are SIDS. As our Secretary- Generaljust highlighted during his very recent mission to the Pacific, the SIDS face very complex, very unique challenges and really are where climate change is a make or break situation. So, the challenge for the MCOsis their ability to enhance and tailor support to all countries served.

There are shared issues of course but there is no one size fits all solutions. As our Deputy Secretary Generalkeepsstressing, “we are at a critical juncture in the implementation of the SDGs”. That fully applies to the SIDS where we are also truly in the midst of the mid-termreview of the SAMOA Pathway. We must prioritizate support to SIDS in line with their needs, capacities and national priorities to ensure no-one is left behind. Allow me to say a word on capacity - I think all of us were encouraged to hear our Secretary Generalstressthat we mustsimplify, we must expedite accessto and implementation of support available to SIDS who are threatened in their very existence by climate change. I have seen it done, it can be done and now it must be done.

I was co-chairing the Senior-LevelSteering Committee with Her Excellency Lois Young, the Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States(AOSIS) and the Permanent Representative ofBelize. This senior level steering committee, was composed of memberstatesrepresentativesfrom the Pacific, the Caribbean, the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea (AIMS) region and El Salvador. The purpose is to provide overall strategic guidance over the course of the review, to serve as a sounding board on findings and recommendations, assurance that the review approach and methodology is robust and impartial, and the framing and content relevant to and addressesthe inputs and interest of the key stakeholders, and keep the membership informed. The Secretary-General and our Deputy Secretary Generalhave been relentless in making every effort to ensure that the review is guided by Member States and the mandates you memberstates gave us in the QCPR and the GeneralAssembly resolution on the reform of the UN developmentsystem. There is just one way forward - full consultations and discussions with all governmentsinvolved.

Excellencies, The Secretary-General's Report reflectsthe calls of SIDS that we must do more , faster and better to support countriesserved by Multi-Country Offices. SIDS have consistently and for many years voiced the need for a stronger advocate in the international global arena to advance their needs and priorities. I assure you that you can count on us and me. I once more reaffirm my commitment to advancing the calls of small islands to be heard and supported asthey should be. In line with the Secretary-General’srecommendation in his report, I will present at the high-level review of progress on the SAMOA Pathway in September 2019 a clear and detailed roadmap to increase OHRLLS' s capacities in support of SIDS.

I am listening carefully to you and I am looking carefully at where outreach and support can best be deployed and scaled-up. There can only be one goal and that is advance results on the ground for SIDS, working closely with governments, I will also give due consideration to where resource gaps must be bridged to ensure UN coherence in addressing the needs of SIDS. Excellencies, My plea to you is please do make the best of this effort to improve the MCOs.

Advancing is premised on dialogue and I hope for constructive dialogue to seize this landmark opportunity for SIDS. Our SG has been very strong, I even say very passionate in his own plea for the SIDS and so we must ensure that SIDS issues are not lost among the many priorities the system is called on to respond to. The review of MCOs and of the SAMOA Pathway this year are opportunities that we simply cannot afford to miss. Thank you.

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Opening Remarks at the 4th Meeting of the SISRI Practitioners Network Bringing Resilience to Scale in SIDS

Anonymous — Sun, 12 May 2019 20:12:00 +0000

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 May 2019
Geneva, Switzerland

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

This is an important meeting and it is very important to me to be with you. Bringing resilience to scale in small island developing States (SIDS) sure is a challenge but one we must take up with urgency. The very physical and human geography of the SIDS is such that not only they are among the most vulnerable but also those most at risk of being left far behind in the implementation of the major global agreements on disaster risk reduction, climate change and sustainable development. Theirs are unique characteristics and challenges demanding specific and also fast- tracked support. This too is the primary goal of the SAMOA Pathway.

The SAMOA pathway is essentially a forerunner, a blueprint for the sustainable development of SIDS and dovetails with the broader context of the 2030 Agenda. Then, we have the Sendai Framework, the Paris Agreement and their provisions which we can only meet if we fully implement the SAMOA Pathway. That said, this is overall a critical year for the SIDS. This September, world leaders will gather at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to attend a series of Summits and High-level meetings. All of these meetings have a shared aim: lead to ambitious action to end poverty, respond to the climate threat and secure healthy, peaceful and prosperous lives for all.

The message is simple: we must act NOW. These meetings include the Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit, the SDG Summit, a High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, and last but by no means least the HighLevel Mid-Term Review of the SAMOA Pathway. The way life, our planet work is not a way of neat separate packages to be considered in isolation. No, and at the risk of sounding simplistic, but it all is interconnected! So, it is very important that every effort is made to enhance the synergies between these meetings. It is very important that we ensure that SIDS issues are brought to the forefront in these key processes just as we did once at the Barbados conference!

To be able to do that, it is critical for the SIDS to have a robust Mid Term Review of the SAMOA Pathway. This review ought to have substance, ought to be forward- looking with practical and practicable recommendations for action. I cannot stress enough how important it is for us all together to set a proper course for action over the next phase of implementation. The regional and inter-regional preparatory meetings for the Mid-Term Review of the SAMOA Pathway took place last year. In all of these meetings, a strong focus on disaster risk reduction and building resilience emerged. The very geography of SIDS means that disaster losses experienced by SIDS tend to be disproportionate. This continues to be a major and growing concern.

As predicted a long time ago, we are observing increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. A single hurricane can and has erased years if not decades of development gains in many of these countries. Disaster losses are putting vulnerable countries on an unequal footing – In 2018, the average external debt in SIDS reached 60% of their GNI, exacerbated by the need to borrow for the cost of natural disasters recovery. As a side remark, when you are an island, just the transport costs to secure basic building materials can be prohibitive and I will not even mention time delays involved in securing basics!

This deprives SIDS of the already scarce resources that could be more usefully spent in areas such as quality education, health and infrastructure. These all are vital to eradicating extreme poverty, and ensuring more resilient, productive and peaceful societies. Indeed, one of the key outcomes of the preparatory process of the Mid-Term Review was the recognition of the need for greater support for SIDS. We must invest much more in knowledge, capacity and financial support to help them build back better after natural disasters. Capacity building must include advancement of policies and strategies capable of addressing the financial management of disaster risk in SIDS.

The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, and more specifically this SISRI meeting, will allow us to drill down into these issues. I hope for constructive dialogue on how to address these key dimensions of resilience building for SIDS. In this way, we can have a sound basis for our discussions in the broader sustainable development context on areas including: tackling poverty, achieving food security and debt sustainability, building resilient infrastructure, ensuring resilient human settlements and strengthening adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and disasters.

OHRLLS looks forward to our discussions. OHRLLS is deeply committed to ensuring that these matters are given the prominence they deserve as the peoples of the SIDS deserve nothing less from us ! These all are issues to tackle in the context of the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway, and in the implementation of the broader 2030 sustainable development agenda. So, let us all rally as partners to ensure we leave no one behind! Thank you.

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Statement at the 4th Session Expert Workshop on Climate Change, Conflict Prevention and Sustaining Peace

Anonymous — Mon, 06 May 2019 16:09:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

6 May 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to share with you a couple concluding remarks. First, I am so encouraged to have seen how you all engaged and shared truly a wealth of experiences, thoughts and information. Throughout my professional life, I always believed that it is by talking with eachother, looking at the facts, sharing, listening to each other even if we have very different viewpoints that we can together find solutions!

Our exchanges on what the climate-security nexus in the Pacific represents as a fast growing challenge at the national and regional levels to people and states, our exchanges on where we stand in climate risk assessment frameworks, I believe helped us to gain a better understanding of what truly is a complex issue. And I believe we all share that we must act now! What we have learned here today, we now must use to develop relevant and effective tools and programmes for communities and policy and decision- makers to use.

For this, we also must enhance and speed up relevant support to the countries of the Pacific, and to SIDS in general. I had said at our opening that none of us can do things alone. So a further take- away for me is that we must strengthen the partnerships made during our meeting and this process for the SAMOA review. The issue at stake is highly complex and fundamental to ensuring the human rights, the inclusion of the peoples of the SIDS. It will take all of us – researchers, practitioners and policy-makers – working together! It is TOGETHER that we can answer - not alone. Once again a big thanks goes to Under-Secretary-General di Carlo and her team for approaching us with the offer to partner!

The next few weeks will be busy ones. The summary outcome of this workshop will very soon be shared with you all. We will also continue our work together on this topic, setting out next steps and follow up activities. Our important takeaways from today will feed into upcoming high-level meetings of the General Assembly. This will include the Mid-Term Review of the SAMOA Pathway.

We must redouble our efforts to alert to the manifold adverse effects of climate change on the development, peace and security nexus for SIDS. But we also must focus on workable action to address what can have all the makings of a very serious human life and rights crisis! These issues together with avenues for action deserve to be brought to the attention of the highest political levels. I assure you that OHRLLS will continue and also strengthen its role in this. Thank you all once again for your active engagement today. Our work has just begun!

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Tonga Hosts UN Regional Meeting to Review Programme of Action for Small Islands in the Pacific

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 15:08:00 +0000

Press Release

NUKU’ALOFA, 19 June 2018 – Officials from small island developing States in the Pacific region are meeting in the Tongan capital Nuku’alofa to review progress in implementing the SAMOA Pathway*; the dedicated programme of action for small island developing States (SIDS).

In declaring the meeting open this morning, the Prime Minister of Tonga, Hon. Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva, said “We are gathered here in Tonga at a critical juncture in terms of our common interests in the sustainable development of our islands. As we approach the 5th year since the world came together in Samoa in 2014 and endorsed the SAMOA Pathway, it is critical that we recall the mandate of the Conference . . . especially in light of related international and regional processes that have come to be, after the fact.”

“This regional meeting is highly important for small island developing States in the Pacific as it helps to chart the future direction of sustainable development for island nations in the region. Tonga has therefore played a critical role in this process. I am certain that the outcomes will add great value to our collective efforts in supporting the sustainable development aspirations of Small Island Developing States in the Pacific and beyond,” said Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

The three-day meeting from 19-21 June is an occasion to discuss achievements, challenges and gaps in the first five years of implementing the SAMOA Pathway and to agree on an outcome for accelerating implementation in the region. Substantive discussions are expected to take place in areas including social inclusion, environment, equitable economic growth as well as addressing gaps in implementation through partnerships. Addressing linkages between the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway and the wider 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals are also on the meeting agenda.

On the margins of the regional meeting, a dedicated partnerships dialogue will also be held for various stakeholders from governments, private sector and civil society to assess the status of SIDS-specific partnerships which were launched at the 2014 SIDS Conference in Samoa.

The Midterm Review of the SAMOA Pathway will take place in 2019 to review all major commitments of the last five years through a SIDS lens – from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the New Urban Agenda, and the outcomes of the 2017 Ocean Conference - and how living up to these commitments will help accelerate the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway.

The regional meeting is being hosted by the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga and co-organised by the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs with support from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme.

Media Contact:
Damien Sass, UN-OHRLLS – sass@un.org

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Business Forum Strengthens Tourism Partnerships for Small Islands

Anonymous — Tue, 22 May 2018 16:33:00 +0000

Press Release

MAURITIUS, 22 May 2018 – Representatives from governments, private sector, academia, civil society and the United Nations met at a Business Forum held in Mauritius to share best practices and lessons learned in strengthening partnerships for sustainable tourism in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The two-day Small Island Developing States Global Business Network Forum (SIDSGBN) which was held from 21-22 May, 2018 was co-organised by the Government of the Republic of Mauritius and the United Nations Office of the High Representative for Least Developed countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). The overarching theme of the forum was “Strengthening private sector partnerships for sustainable tourism development.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Forum, Hon. Minister Prem Koonjoo, Minister of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping of Mauritius said, “We are universally recognised as a prestigious tourist destination with a host of luxury beach hotels classified among the best in the world.” The Hon. Minister welcomed participants to the Forum and he acknowledged that the Forum provides participants the opportunity to exchange experiences and in strengthening partnerships for sustainable tourism in Mauritius.

“Tourism is the mainstay of many island economies and is a vital sector in achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth for island communities,” said Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for Least Developed countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. “The focus of the 2018 SIDS Global Business Network Forum on sustainable tourism offers an opportunity to build and foster private sector partnerships for SIDS which are also in line with achieving the SAMOA Pathway, the dedicated programme of action for SIDS, and the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Throughout the two days, the forum addressed the linkages between tourism in SIDS with other cross-cutting sectors such as cultural heritage, environment, renewable energy, connectivity, sustainable oceans and finance.

Several partnership announcements were made during the forum including that between Mauritius based Lux Resorts and the Austrian renewable energy company Swimsol to reduce fuel use through increasing the use of solar technology at Lux owned resorts in Maldives. Dutch company Elemental Watermakers, focused on renewable driven desalination systems, announced its commitment to partner with SIDS including with the South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO) to work together with the private sector of South Pacific SIDS.

Furthermore, the World Ocean Council announced its commitment to partner with UN-OHRLLS in supporting the goals of the SIDS-GBN by bringing together the ocean business community to focus on SIDS. In addition, the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and SIDS-GBN will collaborate with key national, regional and international partners to promote food tourism across SIDS. A partnership between the Vanilla Islands Organization and the International Coalition of Tourism Partners was also announced and furthermore that the Vanilla Islands Organisation will strengthen information technology and dissemination of information on the Sustainable Development Goals.

The forum has also been aligned to provide substantive inputs to other SIDS related events being convened by the United Nations during the year including the series of regional preparatory meetings for the review of the SAMOA Pathway taking place in the second half of 2018. The regional review meeting for the Africa, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea (AIMS) is being held back-to-back with the business forum and will take place from 23-25 May, 2018 in Mauritius.

The 2018 forum was the third in a series of SIDS private sector fora convened by UNOHRLLS and its partners. The SIDS Global Business Network (SIDS-GBN) was announced in 2014 at the first forum held in conjunction with the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, in Apia, Samoa. In 2016 a forum focusing on Public-Private-Partnerships for SIDS was held in Oranjestad, Aruba.

Media Contact:

Damien Sass, UN-OHRLLS – sass@un.org

For more information:

www.sidsgbn.org
www.unohrlls.org
Media Advisory (SIDS Global Business Network Forum)
Media Advisory (Africa, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea (AIMS) Regional Review Meeting of the SAMOA Pathway)

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Tonga Hosts UN Regional Meeting to Review Programme of Action for Small Islands in the Pacific

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