New York

30 September 2015

Secretary-General's message to ceremony marking the formal establishment of SIDS Dock [delivered by Under-Secretary-General Susana Malcorra, Chef de Cabinet]

Ms. Susana Malcorra, Chef de Cabinet

It is a pleasure to greet all those who have gathered for this important ceremony.

SIDS have a history of being at the forefront of innovative thinking.

Your small size, narrow resource base, distance from markets and other unique SIDS characteristics have served as the catalyst for more effective cooperative approaches to a wide range of challenges.

We see the evidence of this cooperation in the continuous work of the Caribbean Community, the Pacific Islands Forum, and other regional institutions.

Today we welcome another landmark in the formal establishment of SIDS DOCK, a mechanism that will promote sustainable energy for all.

SIDS DOCK is a ‘SIDS Grown’ mechanism, conceived born out of your own imagination and brought into reality by your collective efforts.  It will further solidify cooperation among SIDS, as well as between SIDS and their development partners, many of which are here with us today.

Many SIDS have made ambitious commitments to renewable and more efficient forms of energy, including through the Barbados Declaration.  Indeed, many of these voluntary commitments are more ambitious than those recently adopted in Goal 7 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which focuses on expanding infrastructure and upgrading technology for modern energy services.

For SIDS, these objectives can only be achieved through genuine and durable partnerships.I commend the development partners here today for your continued strong support to SIDS and SIDS DOCK.  I call on others to join in this effort.

The Sustainable Energy for All initiative offers a further platform for concrete partnerships and initiatives. 

I wish you every success as you move towards the full operationalization of SIDS DOCK.  Let us all work together to implement the 2030 Agenda and build lives of dignity for all.