The SAMOA Pathway+5

As a follow-up to the third International Conference on Small Island Developing States held in Apia, Samoa in 2014, the UN General Assembly held a one-day high level meeting, on 27 September 2019, to review the progress that has been made in addressing small island developing States priorities through the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway, which was the product of the 2014 Samoa conference.

At the high-level 2019 meeting, Heads of State and Government adopted a political declaration that reaffirmed their solidarity with small island developing States, which face a unique set of challenges in building sustainable economies and addressing the impact of climate change. Five years after the SAMOA Pathway roadmap which was intended to support sustainable development in small island developing states and initiate action, the High-Level Review discussed progress on combating the devastating impacts of climate change, building economic and environmental resilience, and other challenges. They also announced new partnerships to support small island developing States.

After five years of following the SAMOA Pathway, world leaders acknowledged that small islands still faced significant challenges in accessing sufficient, affordable development financing, including concessional financing.

In their Political Declaration approved at the conference, Member States noted the progress made and challenges encountered by small island developing States, and urged 24 detailed actions to further advance the sustainable development priorities of small island developing States, including targeted measures to eradicate poverty, fostering, creating and expanding micro, small and medium sized enterprises, promoting investments in science and technology, and scaling up investments for economic growth and diversification.