The international community is joining together to support small islands in their bid for a better future.

The 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) is a chance for renewed commitment and transformative action in support of sustainable development with and for small island nations.

Starting 27 May, the conference is convening world leaders, civil society, youth, and others to Antigua and Barbuda to address the issues facing small island developing states (SIDS), including climate change, spiraling debt, and health crises.

They will adopt The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS – a Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity to establish the sustainable development aspirations of small islands over the next 10 years and the support required from the international community to achieve them.

Partnerships will be fundamental to its success.

Under the theme “Charting the course toward resilient prosperity”, the conference features over 170 side events and five special events.

The Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA )issued SIDS and UN DESA – Partners for a prosperous, sustainable and resilient future for small island developing States, a brochure presenting DESA initiatives addressing SIDS’ unique sustainable development challenges, spanning six priority action areas:

  1. Accelerating action on the SDGs and strengthening multilateralism

  2. Ensuring sustainable financing for recovering from the pandemic and realizing the SDGs

  3. Putting data and science to work for SDG progress

  4. Addressing poverty, inequality, and leaving no one behind in the recovery from the confluence of crises

  5. Protecting our planet through fostering synergy between implementing the 2030 Agenda and advancing climate action

  6. Strengthening DESA’s work on projection and frontier issues

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