NEW YORK, JANUARY 20 – Ahead of the upcoming meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States next week, the Italian Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Maurizio Massari, met with his collegue from the Maldives, Ali Naseer Mohamed, to discuss Italy’s unwavering commitment to SIDS and their long-standing cooperation.
SIDS4 from 27-30 May in St. John’s
To prepare for the Conference, a regional preparatory meeting in each of the three regions of small island developing States, as well as an interregional preparatory meeting for all small island developing States were held in 2023. The UN Secretary-General has appointed the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Li Junhua, as the Secretary-General of the Conference responsible for guiding the intergovernmental and logistical preparations for the Conference; and the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Ms. Rabab Fatima, as Special Adviser for the Conference responsible for leading the advocacy and fundraising efforts. UN DESA together with OHRLLS are also coordinating coordinate the inter-agency preparations and contribution of the United Nations system to the Conference.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) comprise 37 UN member nations and 20 associate members of regional commissions, uniquely and unfortunately positioned at the forefront of multiple global crises, notably climate change. These remote economies, prone to natural disasters were formally recognized as a special case both for their environment and development at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Occupying less than 0.5 per cent of the world’s surface, these nations are spread across three key regions: the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea (AIS).
In the face of escalating global crises, including climate change and COVID-19, SIDS find themselves on the frontline, constantly navigating through a cycle of environmental disasters and recovery efforts, which tests their resilience and ability to sustain their communities and economies. (@OnuItalia)
