UN SIDS Partnerships Awards
Recognising and rewarding the efforts of the best and most noteworthy, genuine and durable partnerships in the implementation of the sustainable development priorities of SIDS
Related Goals
Background
The United Nations (UN) Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Partnerships Awards was established by the Member States of the United Nations in 2021 to recognize and reward the efforts of the best and most noteworthy, genuine and durable partnerships in the implementation of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA Pathway). The Awards provide an opportunity to reward the most successful SIDS partnerships, highlight best practices, increase the visibility of the SIDS Partnership Framework, motivate the creation of new SIDS partnerships and incentivize the registrations of new partnerships for SIDS.
This initiative stems from the Third International Conference on SIDS held in 2014 that resulted in announcement of more than 300 multi-stakeholder partnerships. As a follow up mechanism to the partnerships, Member States established the SIDS Partnership Framework and its Steering Committee through the General Assembly resolution (A/RES/70/202). Ten years later, the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), the outcome document of the Fourth International Conference on SIDS (SIDS4) held in 2024, recognized the importance of taking new, innovative and bold approaches to partnership based on mutual collaboration and ownership, trust, alignment, harmonization, respect, results orientation, accountability, transparency, including with relevant stakeholders, and cooperation that leverages a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. It also seeks to strengthen the SIDS Partnership Framework.
The co-chairs of the Steering Committee on partnerships for SIDS in 2025 are H.E. Mr. Ali Naseer Mohamed, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the United Nations, and H.E. Ms. Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, Permanent Representative of Latvia to the United Nations. The awards are supported and managed collaboratively, by the SIDS Unit of the UN DESA and SIDS Sub-Programme of the UN OHRLLS within their respective mandates.
The SIDS Partnerships Awards are given in each of the three dimensions of sustainable development: 1) economic, 2) social and 3) environment as stipulated in the Article 2 sub-paragraph 1 of the Annex of the resolution 76/203.
Awards 2025
Application is now open! We are inviting partnerships for Small Island Developing States (SID
S) to apply for the United Nations SIDS Partnerships Awards 2025!
Please read the Rules and Guideline 2025.
The deadline for the application is Friday 13 June 2025.
CATEGORY
The SIDS Partnerships Awards are given in each of the three dimensions of sustainable development: 1) economic, 2) social and 3) environment. The priority areas outlined in the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), under the sections “II. What do small island developing States want?” and “III. How do small island developing States get there?” have been categorized into the three dimensions of sustainable development. Some of these areas have been identified as ‘cross-cutting’, and applicants are required to choose one of the three categories that most closely aligns with the objectives of their partnerships.
Partnerships should demonstrate their contribution to the implementation of the ABAS and should be based on principles of national ownership, mutual trust, transparency and accountability. Recognizing that some partnerships may fit into more than one category, applicants are asked to select the category that best aligns with the focus of their partnership.
ELIGIBILITY
a) All small island developing States partnerships at the local, national, subregional, regional and global levels (see list of SIDS from here);
b) Partnerships that are in line with the small island developing States partnerships criteria and norms - the SMART criteria, and driving innovation;
c) Partnerships whose goals, objectives, outputs and outcomes are clearly linked to the achievement of the sustainable development priorities of the ABAS and the Sustainable Development Goals;
d) Partnerships must have demonstrated and documented impact;
e) Partnerships must provide information to verify their legitimacy.
f) Ongoing and recently completed partnerships (within the last calendar year before the award-year).
NOMINATION
Self-nominations and nominations by third parties are both acceptable. Nominations can also be submitted by the following:
(a) Governments of Member States;
(b) Intergovernmental organizations;
(c) United Nations system organizations;
(d) Major groups and other relevant stakeholders.
HOW TO APPLY
1. Read Rules and guidelines 2025 carefully from here.
2. Submit your application from online form by the deadline Friday 13 June 2025.
- Applications submitted in accordance with the nomination, organization and eligibility criteria explained in this Rules and Guidelines 2025 will be considered.
- The Online Application Form must be fully completed. All required fields must contain the request information within the word limit. In the event that any required field is left blank, or if the answer does not directly correspond to the question asked, and/or exceed word limits, the partnership will not be evaluated.
3. In the Online Application Form, ensure to provide website links of news articles, featured stories, case studies or reports such as audit or evaluation report which confirms the validity of the partnership (limited to 2 sources/documents).
4. Applications and supplemental documents must be in English.
AWARDS CEREMONY
Subject to funding, the three winners (one per category) will be invited to the Award ceremony to receive a certificate, to make a brief statement and to take pictures with the co-chairs of the Steering Committee on partnerships for SIDS. The ceremony will take place during the Global Multi-Stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue in New York later this year.
QUESTIONS
Contact the SIDS Partnerships Awards secretariat: infounpartnershipsawards@un.org
Awards 2024
The 2024 UN SIDS Partnerships Awards - winning partnerships announced by the co-chairs of the Steering Committee on partnerships for SIDS
The co-chairs of the Steering Committee on partnerships for SIDS, H.E. Ms. IIana Seid, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Palau to the United Nations and H.E. Mr. Fergal Mythen, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations announced the winning partnerships of the 2024 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Partnerships Awards on the occasion of the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4).
The winning partnerships are:
- Economic category: UAE Pacific Partnership Fund and UAE Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (Nominated by: Abu Dhabi Fund for Development)
- Environmental category: Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) (Nominated by: The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) Secretariat)
- Social category: Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity (Nominated by: UNESCO)
The ceremony of the UN SIDS Partnerships Awards 2024 was held on 10 July 2024 from 10am in New York, during the Global Multi-Stakeholder Small Island Developing States Partnership Dialogue 2024.
About the winning partnerships:
Economic category
In line with the UAE’s commitment to the environment and sustainable development, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has provided funding for the UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund and the UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund. These initiatives aim to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, enhance energy security, and mitigate the impacts of climate change in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. ADFD has mobilized US$100 million and established a cooperative model involving three UAE entities, one university, and 26 governments in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This collaboration is dedicated to developing solar, wind, and other renewable projects, improving access to energy, and promoting economic development in SIDS. Additionally, the projects supported by these funds stimulate local economies, nurture innovation, create jobs, empower women, and support climate resilience.
Environmental category
The Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) initiative, spearheaded by The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) Secretariat, supports all SIDS to enhance the resilience of infrastructure to climate change and disasters, strengthen knowledge and partnerships of integrating resilience of infrastructure, and promotes gender equality and disability inclusion through resilient SIDS infrastructure. The partnership mobilized 35 million USD from Australia, India, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, which underpins core priorities such as financing a risk-informed and inclusive pipeline of infrastructure projects, facilitating the uptake of tangible and locally relevant solutions for infrastructure resilience, and promoting locally available technical expertise and know-how.
Social category
Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, is a partnership that leverages cultural exchange and creative industries to foster integration and sustainable development in the Caribbean region. It targets young professionals in the cultural and creative sector, between the ages of 18 and 35 from 17 SIDS in the Caribbean region. With a support of 15 million EUR (16.5 million US dollars) provided by the European Union (EU), this is the most significant EU investment in culture in the region and the largest UNESCO programme in Latin America and the Caribbean, implemented in 3 languages. The initiative focuses on providing opportunities for cultural professionals and creatives through training, support to entrepreneurship, networking, and mobility programs, which help strengthen the cultural sector's capacity while boosting regional integration.
Judging Panel Members for 2024 Awards:
- Mr. John Gilroy, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations (Chair)
- Ms. Kereeta Whyte, Deputy Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations
- Dr. Ibrahim Zuhuree, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations
- Ms. Fiona Indu, Deputy Permanent Representative of Solomon Islands to the United Nations
- Ms. Kate Brown, Executive Director, Global Island Partnership (GLISPA)
- Dr. Satesh Bidaisee, Professor and Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies, St. George’s University, Grenada
- Mr. Sainivalati S. Navoti, Chief of the SIDS Unit, UNDESA
- Ms. Tishka Francis, Head of SIDS Sub-Programme, OHRLLS
List of SIDS can be found here: https://sdgs.un.org/topics/small-island-developing-states#list_of_sids
Contact: The SIDS Partnerships Awards secretariat: infounpartnershipsawards@un.org
Awards 2023
The UN Small Island Development States Partnerships Awards 2023
The UN SIDS Partnerships Awards ceremony was held during the 2023 Global Multi-Stakeholder Small Island Developing States Partnership Dialogue on Tuesday 11 July 2023, UNHQ in New York. This was co-chaired by the co-chairs of the Steering Committee on partnerships for SIDS, H.E. Mr. Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Pa'olelei Luteru, Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations and H.E. Ms. Ana Paula Zacarias, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations. See the concept note and the programme from here.
A total of 81 applications was received. The UN Secretariat (DESA and OHRLLS) reviewed all nominations based on the SMART criteria and recommend nine finalists (three partnerships per category) to the judging panel members. The Judging panel evaluated the nine finalists based on their applications and a virtual interactive discussion held in May 2023. The Awards' rules and guidelines 2023 with details of eligibility and the selection process can be found here.
The awards have been given to three winners in economic, social and environmental categories:
Economic category:
Development of an Integrated National Financing Framework for the SDGs in Cuba, nominated by UN Resident Coordinator Office in Cuba.
This program was carried out by the United Nations System in Cuba, through the Subregional Headquarters in Mexico of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and included the participation of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Resident Coordinator’s Office. Its aim was to contribute to the development of an Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) as a tool for planning, defining and evaluating gender-sensitive financial policies, which is useful for improving Cuban government’s efficacy and promoting the resource mobilization needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Environmental category:
Alliances for a bluer, greener Caribbean (Ridge to Reef), nominated by the Alligator Head Foundation (AHF)
Alligator Head Foundation (AHF), Coconut Industry Board (CIB), and the International Trade Centre (ITC) joined together to strategically boost and promote a sustainable coconut sector in Jamaica and the Caribbean. To develop climate-income smart solutions, the partnership diversifies farmer livelihoods, restores communities and increases food production through sustainable environmental management from ridge to reef. The partnership also supports regional and international trade through sustainable agribusiness. This unique partnership approach, from ridge to reef and from farm to fork, continues to deliver results while focusing on scaling up. This partnership is formed under the project called the Alliances for Coconut Industry Development in the Caribbean, funded by the European Union and supported by the Caribbean Forum of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (CARIFORUM) Secretariat and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
Social category:
Small Island Developing States Scholarships awarded by the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta and the Islands and Small States Institute of the University of Malta, nominated by the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, of the Government of Malta
The partnership involves a collaboration of the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade and the University of Malta’s Islands and Small States Institute, for the award of scholarships at Master and PhD level to applicants from SIDS that are eligible to Official Development Assistance. The partnership commenced in 2021, when an agreement to this effect was entered into for the award of one PhD scholarship and six Masters scholarships over three years. The partnership is expected to be pursued further, with a new agreement envisaged to be entered into during the course of 2023 for the following three years.
Awards 2022
The first UN Small Island Development States Partnerships Awards 2022
The first United Nations Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Partnerships Awards was held on 11 July 2022 at the UN Headquarters, New York, during the Annual Global Multi-Stakeholder SIDS Partnerships Dialogue. The awards have been given to three winners in economic, social and environmental categories:
Economic category:
Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean 2022-2050, represented by the World Bank
Environmental category:
SIDS Lighthouses Initiative, represented by IRENA
Social category:
Italy-AOSIS Fellowship, represented by the Chair of AOSIS, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN, and Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN
The concept note and programme of the first SIDS Partnerships Awards can be found here: 2022 Annual Global Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Concept Note
United Nations SIDS Partnerships Awards Rules and Guidelines 2022
