United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
Meeting of the Steering Committee on Partnerships for Small Island Developing States
13 April 2018, 3.00 PM, Trusteeship Chamber, UNHQ
DESA/DSDG Remarks
Your Excellency, Ms. Lois M. Young. Permanent Representative of Belize to the United Nations
Your Excellency, Mrs. Geraldine Patricia Byrne Nason, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations
Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to join you today at this first meeting in 2018 of the Steering Committee on Partnership for Small Island Developing States.
Allow me first to congratulate Belize and Ireland for their appointment as co-chairs of this distinguished Committee, and for keeping to Spirit of Samoa live and well.
Excellencies,
The SIDS Partnership Framework, of which the Steering Committee is an integral part of, is a key outcome of the SAMOA Pathway, the blueprint for achieving sustainable development in SIDS. The Framework, and the Steering Committee, was formed to follow-up on sustainable development commitments made, showcase best practices, and identify new challenges to full implementation.
The Committee itself represents a truly global partnership, open to all States Members of the UN and members of the specialized agencies which includes representatives from islands, and developing and developed nations around the world, as well as the UN System and other stakeholders.
It is a unique intergovernmental arrangement in the UN – one that could serve as an important model for maintaining accountability in other processes.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for special attention be given to SIDS, as they face unique vulnerabilities in their pursuit of sustainable development. Member States have agreed that partnerships are critical to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The ambition and breadth of the Sustainable Development Goals make them simply unattainable without robust and durable partnerships.
Excellencies,
2018 is a big year for Small Island Developing States.
As stated by the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS, a robust process for preparing for the 2019 mid-term high-level review of the Samoa Pathway, with strong support from UN DESA and OHRLLS, is underway.
Member states have called upon the Secretariat to continue to enhance the necessary analytical and advocacy support for the work of the Steering Committee on SIDS Partnerships, and, in particular, to ensure an annual action-oriented, results-focused Global Multi-stakeholder Small Island Developing States Partnership Dialogue.
DESA stands ready to work with the Steering Committee, and places great importance on the role of partnerships in driving implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in SIDS, and indeed in all countries.
Allow me to outline how we, together with OHRLLS, and under the overall guidance of the co-chairs of this Committee, are supporting the preparatory process in the context of SIDS partnerships:
• First, our office is currently undertaking an in-depth analysis of all 300+ partnerships from the SIDS Conference in Samoa. This analysis will also include an assessment of SIDS relevant partnerships that were announced in the context of the 2017 Ocean Conference.
The analysis will include an assessment, as well a master table of the status of partnerships, to be ready in early May, a few weeks from now. It will be shared with all Committee members.
• Second, we are planning to organize regional/inter-regional partnership dialogues, in the margins of the regional meetings to support SIDS in their deliberations around partnerships, and to:
o 1) get feedback on the partnership analysis for each region, and for identifying gaps and best practices;
o 2) discuss how the monitoring process of SIDS partnerships can be strengthened; and
o 3) build up the capacity of SIDS in both developing partnerships, and its monitoring aspects.
• Third, we will simplify and further improve the SIDS Action Platform – the online platform that serve as the main hub for SIDS partnerships – putting with more emphasis on highlighting partnership analysis results, status of partnerships, and gaps in Samoa Pathway priority areas. This will done throughout the process, to be completed by the inter-regional meeting in Samoa.
In this regard, please allow me to also remind that the platform – available at www.sids2014.org - remains open for new registrations of SIDS partnerships, and
accepting progress updates of existing ones, based on the reporting template approved by this Committee.
These efforts are aimed to assist member States in monitoring progress of existing partnerships, and stimulate the launch of new, genuine and durable partnerships for the sustainable development of SIDS.
I wish you a fruitful meeting. We stand ready to work with you all.
Thank you.
***
13 April 2018, 3.00 PM, Trusteeship Chamber, UNHQ
DESA/DSDG Remarks
Your Excellency, Ms. Lois M. Young. Permanent Representative of Belize to the United Nations
Your Excellency, Mrs. Geraldine Patricia Byrne Nason, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations
Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to join you today at this first meeting in 2018 of the Steering Committee on Partnership for Small Island Developing States.
Allow me first to congratulate Belize and Ireland for their appointment as co-chairs of this distinguished Committee, and for keeping to Spirit of Samoa live and well.
Excellencies,
The SIDS Partnership Framework, of which the Steering Committee is an integral part of, is a key outcome of the SAMOA Pathway, the blueprint for achieving sustainable development in SIDS. The Framework, and the Steering Committee, was formed to follow-up on sustainable development commitments made, showcase best practices, and identify new challenges to full implementation.
The Committee itself represents a truly global partnership, open to all States Members of the UN and members of the specialized agencies which includes representatives from islands, and developing and developed nations around the world, as well as the UN System and other stakeholders.
It is a unique intergovernmental arrangement in the UN – one that could serve as an important model for maintaining accountability in other processes.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for special attention be given to SIDS, as they face unique vulnerabilities in their pursuit of sustainable development. Member States have agreed that partnerships are critical to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The ambition and breadth of the Sustainable Development Goals make them simply unattainable without robust and durable partnerships.
Excellencies,
2018 is a big year for Small Island Developing States.
As stated by the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS, a robust process for preparing for the 2019 mid-term high-level review of the Samoa Pathway, with strong support from UN DESA and OHRLLS, is underway.
Member states have called upon the Secretariat to continue to enhance the necessary analytical and advocacy support for the work of the Steering Committee on SIDS Partnerships, and, in particular, to ensure an annual action-oriented, results-focused Global Multi-stakeholder Small Island Developing States Partnership Dialogue.
DESA stands ready to work with the Steering Committee, and places great importance on the role of partnerships in driving implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in SIDS, and indeed in all countries.
Allow me to outline how we, together with OHRLLS, and under the overall guidance of the co-chairs of this Committee, are supporting the preparatory process in the context of SIDS partnerships:
• First, our office is currently undertaking an in-depth analysis of all 300+ partnerships from the SIDS Conference in Samoa. This analysis will also include an assessment of SIDS relevant partnerships that were announced in the context of the 2017 Ocean Conference.
The analysis will include an assessment, as well a master table of the status of partnerships, to be ready in early May, a few weeks from now. It will be shared with all Committee members.
• Second, we are planning to organize regional/inter-regional partnership dialogues, in the margins of the regional meetings to support SIDS in their deliberations around partnerships, and to:
o 1) get feedback on the partnership analysis for each region, and for identifying gaps and best practices;
o 2) discuss how the monitoring process of SIDS partnerships can be strengthened; and
o 3) build up the capacity of SIDS in both developing partnerships, and its monitoring aspects.
• Third, we will simplify and further improve the SIDS Action Platform – the online platform that serve as the main hub for SIDS partnerships – putting with more emphasis on highlighting partnership analysis results, status of partnerships, and gaps in Samoa Pathway priority areas. This will done throughout the process, to be completed by the inter-regional meeting in Samoa.
In this regard, please allow me to also remind that the platform – available at www.sids2014.org - remains open for new registrations of SIDS partnerships, and
accepting progress updates of existing ones, based on the reporting template approved by this Committee.
These efforts are aimed to assist member States in monitoring progress of existing partnerships, and stimulate the launch of new, genuine and durable partnerships for the sustainable development of SIDS.
I wish you a fruitful meeting. We stand ready to work with you all.
Thank you.
***