In its resolution 77/245, the UN General Assembly reaffirmed its call for the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) to be convened in 2024.
Hosted by Antigua and Barbuda, SIDS4 will take place on 27-30 May under the theme Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity. The Conference will agree a bold new Programme of Action for SIDS, with concrete, measurable, targets to support SIDS to achieve their sustainable development objectives over the next ten years. The outcome will build on the SAMOA Pathway (2014); Mauritius Strategy (2004); and Barbados Programme of Action (1994).
SIDS have been recognized by the international community as requiring special attention, due to their unique vulnerabilities, including small size, geographically remoteness, narrow resource and export base and exposure to exogenous economic, social and environmental shocks. The Conference will bring together world leaders from SIDS and their partners, civil society, the private sector, academia, youth and other stakeholders, through a formal programme, including plenary sessions and interactive dialogues, as well as a programme of side events, to develop practical and impactful solutions to address SIDS-specific challenges.
In August 2023, regional preparatory meetings were held in each of the three SIDS regions to assess progress implementing the SAMOA Pathway and identify regional priorities and areas for action at SIDS4. In September 2023, an interregional meeting was convened to provide SIDS with an opportunity to agree a common position, which will form the basis of the new Programme of Action. Negotiations on the text will begin in January 2024.
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