Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) - ‘The Sustainable Development of SIDS Through Genuine and Durable Partnerships’

1-4 September 2014 | Apia, Samoa

The Third International Conference on SIDS drew to a close today, after a final session of general debate in the morning that continued into the afternoon, followed by a closing plenary.

Moderators reported back from the six partnership dialogues that took place in previous days.

Delegates adopted the SAMOA Pathway outcome document, and adopted a draft resolution expressing thanks to the people and Government of Samoa. Wu Hongbo, Secretary-General of the Conference, highlighted a monitoring and accountability mechanism to review progress of implementation, and assured delegates of continued support from the UN family.

Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said the Samoa conference is not the final destination for SIDS development challenges, looking ahead to further international discussions on climate, disaster risk reduction and the post-2015 development agenda. He gaveled the meeting to a close at 4.43 pm.

Following the closing of plenary, the Third International Conference on SIDS was officially closed with a flag-lowering ceremony, accompanied by the Royal Samoa Police Band.

ENB SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS: The Earth Negotiations Bulletin summary and analysis of this conference will be available on this site on Sunday, 7 September 2014.

Melchiade Bukuru, UN Convention To Combat Desertification

Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Pacific Islands Forum

Rawleston Moore, Global Environment Facility Secretariat

Gyan Chandra Acharya, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and SIDS

Braulio de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary, UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Franz Drees-Gross, Country Director for Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the Pacific Islands, World Bank

David Sheppard, Secretariat of the Pacific Region Environment Program, Director General

	Partnerships Dialogue: Water and sanitation, food security and waste management

	Panel (L-R): Karen Tan, Permanent Representative of Singapore to the UN in New York; Federico Ramos de Armas, Secretary of State for Environment, Spain; Rolph Payet, Minister of Environment and Energy, Seychelles; Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary General, Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General for the Third International Conference on SIDS; Chair Ronald Jean Jumeau, Ambassador for Climate Change and SIDS Issues, Seychelles; Secretariat; Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization; and Alemneh Dejene, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Karen Tan, Permanent Representative of Singapore to the UN in New York

Federico Ramos de Armas, Secretary of State for Environment, Spain

Chair Ronald Jean Jumeau, Ambassador for Climate Change and SIDS Issues, Seychelles

Rolph Payet, Minister of Environment and Energy, Seychelles

Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization

Alemneh Dejene, FAO

	Closing Plenary

	Panel (L-R): Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary General, DESA and Conference Secretary-General; Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister, Samoa; Secretariat; and Milan Meetarbhan, Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the UN, as Rapporteur-General

Lucinda Longcroft, Head of the New York Office, World Intellectual Property Organization

Daniele Violetti, Chief of Staff, UNFCCC Secretariat

	Side Event: What’s in it for SIDS? Findings from the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report

	This event highlighted findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) and what they mean for SIDS. In order to increase understanding of these implications, the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) produced a guide to the AR5 for SIDS, which was introduced at the event. The event brought together climate change experts, and senior officials and negotiators from various organizations and regions to discuss the recent findings and the causes and consequences of climate change for SIDS.

	Panel (L-R): Ulric Trotz, Deputy Director, Caribbean Community Centre for Climate Change (CCCCC); Elizabeth Carabine, Overseas Development Institute (ODI); Faamoetauloa Lealaiauloto Taito Dr Faale Tumaalii, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Samoa; Moderator Kenrick Leslie, Director, CCCCC; Ngedikes Olai Uludong, Chief Negotiator, Alliance for Small Island States (AOSIS); and Evaipomana Tuuholoaki, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Faamoetauloa Lealaiauloto Taito Dr Faale Tumaalii, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Samoa, said the side event would address the root causes and consequences of climate change, and pointed to the impacts of slow-onset events, a new phenomena for SIDS.

Ulric Trotz, Deputy Director, CCCCC, called attention to the Caribbean Climate Online Risk and Adaptation Tool (CCORAL), said even achieving 350 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere is generous and we should really be aiming for 260 ppm. He said delaying action on climate change is not an option, and stressed the need to define a vulnerability index more suitable for SIDS.

Evaipomana Tuuholoaki, IFRC, said her organization is: scaling up humanitarian response and preparedness; reducing risk through increased awareness and understanding and using early warning information; and contributing to increasing resilience at the community level. She emphasized that while science is the foundation, the information must be translated so that local communities can understand it.

Ngedikes Olai Uludong, Chief Negotiator, AOSIS, stressed the usefulness of the CDKN guide for SIDS negotiators, pointing to difficulties in understanding thousands of pages of scientific reports. She called for a special financing window for SIDS.

Elizabeth Carabine, ODI, mentioned two key risks for SIDS: loss of livelihoods, coastal settlements, infrastructure, ecosystem services and economic stability; and the interaction of rising sea levels in the 21st century with high water level events threatening low-lying coastal areas. She said adaptation costs are high for SIDS relative to the size of their economies; and that SIDS can benefit from integrated adaptation and mitigation approaches.

Kenrick Leslie, Director, CCCCC, moderated the event, expressing hope that participants would gain a better understanding of what the AR5’s findings mean for SIDS.

	Closing Ceremony

 

© 2014