(6th meeting) High-Level Political Forum 2025

resume its consideration of sub-item B of agenda item 2, thematic review, to hold an interactive panel discussion on the theme Small Island Developing States: Strategies for SDG Success. There is no doubt that small island developing states remain a special case for sustainable development. We are already one year into the implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States. Recently, two international conferences were held, namely the Third United Nations Conference to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14, conserve and sustainably use the ocean, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development, as well as the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development. They both have the potential to unblock to unlock much-needed development finance at scale and to establish effective partnerships that mobilize the necessary means of implementation to ensure tangible results for Small Island Developing States. Today's discussion will examine early efforts to support the effective implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States. I am now pleased to welcome our panelists. Her Excellency Ilana Said, Permanent Representative of Palau to the United Nations and Chair of the Alliance of Small Small Island States. Mr. Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and Mr. Sergio Fernández de Córdoba, Executive Chairman of the Public Foundation. I also welcome our lead discussant, Ms. Ruth Julie Kissam from Advancing PNG Women Leaders Network. I am also pleased to welcome the moderator, Mr. Matthew Bishop, Co-Director of the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative. I now hand the floor over to the moderator to begin the discussion.

Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for joining us. We have a panel discussion now to talk about some of the things that SIDS can be doing in order to try and catch up with the SDG process. And I've got a series of questions to pose to the panel, beginning with a general question which I will throw out to, to all of them. There's 3 parts to this question. The first one is, what do you see as the core priority areas for action that could facilitate that meaningful catch-up and progress? The second part is how can the outcomes of related processes like FFD4, UNOC 3, and the upcoming WSSD2 be strategically harnessed to mobilize the support that SIDS urgently need? And then the final part is how can the international partnerships that SIDS rely on for progress be expanded or deepened? So I'll hand over and give the floor to Ambassador Syed to kick us off.

Thank you very much, Mr. Moderator. And first, let me express my sincere appreciation to you and to the organizers of the SIDS segment in presenting a clear picture of where SIDS find themselves in the wider global geopolitical and economic landscape. Certainly, the regression of action and commitments, whether that's in financing and ODA, in climate change, in trade, or multilateralism generally, SIDS are in, quite honestly, a very precarious position and are at great risk of falling behind. On that note, I must emphasize that as chair of AOSIS, our core priority areas as SIDS lie in unlocking the means of implementation, particularly financing, technology, and capacity building, and that's needed for us to build resilience and foster economic growth. However, to do this, it requires deliberate actions both at the national and international levels. Three areas that require require urgent action. First, we need the system and the international community to fully recognize the special circumstances of SIDS, which gives rise to us being a special case for sustainable development. This requires the UN system, the international financial institutions, and other international bodies to see and address the specific needs of SIDS through tailored programmatic support and policies. Second, through this recognition, we need to expand the fiscal space available to SIDS by unlocking access to concessional and grant-based financing, and eligibility must go beyond GDP per capita. The Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, otherwise known as the MDI, has now been endorsed by the UN General Assembly, and it must be integrated into development and financing decisions, especially concessional finance, as well as graduation policies for SIDS. Third, we need to strengthen data and institutional capacity to deliver on the commitments in the ABAS. This means support for tools and mechanisms aimed at building SIDS capacities, including the SIDS Center for Excellence, the SIDS Global Data Hub, and the Debt Sustainability Support Service, DSSS. Without adequate long-term capacity building, our collective efforts will not deliver on our objectives. Thank you, Mr. Moderator.

Wonderful. Thank you. We'll move over now to Mr. Dikodova. Sergio?

Thank you, Matthew. Well, we believe that when you start to look at the small island development states and what's been happening, we need to build infrastructure, an infrastructure that you can't see. Which is data. We need the technologies, we need the capacity building, and without real-time geospatial sovereign data and without the ability to actually implement these tools, this is why we need the SIDS Global Data Hub and the Center of Excellence, because we need a mechanism by which to bring stakeholders together. No longer can we look at a framework and actually have 100 people doing the same exact thing. We need to work together, we need to bring public and private together, we need to bring the foundations, we need to bring the technologies, And we must move differently than we have. Traditional aid won't cut it. We need solutions that are actually going to bring technologies, that are going to bring solutions, and are going to help us actually fulfill the outcomes of FFD4, UNOC 3, and a lot of these platforms and frameworks that have actually— are showing us the path, but now we need to actually make— take action and bring together execution.

Wonderful, thanks. And I'll now go over to Assistant Secretary General Hanif.

Thank you, Mr. Moderator. You have asked a fairly big question, so I will need a little bit of time because a lot has happened. And I also want to commend the President and the Bureau of the Council to dedicate 3 hours for such conversation at the High-Level Political Forum. They need this attention. So the policy objectives for SIDS, first and foremost, we need to— and this requires domestic and international action— is to shockproof these vulnerable countries. That should be our first priority, and that requires domestic policies, domestic planning that is designed to promote self-sustaining investments in human capital, in institutions, in attracting foreign investment. And there I find the tool of Integrated National Financing Framework, sustainable development strategies, which should be multi-sectoral and designed in such a fashion that they take into account specific needs of SIDS at the same time recognize their diversity. On the international side, and I will bring in the CVA commitments, four key provisions which are critical for SIDS to pursue, but on the international side the challenge for SIDS we have witnessed repeatedly is managing their external debt, unsustainable debt servicing burden,, and we need to pursue proposals on debt swaps and other measures to reduce this burden and create fiscal space and also increase their tax-to-GDP ratio. The Suiya commitment, I think, is an important milestone for SIDS. This is the first FFD document which has recognized the need to go beyond GDP, look at their vulnerabilities which are not just driven by income criteria, and I think this should become a norm in all decisions which allocate concessional finance. Then there is a commitment to improve development cooperation, and that means aid effectiveness and better impact on all concessional finance. Then, appeal to IFIs and MDBs to adopt Multidimensional Vulnerability Index as a complementary tool to guide their decisions. This is the third breakthrough in the Sevilla Commitment for SIDS. And lastly, the— and Ambassador mentioned— Debt Sustainability Support Service. The Sevilla Commitment had asked for acceleration in implementing the services. These four areas have come out of the severe commitment. And from the oceans conference, I want to highlight one point which is actually critical for this economic transformation, and that is growth models that are based on the ocean sector. So your dependence on external linkages is relatively reduced. It can't be totally eliminated. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy.

Thank you very much, Assistant Secretary General. I'm now going to target a question to each of the panelists that's a bit more focused in terms of their own remits, beginning again with Ambassador Said. So you've inherited the AOSIS chair at a time when the remit facing the organization is expanding.— but global financial resources are diminishing at the same time, and that's quite a tough picture to cope with. How do you see AOSIS coping with this dilemma? How can you use AOSIS' strengths to support and leverage the resources needed to scale up the implementation of the SDGs?

Thank you very much, Mr. Moderator. SIDS certainly have— we've never been passive actors. One of the things that I kind of think about collectively is the SIDS comprise 20% of the UN vote. It's 39 members. It's quite a large bloc, and we are— our voices are very important in the areas of climate, the areas of ocean and sustainable development. But I think we are— we finally kind of reached a moment where we are strongly advocating for ourselves. And I think even though some may say the pie is shrinking, I think AOCSIS has a very strong position to take up a larger share of the pie that it should have gotten in the first place. So I think I would say that, that, that, that's something that we are— we collectively are stewards of 30% of the world's oceans. That's a big responsibility, but we need the resources to be able to mobilize some of the commitments and some of the priorities that we have as ocean countries. So through the ABAS, we have a unified and visionary 10-year plan And it's not just a declaration, it's an investment framework. And we're currently working on M&E, monitoring and evaluation framework, to make sure that some of the goals that we've set forth in the Abassah are actually met. The operationalization of the SIDS Center of Excellence is critical to making this happen. And we're also reaching out to non-traditional partners. We're looking at innovative financing mechanisms to to fill gaps and creatively reach our pressing challenges. We are looking to things like South-South cooperation, which are even more important with traditional donors kind of diminishing their ODA. And we're also looking to the private sector. I think our colleague here mentioned the importance of data, and we're looking to technology companies to come and really help us strengthen some of the— that critical infrastructure, but also ways that we can work together. So whether it's through the UN system, the MDBs and IFIs, or like-minded partners, I think programmatic partnerships is going to be crucial to ensuring the successful implementation of ABAS. We understand the climate we're in, but we also understand that we need to kind of take control of our own destinies, and we hope that the next 10 years will be transformational for us. Thank you.

Wonderful. So the comment about non-traditional or innovative sources of finance, I think, kind of comes into the question I'm about to ask Sergio. So the Public Foundation was instrumental in supporting Antigua and Barbuda and SIDS more generally in laying the groundwork for establishing the SIDS Center of Excellence, and in particular the Global Data Hub. Can you update us a bit on what's happening with the Data Hub and what the international community can expect to see moving forward as it becomes operationalized? What also, in your, in your view, also what are the major challenges for SIDS with respect to strengthening the national data systems that you kind of mentioned earlier? What investments are needed? And is the Global Data Hub intended to bridge these gaps and challenges? And if so, how? I realize there's a lot there, Sergio.

Thank you, Mr. Moderator. At its core, the SIDS Global Data Hub represents a transformative shift towards sovereign data ownership, institutional capacity, and regional interoperability, which is very important for the SIDS. The ambition is clear: to ensure that every Small Island Development State can access secure, real-time, and policy-relevant data to inform national strategies, track SDG implementations, and unlock new opportunities across sectors—from ocean governance, as we heard about, UNOC 3, to sustainable tourism, trade, and environmental resilience. We introduced a Global Data Hub prototype at the SIDS IV, refined it through the engagement at UNGA COP 29 and regional workshops across the Caribbean, Caribbean, and the Pacific. And in 2025, we're scaling it to establish it in 10 fully interoperable country hubs. These will serve as national anchor points feeding into the global data hub and global hubs, creating an integrated sovereign data system that reflects the realities and priorities of SIDS. The importance of data is really to have real-time information, but the challenges still remain. The 3 most pressing barriers are limited digital infrastructure and broadband access, a shortage of long-term technical data professionals within the government institution, and fragmented data ecosystems where valuable information remains inaccessible. So to bridge these gaps, the Data Hub is designed to complement national systems, not replacement— not replace them at all. It provides shared software and secured cloud infrastructure. Standardized governance models that keeps data at a source while making it visible and actionable, ongoing capacity building and technical support through the Center of Excellence. This is not simply a digital tool. It is a multilateral infrastructure for resilience co-created with the governments themselves, supported with private sector technology and innovation, and designed to strengthen institutional sovereignty over time. As we move forward, sustained investment will be critical, as mentioned earlier. We need all the stakeholders. Everyone must be part of the conversation. When we look at, especially in national data officer roles, capacity building— again, was mentioned earlier— capacity building is key in these communities and being able to not only transfer technology but transfer intelligence so that folks actually can be the, the leaders that we need them to be within the ministries. The public cloud and hybrid systems that support real-time analytics that isn't controlled by private sector, but rather controlled at the sovereign national level. Small catalytic grants that help enable ministries to activate and share key datasets. Being that a lot of organizations, as I mentioned earlier, we have hundreds of groups that are doing a lot for the SIDS, but nobody is coming together. And a lot of the vision that has been put together with the ABES is to really in the Center of Excellence is to bring everybody together so that we're not creating in parallels, but rather creating together. In short, the SIDS Data— Global Data Hub is more than a platform. It is a foundation for evidence-based governance, cross-regional solidarity, and economic transfer— transformation through data, which is key. A lot of what we talk about is economic development through data. Thank you, Miss Moderator.

Wonderful, thank you very, very much. And then the final focus question is for Assistant Secretary-General Hanif. Can you share some of your reflections on these issues from the UN side, given that SIDS all face similar challenges, as you said just now, but have their particular kinds of distinctive characteristics? What work is DESA doing to support their special case in terms of achieving the SDGs? How are you grappling with implementing these different processes on different time horizons?, and what is happening within the UN system to push forward initiatives like MVI implementation or the Debt Sustainability Support Service? What other mechanisms do we need, and are there other opportunities that you're excited about? Again, another big question there.

Thank you so much, Mr. Moderator. Before I respond to this question, I just want to respond to Sergio's observation on data collection, tabulation, deploying it for policymaking. These are challenges which are widely shared among SIDS, but there are solutions available that the UN system is advancing from— through initiatives like Data Now, urgency of using data in evidence-based policymaking. So that priority is high for the UN system. And I also want to emphasize DESA is always trying to bring the system together to avoid duplication, overlap, unnecessary competition. So that effort is ongoing and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs has done that since the adoption of the first SIDS Programme of Action. Now, Mr. Moderator, there are 3 questions you have asked me in one breath. First is diversity and distinction. So what— in our department, there are four striking shared structural challenges for SIDS which we have to keep in mind supporting any small island developing states. First and foremost is the geographic isolation. Second is narrow economic base. Third is climate and disaster risks, and fourthly, debt sustainability and fiscal space. Almost all SIDS share these structural challenges, so we have to keep those in mind while responding to SIDS, be it in the Pacific, in the Caribbean, or Indian Ocean. So with those in mind, what we are trying to do is have a modular approach, develop modules which also look at the specific needs tailored to their national and regional tracks. For instance, when we talk of digital transformation, data and statistics, financing, science and technology, innovation and partnerships, we customize these interventions depending on specific states' needs. This we have done particularly in digital transformation Our capacity building work, which usually goes through country teams, is customized for countries' needs depending on their human resource capacity, their digital infrastructure, and their needs. So this is how we are in designing our interventions. Then we also are promoting learning from peer learning among SIDS, and that's also a program which built around STI efforts through peer learning. Then using regional grouping strategically so that we at least can focus at the regional level. For instance, tax policy is an area where regional approaches can work. So let me say what we are trying to do is knowledge exchange, regional cooperation, sub-regional collaboration, especially when they are developing projects for investment, and that's what our advice has been to SIDS at the SEG Investment Fair: look for scale through sub-regional cooperation. Now, the second part of your question is what is happening to the UN processes on MVI. So there is an assessment going on of the best UN institutions to host the UN Secretariat and identification of the MVI panel. So UN system is taking these actions and continued advocacy for the use of MDI and IFRs and MDBs. And UN system is pilot testing the MDI and examining the feasibility of mainstreaming the tool. Opportunities at the World Summit on Social Development. I think one— two areas stand out in the outcome document. One is Social protection, how do you— first, every country should legislate it, and then how should you finance social protection? Second is social inclusion, and what are the economic policies that should be designed to promote social inclusion in societies, or for all groups, vulnerable and otherwise? So on the first, we are working with ILO in coming up with policy tools which will help countries both in having budgetary allocations for social protection, but also in times of crisis and shocks, some access to some financial instruments that they can tap into immediately to protect their citizens from those shocks and their impact. So these are some of the ideas which we are going to advance. Through the World Summit on Social Development in Doha, and we are keen that SIDS should get special attention at the social summit. Thank you.

Fantastic, thank you. Before coming to the final question, I'd like to reflect just a little bit on some of the conversation that we've just heard, and it seems to me, in tying together some of the different things that you've all said, the key kind of challenge going forward for SIDS is about unlocking what Ambassador Syed described as the means of implementation, right? So we need to expand fiscal space in a context where fiscal space is constrained, where many SIDS are struggling with heavy debt burdens, as we all know. We need to access new and innovative sources of private and philanthropic finance while building new infrastructures to harness technology and data. That seems to me the kind of key practical challenge going forward. I just wonder if each of you would mind just talking a little bit more about your kind of individual vision for that. What does that actually look like in practice for you, and how does that get rolled out to SIDS as a whole? We'll start with Ambassador Saeed again.

Thank you very much. It's a very important question. I think there can't be sustainable development without sustainable access to finance, and we've always advocated as EOSIS that the special circumstances of SIDS and the unique vulnerabilities that we have need to shape the policies that allow us to access cheap, affordable, and predictable finance. So maybe just to paint a picture of why SIDS are different from some of the other larger developing countries. If you are a large country and you are on a— you get to a middle or high income level, you have other sources where you can access finance, whether that's through the capital markets, that's through foreign direct investment. There are other venues where you can, you can generate finance so that your growth is continued. That's very challenging for SIDS because a lot of investment banks view SIDS as too small, so they won't actually take you into the capital markets. And the economies of scale for most, for a lot of SIDS, remain challenging for a lot of the foreign direct investment partners. So that's why we've always advocated that looking at metrics beyond GDP per capita is important. So I think a big success for SIDS would be for the MDBs and IFIs to incorporate things like the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index into the, the programmatic approach in which we can access concessional and grant finance. I think of just another very specific example is my own country of Palau. We have graduated. We then meet this hurdle where, when we go to the big MDBs, the cost of finance is prohibitively high. And so we are faced with then typhoons where we have a large part of our economy swept away. We have to go and get loans. And so we get into this kind of negative debt cycle. And then we have to ungraduate. So we actually ungraduated because of COVID and we are doing okay now, and we're about to graduate again. But we are kind of facing this— it's kind of like a car engine that won't quite start properly. So we need the financial system to recognize that SIDS are different so that the programs are actually tailored to our specific needs so we can reach this kind of state of what economists call escape velocity, so that you can continue to grow. So I think that's— if we were able to get accessible, affordable finance, we can invest in resilient infrastructure so that the increasing storms don't impact us quite as well. We can recover from climate shocks, and then we can also build and recover for long-term sustainability. Thank you.

I think that's right. That cost of capital question is crucial, isn't it? When we think that, you know, 100% debt burden is a lot for any country, but the financing of that for a much larger, wealthier country, even in a high interest rate environment, can still be very low at 3 or 4% a year. For Sid's country, that can be 30%, 50% of government revenues. I mean, this is a staggering difference. So even when you look at headline debt burdens, they also don't really tell the whole story. Sergio, I'll hand over to you on that question.

Thank you, Mr. Moderator. When I think about, you know, the work, though, especially what we're doing across data systems, financing platforms, and public-private collaboration, which I think is key in this conversation, we see the Future of ABIS as not just as a policy document, but as an operational blueprint for sovereign resilience led through center of excellence and understanding the data. And when we look at the approach, we look at it from 3 strategic pillars that are directly advancing the ABES priorities. Number 1 is institutionalizing data sovereignty towards a beyond GDP framework, right? As we heard Ambassador speak about the beyond GDP, it's not just an element that will help the countries drive forward, but also the community and the people in each of the countries. At the heart of ABES is a call for control over data. Not just as a tool for reporting, but as a foundation of power, planning, and prosperity for their communities and their economies. Number 2 is we look at designing nature-positive economic systems. Right? The Abas speaks about how clearly the value of natural capital— and also we look at Beyond GDP, we look at nature as a producer, as a GDP, through platforms like the Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity, NatureBank, and work around real-world natural assets. We could help move the SIDS forwards from climate vulnerability to climate opportunity and look at nature as an opportunity to build resilience and economic development by valuing ecosystems and infrastructure, pricing resilience into national planning, and unlocking blended capital scale. Again, as the Ambassador said, having— bringing in new capital sources that understand where the future is going. And number 3, operationalizing global partnerships. Right? In the ABIS, it calls for revitalized international cooperation, right? So, not just multilaterals, but also looking at family offices, looking at foundations, new institutions that are focused on where the future is going, institutional partnerships supporting the UN initiatives, as, you know, as was mentioned as well with the work that DESA is doing, and regional bodies and governments, and how public-private coalitions are not just symbolic, but are being brought in as an opportunity to help bring in and drive capital, and building bridges between government sovereign needs, private capital, foundations, and humanity. In short, I think that there is an incredible future here as long as we follow the roadmap and the blueprint that we've all set out to implement.

Brilliant. Thanks, Sergio. I'll hand over to Assistant Secretary General Hanif.

Thank you so much. I cannot overemphasize the role of public finance in development. Public finance which is predictable, accessible, reliable, concessional. And I also want to emphasize domestic public finance is equally important. Governments cannot walk away from their responsibility. On development, on fighting climate action. So to do— what do we need? Climate action, anyone— I hope no one believes private sector can alone fight it or reverse it. That is, I think, a travesty for humanity to think without public finance we can fight climate action. And Czar at the forefront of climate impact. So first and foremost, public finance has to be made available to SIDS on concessional terms. How? CVA has 3 actions very clearly: triple the MDB capital base, give them the capacity to lend, and give special preferential treatment to SIDS from that stream. Second, there is a agreement in the Sevilla Commitment, new playbook for SDRs. We know there are challenges in creating more liquidity, but special drawing rights should be considered as another source of expanding public finance. I am not underestimating the technical difficulties, but it is in the Sevilla Commitment. Third, and that's also repeatedly mentioned by SIDS and many other open facilities when they're hit by a shock. RST is a welcome development after COVID. IMF has done it, but more facilities when cities are hit by shocks, public finance should be immediately available. They don't have to wait to go through long processes. So we have to be bold, innovative in thinking. Second stream which we have learned since Adisa Baba Private money will not move on its own to these destinations. You need to deploy public money through guarantees and other means to move money where it is badly needed. So that pool of money should be created, and that's nothing unusual. Is public money going to the moon, developing vaccines? It was always the public money that led and private money followed. So that is second level of action on means of implementation—deploy public money domestically and internationally to move private investment where it is needed. Third, and I want to welcome—DAC is undertaking a review in Paris to revisit their ODA practices, and I understand they have this consideration, how can they look beyond income and look at vulnerabilities. It's a welcome initiative. By DAC. So ODA allocation criteria may be revisited and adjusted to allocate it to SIDS, because there are countries who are not by choice— were dependent on ODA, they need it. And if criteria are revisited, their vulnerabilities will become a factor to have them better flows. And lastly, on debt management, I really want to encourage SIDS, there are two avenues open at the United Nations. One is join Debtors Club or Debtors Forum. There's agreement now, so we are Debtors Club that will be launched. SIDS should be actively engaged to come together as debtors and see how can you advance peer learning and solution finding. Secondly, there will be a dialogue at the United Nations to look at the debt architecture. You should be active participants. In shaping that dialogue and see it works for you. Thank you, Mr. Mukherjee.

Wonderful. This has been an exceptionally enriching conversation. I'm going to ask each of the panellists to look forward now in the final question. What for you is the one big success that you would like to see SIDS achieve in terms of sustainable development by 2030, and how would that prepare the ground for whatever follows the SDGs?, I presume, from 2030 onwards, and then of course SIDS V, which will be already upon us just a few years after that. Begin with Ambassador Syed.

Thank you, Mr. Moderator. I think maybe just going back to my last response is, if we can get accessible sustainable finance for SIDS right, I think that would go a long way in unlocking a lot of the sustainable development challenges. Also getting climate finance right. It's access to finance both for development and also for climate as well, as well as ocean finances. As I had mentioned in one of my earlier statements that we are ocean countries, SDG 14 is one of the least funded SDGs. As a result, the finance available for SIDS countries for ocean development is also quite limited. If we're able to get that right, I think we can see that SIDS 5— the SIDS development profile will look vastly different. Thank you.

Wonderful. Thank you. Sergio.

Thank you, Matthew. By 2030, we believe the greatest success can be— can help collectively with the small island development states achieve the establishment of resilient, data-driven, and nature-powered economic systems. Where natural capital is recognized as national wealth and digital infrastructure enables sovereign decisions in real time, like the rest of the world operates. This means going beyond survival. It means positioning the SIDS as a global leader in sustainable development, where economies are not only climate smart but structurally designed to align ecological integrity with financial stability and long-term prosperity. They call them the least developed, but are they least developed or are they the wealthiest? If achieved, this is not only prepares the SIDS for the post-SDG era, but it sets the tone for it. Because what comes after 2030 will demand new models, ones rooted on resilience, equity, and regeneration. And no group is better positioned to lead this paradigm shift than the Small Island Development States, the custodian of the world's oceans, biodiversity, and frontline innovation. As we look on to— which is a great question— SIDS V, this vision offers more than a roadmap. It offers a legacy, one where island nations are no longer viewed through the lens of vulnerability, vulnerability, but also through the lens of leadership, through the lens of sustainability, as architects of the next generation of global development frameworks. How it should be done. But this will require serious international commitment to finance the systems that value ecosystems, to embed data capacities at the core of public institutions, and to scale partnerships and move beyond pledges into performance. SIDS don't need incremental change. They need bold, integrated investments across nature, data, and innovation that turns their greatest challenges into the world's most scalable solutions. This is the kind of success we should all be working towards by 2030 and beyond, not just for SIDS V, but for the SIDS as a whole and for the global system that they're helping to redefine.

Wonderful, thank you. And finally, Assistant Secretary-General Hani.

You ask me one big thing. Diversified and shock resilient economies. That's it. Thank you.

Wonderful. So at this point, we're going to invite Ms. Ruth Julie Kissam from the Advancing PNG Women Leaders Network, who is going to act as our discussant. Ruth.

I am a tribal woman leader from Papua New Guinea, a nation of immense biodiversity, home to the world's third-largest intact tropical rainforest and vibrant indigenous cultures. Yet we stand at a critical crossroad in the global climate crisis. As a small island developing state, we face existential threats from rising sea and extreme weather. Yet we are also one of the world's last lines of defense against catastrophic climate change. Today, I underscore why PNG and SIDS and other SIDS are a special case in climate negotiation and why the international community must act with urgency and equity to support our nation and other SIDS like us. PNG's forests span 70% of the landmass. It is a global carbon sink under threat. These forests store billions of tons of carbon, host 7% of the world's biodiversity, sustains the livelihoods and cultural survival of millions of indigenous people who have stewarded these lands for millennia. Yet despite our minimal contribution to global emissions, PNG's forests are under siege from illegal logging, unsustainable agriculture, and resource extraction. If lost, the released carbon would undo decades of global climate progress. Papua New Guinea is the classic paradox of a low emitter facing high climate risks. Unlike our major polluters, PNG did not create this crisis, yet like many other seeds, we bear its heaviest burdens. This is a profound injustice. A call for climate justice and urgent support. PNG cannot protect its forests and adapt to climate change without immediate scaled-up support under the principles of climate justice in the Paris Agreement. We demand increased climate finance, recognition of Indigenous stewardship, debt-for-nature swap and carbon markets, technology and capacity transfer. We are not just another vulnerable seed. We are a global climate lifeline. Our forests are a natural solution the world cannot afford to lose, but without fair partnership, we risk becoming another victim of climate colonialism. Papua New Guinea's future depends on balance between progress and preservation, between global demands and local rights. Let us build partnership that honors this balance. In conclusion, the world needs PNG's forest and PNG needs the world's support. Papua New Guinea is not just another We did not start the fire, but our forests helped put it out. It is time the world recognizes our value, not just as victims, but as vital partners in the fight for our shared future. In the words of my ancestors, "We did not inherit the land from our parents. We borrow it from our children." Let our partnership reflect this wisdom.

Thank you very much, Ruth. And at this point, that wraps up the panel conversation, and I pass back to the chair. I very much thank the panelists for the thoughts that they have shared. I thank the moderator, and I also thank our lead discussant. I now would like to ask you to give us a warm round of applause to thank the panelists. We will now begin the interactive discussion. Delegations wishing to intervene are invited to request the floor by pressing the microphone button. I also take this opportunity to remind participants that the time limit for interventions from the floor is 2 to 3 minutes. Please bear in mind that the time limit may need to be adjusted downwards depending on the number of requests for the floor. A countdown clock is visible on the screen to alert speakers when it is time to conclude their statements. Having said that, I first give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cabo Verde. To the United Nations, who has been invited to deliver a special statement on behalf of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Cabo Verde, José Ulisses Carreira da Silva. This statement will have additional time. Distinguished Ambassador, you have the floor.

Gracias, Senhora Presidente. Thank you very much, Madam President. I have the honor to deliver the message by His Excellency His Excellency Honourable José Ulisses Correia e Silva, Prime Minister of the Republic of Cabo Verde. Madam President, Excellency, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. It is a great honour to join you today at this critical juncture as we gather under the theme of Advancing Sustainable, Inclusive Science and Evidence-Based Solutions for the 2030 Agenda. I bring you warm greetings from Cabo Verde, a proud small island developing state that just celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence a couple of days ago, and the nation steadfastly committed to the SDGs. This high-level political forum especially timely, coming one year after the Fourth International Conference of SIDS and the adoption of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, and in the wake of the Third UN Conference for— sorry, the Third UN Ocean Conference and the Fourth UN Conference on Financing for Development, realized last June and at the beginning of this month. Their outcome documents, the ABAS, NIS Declaration, and the Compromiso de Sevilla, provide us with bold blueprint for action grounded in the realities of our islands and aligned with the broader aspirations of the Pact for the Future. The success of ABAS will depend on our ability to align national strategies with its core pillars: resilience, inclusion, and innovation. In Cabo Verde, we are integrating the ABAS commitments into our national development plan with a focus on sustainable ocean governance, digital transformation, and blue and green economy pathways. But implementation cannot be business as usual. It requires a whole-of-society approach, engaging youth, civil society, the private sector, and traditional knowledge holders. For ABAS to succeed, ownership at the national and community level is essential, and SIDS must be supported to build the institutional and technical capacity to lead this process. Despite our vulnerabilities, SIDS are also laboratories of innovation. In Cabo Verde, we are piloting digital health solutions to extend care to the remote islands, investing in desalination powered by renewables, and advancing climate-smart agriculture to boost food security. SIDS are not just recipients of innovation, but also creators and exporters of context-specific solutions, from, from early warning systems to sustainable fisheries management. What we need now is the global recognition and scaling up of these homegrown innovations through inclusive technology transfer and impact partnerships. No SIDS can walk the path alone. Regional cooperation through mechanisms like ICE-SIDS coordination, UN regional commissions, and South-South cooperation are essential to pool expertise and amplify our voices. That's why last May, Cabo Verde organized and hosted an ICE-SIDS high-level meeting in Praia. During the meeting, we established a coordination mechanism chaired by Cabo Verde during its inaugural mandate, and which will help us to better coordinate among ourselves and scale up projects for common presentation and/or development. But we must go farther, and therefore the international community must watch its commitments with predictable long-term support and become a catalyst for transformative, accountable partnership that places it at the center, not the periphery, of global cooperation. Excellencies, friends, achieving the SDGs requires that finance flows match ambition. Yet many SIDS remain trapped in structural debt burden and face barriers to concessional financing due to outdated income classifications. We must urgently operationalize the MVI to ensure that access to finance reflects the real lived vulnerabilities of our countries. At the same time, innovative mechanisms such as Blue Bonds, Debt-for-Nature swaps, and blended finance models must be mainstreamed and scaled. Cap Verde is currently working on a climate finance strategy aimed at leveraging public and private capital for resilience building. But no SIDS should have to navigate this alone. International financial institutions and development partners must support capacity development and risk-sharing instruments to unlock capital at scale. We, the SIDS, are the sentinels of the world's oceans and the conscience of our collective ambition. 99% of our territory is ocean, and for this very reason, we are very proud to have co-facilitated together with Australia the year-long negotiations that led us to the consensual adoption of the Nice UNOC III Declaration. The SDGs are not abstract. They are about survival, dignity, and justice. They will lead us to a fairer world where no region, no country, no community, no individual is left behind. Let us translate the Abbas Agenda and the Pact for the Future into real, measurable progress for our people and our planet. Cabo Verde stands ready with resolve, with resilience, and with deep commitment to multilateralism to continue to work with all Member States, UN agencies, and global multi-stakeholders to make that future a reality. Obrigado. Thank you. And this ends the message of our Prime Minister. Thank you, Madam Presidente.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cabo Verde for that statement. And I now have the pleasure to give the floor to Palau on behalf of EOSYS, followed by Micronesia on behalf of Pacific SIDS. So Palau, you have the floor.

Madam Vice President, I have the honor to deliver the following statement on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, AOSIS. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the adoption of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, ABAS, by the General Assembly. For SIDS, ABAS is not just another inspirational document, it is a blueprint. It reflects the unique circumstances of SIDS, sets out a 10-year action plan, and outlines the support we need to achieve resilient prosperity. While we highlight the importance of the SDGs under review at this HLPF, for SIDS, our development story is not only about individual goals. Our challenges are interconnected. We cannot improve livelihoods without addressing debt burdens, and we cannot protect our oceans without access to finance and technology. This is why SIDS needs strategies that respond to our special circumstances, and it begins with partnerships. No matter how clearly SIDS articulate our priorities, without full support of the international community and adequate resources, we will continue to fall short. This is why SDG 17, the enabler, is especially critical. Coming out of the FFP4, the message is clear. The global financial architecture remains outdated. GDP per capita does not capture SIDS' unique vulnerabilities. We welcome the Sevilla Commitment as a shared commitment to close the gap between promises and progress in financing for development. Now is the time for delivery. Its full and effective implementation is critical to SIDS' efforts to achieve the ABAS and the SDGs. Its strong calls for the mainstreaming of the MDI to guide development policies and access to concessional finance and the operationalization of the Debt Sustainability Support Service highlights their centrality to unlocking the fiscal space SIDS urgently need. We also urge support for the full operationalization of the SIDS Center of Excellence. This is a key platform that will be driven by SIDS knowledge and will support data-driven solutions towards long-term resilience and prosperity. Last but not least, we must ensure that commitments on SDG 14 translate into action. For SIDS, the ocean is not just a resource, it is the bedrock of our identity, economy, and livelihoods. Madam Vice President, we have built the ABAS to be a roadmap. Now we call on the HLPF to play its role in accelerating progress in the implementation of our commitments. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Palau on behalf of IOSIS. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Micronesia on behalf of Pacific SIDS, followed by Barbados on behalf of CARICOM. Micronesia, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I speak for the 12 Pacific Small Island Developing States and wish to thank our panelists for their valuable insights and expertise. Madam Chair President, we stand at a critical juncture with the 2030 deadline fast approaching. Alarmingly, only 35% of SDG targets are currently on track, while 18% are regressing. For the Pacific, the latest UN data indicates that the Pacific SIDS are off track and are projected to achieve the SDGs by 2065. That is 35 years beyond 2030 targets. This trajectory is deeply concerning. Combining this challenge are escalating international conflicts, rising geopolitical tensions, and growing challenges to multilateralism. For SIDS, the outcomes of the global conferences in Nice and Seville could potentially catalyze global action and mobilize the scale of support SIDS urgently needs. More than 170 countries committed to urgent action to conserve and sustainably use the ocean, including the protection of at least 30% of our oceans. But the absence of binding targets and accountability— accountability mechanisms means implementation could lag way beyond behind aspirations. The $4 trillion SDG financing cap recognized in the FFD4 highlights the urgency to catalyzing investment at scale, addressing the debt and development crisis, and reforming the international financial architecture to be more responsive to the evolving challenges of SIDS. FFT marks a key step in the Baku-Dublin Roadmap to $1.3 trillion by promoting nationally-led integrated financing solutions for climate and development through the Civil Platform for Action. But we recognize that one of the most tangible opportunities to scale up access to grants and concessional finances lies in rechanneling of STRs through MDBs. This approach is physically neutral for donor countries, which is an important consideration, and current geopolitical uncertainties and fiscal pressures. Finding the data— bridging the data gap is essential for effective development planning in SIDS. The ABAS monitoring and evaluation framework, along with the SIDS Global Data Hub, offers an opportunity to strengthen data systems, improve evidence-based decision-making, track progress more effectively, enhance institutional capacity, and help attract international financing and partnership. We urge that the hub must become operational immediately. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Micronesia And I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Barbados on behalf of CARICOM. Ambassador, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Madam Vice President, and thank you to the distinguished panelists for the rich discussion earlier this afternoon. I have indeed the honor to deliver this intervention on behalf of the 14 member states of the Caribbean community. We extend— uh, sorry, as the chair of AOSIS said, so clearly in her intervention. The sustainable development story of SIDS cannot focus on one or two SDGs alone because our challenges are inherently interconnected. We cannot improve our livelihoods without addressing debt. We cannot protect our oceans without access to finance and technology. And we cannot alleviate poverty without addressing the effects and impacts of climate change. It is therefore imperative that any strategy aimed at successful SDG attainment in Small Island Developing States must be responsive and aligned to our special circumstances. While the central challenge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable, Sustainable Development is to ensure that no one is left behind, it is now clear that if we do not engage in drastic course correction and actively engage in transformative actions, we are in fact doomed to fail. But there is hope. The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS provides a clear vision to guide the international community's collaboration with SIDS for the next extremely critical 10 years. The ABASS also holds many of the answers to the questions before us today. On harnessing the outcomes of UNOC 3 and FFD4, addressing the data gaps and challenges, leveraging partnerships, and financing SDG initiatives. As we have heard, the MVI, the Debt Sustainability Support Service for SIDS, and the SIDS Center of Excellence are all action-oriented mechanisms aimed at moving us away from the business as usual approach and towards a more deliberate set of actions to address the true needs and priorities of SIDS. Madam Vice President, colleagues, while the answers may be clearly articulated, while the mechanisms may be established, and while we gather here today during HLPF to reaffirm the urgency of getting things done and getting them done right, but nothing will come of it without the commitment and meaningful support of our development partners. CARICOM continues to urge member states and the UN development system to contribute to the implementation of ABAS, to align programs and initiatives with the priorities and objectives of the SIDS Programme of Action, to ensure coherence and synergy in tangible efforts to advance the sustainable development of SIDS. Let us make real progress. Let us actively engage in robust approaches that foster creativity and innovation so that we may achieve the inclusive, equitable, and sustainable growth and development that we all deserve. I thank you, Madam Vice President.

I thank the distinguished representative of Barbados for his statement on behalf of CARICOM. I now have the pleasure to give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union.

Muchas gracias, señora presidenta. Thank you very much, Madam President. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its member states. The candidate countries—North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia— as well as Monaco and San Marino, aligned themselves with this statement. Partnership is the engine that will drive ABAS forward. Whether through financing, capacity building, or knowledge exchange, the international community must work hand in hand with SIDS to address their priorities, from protecting ocean and biodiversity to investing in sustainable livelihoods and resilient infrastructure. The EU and its member states together are the largest donor to the SEEDS, providing bilateral ODA besides the contribution channel through multilateral organization. The EU is enforcing the EU-SEEDS partnership and contributing to the implementation of APAS through Global Gateway. The EU strategy to boost smart clean and secure connection in digital, energy, and transport sectors, and to strengthen health, education, and research systems across the world. Importance of investment and private sector, as mentioned today by the panelists. We are also working closely with OICPS, which includes CIDS. We worked hand in hand with the OICPS CIDS in the preparation of the Seeds for Conference and are determined to join efforts on ABAS implementation. We also worked very closely with Seeds ahead of UNOC 3 and FFE4, and we are committed to its implementation. Recognizing the need for deeper, more consistent cooperation, this year we started EU seats in formal dialogues co-chaired by the PR of Samoa as the chair of the newly established ABAS Coordination Committee of the AOSIS side and the PR of the EU. This dialogue platform provides an inclusive high-level space for structured political exchange with a focus on the practical implementation of ABAS, climate action, and ocean Governance. The first EU-SEEDS informal dialogue took place in June, and its deliverable is the side event entitled "The Implementation of the ABAS through International Partnership." The event will take place on 21 July from 1:15 to 2:30 PM at the Conference Room C. You are all invited. The UN has a key role to play in supporting SIDS to achieve the Sustainable Development Objectives. All UN development systems shall contribute to this objective through the integration of ABAS implementation into the strategic and work plans of the different entities in accordance with their mandates. The EU and its Member States stand ready to work towards a quick and effective implementation of ABAS. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union for their statement. In order to ensure proper interpretation, delegations are asked to speak at a normal pace and to provide a written copy of their statements by email to e-statements@un.org. At 3 minutes, the microphone will be turned off. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation, followed by Latvia and then Malta. Russia, you have the floor.

Spasibo. Thank you, Madam President. The Russian Federation has traditionally viewed Small Island Development States, SIDS, as strategic partners in our endeavor to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We rate the adoption of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, Abbas, very highly. It reflects SIDS' real priorities. We call for Abbas's Effective implementation. The successful implementation of ABAS requires a comprehensive approach strengthening institutional potential, sustainable food supply, digitalization, healthcare, emergency responses, and adaptation to the negative consequences of climate change. These areas are the bedrock of Russia's contribution to SIDS development. In 2022, Russian assistance to countries in this category reached over $360 million. Russia is supporting projects via the UN Development Programme, UNDP, the World Health Organization, the WHO, and the World Food Programme, the WFP. Examples include supplies of medical modules which can help treat over 1 million people, support for school feeding programs, and transfer of firefighting technologies. We're also actively participating in efforts to bolster educational and professional potential, including in legal, medical, and climate spheres. Innovation is the key to overcoming the singular challenges that SIDS face. This is why we are investing in, in digitalization, connecting local producers to supply chains and the training of specialists. We attach particular importance to multilateral financing mechanisms, including our annual contribution to the IAEA Technical Fund. Thanks to our contribution, 22 island states have harnessed nuclear technologies for sustainable development. It's also worth noting that unilateral sanctions against my country are hindering Russia's efforts to fully assist SIDS. These sanctions complicate international settlements, deliveries of humanitarian and technical assistance, as well as the participation of Russian experts on the ground. Despite these external restrictions, Russia intends to continue supporting SIDS in their efforts to achieving sustainable development, guided by the principles of solidarity and mutual respect. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation for his statement, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Latvia, followed by Malta and the Holy See. Latvia.

Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished panelists, and colleagues. I would like to start by thanking you for including a session on Small Island Developing States in the program of this year's High-Level Political Forum. Latvia aligns itself with the statement delivered before by the European Union. No one has to be convinced of the specific vulnerabilities of SIDS. Timely and concrete partnerships that address the specific needs of SIDS, including climate change-related challenges and disaster risk reduction, must have broad support and civil society involvement. On the SIDS path to reaching SDGs and resilient prosperity, partnerships are not optional. This year, Latvia is honored to be co-chairing, together with the Maldives, the Steering Committee on Partnerships for SIDS, and we are determined to build up on the momentum of SIDS IV and commitments of ABAS. Specifically, our focus in the first half year has been on how to strengthen the SIDS partnership framework and the SIDS Global Business Network and its forum. And I would like to use this opportunity to thank all the member states, civil society, and UN system for providing their recommendations. Our engagement with SIDS is backed by a strong conviction that small islands hold a great potential to leapfrog the development gaps and become a powerhouse of digital innovations with global impact and contribute to to the accessibility of indigenous knowledge and preservation of the linguistic heritage through technology. Latvia remains fully committed to the wide range of UNESCO's actions dedicated to SIDS as a priority group, including with focus on gender equality and women's empowerment. Latvia is always open to share its knowledge and good practices. More specifically, we are eager to share our experience in developing language technologies which promote equality and digital viability of smaller languages and cultures in the global era, and practices for enabling digitization for cultural heritage on nationwide level, as well as use of smart technologies for management of natural resources. We look forward to further cooperate with the delegations in New York to establish foundations for new long-term cooperation between Latvia and the CIDS. Countries that may be small in size but are great in talent, innovations, and ambition. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Latvia, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malta, followed by the Holy See and Saudi Arabia. Distinguished Ambassador, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Malta welcomes this discussion's focus on one of the most critical issues for SIDS worldwide: how they can address the challenges preventing full implementation of the SDGs. At the recent UNOC III and FFD IV conferences, it was highlighted the extent to which SIDS urgently require additional political and— I'm sorry, practical and financial support to ensure that the meaningful impact of these events extends far beyond their conclusion. We must transform words into action, working with— to conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas, and marine resources, promoting sustainable ocean-based economies, and accelerating action, in particular in terms of support for voluntary commitments to implement SDG 14. FFD was notable for the agreement reached to address the different aspects of debt challenges and lower the costs of borrowing for developing countries. SIDS are at the forefront of the discussion on each of these issues, and their specific needs and vulnerabilities must be addressed. The SIDS IV Conference laid bare the key data gaps and challenges that SIDS need to address. SIDS must be supported in terms of additional data on disaster risk, monitoring of SDG implementation, and on the loss and damage caused by climate change, amongst others. Malta is committed to working bilaterally with SIDS and with its international partners to promote progress on issues such as capacity building and investing in platforms which will enable SIDS to improve the collection, storage, analysis, and reliability of data to help bring the vision outlined in the Abbās to fruition. Excellencies, the international community has a political and moral obligation to help SIDS enhance their development efforts. As a proud member of the European Union, we welcome the positive contribution that the Global Gateway has made to SIDS worldwide in terms of assistance in building climate, health, and education-related infrastructure.. We will do our utmost to help maintain the momentum behind this important initiative in the coming years. On a national level, Malta has long been committed to providing tangible support to widen access to education for SIDS around the world through postgraduate academic scholarships that are granted every year to students from ODA-eligible countries. My government was also proud to lend its expertise and support to the development of the Multi-Dimensional— Multi-Dimensional— MDI, you all know what it is— the Climate Vulnerability and Resilience Index developed in conjunction with the OACPS. We are committed to

Agradezco la distinción. I thank the distinguished representative of Malta for her statement. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Holy See, followed by Saudi Arabia and the Association of Caribbean States. Excellency, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madame Vice President, Excellencies, distinguished panelists, delegates, dear friends. As a family of nations, the international community has the moral and political responsibility to support countries in special situations, including SIDS, in achieving sustainable development. Madam Vice President, debt remains one of the biggest obstacles to SIDS achieving the SDGs. Many SIDS are forced to spend more on serving debt than on public health or education. This situation conflicts with the commitments in the 2030 Agenda to pursuing sustainable development for all. Moreover, it is essential to recognize the ecological debt which exists particularly between the Global North and South, connected to commercial imbalances with effect on the environment and in disproportionate use of natural resources by certain countries over long periods of time, while poorer, more vulnerable nations, including SIDS, bear the brunt of climate impacts. This is not an economic issue, but a profoundly moral one too. In this context, there is an urgent need for immediate debt relief for SIDS and a comprehensive rethinking of the global debt architecture. Any reform must account for the vulnerability of SIDS, promote environmental justice, and prioritize the protection of human dignity. That relief alone is not a panacea. However, it has the potential to transform the development prospects of SIDS by providing them with the fiscal space to invest in essential pillars such as infrastructure, climate adaptation, health systems and education, which are crucial for SIDS to achieve sustainable development and resilient prosperity. Madam Vice President, with only 5 years left to achieve the SDGs, the international community must act with renewed urgency to free SIDS from the cycles of debt, disasters and delay they are facing. As Pope Leo Powerfully stated, the Jubilee which is being celebrated this year by the Catholic Church asks of us the restitution and redistribution of unjustly accumulated wealth as the way to personal and civil reconciliation. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Holy See I now have the pleasure to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia, followed by the Association of Caribbean States and Türkiye. Madam Chair, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, may the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is cognizant of the structural challenges faced by SIDS. Namely the narrow fiscal space, weak infrastructure, increased unemployment, and the lack of necessary data for effective decision-making. These challenges require a coordinated international response based on effective partnerships, innovative financing, and the establishment of development programs based on the priorities of each and every country. We believe in the importance of international concerted effort. Therefore, we've been an active development partner to many countries, and we fostered our role in supporting development financing worldwide through the Saudi Fund for Development and an array of targeted initiatives in the areas of sustainable development, including resilience to climate change, the strengthening of healthcare, and economic empowerment of women. We stress the importance of investing in data systems and ensuring their readiness. They are fundamental in guiding evidence-based development policies. The Kingdom considers that the development of such systems is essential for sustainability. They must be given priority in international cooperation and any future development initiative. We believe in the importance of adopting development approaches that are based on impact, as well as the determination of national priorities based on the best results or what achieves the best results so as to contribute to concerting efforts towards development to ensure that we build effective and integrated capacities in the long run. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we stress the importance of fostering international cooperation so as to achieve inclusive and sustainable development whereby we can all make headway on the path development, leaving no one behind. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia, and I have the honor to give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Association of Caribbean States. You have the floor, sir.

Muchísimas gracias. Thank you very much, Madam President. It's an honor to greet you as always. Excellencies, distinguished delegations, Good afternoon on behalf of the Association of Caribbean States, which brings together 35 countries from the Greater Caribbean. Many of them are small island developing states, or SIDS. Our region is a committed and proactive region. However, the context and goals of the 2030 Agenda require much more than will. They require accessible financing mechanisms, effective cooperation, and innovative multilateralism. The Greater Caribbean is a region that is very rich in natural, human, and cultural resources, but it also faces the challenges left by climate crises and the existing financial system. Today, various SIDS spend more than 30% of their tax revenues on debt, which together with natural disasters limits their ability to invest in health, education, meaningful equality, decent work, and the protection of the Caribbean Therefore, I would like to highlight three priorities. Firstly, progress is needed on accessible financing mechanisms that are adapted to existing needs. The Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, the Debt Sustainability Support Service, and the SIDS Center of Excellence need to have political backing and resources. The Serbia commitment provides a framework for us to reconfigure the conditions under which countries such as those from the Greater Caribbean can get access to more and better financing. Secondly, strengthening technical capacity to implement multi-country projects that improve our infrastructure, connectivity, and the protection of the Caribbean Sea. And thirdly, consolidating strategic partnerships. The path towards achieving development with equality and inclusion at its heart is not simple, and no country can walk it alone. South-South cooperation represents a horizontal path based on mutual trust to strengthen capacities and multiply impacts. Excellencies, the Association of Caribbean States is ready to be a technical and political partner. The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda is a compass that can guide us towards a horizon of equality, sustainability, and resilience. So it has to be implemented. We have a historic debt to the peoples of the Greater Caribbean rooted in centuries of structural inequalities, exclusion, and development concepts focused on economic growth. We need to ensure that the conditions are there for the full development of our peoples. That is the only way that we will be able to speak about development with social justice. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Association of Caribbean States for her statement. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Türkiye, followed by Cuba and the Major Group for Children and Youth. Türkiye, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Vice President. Our presence at this special session is a sign of our commitment to SIDS and their unique challenges as articulated in the Abbas We are fully aware of the existential threats posed by rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and climate change to the SIDS. We believe that, in a time of rising global and regional challenges, many of which threaten to undermine climate action, there is an urgent need to reinforce international climate action. Turkey, as a country highly vulnerable to climate change, stands ready to contribute meaningfully to this goal. Our President, His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reiterated our candidacy to host COP31 in the Leaders' Meeting on Climate and Just Transition, held virtually on April 23rd, 2025, organized by Secretary-General and the President of Brazil as the host of COP30. As a country that serves as a bridge between the developed and developing world, we are uniquely positioned to play an inclusive and mobilizing role. Financing SDGs is one of the thorniest issues considering the massive funding gap. By adopting the Save Your Outcome document, we all have committed to address this gap. To bridge this gap, it is also essential to expand SDG-related investments in SIDS by unlocking private capital. In this regard, The work and efforts of the UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector and Development deserve appreciation. Effectively harnessing the STI and emerging technologies are also critical in ensuring sustainable development of the countries in vulnerable situations. United Technology Bank for LDCs, which we host in Türkiye, serves as a focal point for the LDCs to strengthen their STI capacity towards promoting structural economic transformation. SIDS that also fall into LDC category are welcome to benefit from the services of the bank, which will contribute to the implementation of ABAS. Turkey's previous engagements have demonstrated our commitment to fostering sustainable development in SIDS, and we are eager to build upon that foundation. As a developing country and a reliable development partner in the context of South-South cooperation, we stand ready to extend our support in implementing Abus in tangible and meaningful ways. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Türkiye, and I have the pleasure to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba, followed by Major Group for Children and Youth, and Thailand. Kuber, you have the floor.

Muchas gracias. Thank you very much, Excellencies, distinguished guests. It is a fact that the imbalances in the international financial system are not providing the stability needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and to address the particular needs of small island developing states. The challenges when it comes to mobilizing and providing resources are exponentially made worse for Cuba by the impact of the blockade imposed by the United States for more than 6 decades and by the arbitrary inclusion of the country on the list of supposed state sponsors of terrorism. In the current context, promoting the implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS will require, among other things, recapitalizing multilateral development banks, and improving their lending conditions for SIDS, including in local currency. Strengthening the system of public development banks with greater capacity and greater cooperation among national and multilateral banks so that their activities can be aligned with the SDGs, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Paris Agreement, as well as the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda. This would add many opportunities for specific financing for SIDS within existing flows. Determine SIDS' access to financing on favorable conditions and technical cooperation on the basis of criteria that go beyond gross domestic product, including through the use of the multidimensional vulnerability index. Operationalizing the debt sustainability support service for SIDS, which would involve multilateral official bilateral and private creditors under the auspices of the United Nations, capitalizing the Loss and Damage Fund, operationalizing the Global Adaptation Goal, and fulfilling commitments made on climate financing, including the new collective quantified goal, taking into account the priorities and needs of SIDS. The alternative for our countries cannot simply come down to the same old approaches The only sustainable solution requires a profound reframing of the foundations of North-South relations based on genuine cooperation in which developing countries, in particular SIDS, have a voice, are able to participate, and are truly able to have an impact on the decisions that affect their development and the future of the planet. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cuba for her statement. The Major Group for Children and Youth, followed by Thailand and Jamaica. Over to you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Hola, nim, lenwo, kasalelia, and moketin. Excellencies, colleagues, and fellow youth advocates, my name is Moria Mahony Mori. I am the Chairperson of the Pacific Youth Council, and I am speaking on behalf of the Major Group for Children and Youth. The strength of the Small Island Developing States in the Pacific lies in our collective commitment to ensuring the health and well-being of our people. We place great value on our ocean, culture, and land, and we celebrate a deep connection to our natural environment, livelihoods, faiths, cultural values, and traditional knowledge. Our cultures are people-centric, where everyone has a specific role in community development. At the recent Pacific Leaders Meeting, we, the Pacific Youth Council board members, had the honor of dialoguing with the United Nations Secretary-General, His Excellency Antonio Guterres, where we stressed the importance of prioritizing the skills of young people in this digital era. Young people are the majority of the world population. They are the most open-minded, progressive, energetic, technologically savvy, and are eager to contribute to the decisions that will affect their present and the future. My indigenous word for youth is "sarafu," which means "light of the land." Light, in my cultural context, also means peace, renewed mindset, harmony, and awakening. So to invest positively in young people is to successfully achieve the SDGs and bring peace to the world. Traditionally and naturally, young people are the first responders in the face of disasters and other emergencies. Yet they are not well resourced to reach their full potentials to contribute to development progress. When the Kingdom of Tonga was hit by tsunami, over 50 young people were mobilized as volunteers to deliver water to affected homes in under 24 hours despite challenges and low national morale. When the state of Chuuk in Micronesia was hit by the pandemic, COVID-19, by the COVID pandemic, over 150 young people were mobilized within 8 hours to swiftly respond to the crisis, acting as an expanded and successful wing of the limited local and health, local health and disaster response programs. Imagine what they can do with government support. We must not underestimate the power and the mana that young people can bring to the table. In the spirit of partnership, we see the need to turn loss and damage funding into real access for grassroots and youth-led initiatives, especially in the frontline seats. It is also critical that issues and policies are being viewed and shaped through the youth lenses because challenges transform with the changing of time. They should be at the table. If not—

I thank the Major Group for Children and Youth for his statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Thailand, followed by Jamaica.

Thank you, Madam Chair. While accelerating SDGs implementation is on the agenda of every country, a special attention should be paid to Small Islands Developing States, or SIDS. Thailand, as an active emerging donor, has been promoting South-South and triangular cooperation to advance economic and social development guided by the 2030 Agenda. Despite geographical distance, Thailand has embraced its global responsibility for promoting development cooperation across the globe, not only in Southeast Asia, but as far as sits Thailand. In partnership with UNFPA and Timor-Leste, we carried out a Thai-Angola development project in maternal and reproductive health. The partnership boosts capacity of public health and hence contributed to SDG 3, good health and well-being. Moreover, an invitation has been sent to members of SIDS for training course and a postgraduate program in climate change mitigation and adaptation, ecotourism, and community development, all of which are attended by SIDS on an annual basis. The said capacity building scheme does only strengthen the capacity of SIDS to cope with issues that pose a challenge to sustainable development, but also contribute to an effort to enhance international partnership for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. So to conclude, Thailand reaffirms its commitment to strengthening partnership at all forms with CEDAW to help them overcome challenges and enhance the efforts for SDG implementation. I thank you.

Thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of Thailand for her statement, and I now give the floor to distinguished representative of Jamaica.

Thank you, Madam Vice President, distinguished representatives. The adoption of the ABAS represents a significant milestone in our sustainable development journey. It offers a valuable roadmap for advancing sustainable development while building our inherent strengths and addressing our unique circumstances. The successful implementation of the ABAS demands more than high-level commitments. It requires translating policy prescriptions into field-level actions and delivering tangible outcomes for our communities. This transformation necessitates sustained international support, innovative financing mechanisms, and robust partnerships. Jamaica's commitment to the ABAS is reflected in our leadership within AOSIS and our national strategies prioritizing climate resilience, disaster risk financing, blue economy development, and renewable energy transition. SIDS, ladies and gentlemen, are not merely vulnerable states. SIDS are innovators pioneering solutions that the world urgently needs. The blue economy represents a transformative development model for SIDS, addressing equity in access to ocean resources, sharing benefits from marine assets, and offering the opportunity for reinvestment in human development and debt alleviation. Complementing our ocean-based innovations, digital transformation initiatives across SIDS are bridging geographic isolation through e-governance, telemedicine, distance learning, and geospatial data platforms. These developments demonstrate that innovation transcends transcends boundaries and that our perceived limitations can become competitive advantages in this digital age. Regional and international partnerships remain fundamental to our success. Financing remains among our greatest challenge. Caribbean states, for example, face critically high debt levels that constrain national budgets and available financing for sustainable development, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction. The establishment of dedicated SIDS funding windows within multilateral climate funds is improving our access to concessional financing, and we continue to advocate for SIDS-specific criteria that recognize our unique circumstances

I thank the distinguished representative of Jamaica for her statement, and I remind you all that we only have 3 minutes per intervention. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland, followed by the— let me check that again. Ireland, you have the floor.

Thank you, Chair, distinguished speakers and colleagues. The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS sets a clear trajectory towards resilient sustainable development, but the need for us all to take action on implementation is urgent. Let me highlight a few focus areas for Ireland in our ongoing collaboration with SIDS partners. First, on climate finance-related quality and accessibility issues, we're delighted that SIDS will have an allocation of at least 50% in the startup phase of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, on which we share a board seat. We believe there is potential to be explored in other funds for enhanced, accessible, and targeted support. Elsewhere, this month Ireland will provide €2 million to the Special Climate Change Fund SIDS window, which plays an essential role in supporting climate adaptation where it's needed most. Data and statistics are force for raising revenue, managing debt, unlocking investment, and they're essential for evidence-based policymaking. Ireland is working with UNDESA to support data governance and management in SIDS, with 3 country-led pilot projects underway in the Pacific, Caribbean, and AIS regions. We welcome work undertaken by the Secretariat on the monitoring and evaluation framework and look forward to feedback from the validation exercise. This is an important step in delivering a workable and effective tool for tracking progress and holding all of us to account in our implementation efforts. We look forward to similar progress on operationalisation— operationalisation of the MVI and the Centre of Excellence, including the debt sustainability support service, and we were pleased to see that highlighted in the Sevilla commitment. Genuine and effective partnership can drive change. Ireland will continue to contribute to the improvement of the partnership framework and global business network, as well as building on our bilateral ocean research partnerships, scholarships, and mobility awards. Chair, to conclude, let me reaffirm Ireland's commitment to collaboration with SIDS partners and relevant actors to ensure that the momentum we all felt at the conference just over a year ago is sustained in this critical phase. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ireland, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Dominican Republic.

Thank you, Madam President, and thanks to the panelists for their presentations. With only 5 years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda, it is crucial that we stress the specific challenges faced by by small island developing states given their special situation. The Dominican Republic wants to make the most of the results from recent processes, UNOC 3 and FFD 4, to make progress effectively on its objectives. As a small island developing state, our country prioritizes marine ecosystems and climate resilience through initiatives such as the Office Against Sargassum, the expansion of protected areas, and coastal monitoring. Moreover, we promote regional and international partnerships to improve cooperation, highlight vulnerabilities, and to put the priorities of SIDS on the global agenda. We participate actively in mechanisms such as SICA, the Central American Integration System, addressing subjects such as biodiversity, sargassum management, and the energy transition. Despite this progress, we still face gaps in the implementation of the SDGs and consequently the ABAS as well. The lack of up-to-date and disaggregated data limits monitoring. There are still problems of inter-institutional coordination and limits in statistics systems. This affects the quality and timely nature of data. Therefore, it is essential that there be investment in resilient statistics infrastructure and that we promote open data frameworks. The Dominican Republic has made progress on this subject and we encourage the international community to recognize the multiplying impact generated by investing in platforms such as the SIDS Center for Excellence. This is particularly true when it comes to sustainability and making the most of the opportunities resulting from capacity building, above all when it comes to data generation. Moreover, the Dominican Republic has made progress in implementing the National Integrated Financing Framework. This is a central instrument for financing the SDGs., and it is backed up with tools such as the policy priority inference and practices such as budget tagging and multi-year planning. Lastly, we also have to mention the importance of incorporating the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index in the policies of multilateral banks, international organizations, and international financial institutions. This is a complement to help to forecast, address, and mitigate risks in a better informed way and to achieve aligned and inclusive development. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Dominican Republic for her statement, and I give the floor to the International Atomic Energy Agency, followed by Timo Lechte. Madam Chair, Excellency, colleagues.

Following on the commitment set by CEEDES IV last year, the International Atomic Energy Agency remains determined to support CEEDES countries to realize their Sustainable Development Goals. Our technical cooperation program support member states in key areas such as monitoring ocean activity, active education, managing marine resources, and addressing the impact of the microplastic. Within its New Tech Plastic Flagship initiative, the IEA has supported development of hammer— harmonized protocol and standardized methodologies now being applied by more than 20 SEAS countries to conduct national sampling and monitoring. Initial results expected later this year. Water resources management, where the agency can support SEAS in assessing and protecting the freshwater resources. Energy security and low-carbon development, where the IAEA can provide its expertise on grid integration and energy planning to enhance clean energy transition, including nuclear power and small modular reactor as a clean energy option to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Food security and, and safety— IAEA cooperates with FAO using nuclear technology to improve agricultural productivity, combat pests like fruit flies, and ensure food safety through irradiation. And in public health sectors, IAEA supports low- and middle-income countries to enhance its capacity in radiation medicine against cancer by Rays of Hope Initiative, including small island nations with limited healthcare infrastructure. The IAEA stands ready to depend— depend on— deepen its partnership with these countries, ensuring that their voice can be heard, their needs are met, and their sustainable features are secured. I thank you very much.

I thank the representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Timor-Leste, followed by Portugal.

Thank you, Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. For Small Island Developing States like Timor-Leste, the journey towards the Sustainable Development Goals is shaped by vulnerability, but also by determination and vision. The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS is not just a roadmap; it is a moral imperative for us. Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, ABAS is fully embedded in our National Strategic Development Plan, which was central to our 2023 Voluntary National Review. Our challenges are real and interwoven, with climate shocks threatening our coastal communities, dependence on oil and gas, and persistent inequalities. Yet these are, these are also catalysts for transformation. Facing one of the Southeast Asia's highest rates of child malnutrition, Timor-Leste launched an evidence-based investment case for SDG 2, Zero Hunger. This whole-of-society strategy tackles food insecurity by integrating health, agriculture, social protection, and clean water. We are also pushing for inclusive growth. Our gender-responsive public procurement policies support women-led businesses, and our youth, our greatest resource, are being equipped through expanded technical, digital, and entrepreneurial training. Timor-Leste's identity as a SEEDS is not confined to geography, but defined by resilience and solidarity. Our recent accession to ASEAN and membership in the WTO mark a new chapter opening trade for Timor-Leste coffee, attracting responsible investment, and harmonizing national goals with regional priorities, especially in climate adaptation and the blue economy. In closing, Timor-Leste remains firmly committed to the 2030 Agenda. We are transforming vulnerabilities into opportunities through innovation, equity, and partnership. Let us continue to build bridges between nations and among people as we forge a resilient and prosperous future for all seeds. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Timor-Leste and I give the floor to the distinguished representative, permanent representative of Portugal.

Muchas gracias, señora presidenta. Thank you very much, Madam President. Thanks to the moderator, panelists, and discussant for their thoughtful contributions. Portugal is a longstanding partner of CEEDES. We fully support the Antigua and Barbuda agenda for CEEDES and welcome this opportunity to to highlight early efforts to implement it. Let me share with you 3 brief points. First, data. Data is the backbone of implementation. We must invest in national statistical systems and platforms for knowledge sharing. Portugal is doing so with SEEDS partners like Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste. Second, we need to turn commitments into actions. At UNOC III, we committed to protecting 20%— 27% of our sea, including 30% around the Azores, ratified the BB&J agreement, and announced the launch of a new edition of the Portugal-UN Oceans Fellowship. At FFD IV, we joined the 4P Roadmap for Better Inclusion of the MVI and co-organized a high-level event calling, among other things, for the constitution of the independent expert advisory panel foreseen in Resolution 78/322 on the MVI, which Antigua and Barbuda and Portugal co-facilitated. We also showcased in other high-level events how debt-for-climate swaps and triangular cooperation can accelerate SDGs implementation in SEEDS. Third and finally, effective follow-up mechanisms matter. Strengthening the steering committee for SEEDS partnerships and the global business network is key to ensuring AVAS delivers results. We look forward to considering the recommendations recently circulated to the membership in the GA. Portugal remains firmly committed to the implementation of AVAS. With seeds and for seeds. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Portugal for his statement, and I now give the floor to the International Development Law Organization. Over to you.

Thank you, Chair. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda gave us a roadmap to a more prosperous future.. But as we've heard time and again, we are not on track to deliver what was promised in 2015. Abbas, however, provides an opportunity to reinvigorate sustainable development efforts and encourage us not only to focus our determination on the next 5 years, but beyond 2030. IDLO welcomes in this regard Abbas's reaffirmation of the rule of law and justice as a catalyst for peaceful, prosperous, and inclusive societies, and the importance of building strong institutions as well as gender equality. Following this, let me share 3 ways in which strengthening the rule of law and advancing SDG 16 can help us achieve common goals in the 2030 Agenda and ABUS. First, progress on SDG 16 can promote inclusive economic growth. IDLO works with governments to enhance regulatory frameworks, build capacity to resolve commercial disputes, and protect national assets while strengthening investor confidence. These are key in creating an enabling economic environment that builds trust and generates resources that can be reinvested in sustainable development efforts. Second, the rule of law provides a framework for the integrated solutions needed to deliver the SDGs and ABUS. As we confront existing and new challenges, from climate change to digital transformation, we need effective legal frameworks and accountable institutions to ensure that policy ambitions translate into results. Third, the rule of law is a powerful enabler of women's empowerment across SIDS. Eliminating discriminatory laws and adopting transformative legal frameworks that combat violence and economic exclusion are critical ingredients in facilitating the participation and leadership of women in public life and ultimately closing the gap. IDLO stands ready to partner with you in advancing the rule of law and access to justice on your journey to 2034, and I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of International Development Law Organization for his statement. I have the honor to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Spain, followed by New Zealand and Finland. Spain, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Madam President. Spain participated last year in the 4th Conference on SIDS in St. Johns and welcome the adoption of the Abbas. We believe that it is an agenda that has a strong link to its predecessors and establishes a clear blueprint for, uh, the, um, next decade and, and gives clear responses to the many vulnerabilities and challenges faced by these countries. In its— in, in their main goals, it have the full support of our country. Spain welcomes— I would like to underscore the valuable contributions made by SIDS at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development that we have just hosted in Sevilla. The conclusions and proposals made on financing that emanated, that resulted from the Antigua and Barbuda and Sevilla meetings are, in our view, consistent and strengthen one another. We also reiterate that the mobilization of resources is critical to ensure that SIDS can achieve the SDGs. In that regard, capacity building is crucial. And so is mobilizing domestic resources and the role of the private sector in order to promote sustainable and inclusive investments that encourage economic diversification. We also point to issues that Spain has consistently stressed, such as greater effort made by international cooperation to build resilience, early warning systems, and disaster risk reduction, as well as strengthening climate action with a focus on adaptation. In that regard, I would mention by way of an example the fact that the Spanish Cooperation Agency has just signed a new commitment with Cabo Verde for budgetary support for sustainable development in the blue economy. Moreover, in the framework of FFD negotiations, Spain clearly has opted for strengthened commitments in the area of rechanneling special drawing rights and when it comes to debt sustainability, as well as in favor of the systematic and standardized inclusion in loans of debt pause clauses that make it possible to automatically suspend debt payment in the case of predetermined shocks such as natural disasters, food crises, or pandemics. Tax— robust tax systems must also be established, and international tax cooperation needs to be strengthened to also address illicit financial flows. Moreover, the reality of SIDS and the multidimensional nature of their challenges means that we need to make progress on metrics and indicators that go beyond GDP, including the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index. And in that regard, we are working to advance the adoption of metrics that go beyond average income, and we will continue to drive forward considerations and debates in the OECD and the United Nations also when it comes to the multidimensional nature of the FFD agenda that has just been given an important boost in the Sabiha Conference. Therefore, we believe that partnerships the best way to make progress in— and in that regard, countries can count on our support to make progress in implementing the Abbas. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Spain, and I have the pleasure to give the floor to the distinguished representative of New Zealand, followed by Finland and Italy. Distinguished Ambassador, you have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. New Zealand has a longstanding commitment to work with Small Island Developing States to support their voice and their leadership as they advance their sustainable development, including through full implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS. New Zealand was honored to co-chair this process along with Maldives. There are many strategies that SIDS take to achieve the SDGs, including those we have heard about today, from addressing climate to ocean governance in financing, MVI, debt sustainability, to name a few. But we thought it would be helpful today to focus on the role that regionalism can play. And we acknowledge up front that the SIDS regions have variability when it comes to regional architecture, but we thought it would be useful to show you as a case study what we do in the Pacific when it comes to regionalism. The Pacific works together at a political level to agree sustainable development priorities for the region. These are outlined in the Pacific Island Forum's 2050 strategy for the Blue Pacific continent. Regional approaches also play a key role in the delivery of development cooperation, with Pacific regional agencies supporting countries in a wide range of important technical functions, helping Pacific SIDS to overcome the inherent challenges they face with size. New Zealand invests heavily in regional architecture on the basis of this philosophy that it is Pacific-led and Pacific-owned. We all know that SIDS themselves, all of them, face unique vulnerabilities as small, remote, and geographically dispersed countries. But what I think is more difficult for us as the international community is to take the next step as their international partners partners to respond to those vulnerabilities by adapting our usual policies and our usual processes for international cooperation. Only then can we ensure that those are SIDS-led and SIDS-owned. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of New Zealand. I would now like to give the floor to Finland, to be followed by Italy and China.

Thank you, Miss Chair, Excellencies, sustainability friends. Congratulations to SIDS on the adoption and the initial implementation of the ABAS. Finland acknowledges that the Small Island Developing States face unique challenges from sea level rise, extreme weather to coral reef degradation, limited land, and of course, lack of sufficient financing. SIDS also offer important opportunities and perspectives for sustainable development, local engagement, and innovation. I myself live on the Åland Islands in the heart of the Baltic Sea. The Åland Islands The Åland Islands are an autonomous region of Finland. The autonomy is more than 100 years old and we have been demilitarized since the mid-19th century. A year ago, we submitted an SDG voluntary review to the UN entitled Everyone Can Flourish on the Islands of Peace. In this document, we share our 10 years of experiences from SDG implementation and introduced the Everyone Can Flourish vision, philosophy, and associated governance model. And relatedly, Åland aims to ensure that everyone possesses equal freedom and influence in shaping society and their own destinies. So we are of course ready and willing to collaborate with like-minded individuals and organizations. Regarding Finland's international development cooperation, disaster risk prevention is an important element. We finance initiatives in developing countries that support Early Warnings for All, the initiative of the UN Secretary-General. And Finland is a forerunner and reliable partner in efforts to build resilience. For many years, we have financed the improvement of weather climate services to over 50 national meteorological and hydrological services around the globe during the past decade. Through Finland's ongoing cooperation, improved weather climate services and early warning systems benefit over 700 million people, and inclusive early warning systems enhance the resilience of entire communities. Finally, Finland emphasizes the importance of gender-responsive services, recognizing that climate change aggravates existing inequalities affecting women's access to resources, safety, and health services. Thank you very much. Finland.

Thank you, thank you, Finland. I give the floor to Italy, to be followed by China.

Our discussion today is particularly important in light of the current transformative moment of the UN agenda, with important events and conferences and processes which are redefining the priorities and the functioning of mechanism which Small Island Developing Countries rely. Just recently, at UNOC 2023, Italy submitted 13 voluntary commitments aimed at the protection and sustainable use of the ocean and seas for a total amount of €150 million. Italy remains committed to the implementation of the Antigua-Barbuda Agenda for Seas. As we said, first of all, it is essential that the means of implementation that we will devise together are responsive to the specific needs and the specific, specific circumstances of Indeed, vulnerability must not just be a recognition of fragility. It should rather be assessed to provide more support to build resilience. The MVI is one such support measure. Second, partnerships are crucial, as well as blended finance and a renewed commitment by countries in a position to do so to raise the ambition of our carbon neutrality goals. Third, We heard Sid's calls during the FFD4 negotiations. We must do more to integrate the climate and development agenda. Coming to climate finance, Italy is committed to do its part. The Italian Climate Fund, with a €4.4 billion budget in its revolving nature, is currently the biggest of this kind. Besides financing, the cultural and creative sector remain a priority for the diversification of Sid's economies. In this regard, we must identify solutions and innovations that are tailored to the realities of SEEDS and aligned to objectives such as social equity, environmental protection, and long-term prosperity. Italy is accompanying the ABAS process and implementation also through our longstanding multilateral partnership frameworks with the Pacific SEEDS and the CARICOM, the Caribbean one, that have been operating since 2015 and which we have recently updated and broadened in scope to make them in line with EABAS. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Italy for her statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China, followed by the Scientific and Technological Community Major Group. China origin.

Madam President, in recent years, SIDS have made huge efforts to achieve socioeconomic development and address climate change. But they still face multiple challenges such as lack of diversity in economic structure, shortage of funds for development, and frequent climate-related disasters. Last year, the 4th International Conference on SIDS was held successfully. The international community should vigorously implement ABAS and scale up targeted support to SIDS. First, development must be given priority. More input must flow to SIDS in the field of infrastructure, trade and investment, and marine economy. Regarding the multidimensional vulnerability of SIDS, systematic solutions have to be found. The developed countries and multilateral development agencies must provide SIDS with more development resources in support of their implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Second, support must be lent to SIDS in tapping their development potential, bringing into full play their rich resources and comparative advantages, diversifying their economic structure, promoting employment, and improving people's livelihood. At the same time, it is imperative to strengthen technological and digital empowerment, upgrade industrial transformation, and enhance capabilities for self-development. Third, it is necessary to support SIDS in addressing climate change, adhere to the goals and principles of UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement, and help SIDS boost their capacity and resilience in the face of climate change. The developed countries must honor their commitments in earnest and adequately support SIDS in finance, technology, and capacity building. Certain major powers' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement runs counter to the aspirations of SIDS. China has been firmly supporting the development of SIDS through such mechanisms as the China-CELAC Cooperation Forum and the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum, among others. China has carried out concrete cooperation with SIDS under the framework of the Global Development Initiative. China and SIDS have jointly established such platforms as the Climate Change Center and the Center of Excellence for agricultural cooperation with a view to benefiting the local community. We stand ready to work with all to actively support SIDS in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda towards lasting prosperity with greater resilience. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of China, Xie Xinyi. I now give the floor to distinguished representative of the Scientific and Technological Community Major Group, followed by France and Papua New Guinea.

Thank you, Madam Vice President, and distinguished delegates. I am honored to speak on behalf of the Scientific and Technological Community Major Group, co-coordinated by the International Science Council and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations. I have the pleasure to share a message today from our SIDS Committee. This is a group of scientists from across SIDS who are working to strengthen science systems and capacity in their countries. And regions. As SIDS move from commitment to implementation under the ABAS, we stress three urgent imperatives from the scientific community. First, the persistent disconnect between donor priorities and local needs must be resolved. Scientific and engineering priorities in SIDS are too often shaped by external funding agendas. ABAS implementation must be informed by science that is both locally grounded and globally visible. This includes greater investment in indigenous knowledge systems and locally-led research, especially in areas like climate adaptation, biodiversity protection, and food and water security. Second, monitoring and evaluation of ABAS cannot succeed without addressing the foundational data and capacity challenges in SIDS. We call for concrete support for national science commissions, regional academies, and knowledge-sharing platforms of all kinds in order to build sustained institutional capacity. Third, SIDS are not only sites of vulnerability, as has been underlined during this session, but true front-runners in innovation. Their natural endowments and adaptive capacities should be leveraged in partnerships that treat SIDS as leaders and co-designers, not just recipients of scientific, engineering and technological development. In closing, we urge the UN system and its member states to provide predictable long-term support for SIDS-led science and engineering, including through the proposed SIDS Centre of Excellence. Let us move beyond rhetorical inclusion to genuine co-production of knowledge in large ocean states. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Scientific and Technological Community, Major group for her statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of France, followed by Papua New Guinea and Germany. France, over to you.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, small island developing states, SIDS, face social, economic, and environmental risks that are very specific. They're seeing rising sea levels, dwindling marine resources, the acidification of oceans, the list goes on. France remains determined to fully incorporate the vulnerabilities these states face into the multilateral response across all fronts. The Institute of Development Research, on behalf of which I'm taking the floor today, deems this multidimensional vulnerability necessary to to be recognized. This requires an interdisciplinary global scientific approach underpinned by the science of sustainability. In order to be operational and effective, the vulnerability study of ecosystems requires tools which are fit for purpose for data collection and analysis. This requires methodological research. So that we can come up with new protocols and new ways of sampling, new ways of conducting statistical analysis into Aelia. All of this must be adapted to the context of insular ecosystems. The development of solutions, especially as regards climate change adaptation, requires us to craft various models which are tailored to the size of these islands. Working hand in hand with the Institute of Research for Development, we would like to draw your attention to the need to co-build research programs working with local actors emphasizing issues such as multivector disease, health, and so on. Risk adaptation, volcanic and seismic, All of this is being heightened by climate change and therefore exacerbating vulnerability. Loss of marine and land biodiversity— this is something we must address and protect. Social, economic, and migratory studies must underpin land management policies. I thank you, Madam President.

I think that the single representative of France for his statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Papua New Guinea, followed by Germany and FAO. Madam President and Mr. Moderator, thank you for guiding this welcome and timely dialogue to support the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Seeds, which we see as a crucial framework to deliver on the seeds sustainable development needs, including their specific vulnerabilities. This deserves real, practical support from the international community at speed and scale. Let me also thank the respective panelists for the thoughtful presentations, and may I especially pay tribute to Papua New Guinea's very own panelist, Ruth Kissam, who has been a woman's leader and a champion for our country in the context of marshalling our civil society and other multi-stakeholders in our national development efforts, and for her stirring message shared. Madam President, at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Spain, my delegation underscored that financing is not just an important development tool. It is pivotal for the delivery of the SDGs and more importantly, making positive difference to the lives and livelihoods of our peoples on a sustained basis. For SIDS, without adequate, timely and predictable financing, the 2030 Agenda remains out of reach. For SIDS, our challenges of limited fiscal space, debt vulnerability, constrained access to climate finance and an unresponsive global financial system are deeply interconnected. The ABAS responds directly to these realities. Madam President, let me share with you two examples. The first one is in relation to climate financing. This year, last month, Papua New Guinea hosted the Green Climate Fund Board meeting. We submitted a proposal 9 years ago and just in June we got approval for that proposal. This is not how we should deal with climate financing. It is the antithesis of the Abbas and the Sevilla de compromiso agenda. Secondly, on financing the debt issues. Last Friday, my Prime Minister met with the IMF Deputy Director-General and the message was loud and clear: we have to do better to support SIDS and it is not good enough in what we are doing on climate financing and all other aspects. This needs to be taken into account properly. In conclusion, we appeal to the international community to support the SIDS deliver on ABAS. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Papua New Guinea for his statement, and I now give the floor to Germany, followed by FAO and Suriname. Germany, over to you.

Excellencies, colleagues, at the outset, let me thank the chair, the keynote speaker, the moderator, the panelists, and the discussion for the very rich insights. As it was mentioned by many previous speakers, We have a stock of critical documents that were adopted throughout the last couple of months. First and foremost, the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, the UNOC III, and the FFD outcome documents in particular. The focus must now lie on implementation. Going forward, genuine and effective partnerships will be key. Partnerships to foster access to finance, capacity building, and knowledge, knowledge exchange amongst others. Germany remains committed to collaborating closely with SIDS to address these issues. Allow me to highlight 3 brief examples of Germany's engagement. First, ranging from climate resilient initiatives to economic and technical assistance in the Pacific and in the Caribbean alone, the German International Climate Initiative is funding close to 40 bilateral, regional, and global projects programs, projects, and partnerships with a volume of up to €700 million. Second, as the first donor to the Rising Nations Initiative, Germany aims to protect Pacific atoll countries' statehood and sovereignty while safeguarding affected populations' rights and their rich cultural heritage. And third and lastly, we fully agree with the assessment that the availability and effective use of Data is key to unlocking progress towards achieving the SDGs and implementing ABAS, as it has been reflected extensively by the panelists. In that regard, Germany is proud to be working closely with Antigua and Barbuda to finalize our contribution to the SIDS Center of Excellence and the SIDS Global Data Hub. Excellencies, colleagues, the next few years are crucial to making significant progress. Progress. Therefore, let us work together on the full implementation of the Abas and achieving the SDGs. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Germany for his statement. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of FAO, followed by Suriname and Nauru. FAO, over to you.

Gracias, señora presidenta. Excellencies, colleagues, and partners. Small Island Developing States are among the most vulnerable countries in the world. They are facing a convergence of challenges: increasing intensity and frequency of climate shocks, rising sea levels, limited arable land and freshwater resources, and high dependence on imported food. Over 70% of the population in SIDS lives in coastal areas, leaving communities and in agrifood systems dangerously exposed to hurricanes, saltwater intrusion, and flooding. Agriculture, fisheries, and forests the backbone of rural livelihoods, are under intense pressure. In many SIDS, more than 80% of food is imported, driving up costs and weakening local food production. At the same time, transport and infrastructure constraints raise the cost of both importing and exporting local products, limiting competitiveness and deepening food insecurity. The cost of the healthy diet in SIDS is among the highest globally, and 1 in 5 people also face moderate or severe fear of food insecurity. In this context, FAO plays a critical role in transforming agrifood systems. We support SIDS in developing and implementing national strategies that are tailored to their unique geographies, economies, and vulnerabilities. This includes policy advice, technical assistance, and investment planning anchored in data and science. The Hands in Hands initiative, which uses advanced geospatial modeling to target investments in areas with the highest potential for transformation, is now active in over a dozen SIDS. Our Blue Transformation Agenda supports the sustainable development of aquatic food systems vital for SIDS where fish account for over 50% of annual protein intake and offer huge potential for value chain development and export earnings. At the same time, FAO promotes innovation across sectors—climate-smart agriculture, digital technologies for farmers, and frontier research including microbiome science to enhance productivity and sustainability. In many SIDS, post-harvest food loss reaches up to 30%, especially in perishable commodities. Reducing this loss is essential to improving food security. FAO is also working to unlock finance for smallholder and rural entrepreneurs. We promote better targeting of public investment while also engaging in private and blended finance to scale up impact. Strengthening partnerships with government, civil society, research institutions, and the private sector— is essential to building resilience and ensuring no one is left behind. In closing, the path to SDG success in SID runs through transformed agrifood systems, ones that are productive, sustainable, climate resilient, and nutrition sensitive. FAO remains fully committed to supporting SIDS in building this future, one that nourishes people, sustains ecosystems, and leaves no one behind. Thank you very much. I made it this time.

I thank the distinguished representative of FAO for her statement. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Suriname, followed by Nauru and the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and also appreciation to the moderator and the panelists for their contribution. Madam Chair, the Republic of Suriname, as a low-lying coastal state, joins CARICOM and consists in urging that the ABAs must deliver real transformative change for our people, not just promises on paper. We welcome the powerful remarks of the SG of the UN, who reminded the world in Antigua and Barbuda that SIDS are a test case for climate and financial justice and that we cannot face these challenges alone. We echoed his call. The international community has a duty to stand with us. For Suriname, strengthening ABAS means confronting three core realities. First, time is not on our side. With just five years left to achieve the SDGs, our people need urgent and concrete solutions. This includes fair access to financing, debt relief, and partnerships that reflect our real vulnerabilities and development needs. Second, many SIDS continue to face barriers to affordable and accessible financing. We must ensure that resources flow where they are needed the most, namely to build resilient communities, protect natural ecosystems, and unlock inclusive sustainable growth. Third, we cannot manage what we cannot measure. For ABAS to succeed, To succeed, we must close persistent data gaps, invest in stronger national statistical systems, and share knowledge across our region. Reliable data is key to accountability and adapting to what works. We also view the Pact for the Future as an important agreement and critical opportunity to reinforce these ambitions. It must support ABAS by securing practical means of implementation and not just renewed promises, but tangible support that SIDS can depend on. In closing, Suriname stands with our fellow SIDS and the SG in calling for ABAS to remain a living document, one that is driven by our priorities, owned by our communities, and backed by genuine international solidarity and support. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Suriname for her statement. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nauru, followed by the sovereign owner of Malta and UN-Habitat. Nauru, over to you.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and to the Moderator and panel. Nauru aligns with the statements delivered by the distinguished representatives for the Alliance of Small Island States and the Pacific Small Island Developing States. With just 5 years until 2030, our national report shows we are behind across every target—basic health, education, water and sanitation, infrastructure, and climate resilience. Despite this reality, Nauru is set to graduate to high-income status by 2026. The outcomes of UNOC 3 and FFD 4 must translate into action. We need financing frameworks that respond to real-world vulnerability, not just income per capita. Graduation should reflect development progress and the MVI used to guide access to finance. Data systems remain weak, under-resourced, and heavily dependent on external technical support. We cannot track SDG progress or inform good policymaking without investing in core national statistics capacity. We strongly support the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SEEDS, initiatives like the SEEDS Data Hub, but we need sustained support. Partnerships rely on strong regional and multilateral collaboration, whether through the Pacific Islands Forum, the UN system, or bilateral partners, to bridge resource and capacity gaps. Partnerships must be grounded in trust and continue to amplify National voices. Financing we urgently need, tailored to SIDS realities. Current models reward credit ratings and income status, systems where SIDS, like Nauru, are already excluded. Climate finance is increasingly hard to access. Costs are going up, entry points are narrowing, and the burden is growing. In fact, we are structurally vulnerable and economically fragile. Colleagues, graduation should not be the start of a crisis. Let us use the outcomes of UNOC 3, FFD 4, and this HLPF to build a system that works with SIDS, that gives us the tools to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Nauru for her statement. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta, followed by UN-Habitat and the LGBTI stakeholder group. Over to you, sir.

Madam Chair, distinguished panel and moderator, sustainable development and sovereignty go go hand in hand. Our focus this afternoon is on sustainable development in the context of climate change and sovereignty, or in other words, identity. The Sovereign Order of Malta does not speak of displaced peoples and the loss of territorial integrity as an abstract, distant abstraction. We speak as an institution that has for over two centuries continued its unique sovereign mission without a land to call its own. When our land— when we were expelled from the island of Malta, our sovereignty seemed lost. Yet through the ensuing 227 years, we have survived, not through force, but through international recognition, through our own belief in our potentials for survival, and with the help and support of others. Building on this legacy, we continue to exercise a functional sovereignty through diplomatic relations with 115 states that stands as proof that sovereignty does not have to be rooted in land, but in recognition, the will to survive, and a moral purpose that gives it life. Our history speaks directly to the crisis now confronting Small Island Developing States. For many SIDS, territorial loss is not hypothetical, it is becoming a reality. Shorelines retreat, homes vanish, legal status trembles. But what does not recede is identity, purpose, nor dignity. These are not held in the ground beneath one's feet, but in the will of a people to endure, and affirm their right to exist as autonomous communities. We have seen the hardships of our own history echoed in some ways in the lived reality of others today. In Tuvalu, a government prepares to preserve its nationhood in the cloud, building a digital replica of its identity, institutions, and cultural heritage, not as an innovation project, but as a dramatic measure to ensure continuity when land may no longer remain, yet a vision and a culture does. In the Maldives, the world's first floating city is under construction, not as a luxury development but as a humanitarian and constitutional safeguard in anticipation of rising seas. As our own history reveals, sovereignty can survive the loss of land, but only when accompanied by recognition and oftentimes reinvention and innovation. What we learn through survival must now inform the world's response to those—

I thank the distinguished representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta for his statement, and I now give the floor to UN-Habitat, followed by the LGTBI stakeholder group and UNICEF.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues. UN-Habitat is honored to address on global progress on advancing sustainable development in small island development states. UN-Habitat calls the development partners to reaffirm our commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda, recognizing the urgent need to accelerate sustainable urban development in SIDS. Urbanization in these territories presents both challenges and transformative opportunities for inclusive, resilient, and climate-smart development. Strengthened support is needed to voluntary local reviews, local climate action plans, and inclusive municipal planning to localize the SDGs and improve service delivery to the communities in small island state— in small island states. National urban policies and housing strategies must be updated and integrated into climate and NDC frameworks to ensure their coherent multi-sectoral implementation. We also need advocacy on expanding adaptation-focused urban initiatives such as slum upgrading, nature-based solutions, and loss and damage assessments aligned with the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda, emphasizing resilience, equity, and climate finance access. Development partners must commit to embedding the principles of the APAS and the Pacific Nuban Agenda and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent into all programming, promoting inclusion and multilevel partnerships. Regional platforms like the Pacific Urban Partnership and Pacific Urban Forum must be leveraged to foster coordination, knowledge exchange, and joint action. As many others have said, we emphasize the importance of robust data systems, such as the Pacific Sustainable Development Indicators, to inform planning and decision-making at all levels. Finally, we call for expanded access to climate finance and urban investment to support transformative locally-led SDG initiatives. We invite all partners here to join us in advancing sustainable urbanization for cities. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of UN-Habitat for her statement, and I now give the floor to LGBTI stakeholder group. Followed by UNICEF.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you, panelists, for your important and insightful contributions. I speak on behalf of the LGBTQI stakeholder group and bring the voice of Suriname, a Caribbean South American developing state and part of the wider regional struggle for inclusive and resilient development. In our region, where colonial legacies continue to shape laws, mindsets, and economies, LGBTQI people often face multiple layers of exclusion. In Suriname, LGBTQI youth report alarmingly high rates of suicidal thoughts, trans people are denied jobs based on their appearance, and families are forced to navigate legal systems that don't recognize their existence. These aren't isolated cases. They mirror experiences across many Caribbean islands. While the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS rightly emphasizes capacity building and enabling systems, we must ensure that these do not reproduce exclusion but actively dismantle it. For that, LGBTQI people must be at the table, not just as beneficiaries but as designers of solutions. We urge SIDS governments to ensure that national development strategies particularly those related to health, gender equality, decent work, and inclusive partnerships include LGBTQI realities and are informed by disaggregated data, local consultations, and lived experience. In Suriname, our court has taken bold steps to affirm LGBTI rights, but without legislative and executive follow-through, justice remains partial. We therefore call on Caribbean SIDS to integrate LGBTI inclusion in national action plans for SDGs, invest in disaggregated data and community-led solutions, ensure meaningful participation in LGBTQI organizations and policy processes. We call on the international community to back LGBTQI inclusion and SIDS with targeted funding, technical assistance, and space for regional cooperation. Decriminalization, legal protection, and community-led action are not luxuries. They are essential to achieving inclusive health, gender equality, decent work, and effective partnerships. Let us ensure that no one is left behind, not in policy, not in practice, and not in the path forward. Grantangi, thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the GTBI stakeholder group for her statement. I now give the floor to UNICEF, followed by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the last speaker for today. Mic for UNICEF, please.

Gracias, señora presidenta. Thank you very much, Madam President. Distinguished delegates, as many have stated, small island developing states continue to face complex and overlapping challenges as they are at the crossroads of climate vulnerability, constrained fiscal space, and persistent development financing gaps. However, within SIDS, it is children who are paying the price for these challenges. SIDS account for less than 1% of global carbon emissions, but are amongst the most exposed to climate-related events. Since the 1970s, they have endured more than $150 billion in climate and weather-related losses. In the period between 2016 and 2021, over 43 million children, most of these in SIDS countries, were displaced by weather-related events. COVID-19 placed additional pressure on tourism-reliant economies, and many SIDS are now navigating high debt burdens that limit investment in the essential social services upon which children depend, such as health, education, and social protection. UNICEF remains committed to supporting governments across SIDS in the implementation of the Abbas to mitigate the effects of these crises by building systems that are more resilient to shocks, from digital education platforms in São Tomé e Príncipe, to climate-resilient WASH infrastructure in Vanuatu, to launching the world's first-ever integrated climate and disaster risk finance mechanism specifically targeted and designed to be effective for children and young people called Today and Tomorrow. Many of these solutions are laid out in UNICEF's SIDS position paper that we released last year. To build on these efforts, we see three areas where the international community can help accelerate progress. First, by protecting and scaling up development finance with greater attention to child outcomes, including ring-fencing budgets for child-focused essential services and investments in age and sex disaggregated data. Second, by promoting and implementing child-sensitive approaches to debt sustainability and relief. In particular, the debt pause clauses that were launched in Sevilla as well as other key commitments in El Compromiso de Sevilla. And third, by ensuring that climate adaptation and the implementation of the ABAs place children as key contributors to resilience and innovation, not as passive beneficiaries of support. Within the 5 years remaining to achieve the SDGs, we can implement many solutions if we keep our focus on children. The children in SIDS have already called for respect of all their rights, during the Abbas Child and Youth Action Summit. It is up to us to honor that call. Le doy las gracias.

I thank the distinguished representative of UNICEF for her statement. I now give the floor to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Over to you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Small Island Developing States are amongst the most disaster-prone countries in the world. They face a disaster mortality rate more than double the global average and disaster costs that are amongst the highest in the world relative to the size of their economies. To reduce disaster losses and achieve resilient prosperity, it is essential for disaster risk reduction to be integrated in policies, programs, and investments at all levels in SIDS. The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS makes clear the centrality of disaster risk reduction to sustainable development in SIDS with clear calls to action. With increasing frequency and intensity of disasters projected for the future, UNDRR is committed to supporting SIDS in shoring up their resilience in alignment with the Abbas and guided by the Geneva Call for Action emerging from the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction held last month. This includes helping SIDS to enhance their capacity for data collection and prioritizing their needs under initiatives such as the UN Secretary-General's Early Warnings for All initiative and the Santiago Network for Averting, Minimizing, and Addressing Loss and Damage. In addition, we stand ready to support SIDS to stress test the resilience of their infrastructure systems and to support them in applying the principles resilient infrastructure. UNDRR also calls on the international community to provide the necessary means of implementation for the Abbas, including adequate funding for DRR elements, as also affirmed in the outcomes of FFD4. Current levels of disaster-related investment are not to the scale to meet the needs and continue to be skewed towards post-disaster response rather than proactive resilience building. As a result, SIDS often find themselves trapped in cycles of recovery with little room for resilience gains and sustainable development. In closing, UNDRR reaffirms its support to SIDS and the implementation of the ABAS in line with the targets and goal of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of UNDRR for his statement. We have heard the last speaker on the list. I will now give the floor back to the moderator in order to hear reflections from the panelists as well as to hear his own concluding remarks. Mr. Bishop, you have the floor.

Many thanks, everybody. Many thanks, Chair. We've heard a lot of very, very important comments this afternoon, and what I thought I would try to do is just distill them into a few broad insights that I think have come out of the conversation today, and then shape that into a final question that I'll ask to the panelists. The first one is that we keep hearing that the Abbas is a blueprint, it's a vision, it's a roadmap for the future, as was the 2030 process when it was established. And the question for us here maybe is how to render that vision, render that blueprint into something substantive. Another then is that the urgency of timely ABAS implementation is clear. The frameworks to achieve this are in the process of being developed, and they need to be implemented as rapidly as possible. But this needs more than just high-level commitments, as it was put by one respondent. There is a huge amount of importance in synergizing the ABAS with the SDGs and related processes as well. Another thing that a few people said is that SIDS vulnerability coexists with remarkable SIDS leadership. I don't actually think this is a surprise, and as someone who's taught small state studies in universities for a long time, I could digress into an academic conversation about why SIDS show such remarkable leadership, and it's precisely because of their vulnerability, in my view, but I'll resist that temptation today. There's a need for rapid unlocking of finance and other sources of support. This is something we've heard repeatedly. There's an ongoing challenge of indebtedness, both financial indebtedness and indebtedness to the environment, which is as much a moral issue as it is an economic one. There is potentially There is potential perhaps for SIDS to leapfrog some of their excellent development gaps and become competitiveness leaders in a digital age if the right technologies, infrastructures, and data sources are leveraged. Again, we've heard this quite a few times. Um, and then finally, the fact that children, young people, and other marginalized groups suffer most from the ongoing development challenges and gaps faced in SIDS. I don't think this is something we hear as much as we should, but we've certainly heard it a few times today. But that often these people, particularly young people, are those that are the first to support their societies without complaint when a crisis of some kind hits, and yet they're often the ones that bear the brunt of those crises. I could go on, but I won't. As I say, I've tried to condense all of this down into a simple question for the panellists, and we'll begin with Sergio, because I think it's important for Ambassador Sayed to have the last word. Here on today's panel as the chair of AOSIS. So we keep hearing, as I said just now, that the Abbas has provided a blueprint, but what, from your perspective, needs to happen now to implement it fully, to synergize it with other processes, and turn all of the positive words that we've heard from delegates here this afternoon into hard cash, substantive resources of other kinds, and action to really deliver resilient prosperity? So I hand the floor to you, Sergio.

Thank you so much, Matt. Thank you. I think, you know, what's exciting is that when we look at this blueprint, there is really an incredible opportunity to make the change. We see companies today that are moving in as non-state actors and trillions of dollars, but yet we see our countries and our small islands lacking that innovation. And I think the imperative here that we have with the ABIS Center of Excellence Global Data Hub and the evolution of technologies that now allow us to bring that capacity and that education to these small islands and help them leapfrog. It's one of the greatest opportunities in our lifetime. So I'll end with that. Thank you.

Fantastic. Ambassador Said.

Thank you so much, Mr. Moderator. Yes, I think the, the ABAS is the blueprint and the strategic roadmap is a clear one. And I think the first step that we're taking to establish the monitoring and evaluation framework is a very important one. One of our speakers said you can't measure— you can't manage what you don't measure. And I think that's key to make sure that we have the systems in place that allow us to monitor where we're going. So I think that's a key part of the implementation of the Plan. Again, finance is something that we've kind of reiterated over and over. But just to kind of touch on what our— my fellow panelists said on kind of the digital leapfrogging idea, I think this is a really exciting time for SIDS to be able to take that opportunity. SIDS are— it's kind of— we're seeing a new world emerge. I think digital infrastructure infrastructure. The cost of broadband used to be incredibly expensive, and now we have technologies like Starlink and other companies that allow internet access to even the remote— the most remote SIDS. And I think that's a really key development that we're seeing. We're seeing things, you know, SIDS are huge ocean economies. We struggle from IUU fishing, for example. If we capture the economic value of the fisheries that's taken from us, that's also a huge part of generating the economic driver for that segment. And we're seeing things like drones and ocean drones that are much cheaper than huge vessels that take up a lot of diesel. So we see things like that. In my own country, we are piloting a stablecoin for payment processing. Believe it or not, we have to air freight US dollars to Palau, and we have 350 islands. So you can imagine the logistics challenge of getting payments into a lot of these island countries. And we, we think by utilizing things like digital payments, that will also make societies more effective and more efficient and go a long way into promoting commerce within the islands. We're also piloting things like a digital registry similar to that countries can use to promote digital businesses. So I think some of those— these are emerging ideas, but they are kind of innovative in a way that SIDS can take advantage of them quickly. I think that's one of the things that we like to tell our partners. The size of SIDS as being small means that we can actually undertake projects very quickly. We can get resolutions and bills passed through our Congress in record speed. Which larger countries can't do. So I think so those are some of the competitive advantages that we see as SIDS, but we really are excited to launch into the implementation phase of ABASS and see what SIDS V will bring. Thank you.

Wonderful, thank you very, very much. I think that's a nice note for us all to end on there, that smallness is as much a source of nimbleness and innovation as it is of constraint. I'll hand back to the chair.

I'd like to thank Mr. Bishop for the excellent way he has guided this interesting exchange of opinions. I would also like to thank the distinguished panelists and delegations for their substantive presentations and statements. We have thus completed our program of work for this meeting. The forum will reconvene tomorrow at 10 AM. To continue with its program of work. Detailed information on the program is available on the HLPF website. Thank you very much, one and all. Have a very pleasant evening. The meeting is adjourned.