By Melissa Wong

   A welcome reception was held at Government House for heads of delegations and guests attending the SIDS 4 Conference which is being held under the theme “Charting the course toward resilient prosperity.”

   The Conference will assess the ability of SIDS to achieve sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. It will result in an inter-governmentally agreed, focused, forward-looking and action-oriented political outcome document. SIDS comprise 37 UN member nations and 20 associate members of regional commissions.

   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a toast at the welcome reception thanked the government and people of Antigua and Barbuda for accepting the challenge to organize on its small island, a conference with 5,000 people. 

   Guterres said he hopes resilience and prosperity will be a reality and he trusts the capacity of the people of small developing island States to guarantee that resilience and prosperity with one condition. 

   “We need justice in international relations and especially justice in international economic and financial relations, “ he said.

   “The people of Antigua and Barbuda, the people of the SIDS have not contributed to climate change, yet climate change is the existential threat of our lifetime, and you are in the frontline of the impacts of climate change. There is something deeply unfair in this situation,” said the UN Secretary General. 

   He noted that the beauty of many islands was transformed into successful touristic centers, with many islands becoming middle income countries. “Because you are middle income countries in a world in which GDP works as God, you have in the majority of situations no access to concessional funding, no access to debt relief, even if you suffer more than any other State in the world, the impacts of climate change, the impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in relation to prices and interest rates, and to the fact that your economies are deeply impacted negatively by the way the world economic and financial rules are established.” 

   Guterres said this conference must not only be an expression of gratitude and admiration for the people of SIDS, but must be a call to action in order to make sure a move is made towards justice prevailing in climate, finance and the economy. 

   In addition, the situation of SIDS needs to be recognized and the rules of the system changed in order to make resilience and prosperity a reality. 

   This Tuesday, the meeting discussed mobilization of resources for SIDS; revitalizing SIDS’ economies for accelerated and sustainable growth; and enhancing critical forms of financing and aid effectiveness through collaborative partnerships.

   On Wednesday, it will debate making climate finance work for SIDS; building on the outcomes of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; and leveraging data and digital technologies and building effective institutions for a resilient future in SIDS.

   Thursday, May 30, the Plenary Meeting will look into investing in human capital: addressing health crises in SIDS and building the potential of youth in SIDS, and produce a Moment of Declaration during the Final Closing Plenary.