Distinguished Co-Chairs,
Excellencies,
Distinguished members of the Committee,
USG Fatima and dear colleagues,
I am pleased to join this Ambassadorial-level meeting of the Steering Committee on Partnerships for Small Island Developing States.
At the outset, I congratulate the Permanent Representatives of Belize and Portugal on their appointment as Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee. I look forward to working closely with you to advance this important agenda.
I also extend my sincere appreciation to the Permanent Representatives of the Maldives and Latvia for their dedicated leadership throughout 2025 and their stewardship in strengthening the SIDS Partnership Framework.
Excellencies,
The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS recognizes partnerships as central to delivering sustainable development outcomes for SIDS. The SIDS Partnership Framework remains a key platform to mobilize, coordinate, and support these efforts.
The adoption of General Assembly resolution 80/136 marks a key milestone, reflecting a shared commitment to revitalize the Framework and amplify its impact.
Today¡¯s meeting is our first opportunity to operationalize this vision.
On 10 April, DESA in collaboration of AOSIS convened a retreat on how to implement the ABAS in a rapidly evolving global context.
The retreat underscored the critical need for coherence, capacity-building, and tangible results in delivering ABAS. It also provided the opportunity to align DESA¡¯s programme of work with SIDS priorities, identifying gaps and strengthening coordination.
The insights and guidance shared by Ambassadors are instrumental in informing our support for advancing partnerships, and ensuring that our work is responsive, targeted, and impactful.
ABAS places strong emphasis on monitoring and evaluation as a foundation for effective implementation. Early reporting under the ABAS monitoring and evaluation framework points to both areas of progress and persistent structural challenges, reinforcing the importance of sustained support for implementation. Progress has also been made to operationalize the framework through the regional capacity-building workshops.
Regarding the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), our work with OHRLLS as the Joint Interim Secretariat is now complete. The Secretary-General has appointed the High-level Advisory Panel, and we await the announcement of the Permanent Secretariat.
To strengthen reporting and better support intergovernmental deliberations, the 2026 report of the Secretary-General on the follow-up to and implementation of ABAS will be issued in May, earlier than in the past. This accelerated timeline ensures the report will effectively inform both the High-level Political Forum and the General Assembly.
Excellencies,
The recommendations emerging from the 2025 consultative process provide a strong foundation to strengthen the SIDS Partnership Framework. DESA stands ready to support Member States and this Committee in translating those recommendations into concrete action.
We are committed to advancing a more coherent and streamlined approach to stakeholder engagement, strengthening knowledge-sharing and outreach, and enhancing the visibility of partnerships.
We will also foster national and regional multi-stakeholder dialogues, building on existing platforms, as well as the continued evolution of the Global Multi-stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue.
At the same time, we must recognize that effective implementation will depend on adequate resources, strengthened Secretariat support, and continued guidance from Member States.
Excellencies,
The work ahead is ambitious but essential, and the SIDS Partnership Framework has a unique role to play.
I encourage members to use today¡¯s discussion to guide our priorities, sequencing, and implementation, ensuring the Framework delivers tangible results for SIDS.
I wish you fruitful discussions.
Thank you!