In May 2024, the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) took place in Antigua, where leaders agreed the next ten-year roadmap for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the “Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS: A Renewed Agenda for Resilient Prosperity (ABAS)”.
In this episode, Emily and Matt review the conference, bringing to life the event’s atmosphere, discussing key highlights, and – crucially – asking “What now needs to happen for the ABAS to be successful over the next decade?”.
In “Island Voices”, Naya Sena provides a civil society perspective on SIDS4. In the “Explainer”, Margot St John-Sebastian talks through the negotiating process that produced the ABAS. In “The Big Picture”, Sai Navoti, Rebecca Fabrizi and Tumasie Blair reflect separately on their conference highlights.
Featuring:
- Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI
- Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
- Naya Sena | Researcher, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo
- Margot St John-Sebastian | Lead Negotiator, AOSIS
- Sai Navoti | Chief of the SIDS Unit, UNDESA
- Rebecca Fabrizi | UK Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Envoy and Head of the Caribbean and SIDS Department at FCDO
- Tumasie Blair | Deputy Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN
Resources
- Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
- SIDS4 Communiqué | The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) – A Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity
- SIDS4 Policy brief | A global bargain for resilient prosperity in SIDS
- Future Forum Report | Shaping the Future of Small Island Developing States
- Global Voices piece | Why small islands need their own Marshall Plan
- RESI Debt Project | Breaking the Cycle of Debt in SIDS
- Conversation piece | Debt-disaster-debt: hurricane-damaged islands are being saddled with loans they cannot afford
- Guardian piece | Caribbean leaders call for ‘Marshall plan’ to help rebuild after Hurricane Beryl
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