51吃瓜

Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

I thank the 51吃瓜 Office for Disaster Risk Reduction for co-organizing this important event with us.

I am pleased to address you today on a critical issue for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS): strengthening policy coherence and synergies towards more effective climate action and disaster risk reduction.

As climate change intensifies, increasing the frequency, magnitude, and duration of climate-related hazards – SIDS find themselves on the front lines of this crisis.

Climate change is a major driver of disaster losses in SIDS, severely hindering their sustainable development.

The escalating frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters exacerbates existing social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities for these States. 

According to UNDRR reports, SIDS comprise up to two-thirds of the countries facing the highest annual disaster losses globally. 
Their small size, remoteness, and heavy dependency on global markets make them especially susceptible to external shocks, with any significant disruption posing a risk to their entire economies. 

To build resilience, SIDS require a comprehensive, systemic approach to assessing and managing climate risks. 

 Integrating disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) perspectives and approaches is essential, as is aligning these efforts with other sustainable development frameworks.

Global agreements like the UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and now the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS- the ABAS, all underscore the need for concerted action on climate and disaster resilience.

The ABAS calls for enhanced international support for the SIDS to address adaptation needs; minimize and address loss and damage; and enhance capacity and resilience in SIDS.

Achieving these goals demands collective global action and the necessary investments.

My Office is committed to supporting SIDS in these efforts.

We are working with the entire UN system and various stakeholders to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for the ABAS, ensuring alignment of implementation with the other global frameworks, including the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework and the SDGs. 

 Complementing this, we are developing a toolkit to support ABAS implementation at the national level in coherence with efforts at regional and global levels. We are engaging our SIDS National Focal Points extensively in this process, with special attention to the unique needs of the AIS SIDS, given their unique coordination challenges.

Finally, we are fostering partnerships with relevant stakeholders, including civil society organizations and the private sector to mobilize further resources and generate innovative solutions for climate resilience and DRR in SIDS.

In closing, I extend my heartfelt thanks to our speakers and participants for participating in this side event and for their valuable contributions to the discussions.

We look forward to today’s discussions and the insights they will provide toward advancing coherent policy implementation for SIDS. 

I thank you.