51吃瓜

H.E. Ilana Seid, Permanent Representative of Palau to the 51吃瓜 and Chair of Pacific SIDS,

Excellencies,

I am very pleased to join you all today at this meeting and provide an update on OHRLLS’ support to SIDS, with particular focus on the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. At the outset, I congratulate you all on the robust outcomes from both the Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting hosted by the Kingdom of Tonga, and the inter-regional preparatory meeting in Cabo Verde. The documents identify the key priorities and actions that the regions need, to ensure a truly transformative future.  If translated into actions, these will enhance the regions’ environmental resilience while fostering more dynamic and inclusive growth. I also wish to acknowledge that the documents are not only aspirational – but also committed to actions through clear, measurable deliverables. Last week, I was due to be in Fiji to consult with the Pacific Islands Forum, Council of Regional Organization of the Pacific (CROP) agencies and the UN Country Teams in the region on UN support for the 2050 Strategy on the Blue Pacific Continent. Unfortunately, I have had to postpone that mission due to sudden illness. I look forward to taking up the next available opportunity to visit Fiji. Nonetheless, I take this opportunity to inform you that following the Secretary-General’s meeting with Pacific Island leaders last September at the General Assembly, my Office has established a UN Inter-Agency Working Group on the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

This Group will work with the Pacific Islands Forum Membership and Secretariat to enable the UN system to leverage its collective strength to support the implementation of the 2050 Strategy. The focus will be on the following four areas:
 

• First, ensure coordinated global action to support the 2050 Strategy and its implementation plan, and complement the work of the Pacific UN Country Teams and Pacific Islands Forum agencies at the regional and national levels.
• Second, integrate the 2050 Strategy into the respective work programmes of relevant UN agencies at the global level.
• Third, ensure systematic and timely information exchange among UN agencies regarding activities that support the 2050 Strategy.
• And fourth, collaborate with the Pacific Islands Forum, CROP agencies, Regional Commission, and our Pacific UN Country Teams on shared messaging and advocacy plans to mobilize international support for the 2050 Strategy.

I convened the inaugural meeting of the Working Group on the 2nd of August, where we decided to undertake a mapping exercise to consolidate UN system actions relevant to the seven priority areas and emerging actions of the 2050 Strategy implementation plan. It is imperative that the 2030 Agenda and the 2050 Strategy go hand in hand so that as we prioritize SDG acceleration, our collective efforts translate into tangible, meaningful contributions to the longer-term goals of the 2050 Strategy. In this regard, it is deeply concerning that on our current trajectory, it is unlikely that the Pacific will achieve even 20% of the SDGs by 2030. In addition to the 2050 Strategy, my Office is also supporting SIDS in many other ways.

Allow me to elaborate on some of the areas:

First, as you witnessed in Cabo Verde, my Office held the fourth in-person SIDS National Focal Points meeting.  The objective was to discuss opportunities to further strengthen the network to support the implementation of the next programme of action.   In particular, we focused on enhancing monitoring and evaluation of its implementation and enhancing coherence with global processes. To that end, we will be preparing an engagement strategy that will guide the support from the NFPs to the new programme of action.

Second, during the regional preparatory meetings, OHRLLS and the respective host countries held a series of donor roundtables to further encourage development partner engagement with SIDS. We will continue to engage development partners in preparation for the SIDS4 Conference. My Office will continue to remain engaged with the AOSIS/OECD-DAC Task Force on SIDS partnerships. to identify and materialize a list of deliverables in support of the implementation of the outcomes of the fourth UN Conference on SIDS. Further, we will support the meeting of SIDS with international financial institutions and multi-lateral development banks in the context of the SIDS4 Conference.  In collaboration with AOSIS and UN-DESA, we will use the opportunity of the upcoming World Bank/IMF fall meetings in Marrakech to advocate for the implementation of the MVI. In addition, we will encourage the IFIs to be actively engaged in the preparations of the SIDS4 Conference and subsequent implementation of its outcomes.
Third, OHRLLS also continues to spearhead the SIDS-Global Business Network.  Building on progress since the last business network forum hosted by Palau in the Pacific in 2022, we are now preparing for the next forum to be held in the Caribbean ahead of the SIDS Conference in May. This will be an opportunity to foster a new generation of private sector partnerships for SIDS and to advocate for strong private sector engagement.
Fourth, on climate change, we have been supporting AOSIS on loss and damage discussions here in New York. Together with Climate Analytics, we co-organized a dialogue with AOSIS on 7 July to provide AOSIS with a platform for strategic discussions reflecting on the 58th Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies in Bonn, setting a course for COP28. We will continue to work with Climate Analytics to strengthen the capacity and positioning of AOSIS in the climate finance landscape. At COP28,  my Office will hold several SIDS-related side events to support efforts to ensure SIDS climate related priorities remain high on the international agenda. As you know, the Secretary-General's Early Warning for All initiative aims to ensure that every person is protected by early warning systems within the next five years. As a member of the Advisory Panel for this initiative, I am working with other UN colleagues to substantively contribute to this important agenda. The initiative will be piloted in 30 countries globally with 11 countries in Asia and the Pacific including Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Island and Tonga.
Finally, on the Multi-dimensional Vulnerability Index, as co-secretariat with DESA, OHRLLS has been actively supporting the High-Level Panel’s work, which includes:  

• Providing the consultants to support the technical work of panel;
• Bringing the panel together in New York for their in-person consultations;
•  Producing the data visualisations for the MVI;
• Helping with the finalisation of the report, in line with the Panel’s decisions; and
•  Supporting advocacy activities for the MVI. In this regard, OHRLLS will also be working closely with AOSIS to organize a spotlight event during the General Assembly to raise awareness for the MVI with a focus on building political consensus.

As I conclude, I wish to reiterate that as the Special Adviser of the SIDS4 Conference, I will continue to advocate strongly for an ambitious and truly transformative programme of action for the next decade of development of the SIDs.

This is our once in a decade opportunity to bring about real changes in the lives of the 75 million people living in small island countries.

We must make the best of it.

 I will remain fully invested in continuing to mobilise the broadest coalition of support for SIDS.

I will rest it here.

I thank you.