The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, calls for special attention be given to Small Island Developing States (SIDS), as they face unique vulnerabilities in their pursuit of sustainable development. A key request from the outcome of the 2014 Third International Conference on SIDS - the SAMOA Pathway - was the establishment of the SIDS Partnership Framework, designed to monitor progress of existing, and stimulate the launch of new, genuine and durable partnerships for the sustainable development of SIDS. Guided by a member States driven Steering Committee, the framework has since its launch ensured that SIDS partnerships have remained high on the UN’s agenda, providing a multi-stakeholder platform for reviewing progress made by SIDS partnerships, and for sharing of good practices and lessons learned among all stakeholders, on an annual basis.There is a need to ensure the monitoring process of SIDS partnerships includes all relevant stakeholders. In addition, to ensuring sustainability and longevity, it is crucial to raise the capacity of stakeholders in SIDS in developing and forging new, genuine and durable partnerships. Member states have called upon UN DESA and the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) to enhance the necessary analytical and advocacy support for the work of the Steering Committee, and, in particular, to ensure an annual action-oriented, results-focused Global Multi-Stakeholder Small Island Developing States Partnership Dialogue.
The project is expected to result in an in-depth analysis of existing SIDS partnerships, a strengthened process for monitoring of SIDS partnerships on national, regional and global level, and an increased capacity of all relevant stakeholders in the development of durable multi-stakeholder partnerships for SIDS.
The project will be carried out by the Division for Sustainable Development Goals of UN DESA through a broad and inclusive consultation process with SIDS and relevant experts and stakeholders.