About SIDSNet

Background

SIDS Statistics

Island Newswire

Biodiversity

Climate Change

Coastal & Marine

Renewable Energy

SIDS Experts Network

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are small island and low-lying coastal countries that share similar sustainable development challenges, including small population, lack of resources, remoteness, susceptibility to natural disasters, excessive dependence on international trade and vulnerability to global developments. In addition, they suffer from lack of economies of scale, high transportation and communication costs, and costly public administration and infrastructure.

In April 1994, the first Global Conference on Sustainable Development of SIDS was convened in Barbados. The conference adopted the Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA) that set forth specific actions and measures to be taken at the national, regional and international levels in support of the sustainable development of SIDS.

In September 1999, the 22nd Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly undertook a comprehensive assessment of the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action and called for concerted efforts to support its implementation.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002 reaffirmed the special case of SIDS and highlighted a series of SIDS-specific issues and concerns in the Johannesburg Plan of Action, adopted by the Summit. In a follow-up to WSSD, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution (A/57/262), which among other things, called for a comprehensive review of the BPoA at a high-level international meeting, to be held in Mauritius in 2004. This will be the 10-year review of BPoA.

The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), in the context of its Multi-Year thematic Programme of Work, continuously reviews the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action (4th session, in 1996, and its 6th session, in 1998). The upcoming 11th session of the CSD will hold discussions during its second week on the upcoming international meeting on the further implementation of BPoA.

The Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable Development considers on a regular basis the Untied Nations system-wide coordination in the implementation of the Conference outcome.

At present, fifty-one small island developing States and territories are included in the list used by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in monitoring the progress in the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action. Theses States and territories often work together through the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).