BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kerrie Symmonds has made a significant move, joining with other ministers of small island developing states (SIDS) and ministers and presidents of territorial collectivities to sign a joint declaration. This declaration is a crucial step towards addressing the supply chain issues that are significantly affecting SIDS.
The declaration was signed in the margins of the recently concluded United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Global Supply Chain Forum held here.
The document acknowledges that SIDS heavily relies on trade, mainly imports, to meet their consumption needs and that ports play a critical role in transporting goods and services.
It also states that SIDS are at a high and growing risk of climate change impacts, and these factors are increasing their exposure to food and energy insecurity. Therefore, SIDS and their development partners must place the transport and logistics sector at the forefront of their developmental priorities.
By signing the document, Barbados and other signatory countries, including Curaçao, Marshall Islands, Seychelles, and Tuvalu, are not just making a pledge, but affirming their unwavering commitment to the following strategic directions and priorities. This commitment is a testament to their dedication to addressing the challenges faced by SIDS.
They are enhancing connectivity and accessibility, strengthening resilience and sustainability, addressing the transport, energy, and food security nexus, mobilizing sustainable finance and investment, promoting innovation, digital transformation, and capacity building, fostering partnerships, international cooperation, and monitoring, and ensuring inclusivity and equity.
The joint declaration also calls on all countries to fully adhere to and implement the principles and objectives of relevant international commitments that underscore the unique situation of SIDS and their special sustainable development needs.
These include the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030), the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, and the forthcoming outcome document, the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS of the Fourth International Conference on SIDS.
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