Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, May 30, 2024
Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal represented the Group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) at the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), organized by the United Nations.
The conference, being held in Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda from May 27 to 30, brought together global leaders to address the sustainable development challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
In her role as Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau for LDCs, Secretary Lamsal delivered a poignant statement on behalf of the group. She began by expressing condolences to the Government and people of Papua New Guinea, who are currently dealing with the aftermath of a devastating landslide.
Secretary Lamsal conveyed a message of solidarity from the LDCs to the SIDS, emphasizing the shared vulnerabilities and challenges both groups face. She extended heartfelt gratitude to the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda for their hospitality, and commended the leadership of the Maldives and New Zealand for their roles in the preparatory process of the conference.
Highlighting the unique structural vulnerabilities of SIDS, Lamsal noted that these countries are disproportionately affected by climate change, lack of alternative energy sources, and frequent natural disasters. She stressed the need for stronger global support to enhance the resilience and sustainability of SIDS, particularly in light of ongoing and intersecting crises such as the pandemic, climate change, and geopolitical tensions.
Lamsal underscored the critical connection between sea-level rise and the melting of glaciers, calling for urgent global action to reduce carbon emissions. She also celebrated the adoption of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), a transformative 10-year action plan aimed at addressing the multidimensional vulnerabilities of SIDS.
Concluding her remarks, Lamsal reiterated the commitment of the LDCs to support the successful implementation of ABAS and called on development partners, multilateral stakeholders, and the global community to provide robust support for SIDS.
The SIDS4 Conference, held every ten years, serves as a platform to review progress and propose new action plans for the sustainable development of Small Island Developing States. This year’s conference, themed “Charting the course toward resilient prosperity,” aimed to set a strategic direction for the next decade in ensuring the resilience and prosperity of SIDS.
Secretary Lamsal’s participation and the LDCs’ expressed solidarity underscore the importance of global cooperation in addressing the unique challenges faced by the world’s most vulnerable countries.
