The Maldives hosted, with UN-DESA/DSD, the first SIDS Partnerships Dialogue today. This informal event provided an opportunity for Small Island Developing States and international partners (including member states, UN agencies, and international and non-governmental organizations) to share updates about the over 300 partnerships that were registered at the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States held in Apia, Samoa in September 2014, and highlight this work for advancing sustainable development in SIDS. Ambassador Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the UN, in his opening remarks highlighted that partnerships are integral to implementing the S.A.M.O.A. Pathway. In addition, Ambassador Sareer stated that SIDS are eager to learn from past experiences, build on existing relationships, and move forward with even more effective, inclusive, and impactful initiatives.
Partners attending the event took the floor to outline the partnerships they have developed since the launch of the SAMOA Pathway and representatives highlighted early lessons learned from these projects. The UNDESA also presented the Partnership Framework that was mandated in the S.A.M.O.A. Pathway, as a followup and review mechanism for partnerships.
Ambassador Sareer closed the session by calling for greater action on implementing the SAMOA Pathway, encouraging all interested parties to reach out and continue developing new partnerships. Specifically, he drew attention to the ongoing challenges SIDS face in terms of limited abilities to conduct data collection and analysis, and urged partnerships to acknowledge these issues and work towards improving SIDS capacity where possible.
To learn more about the SIDS Action Platform, visit www.sids2014.org
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