Nordic statement at the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the Fourth International Conference on SIDS (SIDS4)

Check Against Delivery

·        I am delivering this joint statement on behalf of the Nordic countries - Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and my own country – Denmark.

·        Thank you, co-chairs Maldives and New Zealand, for convening us this week for the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States.

·        The Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, convening in Antigua and Barbuda in May, will be of utmost importance. The new 10-year agenda stands on the shoulders of the Samoa Pathway. It will need to carry on the good work that has been done over the last 10 years and provide new answers and find new solutions to a wide range of development challenges that could soon become intractable.

·        We need to work together to reduce emissions and keep global warming below the 1.5°C threshold set out in the Paris Agreement, we know that failing to do so lead to rapid and severe consequences across the globe, and not least in SIDS.

·        The operationalization of the funding arrangements and fund responding to loss and damage, the adaptation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, and the agreement of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) testified important developments for SIDS and for the planet as a whole.

·        The funding arrangements and the fund responding to loss and damage represent global recognition and agreement that the world must support countries most affected by climate change, including SIDS. At COP28, we also worked together to ensure a global path for decarbonization away from fossil fuels.

·        Nevertheless, there is still much to be done as SIDS are disproportionally affected by the triple planetary crisis due to unique vulnerabilities in both their economies and ecosystems. We look forward to insights on how the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index can be utilized in mapping such vulnerabilities.

·        Climate change is the biggest challenge for the SIDS countries. Small islands are exposed to increasing extreme weather events and to sea-level rise, and the most vulnerable people carry a disproportionate burden of these consequences. This existential threat to the SIDS affects sustainable development, peace and security, livelihoods, and the continuity of statehood.

·        As the climate crisis deepens, low-lying countries are already witnessing significant portions of their territory being rendered uninhabitable, and some even facing the prospect of complete inundation from rising sea level.

·        Finding workable solutions is the joint responsibility of all states. We must work together in a strong multilateral understanding and solidarity to make sure that the responsibility doesn’t fall disproportionately on those who will be hardest hit.

·        Some of the main issues that must be at the forefront of the Antigua and Barbuda Accord for SIDS 2024-2034 must be access to climate finance, adaptation, a just green transitions, jobs and growth, long-term debt sustainability, SIDS’ access to data, maritime boundaries and the continuity of statehood.

·        Finally, the Nordic countries can assure you the full support in the preparatory process and negotiations of the next plan of action for SIDS and at the conference itself - also through available financial support.

·        We encourage all partners to work towards an impactful outcome of the 4th conference, which will deliver concrete results for SIDS for the next 10 years.

·        I thank you.