The SIDS Future Forum is a biennial event led by the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI). It brings together SIDS policymakers, academics, and development partners to collectively assess progress on the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) and propose pathways that will lead to the successful achievement of ambitious outcomes by 2034.
Discussions will be based on the latest scientific and policy research, compiled in the first flagship ‘State of SIDS Report’, which provides a baseline understanding of:
- why common challenges identified in the SAMOA pathway are still present in SIDS
- the emerging issues affecting SIDS due to geopolitical shifts, accelerating climate change and other global and regional trends
- advances and lessons from progress in sustaining development across SIDS regions
- new challenges SIDS could face during ABAS implementation
During the SIDS Future Forum, stakeholders will discuss and agree a report ‘Summary for Policymakers’ that closes evidence gaps and identifies actionable next steps and critical points of engagement for next two years.
Building on these discussions, the UK-SIDS Partnership will run two deep dive sessions on ocean governance and finance. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) enters into force in January 2026. Parties will need both technical capability and financial resources to meet their obligations to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity, share benefits more fairly, create protected areas, and advance science and capacity building. SDG14 already has the lowest level of financial investment of any development goal, and SIDS face huge barriers in fully participating in and benefiting from ocean innovation and investment.
In anticipation of the next meeting of the BBNJ Preparatory Commission in March 2026, the deep dive sessions will:
- take stock of the institutional design of BBNJ and the Special Fund
- identify how SIDS and partners can work together on BBNJ implementation
- explore the respective roles of SIDS and development partners in scaling finance and directing it to the highest priority needs
In partnership with
