Discussions identified critical points for engagement to keep ABAS on track. Participants considered what they would like to see over the next two years, and what concrete, actionable steps they plan to take over this time. In particular, participants wanted to see:
- Clear monitoring and reporting on the ABAS
- Revision of the ODA criteria for SIDS, with MVI being used in place of Gross National Income (GNI)
- Operationalised and internationally recognised SIDS Centre of Excellence
- Increased accessibility and amounts of financial support for SIDS
- International financial architecture reform, particularly around debt systems
- Greater SIDS collaboration, particularly building inter-regional cooperation
- A political platform for SIDS, not only in New York, but in other parts of the world
- Support SIDS university collaboration and introduce a SIDS-based curriculum in schools
Some actionable next steps were also put forward:
- Continue advocating for the use of MVI
- Propose an exemption for UN SIDS to allow continued ODA eligibility
- Increase government collaboration with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the private sector, as partners in sustainable development
- Incorporate data from CSOs into frameworks
- Integration of the ABAS implementation into national plans of SIDS and their partners
- Support the SIDS data hub, and share national data to contribute
- Leverage existing partnerships and introduce new partners to the SIDS agenda
- Strengthen the role of AOSIS, potentially into something more formal