GENEVA (23 May 2024) – UN human rights experts* today called for urgent action by States, financial institutions and development banks to support small island developing countries struggling with the triple burden of climate disasters, debt crisis and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahead of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the experts said: “The world community must not remain a passive witness to the struggle of SIDS, who are especially at risk due to their size, geographical remoteness, highly dispersed populations, the limited scale and undiversified nature of their economies, and high dependence on external markets.” The conference, entitled Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity, will take place from 27 to 30 May 2024 in Antigua and Barbuda to review SIDS’ sustainable development progress and foster partnerships to provide support to these States. The conference will culminate in the adoption of The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) – a Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity, a roadmap to enhance their resilience, recognising that SIDS face the compounding impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, disasters and natural hazards and economic disadvantages, as well as diminishing ability to withstand external shocks. “It is critical that States, international financial institutions, multilateral development banks and other donors come together to mobilise adequate resources needed to ensure that peoples living in SIDS are not left behind,” the experts said. Considering that more than 40 per cent of SIDS are grappling with unsustainable levels of debt, “all options such as one-time debt waivers, enhanced official development assistance, concessional long-term loans and grants must be utilised to relieve their financial stress.” “SIDS account for less than 1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet they are paying the heaviest price for climate change, resulting in extreme exposure to disasters and natural hazards, such as severe tropical cyclones, floods and droughts, diminishing freshwater resources, desertification, coastal erosion, land degradation and sea-level rise,” the experts said. “While adopting the 2030 Agenda in 2015, the world’s leaders promised to leave no one behind. To fulfil that promise, they bear the responsibility to do everything within their means to address the challenges faced by the peoples from SIDS and offer them a stable pathway to inclusive and sustainable development through debt relief, financial aid, technology transfer and technical assistance,” they said. *The experts: Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development; Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Cecilia M. Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; Attiya Waris, Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations and human rights; George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity. For more information and media requests please contact: hrc-sr-development@un.org For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts, please contact Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org) or John Newland (john.newland@un.org) Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts Follow news related to the Special Rapporteur on the right to development: @UNSRdevelopment