Opening Remarks: SIDS National Focal Points Meeting

SALUTATIONS

• Representatives of the Diplomatic Corps;
• Representatives of the United Nations System, Alliance of Small Island States, AOSIS; UN ECLAC and all other development partners in attendance;
• Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, Mr. Sanjay Singh and Mrs. Aarti Bedassie-Maharaj,
• Deputy Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development,
• SIDS National Focal Point delegates
• Representatives of the Office of the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS
• Members of the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development’s Conference Secretariat
• All other distinguished guests;
• Representatives of the media.

Good morning and welcome to all of you.

It is a profound honour to stand before you today in the vibrant and resilient city of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.  This may be the first time visiting for some of you and it is my hope that you do not allow the work required in this meeting to hinder you from experiencing a taste of our twin island nation outside of your tasks.

 This Sixth In-Person Meeting of the SIDS National Focal Points marks a truly promising occasion for us, as it is the first time that Trinidad and Tobago has the privilege of hosting this distinguished gathering. On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and all our partners, I extend a warm and heartfelt Caribbean welcome to each of you. Your presence here reaffirms the strength of our shared purpose and the enduring power of SIDS solidarity.

We convene at a pivotal moment in our collective history. Though the SIDS4 Conference in Antigua and Barbuda was a matter of recent occurrence, the commitments we made there are already taking shape, driven by the urgency of our common vulnerabilities and strengthened by the resilience of our people. Our realities are defined by profound and unique challenges, from escalating climate shocks to persistent economic instability. And so, we gather not merely for dialogue, but for a critical operational undertaking: to transform the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS or ABAS from a visionary declaration into tangible, national-level action and resilient prosperity.

Small Island Developing States have served and will continue to be the world’s moral compass on climate change, the proverbial canaries in the coal mine of global environmental degradation.

We live on the frontlines of a crisis we did not create. Rising climate impacts, heightened exposure to external shocks, burdensome debt and narrow resource bases remain our lived realities, demanding urgent, strategic and sustained action.

The new agenda for SIDS is our blueprint for the next decade. Its success depends on you, the National Focal Points. This network is the bridge between global aspirations and national implementation. This Sixth In-person Meeting is therefore not just a conference; it is a working session designed to strengthen the capacity required to implement, monitor and evaluate the ABAS effectively.

A key outcome, over the next two days, will be the development of a practical Monitoring and Evaluation toolkit. Having strong data systems and evidence-driven reporting are essential for tracking progress and ensuring accountability. Therefore, I urge the focal points and our partners present here today, to engage in an all-of-society approach to ensure alignment across national priorities, the agenda for SIDS, and the global goals.

Monitoring and evaluation cannot stand alone. Our ability to report meaningfully is directly tied to our ability to implement, having the right resources, institutional capacity, and technical support in place. This requires securing adequate financing, investing in technology and skills, and pursuing innovative mechanisms and emerging financial instruments that can sustainably support the ABAS.

To the National Focal Points, you are the drivers of this agenda within your respective countries. Your leadership, your advocacy and your coordination across sectors will determine the pace and success of our collective progress. I urge you to approach this mandate with renewed energy and purpose.

The work you do will not only advance national priorities,

it will shape the future of SIDS for the next decade and beyond.

Colleagues, the challenges before us are great, but our collective resolve is greater. The future of SIDS is not something that will happen to us, it is something we will shape together. Let us use these two days to strengthen our network, sharpen our tools, and advance the ABAS with purpose and unity.

Thank you.