May 2016: The UN has launched an upgraded Action Platform for small island developing States (SIDS), which provides updates on the SIDS Partnership Framework and opportunities for engagement. The Action Platform is a website hosted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

The SIDS Partnership Framework was established by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in Resolution A/70/202, following the 2014 Third International Conference on SIDS. The Framework seeks to monitor and ensure the full implementation of pledges and commitments, through partnerships for SIDS, in order to promote the effective and efficient follow-up to existing partnerships, and to encourage new, genuine and durable partnerships for the sustainable development of SIDS.

The Partnership Framework consists of: a Steering Committee, chaired by Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy, and Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of the Maldives; a partnership reporting template; and the organization of an annual Global Multi-Stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue. It also encourages the organization of national and regional partnership dialogues.

The Steering Committee, which first met on 25 February 2016, is expected to convene in both June and July 2016, according to the ‘2016 Call for Global Action’ posted on the website. The July meeting will be a stock-taking event on SIDS Partnership, on the occasion of the 2016 session of the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF). The event will seek to: review progress by existing partnerships; share good practices, lessons learned and challenges; and encourage the launch of new partnerships for SIDS’ sustainable development.

On the partnership reporting template, focal points of SIDS partnerships are invited use the template to share updates once a year until the partnership is completed. Inputs through the template will be used to prepare relevant reports by the UN Secretary-General, will be regularly featured on UN websites, social media channels, and newsletters, and will be used to inform the HLPF’s process on follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

On the annual Global Multi-Stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue, the first dialogue is expected to take place in September 2016. It will provide an opportunity for: reviewing progress made by existing partnerships; sharing of good practices, lessons learned and challenges and solutions from SIDS partnerships; and launching new partnerships for SIDS.

The upgraded Action Platform also includes the ‘SIDS Times’ bi-monthly newsletter, and the UN Implementation Matrix on follow-up to the SAMOA Pathway, the outcome document of the Samoa conference. [SIDS Action Platform] [2016 Call for Global Action] [IISD RS Story on Reporting Template and Steering Committee First Meeting] [IISD RS Story on Appointment of SIDS Partnerships Steering Committee Co-Chairs]