22 December 2015: In one of its final decisions of 2015, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) agreed to establish the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Partnership Framework “to monitor and ensure the full implementation of pledges and commitments through partnerships” for SIDS. The Framework seeks to promote follow-up and encourage new, genuine and durable partnerships for sustainable development.

The decision is part of resolution A/70/472/Add.2 on the ‘Follow-up to and implementation of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS,’ adopted by the UNGA on 22 December 2015.

According to the text, the UNGA will form a Steering Committee on partnerships for SIDS that will: be open to all UN Members States or members of specialized agencies; be chaired by one SIDS Member State and by one non-SIDS State to be appointed by the UNGA President; meet on a regular basis to support the follow-up of existing partnerships and promote and advocate the launching of new SIDS partnerships; and hold its first meeting as soon as possible, but no later than February 2016, to discuss, inter alia, its working methods.

The resolution also requests the UN Secretariat, in consultation with the Steering Committee, to organize an annual “action-oriented, results-focused and global” multi-stakeholder SIDS partnership dialogue to review progress and encourage the launch of new SIDS partnerships. The text encourages regional and national multi-stakeholder SIDS partnership dialogues, and requests the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in consultation with the Steering Committee to finalize a standardized partnership reporting template and process that “takes into account existing reporting mechanisms and the need to minimize the reporting burden and ensures reporting coherence.”

In addition, the Assembly decided to consider, during its 71st session, the conduct of a mid-term review in 2019 on progress towards addressing SIDS’ priorities through the implementation of the Samoa Pathway. [Draft Resolution] [IISD RS Story on Sustainable Development Resolutions] [UN Press Release on Adoption of Second Committee Resolutions] [DESA Press Release] [Text of Resolution]