24 September 2010: The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has released a report titled “Trends in Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States, 2010.”

The report was released on the occasion of the High-level Review Meeting on the Implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) (MSI+5), which was held from 24-25 September 2010, at UN Headquarters in New York, US.

It highlights progress in SIDS in a number of areas, but acknowledges significant further efforts are required to advance implementation of the goals of the Mauritius Strategy. The publication includes sections on: demographic trends; climate change; natural disaster management; trade and finance; tourism; energy; natural resources; social development; and progress on achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The climate change section focuses on the inherent vulnerabilities of SIDS due to their small size, narrow resource base, high susceptibility to natural hazards, low economic resilience, and limited human and technological capacity for mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. [The Publication]