SIDS GBN Forum 2014 - Samoa
Forum summary
A two-day Private Sector Partnerships Forum at the 2014 Third International Conference on SIDS in Apia, Samoa provided a platform for private sector partnerships to be announced and existing partnerships showcased and/or scaled up.
The Forum covered six thematic areas (oceans, connectivity, agriculture, tourism, disaster risk reduction and renewable energy) and facilitated knowledge sharing and networking between senior business and government leaders to enhance private sector partnerships for SIDS.
The Co-Chairs’ Summary of the Private Sector Partnerships Forum outlines the key messages, outcomes and partnerships announcements made during the Forum.
Ahead of the conference in Samoa, UN-OHRLLS teamed up with iTunes to create a dedicated page on the popular site featuring music from artists born and raised in some of the world’s small island nations.
Forum objectives
Two key outcomes of the P3a Conference are to bring ideas to reality and the establishment of the SIDS Global Business Network to better link the three SIDS regions together, allowing for a better exchange of experiences and best practices as well as follow-up on the announcement made at the Samoa forum.
- Oceans
SIDS are at the forefront of conservation and sustainable use of ocean and marine resources but are also among the most vulnerable nations to ocean and coastal degradation. This session will focus on sharing and scaling up the best practices on responsible PPPs including in areas of sustainable fishing and protecting the oceans and marine resources. - Connectivity (ICTs & Transport)
Connectivity remains a crucial issue for SIDS including for accessing the international marketplace whether it be the transport of goods or telecommunications and internet based transactions. This session will focus on how partnerships can expedite and strengthen the progress in these and other related areas. - Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is a bedrock of cultural and economic activities in SIDS. With the growth in international trade in organic agricultural products, private sector partners will be in a prime position to reinvigorate agricultural production in SIDS, contribute to the livelihoods of rural communities and increase export earnings. - Sustainable Tourism
Private sector activities have been a proven cornerstone of the viability of the tourism sector in SIDS and thus reflect the importance of the sector in socio- economic development for SIDS. The session will explore how best tourism activities can be further expanded, where capacity allows, and be made more sustainable. Likewise consolidating strong forward and backward linkages of the tourism activities in SIDS and further strengthening institutional development would be critical areas for collaboration. - Renewable Energy
Renewable energy to fuel the private sector growth in SIDS and to decrease the exposure to oil-price volatility. This session will discuss how SIDS can be the forerunners in switching to renewable energy by taking example of countries, which have already adopted strategies for 100% renewable energy future and scaling-up the existing initiatives. - Finance
This session will focus on the cross cutting themes, including public finance, PPPs and governance, which needs to be addressed for creating conditions conducive to SIDS private sector growth and competitiveness. - Infrastructure
From environmental protection to socio-economic activity, effective and sound infrastructure provides the basis upon which sustainable development is premised in SIDS. It is also an important cross-cutting issue which remains crucial for SIDS and has significant potential towards effective PPPs in SIDS.
Forum report
Programme
Speakers
Speakers list unavailable
Presentations
Presentations unavailable
Session Notes
Session notes unavailable
Concept note
View the 2014 forum concept note
Info Package
Background
Held bi-annually since 2016, the 2022 Small Island Developing States Global Business Network (SIDS-GBN) Forum will be take place on 12 April on the margins of the being hosted by Palau.
Recognising the importance of the ocean for sustainable development in addition to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the upcoming forum will focus on ocean partnerships to enhance resilience in island nations.
Like other economic sectors globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread disruption in the ocean sector from declining economic activity including fisheries and tourism which SIDS are heavily reliant on. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, SIDS suffered an estimated 70% drop in travel receipts in 2020. The UN World Tourism Organisation estimates that it could take up to four years for international tourism, an essential source of jobs and livelihoods, to recover to levels observed in 2019.
Some tourism-dependent SIDS are expected to experience particularly . In Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Fiji, Maldives and Saint Lucia, GDP is expected to shrink by 16% or more, making the current crisis the worst in recorded history. For fisheries-dependent SIDS – such as Comoros, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Tuvalu – expected GDP drops range between 0.5% (Tuvalu) and 4.5% (Marshall Islands).
SIDS, many of which refer to themselves as ‘large ocean states’, are taking a bold stance on the sustainable ocean economy. They have developed blue economy strategies and become leaders on the international sustainable ocean agenda. SIDS have called on the international community to support their ambition for sustainable ocean economies.
Objective
The forum is expected to renew the call for private sector partnerships for ocean-based sectors, to unlock new, sustainable economic opportunities that can foster diversification and resilience in SIDS. The right investment, however small, has the potential to make meaningful impacts on the livelihood of many islanders. Strong private sectors in SIDS can foster economic activity in areas such as renewable energy, job creation, competitive exports, technology transfer, strengthened small and medium enterprises and improved standards of living.
The forum will focus on three ocean related themes:
- Blue Economy
- Renewable Energy
- Tourism
Programme
Venue
- Ngarachamayong Cultural Center, Koror, Palau.
Meeting Report
