Statement by the Republic of Maldives
on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States
at the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
19 July 2016
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,
1. I have the honour to deliver these remarks on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).
2. We take the floor today to honour one of our own: Samoa. The first Small Island Developing State to present a national review at the HLPF. We commend Samoa for taking the lead and through their review, shedding light on the many implementation challenges that SIDS like Samoa face in the realisation of the 2030 Agenda and the SAMOA Pathway.
3. We note the considerable effort that has gone into “localizing” the SDGs in their national development plan, and the efforts undertaken to strengthen the institutional mechanism to coordinate the work. Listening to other countries, this seems to be emerging as best practices.
4. The challenges with regard to statistical capacity in SIDS, have been recognized and Samoa is no exception. As with the MDGs, the indicators would have to be “localized” in accordance with national prioritization of goals, as focusing on all goals, at the same level, may not be possible with the limited human and institutional capacity.
5. SIDS have been highlighting the need for coherence and complementarity between the 2030 Agenda and the SAMOA Pathway. Indeed, realizing the 2030 Agenda for SIDS is to realize the SAMOA Pathway. There are other frameworks that are important in the context of SIDS as well: for example the Paris Agreement under the UNFCCC, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. It would be interesting to know how Samoa in ensuring coherence between these frameworks, in the initial planning and implementation process, so that other SIDS may also consider these approaches?
