St. John’s, Antigua, 27 – 30 May 2024

Mr. Chair,

The Holy See would like to express its gratitude to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda for organizing and hosting the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) and to its people for the warm welcome.

This Conference is an opportunity to recognize the profound vulnerabilities and complex challenges that small island developing states (SIDS) face. The adoption of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS is a momentous step towards renewed commitment and action by the international community. The Holy See would like to reaffirm its solidarity with SIDS as we mark a significant milestone on their path towards a more sustainable, equitable and secure future.

This week-long discussion also serves as a reminder of the escalating threats facing these islands. For many SIDS, economic, social, and environmental development is largely dependent on natural resources. It is becoming increasingly clear that rising sea, extreme weather events which are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of climate change, coastal erosion and biodiversity loss not only pose serious obstacles to SIDS’ development, but also amount to an existential threat, endangering the very existence of these irreplaceable island nations.

This unique combination of compounding vulnerabilities presents a challenge both for the SIDS and for the way in which sustainable development is measured and captured. In this regard, the Holy See welcomes the steps taken so far in establishing a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) and looks forward to its timely implementation as a means of strengthening action on the path towards a sustainable future for all.

Mr. Chair,

The pursuit of sustainable development is essential to the future prosperity of all SIDS. As we embark on a new programme of action for SIDS, facilitating the process of implementation is paramount. The Holy See holds that a bold approach to debt is an indispensable part of such support.

The escalating debt burden faced by SIDS is becoming more and more unsustainable. Debt obligations compel SIDS to make untenable choices between servicing mounting interest payments or allocating resources to invest in health, education, social protection systems and infrastructure. Moreover, debt perpetuates a cycle of dependency that hampers SIDS’ ability to address pressing issues such as poverty eradication and climate change.

Debt relief or better more debt cancellation can give these Countries the fiscal space they require to invest in transformative programmes that meet the needs of their people. By alleviating the burden of debt SIDS can regain the freedom to pursue sustainable development pathways that uphold the dignity of all persons.

However, debt cancellation is not just a matter of economic or development policy, but a moral imperative rooted in the principles of justice and solidarity. Therefore, my Delegation echoes Pope Francis’s appeal to wealthy nations to “acknowledge the gravity of so many of their past decisions and determine to forgive the debts of countries that will never be able to repay them.”[1] As we usher in a new era for the development of SIDS, we urge developed States to rise to the challenge and consider debt cancellation as an enabler of ‘resilient prosperity.’

Mr. Chair,

The discussions at this Conference made it abundantly clear that the challenges facing SIDS are immense and multifaceted. However, in the midst of these challenges lie opportunities for bold action and radical solidarity. Now is the time to renew the sense of urgency and turn words into action and build a future where SIDS not only survive, but thrive.

Thank you.

[1] Pope Francis, Spes Non Confundit, 16.