Statement of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See at the 2026 HLPF Discussion on Small Island Developing States: Strategies for SDG Success

By Msgr. Marco FormicaChargé d'Affaires, a.i. of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations

New York, 9 July 2026

Mr. President,

My Delegation welcomes this debate on Strategies for SDG success in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which are recognised as “a special case for sustainable development in view of their unique vulnerabilities.”[1]

The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) provides an important framework for addressing the interconnected economic, social and environmental challenges that these countries face. However, accelerating progress on the SDGs in SIDS requires more than a strong framework; development efforts must also remain firmly centred on the God-given dignity of the human person and the promotion of integral human development.

It is important to underscore that conventional economic indicators do not fully capture the realities faced by SIDS. These indicators do not adequately reflect SIDS’ unique and often hidden vulnerabilities. This is of particular importance when it comes to SIDS accessing the means of implementation required to achieve the SDGs.

In his recent Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV calls on the international community to move beyond development metrics tied to gross domestic product (GDP), which “almost systematically neglect aspects essential to the overall wellbeing of people and the environment.”[2]Instead, it is necessary to implement “a comprehensive and timely assessment of how legislative and regulatory decisions impact the dignity of work, shared prosperity, inequality reduction and environmental protection.”[3]

This vision is especially relevant for SIDS, whose exposure to climate-related disasters, environmental degradation, and external economic shocks repeatedly unmask deep structure vulnerabilities that GDP-metrics fail to capture. My Delegation therefore takes note of the work of the High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP and looks forward to the intergovernmental process on measures of progress on sustainable development that complement or go beyond GDP.

Mr. President,

The Holy See recognises that the path to resilient and lasting prosperity for SIDS, within the 2030 Agenda and beyond, lies in the international community’s willingness to adopt a genuinely integral human development rather than simply economic statistics.

Thank you.

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[1] Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), 2.

[2] Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, 159.

[3] Ibid.