“Small Island Developing States (SIDS) remain a special case for sustainable development. We recognize the ownership and leadership of SIDS in overcoming some of these challenges, but stress that, in the absense of international cooperation, success will remain difficult. ”
Preamble of the Samoa Pathway
UNESCO has been among the pioneers in the UN system supporting SIDS in their efforts to achieve sustainable development and carrying their challenges to the forefront of the global agenda.
In 2008, to ensure that UNESCO’s unique multi-disciplinary expertise – in science, culture, climate change, education, biodiversity resource preservation, knowledge management and information for decision-making – are productively used in addressing the multiplicity of challenges facing SIDS, a UNESCO intersectoral platform has been established. The SIDS platform mobilizes UNESCO’s house-wide contribution for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) through an integrated approach to sustainable island living and development, emphasizing interregional linkages and cooperation, reflecting the priority status assigned to SIDS in UNESCO’s current strategy.
Assisting SIDS in the implementation of the 1994 Barbados Programme of Action, the 2005 Mauritius Strategy and the SAMOA Pathway has been a priority for the Organization. As a follow-up to the Organization’s commitment to implement the outcomes of the Third International Conference on SIDS in Samoa, UNESCO has developed, in consultation with its SIDS Member States, a long-term SIDS Action Plan (2016-2021), unanimously adopted by its Member States during the Organization’s Executive Board in April 2016. The Action Plan benefits from an intersectoral engagement across all of UNESCO’s programmes, and its implementation mobilizes networks of sites and a wide range of partners and stakeholders in SIDS and other countries worldwide, including inter-regional, interinstitutional and inter-agency collaboration.
Go to: SIDS list | Action Plan | Resolutions | Publications | Homepage
"Small islands are really vast ocean states whose land area is only a part of their territory and whose experience is vital for all the inhabitants of our blue planet."
—Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO (2009-2017)
"We have heard much about the special vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States and the particular challenges that they face. At the same time, there is also need to stress the very special positive characteristics and strengths of small island nations and communities: their extraordinary capacity for adaptation and innovation; their proven determination and capability to overcome many adversities; their role as one of the world’s front-line zones for addressing the challenges of sustainable development and sustainable living; and the recognized importance of maintaining solidarity among themselves while treasuring their diversity."
—Koïchiro Matsuura, former Director-General of UNESCO (1999 - 2009)
List of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
UNESCO SIDS Member States
1. Antigua and Barbuda 2. Bahamas 3. Barbados 4. Belize 5. Cabo Verde 6. Comoros* 7. Cook Islands 8. Cuba 9. Dominica 10. Dominican Republic 11. Fiji 12. Grenada 13. Guinea-Bissau* |
14. Guyana 15. Haiti* 16. Jamaica 17. Kiribati* 18. Maldives 19. Marshall Islands 20. Mauritius 21. Micronesia (Federated States of) 22. Nauru 23. Niue 24. Palau 25. Papua New Guinea 26. Saint Kitts and Nevis |
27. Saint Lucia 28. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 29. Samoa 30. Sao Tome and Principe* 31. Singapore 32. Seychelles 33. Solomon Islands* 34. Suriname 35. Timor-Leste* 36. Tonga 37. Trinidad and Tobago 38. Tuvalu* 39. Vanuatu* |
UNESCO SIDS Associate Members
1. Anguilla 2. Aruba 3. British Virgin Islands |
4. Cayman Islands 5. Curaçao 6. Montserrat |
7. New Caledonia 8. Sint Maarten 9. Tokelau |
* Also Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
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Small Island Developing States - UNESCO's Action Plan
Small Island Developing States - UNESCO's Action Plan (2016-2021)
English | Français (pdf)
The UNESCO SIDS Action Plan, adopted in 2016, embraces the "Samoa Pathway" and integrates its priorities across all the Organization's programmes. This Action Plan covers all areas of UNESCO's mandate in education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information. These areas contribute to the implementation of the articles of the Samoa Pathway on:
- Education
- Capacity Building
- Technology
- Water and Sanitation
- Biodiversity
- Climate Change
- Sustainable Energy
- Disaster Risk Reduction
- Oceans and Seas
- Promoting Peaceful Societies and Safe Communities
- Culture and Sport
- Sustainable Tourism
- Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
- Partnerships
- Data and Statistics
Go to: SIDS list | Action Plan | Resolutions | Publications | Homepage | Top
Resolutions on SIDS
Resolutions adopted by the UNESCO General Conference
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Reinforcing UNESCO’s strategy on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) (37 C/Resolution V, Nov 2013)
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UNESCO and Global Action on Climate Change (35 C/Resolution 33, Oct. 2009)
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Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS: further implementation (33 C/Resolution 3, Oct. 2005)
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Sustainable Development of SIDS: further implementation and review of the Barbados Plan of Action (32 C/Resolution 48, Oct. 2003)
Decisions adopted by the UNESCO Executive Board
Decisions on SIDS
- Mid-term evaluation of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Action Plan (206 EX/13, Feb, 2019)
- Mid-term evaluation of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Action Plan: draft amendment (206 EX/PX/DR.13.1, April, 2019)
- Decisions adopted by the Executive Board at its 201st session (which requested the evaluation of the SIDS Action Plan) (201 EX/DECISIONS, June 2017)
- Data for Small Island Developing States from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) database (200 EX/5.INF, August, 2016)
- Finalized Small Island Developing States (SIDS) action plan and implementation strategy (199 EX/5.INF REV.+ CORR, April, 2016)
- Activities benefitting SIDS within the Organization's Programme (2014-2017) and Budget (38 C/5), including an analysis of additional resource requirements (197 EX/5.INF, Sept, 2015)
- UNESCO's contribution to the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS (185 EX/Decision 41, Nov, 2010)
- Explanatory note (185 EX/Decision 41, Nov, 2010)
Other decisions mentioning SIDS
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Preliminary Proposals by the Director-General concerning the Draft Programme and Budget for 2012-2013 (185 EX/Decision 17, Nov. 2010)
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Impacts of the current financial and economic crisis on the developing countries and their efforts to achieve the education for all (EFA) goals (184 EX/Decision 10, May 2010)
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Report by the Director-General on a detailed plan of action for the UNESCO Strategy for Action on Climate Change (181 EX/Decisions 15, May 2009)
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Consideration of the Draft Programme and Budget for 2010-2011 and recommendations of the Executive Board (181 EX/Decisions 18, May 2009)
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Preliminary proposals by the Director-General concerning the Draft Programme and Budget for 2010-2011 (180 EX/Decision 21, Nov. 2008)
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Report by the Director-General on the implementation of the Participation Programme and emergency assistance (177 EX/Decision 56, Nov. 2007)
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Preliminary proposals by the Director-General concerning the Draft Medium-Term Strategy for 2008-2013 and the Draft Programme and Budget for 2008-2009 (175 EX/Decision 21.34, November 2006)
UNESCO reports
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Report on UNESCO's Contribution to the Mauritius Strategy 2008-2009 (September 2010)
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Summary report on the UNESCO Future Forum on Small Island Developing States, with a special emphasis on the Caribbean (September 2010)
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Report on the World Heritage Programme for Small Island Developing States (May 2009)
World Heritage Committee meeting reports and draft decisions
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Progress report on the creation of the Pacific World Heritage Fund (June 2009)
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Report on the World Heritage Programme for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) (June 2009)
UN General Assembly Resolutions
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Resolution on SIDS adopted by the UN General Assembly at its Sixty-fifth session (January 2011)
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Resolution on SIDS adopted by the UN General Assembly at its Sixtieth session (2 March 2006)
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Resolution on SIDS adopted by the UN General Assembly at its Fifty-ninth session (5 August 2005)
Go to: SIDS list | Action Plan | Resolutions | Publications | Homepage | Top
Pacific Heritage Workshop, Palau
Publ: 2018
#UNESCO4thePacific, Biennial Report 2016-17
Publ: 2018
Annual report 2016: UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean
Publ: 2017
Towards climate change resilience: minimizing loss and damage in Pacific SIDS communities
Publ: 2017
Towards climate change resilience: minimizing loss and damage in Pacific SIDS communities; Fiji
Publ: 2017
Towards climate change resilience: minimizing loss and damage in Pacific SIDS communities; Samoa
Publ: 2017
UNESCO Timor-Leste Newsletter, March 2013
Publ: 2013
World Heritage: Benefits Beyond Borders
Publ: 2012
World heritage and indigeneity
Publ: 2012
Weathering Uncertainty: Traditional knowledge for climate change assessment and adaptation
Publ: 2012
Next Steps in Managing Teacher Migration
Publ: 2012
UNESCO in the Pacific (Brochure)
Publ: 2011
Local knowledge of Timor Leste
Publ: 2011
UNESCO Timor Leste newsletter, June 2011
Publ: 2011
UNESCO Timor Leste newsletter, April 2011
Publ: 2011
Voices: UNESCO in the Asia-Pacific
Publ: 2011
Intangible cultural heritage in the Pacific
Publ: 2011
EDUCAIDS country snapshots: Guinea Bissau
Publ: 2011
Community media: a good practice handbook
Publ: 2011
Underwater cultural heritage in Oceania
Publ: 2010
The UNESCO Courier: Rebirth for Haiti
Publ: 2010
Education for All: Solomon Islands
Publ: 2010
The Jarawa Tribal Reserve dossier: cultural and biological diversities in the Andaman Islands
Publ: 2010
Publ: 2009
CCBP: Caribbean Capacity Building Programme for world heritage, module 3: Risk preparedness
Publ: 2009
Assessment of media development in the Maldives: based on UNESCO's media development indicators
Publ: 2009
Groundwater exploitation in small islands by horizontal drains: a contribution to GRAPHIC
Publ: 2009
EDUCAIDS country snapshot: Guinea-Bissau
Publ: 2008
Cultural Landscapes of the Pacific Islands
Publ: 2008
The UNESCO courier: Media matters
Publ: 2007
Status of coral reefs in tsunami affected countries
Publ: 2006 (BILLEDE SKAL AENDRES)
The UNESCO Courier: Learning in child's play
Publ: 2006
Breaking down barriers, building bridges: Coastal Regions and Small Islands (CSI) Platform
Publ: 2006
Pacific Workshop on Inclusive Education on getting all Children into school and Helping them Learn
Publ: 2006
Caribbean wooden treasures; proceedings
Publ: 2005
The new Courier: Small Islands, Big Issues
Publ: 2004
Small Islands Voice: the word on the street
Publ: 2004
Publ: 2004
Small Islands Voice: laying the foundation
Publ: 2003
Publ: 2003
The Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Publ: 1999
Coastal region and small island papers: Caribbean coral reef, seagrass and mangrove sites
Publ: 1998
Pacific Heritage Workshop, Palau
Publ: 2018
#UNESCO4thePacific, Biennial Report 2016-17
Publ: 2018
Annual report 2016: UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean
Publ: 2017
Regional Experts' Meeting on Literacy and Adult Education in Latin America and the Caribbean
Publ: 2016
Workshop on Revitalization of Indigenous Architecture and Traditional Building Skills, Apia
Publ: 2015
Annual Report 2015: UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean
Publ: 2015
Assessment of media development in Timor-Leste based on UNESCO's media development indicators
Publ: 2011
Asia and the Pacific Education for All (EFA) mid-decade assessment: South Asia, synthesis report
Publ: 2009
Assessment of the pre- and in-service teacher training on health and family life education in Guyana
Publ: 2009
British Virgin Islands: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Cape Verde: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Cuba: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Fiji: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Guyana: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Haiti: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Jamaica: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Kiribati: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Maldives: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Papau New Guinea: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Saint Lucia: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Singapore: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Solomon Islands: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
Report on activities, 2002-2003: Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean
Publ: 2004
Solomon Islands: early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes
Country profile prepared for the Education for all global monitoring report 2007.
Publ: 2006
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