UNESCO and Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

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.

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List of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

* 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)
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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

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Resolutions on SIDS

Resolutions adopted by the UNESCO General Conference

• Reinforcing UNESCO’s strategy on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) (37 C/Resolution V, Nov 2013)

• UNESCO and Global Action on Climate Change (35 C/Resolution 33, Oct. 2009) 

• Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS: further implementation (33 C/Resolution 3, Oct. 2005) 

• 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

• Preliminary Proposals by the Director-General concerning the Draft Programme and Budget for 2012-2013 (185 EX/Decision 17, Nov. 2010)

• 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)

• 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)

• Consideration of the Draft Programme and Budget for 2010-2011 and recommendations of the Executive Board (181 EX/Decisions 18, May 2009)

• Preliminary proposals by the Director-General concerning the Draft Programme and Budget for 2010-2011 (180 EX/Decision 21, Nov. 2008)

• Report by the Director-General on the implementation of the Participation Programme and emergency assistance (177 EX/Decision 56, Nov. 2007)

• 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

• Report on UNESCO's Contribution to the Mauritius Strategy 2008-2009 (September 2010)

• Summary report on the UNESCO Future Forum on Small Island Developing States, with a special emphasis on the Caribbean (September 2010)

• Report on the World Heritage Programme for Small Island Developing States (May 2009)

World Heritage Committee meeting reports and draft decisions

• Progress report on the creation of the Pacific World Heritage Fund (June 2009)

• Report on the World Heritage Programme for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) (June 2009)

UN General Assembly Resolutions

• Resolution on SIDS adopted by the UN General Assembly at its Sixty-fifth session (January 2011)

• Resolution on SIDS adopted by the UN General Assembly at its Sixtieth session (2 March 2006)

• 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 

Go to: SIDS list | Action Plan | Resolutions | Publications | Homepage | Top