Co-chairs of the Steering Committee on Partnerships for SIDS Announce Winners of the 2024 SIDS Partnerships Awards
St. John’s, Angitua and Barbuda - The co-chairs of the Steering Committee on partnerships for SIDS, H.E. Ms. IIana Seid, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Palau to the United Nations and H.E. Mr. Fergal Mythen, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations, are pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Partnerships Awards, on the occasion of the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4).
The SIDS Partnerships Awards have been established to recognize and reward the most noteworthy, genuine and durable partnerships in the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway. The Awards recognize those who have made significant contributions to the sustainable development of SIDS through innovative and impactful partnerships.
The 2024 SIDS Partnerships Awards winners are:
- Economic category: UAE Pacific Partnership Fund and UAE Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (Nominated by: Abu Dhabi Fund for Development)
- Environmental category: Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) (Nominated by: The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) Secretariat)
- Social category: Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity (Nominated by: UNESCO)
The winners were selected based on the SMART Criteria, which ensure that the partnerships are SIDS-specific, measurable and monitorable, achievable and accountable, resource-based and results-focused, and have clear timelines for implementation and transparency by all parties.
The official Awards ceremony will take place during the annual Global Multi-Stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue, scheduled for 10 July 2024 in the margins of the 2024 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
About the Winning Partnerships
Economic Category
In line with the UAE’s commitment to the environment and sustainable development, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has provided funding for the UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund and the UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund. These initiatives aim to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, enhance energy security, and mitigate the impacts of climate change in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. ADFD has mobilized US$100 million and established a cooperative model involving three UAE entities, one university, and 26 governments in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This collaboration is dedicated to developing solar, wind, and other renewable projects, improving access to energy, and promoting economic development in SIDS. Additionally, the projects supported by these funds stimulate local economies, nurture innovation, create jobs, empower women, and support climate resilience.
Environmental Category
The Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) initiative, spearheaded by The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) Secretariat, supports all SIDS to enhance the resilience of infrastructure to climate change and disasters, strengthen knowledge and partnerships of integrating resilience of infrastructure, and promotes gender equality and disability inclusion through resilient SIDS infrastructure. The partnership mobilized 35 million USD from Australia, India, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, which underpins core priorities such as financing a risk-informed and inclusive pipeline of infrastructure projects, facilitating the uptake of tangible and locally relevant solutions for infrastructure resilience, and promoting locally available technical expertise and know-how.
Social Category
Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, is a partnership that leverages cultural exchange and creative industries to foster integration and sustainable development in the Caribbean region. It targets young professionals in the cultural and creative sector, between the ages of 18 and 35 from 17 SIDS in the Caribbean region. With a support of 15 million EUR (16.5 million US dollars) provided by the European Union (EU), this is the most significant EU investment in culture in the region and the largest UNESCO programme in Latin America and the Caribbean, implemented in 3 languages. The initiative focuses on providing opportunities for cultural professionals and creatives through training, support to entrepreneurship, networking, and mobility programs, which help strengthen the cultural sector's capacity while boosting regional integration.