UN Secretary-General Special Representative, ASG Luis Felipe Lopez-Calva,
USG and High Representative of UN-OHRLLs, Ms. Heidi Schroderus-Fox
President of the Caribbean Development Bank, Dr. Hyginus ‘Gene’ Leon, Director
Distinguished Ambassadors, Resident Coordinators, Heads and Representatives of UN entities,
ladies and Gentlemen
I have the honour, on behalf of the Government and People of Antigua and Barbuda to welcome
you to our beautiful Island. We hope that you will have time to do a bit of sightseeing and
experience the beauty of our land and peoples.
I am excited that as Chair of AOSIS that we can host this extremely important meeting at this
very critical time in the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway, and I must congratulate
Ambassador Webson, along with the Staff of our Permanent Mission to the UN and the AOSIS
Secretariat for the great job done in organizing this Meeting.
With just under two years to the realization of the SAMOA Pathway, our islands are still
lagging. So, our hope is that in this meeting we can really discuss and strategize on ways in
which as crucial SIDS stakeholders with day-to-day responsibility for SIDS we can complete
the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway with the remaining two years and look forward to
and begin our preparations for the fourth UN Conference for SIDS in a manner that would be
bolder and offer lasting solutions for SIDS.
As the possible host of the fourth UN SIDS Conference, I can assure you that the government
of Antigua and Barbuda will make sure that the next SIDS blueprint will continue the successes
for the previous three SIDS programme of actions, while also keeping in mind our
commitments under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable
Development Goals.
We only have two days for robust conversations and action, but I am confident that when we
leave here, we will continue our discussions and collaboration to make a difference in SIDS.
What I am saying is let us use this time not for rehashing the same usual rhetoric but let us
address the critical issues on our agenda for this meeting with the sole objective of ensuring
that SIDS will be better off tomorrow than they are today.
Excellencies, the multidimensional impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Climate Change
continues to exacerbate our already unique vulnerabilities to achieving sustainable
development. Our deep structural and natural challenges cannot withstand any more shocks
whether economic, social or environmental. Therefore, our discussions around the
Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, debt relief and resilience are key.
We must also discuss how to monitor and report on our efforts to accomplish the SAMOA
Pathway. How can we utilize the reports already being submitted to the UN system and other
international organizations to achieve our goal, as we know the SAMOA Pathway had no
measurable targets and indicators.
Excellencies, you are our main strategic partners, and we continue to count on you to help us
move forward, as well as to help us leverage the sort of support that would move us along in a
more sustainable and resilient path, Let the stories of Barbuda, Dominica, Bahamas, Fiji and
Tonga be the lessons that will move us all to act in the name of SIDS.
I wish you all the best with the discussions, and I look forward to hearing about concrete next
steps. Thank you again for making the effort during these very difficult times to journey to
Antigua and thanks also to those of you who could not attend in person but are participating
virtually. We are pleased that so many of you agree that this meeting is important.
Take some time and enjoy lovely Antigua and if you do have time, by all means visit beautiful Barbuda.
I Thank You.