AOSIS Leaders' Declaration 2021

Preamble

We, the Heads of State and Government of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), meeting virtually in New York on 22 September 2021, on the margins of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly,

Reaffirming that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) remain a special case for sustainable development, as we continue to face the combined challenges arising, in particular, from our geographical remoteness, the small scale of our economies, high costs and the adverse effects of climate change and natural disasters, increasing loss and damage from permanent and irreversible impacts of human-induced climate change, and remaining particularly concerned that SIDS have not achieved sustained high levels of economic growth, owing in part to their vulnerabilities to the ongoing negative impacts of environmental challenges and external economic and financial shocks, and the rules that govern development assistance,

Reiterating that climate change continues to pose the most serious threat to our very existence, territorial integrity, viability and survival, undermining our continued efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, and global efforts to protect planetary biodiversity and the future of our ocean,

Recognizing our stewardship of the seas and ocean surrounding us that define us, and reaffirming our strong conviction that our ocean is critical to our shared future and common humanity,

Noting with concern the severe disruption to societies and economies and the devastating impact on lives and livelihoods caused by global shocks such as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, acknowledging the disproportionate impacts on the sustainable development of SIDS, including the far-reaching and enduring consequences for poverty eradication, employment, tourism, economic growth and social welfare, and reaffirmingthat building resilience including through technology development, capacity-building and human resource development is critical to recovery, getting back on track to achieve the SDGs and avoid creating new risks,

Deeply concerned by the grave consequences posed by COVID-19 on public health and health systems in SIDS, emphasizing the importance of access to COVID-19 prevention, mitigation and treatment interventions, as well as access to essential, safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines and vaccines in SIDS, and recognizing safe, quality, efficacious, effective, accessible and affordable vaccines as a global public good for health in preventing, containing and stopping transmission in order to bring the pandemic to an end,

Welcoming the progress made by SIDS in the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the New Urban Agenda and the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and stressing the need to accelerate progress towards the full implementation of these frameworks and instruments,

Reaffirming that official development assistance, both technical and financial, can foster resilient societies and economies in SIDS, and calling upon the international community to mobilize additional development finance from all sources and at all levels to support SIDS’ efforts, and

Commemorating with appreciation the thirtieth anniversary of AOSIS in 2020, recognizing the accomplishments by AOSIS in international advocacy for SIDS, the need to strengthen the institutional framework to sustain advocacy, and commending the able leadership of the Chairs of AOSIS,

1. Climate Change - Note with deep concern the scientific findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that observed increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since around the Industrial Revolution were ‘unequivocally caused by human activities’ with fossil fuel combustion accounting for about 86% of contributions to anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions over the past 10 years;
2. Mindful that the global average temperature in 2020 is 1.2°C above preindustrial levels, note with grave concernthe wide emissions gap in meeting the 1.5°C goal, despite submissions of revised and new Nationally Determined Contributions, reiterate the need for enhanced commitments that are collectively aligned with the 1.5°C scenario and net zero global emissions by 2050, and stress the urgency of implementing these commitments;
3. Recall the international community’s agreement to pursue efforts to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C in the Paris Agreement, while further recalling that even with limiting warming to 1.5°C, SIDS will continue to incur severe loss and damage, and exceeding this will be catastrophic for SIDS that are already experiencing, inter alia, more intense and frequent tropical cyclones and droughts, increased heavy precipitation and floods, sea level rise, and ocean warming, deoxygenation and acidification, which will result in substantial loss and damage including loss of lives, health and wellbeing, livelihoods, and ways of life, loss and extinction of biodiversity and ecosystems, displacement of people, challenges in food and water security and severe economic consequences such as increased costs of insurance, recovery, and rehabilitation;
4. Emphasize that the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement is conditional on developing countries, particularly SIDS, receiving adequate and predictable support from the international community to adapt, and address the loss and damage caused by the adverse effects of climate change;
5. Note that at least USD 1.6 trillion were spent on fossil fuel subsidies over the 5-year period since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, remind the major emitters that the Paris Agreement, inclusive of its object and purpose, is binding and its obligations must be performed in good faith, and declare that the subsidizing of fossil fuels by major emitters, particularly the Group of 20 (G20), runs counter to their obligations and is contrary to the best available science;
6. Acknowledge further that fossil fuel subsidies amounted to over USD 471 billion in 2018, compared to USD 160 billion in renewable energy subsidies, illustrating an unfair competitive advantage provided to the fossil fuel industry, that creates artificial barriers to the growth of the renewable energy industry, and the locking in of carbon-intensive infrastructure, and the retention of the fossil fuel industry’s overwhelming share of the global energy sector, which runs counter to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, and SDG 7 (‘Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all’), and underline that the calculation and measurement of subsidies should include their environmental, fiscal and economic impacts;
7. Acknowledge that the inherent purpose of subsidies is to promote social good in the best interest of the public, but can lead to unintended consequences, call on the G20 to take into consideration environmental and social safeguards in their energy systems in order to have long-term and sustainable alignment to the Paris Agreement, and further encourage the promotion of meaningful participation of key stakeholders such as women, young people, indigenous peoples, local communities, persons with special needs and other vulnerable groups in the energy transition, and also in addressing the issue of access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy in SIDS in line with their national priorities and circumstances;
8. Note with grave concern that SIDS face high transaction costs for attaining renewable energy, and call on the international community, including regional and international development banks, bilateral donors support providers, the United Nations system and other relevant stakeholders to enhance and scale up adequate, sustainable and predictable support, including in the areas of capacity-building, technology transfer and financial assistance, including on preferential terms, for the development and implementation of national, regional and interregional policies, plans and strategies to address the special vulnerabilities of SIDS;
9. Urge the major emitters, particularly the G20, to phase out all fossil fuel subsidies by 2023 and accelerate actions towards transitioning to low GHG emission, climate-resilient economies, in line with Article 2(1)(c) of the Paris Agreement;
10. Endorse that renewable energy subsidies are a temporary measure for the mainstreaming of renewable energy into the energy mix and enabling the world’s just transition to a low emission, climate resilient economy, while recognizing that the gradual removal of subsidies will ensure minimal distortion to markets and economies;
11. Recognize the importance of exploring non-market approaches that can help citizens make informed decisions on their consumption patterns to contribute to a low-emission, climate-resilient global economy;
12. Take note with deep concern that funding for the root causes of climate change is exponentially greater than funding to the response to climate change, express with grave concern that the Financial Mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) only provided USD 2.5 billion in 2018 to developing countries, with SIDS receiving a minute share equal to roughly USD 245 million, further note with deep concern that the overall distribution of financial support between mitigation and adaptation to date is 80% and 20% respectively, with only 2% of the climate finance made available to SIDS, of which half were in the form of loans, and in this regard, emphasize that SIDS must receive scaled up, adequate, predictable and long-term support from the international community to adapt, and address the loss and damage caused by the adverse effects of climate change;
13. Urge all climate finance support providers and their respective governing bodies to collectively simplify and harmonize their procedures for efficient access to climate finance, in particular for SIDS, through: firstly, establishing by 2022 a forum of governing bodies to complete this work, for which we demand the inclusive and effective participation of our SIDS governments in the decision making processes as members of this forum in order to participate in the development and approval of procedures equally with the forum’s other members, and secondly, adopting the harmonized procedure by each respective governing body by 2023;
14. Reiterate the need for developed countries to deliver on the USD 100 billion goal through to 2025, which was originally promised for 2020, and encourage Parties to the Paris Agreement to consider the following features for the new collective quantified goal on finance:
15. Distinct sub-goals for specific thematic areas (with further disaggregated targets for SIDS): 1) adaptation; 2) mitigation; 3) loss and damage response; 4) just transition; 5) transparency; 6) readiness and enabling activities;
16. Distinct sub-goal for non-state actors through small grant facilities under the UNFCCC’s Financial Mechanism with a floor of USD 1 billion per year (with a further disaggregated target for SIDS). The facilities should enable them to participate in their respective country’s just transition and must use simplified, harmonized procedures that do not create artificial barriers to access; and
17. Requirements for information used for tracking progress towards the new collective quantified goal on finance is transparent and consistent, and linked to the Paris Agreement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework and its Implementation and Compliance Mechanism.
18. Note with grave concern that maritime shipping contributes significant GHG emissions and that its levels of ambition need to be aligned with a 1.5oC pathway, and call on all countries to take urgent action to address this challenge by supporting the aspiration for net zero emission shipping by 2050, and to consider, inter alia, market-based measures that will catalyze transformation in the shipping sector;
19. Sustainable Development - Renew our commitment to the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway, the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda as necessary to achieve sustainable development in all its dimensions, highlighting the synergies between the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement;
20. Reiterate our alarm that our ability to achieve sustainable development in line with the SAMOA Pathway and the 2030 Agenda is being compromised by the effects of human-induced climate change and will continue to be compromised if the international community fails to take ambitious climate action to limit global temperature rise to below 1.5oC above pre-industrial levels;
21. Note the varied progress across SIDS towards the SDGs targets, and taking into account the persistent and emerging challenges that SIDS face, call for enhancing capacity, sharing of knowledge, expertise and technology, and mobilization of financial resources to support the achievement of the SDGs in SIDS and to ensure that no one is left behind;
22. Welcome the progress on the development of a monitoring framework for the SAMOA Pathway spearheaded by the United Nations Secretariat and support the policy actions and programmes outlined therein to ensure the full implementation of the critical development areas highlighted in the SAMOA Pathway, placing specific and urgent emphasis on, inter alia, poverty eradication, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity and oceans and seas, debt reduction and sustainable economic growth, empowerment of women and girls, youth development, education and healthcare sectors, and in this regard continue to seek genuine and durable partnerships in the design, financing and execution of comprehensive capacity development plans as well as other programmes and projects;
23. Reiterate that an effective multilateral system based on international law, supported by strong international institutions with the United Nations at the center, is fundamental for achieving international peace and security and sustainable development;
24. Reiterate the need to provide enhanced support in developing national capacities for improved data collection and statistical analysis, including high-quality and disaggregated data, to enable SIDS to better plan, monitor and evaluate the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway, the 2030 Agenda and the Sendai Framework, with an emphasis on addressing the gap in data collection and analysis and the effective integration of the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainable development;
25. Recognize that those SIDS that are middle- and high-income countries face specific challenges to achieving sustainable development as, despite this income categorization, they are not homogenous, and SIDS continue to be extremely vulnerable to environmental and economic shocks, and are highly dependent on external markets;
26. Call for the immediate establishment of a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, and call upon development banks, international financial institutions, other multilateral development partners and other relevant stakeholders to review and revise the rules governing access for SIDS to concessional finance, recognizing the significant challenges that SIDS face in accessing sufficient affordable financing for sustainable development;
27. Agree to the establishment of a High-Level Political Advocacy Group, comprising of one Head of State or Government from each of the three SIDS regions and an eminent person endorsed by AOSIS, recognizing the need for High-Level advocacy of the proposed Multidimensional Vulnerability Index;
28. Express deep concern that the external debt stocks of SIDS continue to increase, while the ability of those States to self-insure against exogenous shocks continues to deteriorate;
29. Call upon development partners, as well as multilateral development banks and international financial institutions, to adopt more progressive approaches that provide expanded debt relief to SIDS, through the existing and new financial instruments, including through, inter alia, cancellation, suspensions, rescheduling and restructuring, debt swaps as well as other support measures;
30. Remain concerned with the process for graduating of SIDS from least developed country status, and call upon the international community, especially the Committee for Development Policy, to give due consideration to the unique and particular vulnerabilities of SIDS as it considers, together with their Governments, the progress of SIDS that have been, will be, or might be faced with the challenge of graduation from least developed country status;
31. Reaffirm the call by the United Nations General Assembly for the development of a targeted voluntary disaster fund, mechanism or financial instrument, coordinated with and complementary to existing mechanisms, to assist SIDS in managing disaster risk and building back better after disasters, recognizing the economic challenges, including unsustainable debt levels, arising in part from extreme weather events and slow-onset events;
32. Emphasize the urgent need for enhancing the capacity of SIDS for the prevention, detection and treatment of communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as improving capacity for global pandemic prevention, preparedness and response;
33. Welcome the Initiative co-convened by the Prime Ministers of Jamaica and Canada and the United Nations Secretary-General on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond to enable global discussions on concrete financing solutions to the COVID-19 health and development emergency, and call upon the international community to enhance dialogue and cooperation to provide targeted solutions to SIDS to ensure sustainable, resilient and inclusive recovery in the context of financing for development;
34. Underscore that attention should be focused on the specific trade and development related needs and concerns of SIDS to enable them to integrate fully into the multilateral trading system in accordance with the Doha mandate on small economies;
35. Further recognize that international trade is important for building resilience and the sustainable development of SIDS, and therefore call upon the international institutions, including financial institutions, to pay appropriate attention to the particular needs and priorities of SIDS;
36. Call on the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to continue to provide support towards building the productive capacities of SIDS and to prioritize actions that will support their recovery from the trade and development challenges caused by the pandemic and climate change in order for them to become more resilient and attain the SDGs;
37. Look forward to the fifteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, to be hosted by Barbados from 3 to 8 October 2021, to pursue agreement on, inter alia, trade and development policies that build productive capacities that can transform the economies of SIDS, and advance progress on the SAMOA Pathway and the 2030 Agenda, and therefore request Ministers of the SIDS Group to advance the interests of SIDS at the session;
38. Call for the continued strengthening of South-South and triangular cooperation, including manifestations of solidarity among the countries of the South, in order to implement the 2030 Agenda and the SAMOA Pathway and to achieve the overall objective of eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its adverse impacts;
39. Recognize the need to mobilize adequate resources from all sources, including public, private, domestic and international, for enhancing South-South and triangular cooperation, commend developed countries for their support to South-South cooperation and engagement in triangular cooperation and encourage them to further scale it up;
40. Firmly reject the imposition of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries, as stated in the 2030 Agenda, as such actions are inconsistent with the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and international law, and therefore call upon the international community to adopt urgent and effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral coercive economic measures;
41. Underscore the value of genuine and durable partnerships as a means of supporting the sustainable development of SIDS, which are monitored by the SIDS Partnership Framework, and welcome the establishment of a SIDS Partnership Award;
42. The Ocean - Stress the urgent need to conclude negotiations and adopt the international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, considering the abundance, diversity and value of marine genetic resources in SIDS, and the need to preserve and respect the common heritage of mankind in the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean;
43. Call for the future international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction to give recognition to the special circumstances of SIDS Parties that are due to, inter alia, their unique characteristics and particular exposure to and dependence upon the ocean and its biodiversity;
44. Affirm that there is no obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to keep baselines and outer limits of maritime zones under review nor to update charts or lists of geographical coordinates once deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and that such maritime zones and the rights and entitlements that flow from them shall continue to apply without reduction, notwithstanding any physical changes connected to climate change-related sea-level rise;
45. Call for the development of a new legally binding global agreement on plastic pollution, committing to starting intergovernmental negotiations of a legally binding global agreement to combat plastic pollution, recognizing the high and rapidly increasing levels of plastic pollution and the impacts this has on the environment as well as on livelihoods, health, economies and well-being;
46. Stress that the issue of marine plastic pollution for SIDS is linked closely to the unsustainable and inadequate management of plastic waste, and underscore that solutions to address marine plastic pollution, including a new legally binding global agreement, must highlight, inter alia, the urgency of marine plastic waste management and related remediation and measures that address excessive use of plastics and environmentally unsound management and disposal of plastic waste, such as through enabling greater transparency in production of plastics;
47. Acknowledge the social, economic and environmental value of ocean-based economies for advancing sustainable development, and call for enhanced support to SIDS in addressing their constraints in capacity and access to technology, including through strengthening science, technology and innovation infrastructure, domestic innovation capabilities, absorptive capacities and the capacity of national statistical systems, recognizing the important complementary role of traditional knowledge, held by indigenous peoples and local communities;
48. Conclusion - Endorse the commencement of efforts by the Chair of AOSIS to establish a permanent office, create an institutional structure for a secretariat, and secure sustainable financing for the long-term operation of the Alliance;
49. Reaffirm the Barbados Programme of Action, the Mauritius Strategy of Implementation and the SAMOA Pathway, recognize the importance of coordinated, balanced and integrated actions to address the sustainable development challenges facing our small states, and call for the convening of a fourth United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States in 2024; and
50. Express our appreciation to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda for hosting the AOSIS Leaders Meeting.