E.P Chet Greene makes compelling case for SIDS at UK meeting

Foreign Affairs Minister E.P Chet Greene has made another strong and compelling case for small and vulnerable states across the globe affected by climate change and other external economic shocks.

Greene told a meeting of Small Island Developing States in the United Kingdom that these countries must be given a fair chance to survive.

“Limited natural capital makes us over-dependent on imports, especially of food and energy, and our heavy reliance on a single economic sector – usually tourism – makes us especially prone to supply chain disruptions and other external shocks,” Minister Greene told the conference.   Surely, we cannot fight these battles alone. We do not cause nor contribute to global shocks or the climate crisis in any meaningful way” Minister Greene stated.

Greene made what has been described as a strong case for additional and targeted support for small states. 

“You see friends of SIDS, our vision for SIDS4 is targeted. It calls for scaling up of activities and ensuring the necessary financial resources and commitments are made,” Minister Greene appealed. 

The Foreign Affairs Minister was accompanied at the conference by Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Walton Webson, and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mr. Tumasie Blair. 

According to a press statement, the meeting was convened by Wilton Park, which is an executive agency of the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office of the United Kingdom.

It said that “as part of its mission, Wilton Park seeks to bring together experts, policymakers and decision takers to solve complex global issues, such as what is being faced by Antigua and Barbuda and other small island states”.

Countries like Antigua and Barbuda and other developing nations are said to be limited by geographical and socioeconomic characteristics to respond to the impact and consequences of climate change

Meanwhile, a statement released to the media Thursday confirmed that in 2024, Antigua and Barbuda will play host to the 4th SIDS Conference, a global initiative that will re-sharpen the focus on the unique vulnerabilities of small states and invigorate the drive to devise the necessary solutions geared at ensuring their survival and continued sustainable development. 

“It is for this very reason that the UK meeting was crucial in attracting and building support for what will be a major undertaking for Antigua and Barbuda as host country”, the statement added.

In the long term, Minister Greene, expects SIDS4 will be “a conference of change, a conference that will produce strong deliverables for SIDS.”