Tumasie Blair is at a pre-SIDS4 meeting in Thailand.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Tumasie Blair

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Antigua and Barbuda is gearing up to host the SIDS4 Conference from May 27-30, which is drawing attention to the current and potential challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

In an effort to address these challenges, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the UK Government, and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific recently hosted a two-day workshop in Bankok, Thailand.

Over 60 participants representing more than 30 countries, including SIDS, development partners, stakeholders, and regional bodies, came together to discuss ways in which development partners can improve their work in SIDS, delivering sustainable, impactful, and contextualised capacity strengthening support.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Tumasie Blair, was also in attendance and noted the workshop’s productive and fruitful nature.

Blair was the featured speaker at the opening session and informed attendees about the preparations for SIDS4 and the expected outcomes of the conference.

He emphasized that SIDS4 must be viewed as a reset and rethinking of the relationship between SIDS and the international community.

The conference’s 10-year framework should focus more on action than promises, according to Blair.