Ambassador Webson calls for urgent action on the ABAS in crucial year for SIDS

Antigua and Barbuda is showing strong leadership in navigating the current and emerging challenges for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and is urging for collective action in accelerating the pace of implementation of the ABAS.

The ABAS, the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, was the ground-breaking framework document that emerged from the country’s hosting of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States last year. It was adopted by the United Nations last August and since that time considerable work has been done in executing its goals.

But Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Walton Webson wants the pace quickened, a sentiment that resonated with his colleagues who gathered on Friday for an Ambassadorial Retreat, convened by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA).

Ambassador Webson delivered a detailed presentation that reminded of the key goals of the ABAS and the crucial importance of maintaining course in the midst of the current global environment that is exposing the unique vulnerabilities of SIDS.

Ambassador Webson’s presentation sparked a robust exchange of ideas that underscore the urgency in addressing the grave issues facing SIDS while charting the way forward over the next few months.

He stressed the crucial importance of adhering to the monitoring and evaluation mechanism that has been integrated into the ABAS in keeping track on the progress of implementation across all priority areas.

He was pleased to report that there was marked progress in the establishment of the Centre of Excellence, the Data Hub and the Debt Sustainability Support Services Initiative as cornerstone pillars that were built from the work of SIDS4.

The DESA initiative was hailed as a truly productive dialogue in seeking to inform and inspire the necessary action on the various priorities of the ABAS as the demand to build a more resilient and sustainable future for SIDS is becoming increasingly urgent.