Antigua and Barbuda has joined the Maldives and the United Nations in launching a new international platform aimed at attracting investment and supporting sustainable economic development across Small Island Developing States.

The Island Investment Forum was officially launched this week in Malé, Maldives, as a flagship pillar of the SIDS Centre of Excellence.

The initiative is a partnership involving the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and the Maldives, along with the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

The launch formed part of the 2026 SIDS Global Business Network Forum, which brought together more than 200 participants from over 30 countries for three days of discussions, investment showcases, networking and partnership-building.

Participants included government representatives, investors, small and medium-sized enterprises, business associations, development partners, civil society groups, academics and researchers.

The forum was held under the theme, “Innovative and Inclusive Partnerships for a Sustainable and Resilient Future.”

It provided an opportunity to examine the challenges and opportunities facing small island states in areas including trade, investment, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, tourism, renewable energy, innovative financing and sustainable economic transformation.

The Island Investment Forum is intended to connect governments and investment-ready projects with investors, businesses, financial institutions and development partners.

Its launch represents another step towards implementing the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, the 10-year development framework adopted by Small Island Developing States.

Antigua and Barbuda has played a central role in developing mechanisms to support the agenda’s implementation, including the establishment of the SIDS Centre of Excellence.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Walton Webson, said the new forum could help turn international commitments into practical development results for island nations.

Ambassador Walton Webson, Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations

“The launch of the Island Investment Forum represents an important step in translating the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS from ambition into action,” Webson said.

“The Forum provides a practical platform for SIDS to connect investment-ready opportunities with investors, businesses and development partners, while strengthening the partnerships needed to build resilient and sustainable island economies.”

Webson said Antigua and Barbuda welcomed the establishment of the mechanism through the SIDS Centre of Excellence and looked forward to continuing its work with international partners.

“We are pleased to see this mechanism established through the SIDS Centre of Excellence and look forward to working with partners to ensure that the momentum generated here in the Maldives leads to tangible investment and development outcomes for SIDS,” he added.

The ambassador stressed that the launch should be viewed as the beginning of a longer-term process of engagement, investment facilitation and partnership-building.

The programme in the Maldives featured high-level panel discussions, an MSME marketplace, investment presentations, networking sessions and direct engagement between governments and businesses.

Organisers said the SIDS Centre of Excellence will continue working with governments, businesses, investors and development partners to develop the Island Investment Forum as a practical investment mechanism for small island states.

Established under the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, the Centre of Excellence has four main pillars: the SIDS Global Data Hub, the Innovation and Technology Mechanism, the Island Investment Forum and the Debt Sustainability Support Service.