SIDS Centre of Excellence Officially Opens in Antigua and Barbuda, Establishing Governance for a SIDS-Led Development Agenda

The SIDS Centre of Excellence is now officially open, fulfilling one of the most important commitments of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) to turn shared priorities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) around the globe into transformative solutions.

The Centre officially opened during a ceremony on Thursday 22nd November at St. James’s Club & Villas in Mamora Bay, Antigua and Barbuda, after an inaugural Board meeting that formally advanced the institution’s governance arrangements.

The Centre is a pivotal outcome of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States, held in Antigua and Barbuda in 2024, which produced the 10-year framework document, the ABAS.

The Centre is designed to help Small Island Developing States access data, mobilise investment, pursue innovative solutions and strengthen development partnerships. Its approach reflects the principle of “transformation by SIDS, for SIDS”, placing SIDS at the centre of identifying priorities and shaping solutions that respond to their circumstances.

The ceremony featured remarks from His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Walton Aubrey Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations and Interim Director of the SIDS Centre of Excellence; Her Excellency Ambassador Ilana Seid, Permanent Representative of Palau to the United Nations and Chair of the Centre’s Board; Mr. Simon Springett, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean; and the Honourable E. P. Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration of Antigua and Barbuda.

Ambassador Webson emphasised that the Centre is intended to support the global SIDS community in achieving the commitments set out in 2024 under the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, with resilient prosperity serving as the overarching goal for the 2024–2034 period. He also highlighted the Centre’s role in providing reliable information and tracking development progress, enabling SIDS to assess their achievements and measure ABAS implementation throughout the decade.

Ambassador Seid highlighted the Centre’s four pillars as an integrated framework to address the longstanding structural barriers to development in SIDS. She stressed that the priority must now shift from establishing the institution to delivering tangible results, calling on development partners to invest in its long-term success and support a shared commitment to transforming the development prospects of SIDS.

Mr. Springett reaffirmed the United Nations’ support for the SIDS Centre of Excellence, recognising it as a practical mechanism for advancing the ABAS and accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

In his keynote address, Minister Greene reinforced the urgency of translating global commitments into tangible benefits for island communities. His remarks reflected Antigua and Barbuda’s continued engagement in advancing the SIDS agenda and the importance of sustained national and international support for the Centre’s work.

Following the inaugural Board meeting and official launch, the SIDS Centre of Excellence enters its next phase with a clearer institutional foundation from which to advance its mandate.