Crises in climate, geopolitics and global health have caused major setbacks for the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 global benchmarks adopted by all UN member states in 2015 in pursuit of a more equitable world.
Small Island Developing States, which include 13 island countries and seven territories in the Pacific, have suffered the direct health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as its indirect consequences, such as a contracting global economy and supply-chain disruptions. Meanwhile, energy prices are increasing, geopolitical tensions are on the rise, and the climate crisis continues to hit island nations hard.
Rich countries and International Financial Institutions need to help finance the physical infrastructure and human capital required to make progress on the Sustainable Development Goals in Small Island Developing States and strengthen the resilience of these economies.
