Sixth in-Person Meeting of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) National Focal Points (NFPs)
Enhancing Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS): A focus on the ABAS Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework and SIDS NFP Toolkit
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) continue to face profound and unique vulnerabilities, including those emanating from their remoteness, small size, dispersed populations, the escalating impacts of climate change, narrow resource base, high dependence on external markets, debt and extreme exposure to natural disasters and external shocks etc. The adoption of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) 每 a Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity 每 during the Fourth International Conference on SIDS (SIDS4) on 30 May 2024, ushered a comprehensive framework for SIDS' development priorities over the next decade. Its ten ambitious economic, social, climate, and environmental outcomes underscore the urgent need for effective implementation, monitoring, and evaluation mechanisms.
The SIDS National Focal Points (NFP) Network has an integral role in supporting the localization, implementation, and monitoring of ABAS at the country level. Established in 2018 by the United Nations Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), in response to the SAMOA Pathway's mandate (paragraph 120), the NFP Network aims to facilitate coherence and coordination on SIDS-related issues at national, regional, and global levels. Guided by its Terms of Reference (TORs), the network also fosters peer-learning and the exchange of best practices on the implementation and follow-up of the ABAS, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and other global frameworks.
The NFP Network has convened several in-person and virtual meetings since its inception, addressing critical themes such as the COVID-19 response, SIDS finance issues, and preparations for SIDS4. The NFP Engagement Strategy, launched at SIDS4, further emphasizes the need for capacity building, peer-to-peer learning, regional workshops, and technical training in monitoring and evaluation to strengthen the network's effectiveness.
This Sixth in-Person Meeting, to be held in Trinidad and Tobago, in the Caribbean region (in line with the rotational arrangements by SIDS regions)is a crucial step in operationalizing the ABAS by focusing on the M&E framework and the development and refining of a practical toolkit for NFPs. This builds upon previous engagements, particularly the deep dive into ABAS at the fifth in-person SIDS NFP meeting3 held in Vanuatu in 2024, and the work of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Development of a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS and directly contributes to scaling up the capacity of SIDS National Focal Points to champion and drive SIDS priorities towards resilient prosperity.
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