Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a vital part of the global community, representing 20% of UN members and stewarding vast ocean territories rich in biodiversity. They face heightened vulnerability to climate change, extreme weather events, and economic shocks, making tailored support essential. The UK maintains deep connections with SIDS through the Commonwealth, Overseas Territories, and diaspora communities, fostering strong cultural, educational, trade, and diplomatic ties. While some SIDS have high incomes, many remain vulnerable, requiring strategies that focus on climate and economic resilience rather than traditional aid, with an emphasis on investment, expertise, and local capacity building.
Over the past three decades, international frameworks such as the UN Barbados Programme of Action, the SAMOA Pathway, and the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) have recognized SIDS’ special circumstances, yet the accelerating climate crisis and shifting global context demand renewed urgency. The UK aims to partner with SIDS on climate adaptation, governance, human rights, international finance reform, and resilient economic growth while protecting nature and oceans. Through cross-government coordination, departments such as FCDO, Defra, HMRC, DESNZ, DBT, and MOD contribute expertise in areas ranging from sustainable oceans and marine economies to taxation, trade, security, and disaster response.
The UK also supports SIDS’ participation in international climate negotiations and initiatives like the Global Clean Power Alliance, promotes sustainable debt solutions, and strengthens maritime safety through hydrography. The UK’s Overseas Territories face similar challenges and benefit from capacity building, environmental protection, and governance support, with programs like the Blue Belt Programme and Darwin Plus Fund safeguarding biodiversity. Overall, the UK-SIDS partnership leverages shared values, expertise, and multilateral engagement to build resilient, prosperous, and well-governed SIDS capable of contributing regionally and globally in an era of climate urgency and geopolitical complexity.
