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Antigua and Barbuda, 30day May 2024: During the SIDS4 International Conference in Antigua and Barbuda, President Wavel Ramkalwan of the Republic of Seychelles participated in the African Island States Climate Council AIS High-Level Dialogue on the theme “Leveraging partnerships for climate resilience and sustainable financing” Hosted by Seychelles yesterday.
The African Island States Climate Commission (AISCC), with the support of its partners, organized this high-level dialogue with its nine member states. The event provided an opportunity to highlight some of the initiatives that can support member states in advancing the transition of island states towards a climate-resilient future, one of which is the RESIslands project funded by GCF, which will be implemented by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa on behalf of AISCC member states.
President Ramkalawan highlighted the climate change dilemma and other challenges facing small island states in Africa at the dialogue. Although small island states in Africa have performed very well in socio-economic terms, the biggest challenge remains obtaining the funds needed to address threats that affect their survival.
“All Small Island Developing States are threatened by the climate crisis, regardless of size, geography, population size or economic status. We are all affected. Our islands are at the forefront of climate vulnerability, grappling with rising sea levels, extreme weather events, coastal erosion and ecosystem degradation. This crisis has far-reaching implications for the sustainability of our island States. So today, I want to reiterate that all of us Small Island Developing States must come together as one, with a strong voice and a strategic way forward to better address the unique and critical challenges affecting island States,” President Ramkalawan stressed.
Some of the key points raised by President Ramkalawan in his speech included considering allowing Small Island Developing States access to concessional financing rates, thereby enabling these countries to prosper and better respond to threats that affect their survival.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Cape Verde, His Excellency José Ulises de Pina Correa Silva, also participated in the High-level Dialogue, which built on the outcomes of discussions during the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Africa Climate Summit and the 37th African Union Summit.
The event also convened ministers, ambassadors and high-level representatives from the nine AISCC Member States, as well as other Member States, development partners, civil society and youth organizations, and other key stakeholders from the AIS region and partner countries.
Speakers spoke about innovations in climate finance, including blue bonds and debt-for-ocean swaps, and their contribution to building a common approach to climate resilience across the region. The event facilitated reflection on the current state of financing, challenges and lessons learned in the AIS region and African SIDS, and discussed future priorities and options for promoting financing models that take into account the fiscal realities of the region’s islands.
In addition to the high-level dialogue held in the morning, AISCC also convened a technical meeting of AIS members in the afternoon to further expand discussions at the technical level.
AISCC member countries include Cape Verde, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles and Zanzibar-Tanzania
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