STATEMENT AT THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL INFORMAL SPECIAL STOCK-TAKING MEETING ON THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES BY H.E. MS KAREN TAN, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS ON 1 OCTOBER 2014

Mr President,

1        Thank you for convening this informal special stock-taking meeting of the Economic and Social Council on the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States held in Apia, Samoa, from 1 to 4 September 2014.  It is a timely opportunity for member states to review the outcomes of the Conference and reflect on the way forward for the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway.

2        Singapore aligns itself with the statement just made by the distinguished Permanent Representative of Nauru on behalf of AOSIS but would like to make some additional remarks in our national capacity.

Mr President,

3        Having attended the Conference myself, I can attest to the tremendous warmth and hospitality of the people of Samoa.  The resounding success of the Conference was very much due to the whole of nation effort championed by the Prime Minister and the government of Samoa, so ably supported by our colleagues from the Samoan Mission here in New York led by Ambassador Feturi Elisaia.  It was evident that our hosts had gone to great lengths to ensure that everything went smoothly and that the delegates’ experiences in Samoa were truly memorable. My delegation offers its warmest congratulations to Samoa as well as to the Conference Secretary-General and his team in DESA.

4        As Co-Chair of the Preparatory Committee of the Conference, Singapore was privileged to play a small role in the success of the Conference by ensuring that the negotiations on the SAMOA Pathway were concluded in a timely fashion in New York.  This paved the way for us to focus on partnership initiatives and actions.  We were thus pleased to have been able to participate in practical and detailed discussions on the theme for the SIDS Conference - the sustainable development of SIDS through genuine and durable partnerships.   In this regard, we shared our experiences through the partnership dialogue on water and sanitation, food security and waste management, as well as through side events, such as the “Building Resilience in Small Island Developing States through Foresight” event, together with the UNDP and the government of Tonga.

Mr President,

5        The top priority now is the full implementation of the SAMOA Pathway and the operationalization of the many partnerships launched at the Conference.  We, the SIDS, must take the lead in their implementation, working together with our many partners.  As His Excellency the Prime Minister of Samoa, underscored  in his statement to the General Assembly on 25 September 2014, “It falls on SIDS themselves to be prepared to lead and own the SAMOA Pathway, if it is to be sustainable”.

6        In this context, Singapore has prepared a dedicated three-year technical cooperation package under the Singapore Cooperation Programme to provide more customised technical assistance and fellowships in areas that are relevant to SIDS’ capacity building needs.  This includes customised programmes for senior SIDS officials in areas such as sustainable development and climate change, disaster management and public health, and non-traditional security.  We will also offer one hundred and fifty civil aviation fellowships for courses at the Singapore Aviation Academy and thirty fellowship awards for the Maritime Public Leaders’ Programme, conducted by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. 

7        We hope that these programmes will contribute meaningfully to the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway through capacity building and increasing resilience.  We are also ready to work with our fellow SIDS and DESA on the follow-ups to the Conference and the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway in the General Assembly.

8        I thank you.

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