Background

The ABAS is a 10-year programme of action for SIDS, which guides their Sustainable Development priorities from 2024 – 2034, replacing the former SAMOA-Pathway (2014 – 2024). It was negotiated in the lead-up to the Fourth International Conference on SIDS (SIDS4), held in Antigua and Barbuda in May 2024, and formally adopted by the UN General Assembly on 16 July 2024 (A/RES/78/317). 

Paragraph 38 of the ABAS requests the Secretary-General to develop a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework, with clear targets and indicators, by no later than the second quarter of 2025. The Framework should draw on existing reporting mechanisms as far as possible, to avoid being overly burdensome for SIDS.

The United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) have jointly supported the inter-agency task force (IATFABAS) to develop this Framework, through extensive consultation with custodian agencies and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). 

The M&E Framework consists of a list of 59 targets and 83 associated indicators, and was adopted as part of the annual SIDS Resolution during the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA80). This list seeks to comprehensively reflect ABAS priorities, whilst remaining focused and limited in number. It aligns with existing international and regional frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to minimize new processes or reporting requirements for SIDS.

To support SIDS in effectively reporting on the M&E Framework, paragraph 39 of the ABAS 
mandates UN-DESA and UN-OHRLLS to ‘conduct workshops to familiarize small island developing States with the application of the framework and build capacity to collect and submit their data’. 

Furthermore, in paragraph 41 of ABAS, the United Nations regional commissions, including the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), are tasked with the conduct of a comprehensive biennial review of progress in each SIDS in their respective regions. Specifically, the ABAS calls for the establishment of a regional coordination mechanism for the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea (AIS) Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to support implementation of the Agenda and contribute to its monitoring and review. ECA and ESCAP are, in this regard, requested to coordinate monitoring, evaluation and reporting for the AIS SIDS through dedicated SIDS units.

Based on these mandates, this workshop aims to bring together National Focal Points and National Statistical Officers from the AIS SIDS, along with relevant regional commissions, the ECA and ESCAP. The workshop has dual aims to support AIS SIDS in reporting on the ABAS, while creating a platform for strengthening regional coordination among the AIS SIDS governments and regional commissions supporting them.

Aims and objectives

• Familiarize AIS SIDS, including SIDS NFPs and national statistical experts, with the ABAS and its M&E framework;
• Strengthen AIS coordination, by bringing together SIDS across the AIS region as well as ECA and ESCAP to discuss harmonized efforts on ABAS implementation and reporting.
• Support coordination at the national level for ABAS implementation and reporting, including cross-ministerial coordination and engagement between statistical experts and policymakers, through strengthening the utilization of the SIDS NFP network as a mechanism for ABAS implementation and reporting.
• Support alignment and coordination of national level reporting on the ABAS with regional and global reporting frameworks including the SDGs and related frameworks (Sendai Framework, Paris Agreement, etc.)
• Document challenges faced by AIS SIDS in ABAS implementaiton and reporting both at the national and regional levels;

Documents

• Concept Note and Agenda [English]