Seville, 2 July, 2025 - At the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), Ministers, UN, and climate finance institutions united to call for urgent action, equitable financing, and regional solidarity in tackling climate resilience and sustainable development for African Island States and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and South China Sea (AIS) region. They made this appeal for transformative financial solutions during a High-Level Roundtable on Financing Climate Resilience and Sustainable Development, in Seville, Spain.
Convened by the African Island States Climate Commission (AISCC) through the governments of Seychelles and Sao Tome and Principe, in collaboration with ECA, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the event brought together government leaders, UN heads, ambassadors, climate fund representatives, and multilateral partners to shape the next phase of global climate finance tailored to the urgent needs of island nations.
“We are called upon to rethink the way we value development—to move beyond GDP as the singular lens of vulnerability and to embrace more equitable, climate-responsive financial mechanisms,” said Hanan Morsy, UNECA Deputy Executive Secretary (Programme), in her opening address. “We must champion new financial instruments that speak to the lived realities of small island states, including the use of the Multi-Dimensional Vulnerability Index.”
Morsy emphasized UNECA’s commitment to working with AISCC and partners to advance climate financial innovations for African Island States, such as debt-for-climate swaps, green and blue bonds, and blended finance, and achieve the goals of the Antigua and Barbuda Plan of Action (ABAS) for SIDS. She highlighted UNECA’s regional initiatives such as RESIslands, which is supported by the Green Climate Fund, as a critical example of local action aligned with global ambition.
A Region Not Waiting—But Leading
Navid Hanif, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development at DESA, acknowledged the leadership of AIS in shaping their own solutions, citing foundational frameworks such as the Moroni Declaration, Beau Vallon Outcome Document, and Santa Maria Call to Action. “These frameworks must now be matched by equally ambitious global financing,” Hanif stated.
“The UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Multi-Dimensional Vulnerability Index was a milestone, but operationalizing it is now urgent.” Hanif further outlined the three DESA priorities for SIDS i.e. “making climate finance accessible and fit-for-purpose, unlocking sustainable blue finance at scale, and forging bold partnerships that reflect the true scale of need.”
Representatives from AIS issued a joint message which underscored the failure of the current global financial architecture. Ilza Amado Vaz, Minister of Foreign Affairs,Cooperation and Communities of São Tomé and Príncipe, issued a powerful call to the international community. “We must not just reform how we finance climate action—we must transform how we define global responsibility,” she declared. “Seville must be a turning point—a moment to affirm a new global pact based on trust, equity, and shared responsibility. We need appropriate and accessible financial mechanisms, and support for integrated national strategies focused on the green and blue economy and sustainable transitions.”
She urged AIS to continue ambitious leadership aligned with the ABAS and to institutionalize strong regional governance mechanism following the Praia Declaration. Vaz also reaffirmed the central role of the AISCC, AfDB, UNECA, and other regional organizations in driving solutions that match island realities.
Soares Sambu, Minister of Economy of Guinea Bissau, echoed the call for solidarity and simplified access to finance, as well as for nature-based investment solutions and South-South knowledge exchange. “We urge our international partners to simplify access mechanisms, especially for countries with limited institutional capacity. Let us transform climate challenges into engines for development. This event is a call for urgent action and global solidarity. We stand ready to host the next AISCC meeting,” he remarked.
From the Union of Comoros, Oumouri Mmadi Hassani, Minister of Post, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, called for a bold three-pillar strategy. “We must speak with a unified voice in multilateral forums, pool our technical capacities, and ensure direct, simplified, and fair access to climate funds. This is how climate resilience becomes not just an aspiration, but a pillar of our sovereignty.”
Elizabeth Agatine Charles of Seychelles Ministry of Finance reaffirmed the country’s leadership of AISCC. “For Seychelles, climate finance is not a development option—it is a lifeline. We stand ready to work in solidarity to ensure no island state is left behind. We were the first country in the world to launch a sovereign Blue Bond, followed with a debt-for-nature swap. Our partnerships are key to implementing projects like RESIslands and scaling up regional climate coordination and broadening the exchange of knowledge and experiences between SIDS. Resilience is possible for our islands if we build it together.”
Milan Meetarbhan, Mauritius' Permanent Representative to the UN, delivered a sobering reminder. “Despite climate finance commitments surpassing $100 billion, SIDS receive less than 2% of Green Climate Fund disbursements. The architecture must change—and Mauritius is engaging at all levels to make it happen.”
From Timor-Leste, Jesuino Alves, Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, underlined that “climate finance must be predictable, accessible, and fair. For SIDS, the Loss and Damage Mechanism is not charity— it is about equity, and it is a moral imperative. It recognizes that adaptation has limits and that irreversible losses must be met with global solidarity and action. It must empower, not just compensate”.
Climate Institutions Engagement
In a dedicated segment, key climate finance institutions reflected on the need to improve SIDS access and responsiveness. Charles Ehrhart, Chief Strategy and Impact Officer at the Green Climate Fund, (GCF) acknowledged some of the limitations of the current funding model and outlined steps to enhance collaboration between GCF and SIDS in establishing a regional platform for Africa Island States to be launched at COP 30, building on the GCF sponsored RESIislands initiative.
Anthony Nyong, Director of Climate Change and Green Growth at the African Development Bank called for enhanced project preparation support and better visibility for SIDS pipelines. Matthieu Pegon, Deputy CEO of Climate Investment Funds (CIF) presented some of the initiatives they are supporting in SIDS and encouraged island states to continue collaborating with CIF to grow their portfolio of funded projects. Neha Sharma of the Adaptation Fund and Yabanex Batista of the Global Fund for Coral Reefs stressed the importance of locally led finance and co-designed adaptation programs in African Island States and AIS SIDS.
In his remarks, AUC Commissioner, Moses Vilakati, reminded participants that African Island States are central to the continent’s development vision. “Our shared priorities are key in the AU Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This includes enhancing domestic resource mobilization, catalyzing private investment, reforming international financial architecture, strengthening international development cooperation, harnessing Science, Technology, and Innovation, and leveraging international and regional trade.” He noted the upcoming second African Climate Summit will be a bold opportunity to continue this discussion.
At the closing segment of the Roundtable, Ambassador Tania Romualdo, Cabo Verde Permanent Representative to the UN, recalled the May 2025 Praia Declaration adopted at the AIS High-Level Meeting. “This is not just about funding—it's about shared responsibility. We will lead with collective action and strategic alignment, ensuring the operationalization of our joint vision for sustainable island futures,” she concluded.
The event demonstrated strong consensus around the urgency to reform the current global financial system to respond to the SIDS needs. “This is a moment of convergence,” Jean-Paul Adam, Director at the UN Office of the Special Advisor on Africa observed. “The vision of island states is clear. The global system must now respond—with fairness, urgency, and action.”