Countries in Special Situations

In Asia and the Pacific, 15 members and 7 associated members of ESCAP are classified as small island developing States (SIDS). These States face specific challenges due to their unique geographic characteristics, such as remoteness, limited landmass, small populations, and small domestic markets. They are also highly exposure and vulnerable to external environmental and economic shocks, especially climate change and disasters.

One of the key impediments to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in SIDS is the limited resource base on their land. This reality constrains their capacity to provide employment and decent work for all, which are critical components in attaining many of the other Goals. Nonetheless, SIDS possess exclusive rights to explore and utilize marine resources in zones covering 200 nautical miles from their shores, as recognized by the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea. Leveraging these vast ocean resources and the blue economy could provide these States with the means to accelerate their progress towards achieving the Goals.

The SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway reaffirms the commitments to take urgent and tangible measures to promote sustainable development and address the vulnerabilities faced by SIDS. The Pathway emphasizes the urgency need for collaborative efforts among various stakeholders to find solutions to the challenges confronting SIDS. Genuine and long-lasting partnerships should be at the core of this multi-stakeholder approach.

ESCAP’s support​

ESCAP provides support through: bringing SIDS perspectives and priorities to intergovernmental fora, such as the Commission, facilitating and developing national, subregional and regional frameworks for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SAMOA Pathway; assisting small island LDCs on graduation from LDC category; and improving national SDG indicator frameworks and data management to enable policymakers to make informed decision.