A historic occasion was marked at the UN S.I.D.S conference in Apia last week.
This was when the S.I.D.S DOCK statute was signed by heads and representatives of the 31 small island developing states (S.I.D.S) who are members of AOSIS, the Alliance of Small Island States.
The signing of the statute is a significant highlight and outcome of the S.I.D.S Conference and a major step toward the treaty’s entry into force. S.I.D.S DOCK is a mechanism for small island states to access finance for climate change adaptation activities, assist in developing a sustainable energy sector, provide a vehicle for mobilizing financial and technical resources, and providing a mechanism for S.I.D.S to connect with global financial, technological and carbon market.
{googleAds}<script async src="http://www.samoaobserver.ws///pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- ads-articles(24.03.14) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-9419815128221199"
data-ad-slot="2395638412"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}
Recognising that the lives of more than 20 million people in small islands and low lying states are at high risk, the Government of Denmark was the first country to provide support for S.I.D.S DOCK start-up activities with a grant of US$14.5 million in 2010.
This was followed by a grant of US$15 million over two years by Japan in 2011, and a further 1 million euro from Austria for start-up activities for the Centres for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Caribbean, Pacific and African SIDS, and a promise to support a centre for the Indian Ocean S.I.D.S at a later date.The statute is also historic because it’s a SIDS-SIDS institutional mechanism established to facilitate the development of a sustainable energy economy in the small islands and low lying developing states, working with private sector, tertiary institutions and governments. More than ten member countries, including Palau, Tuvalu, Bahamas, Seychelles, Samoa, and Barbados signed on the day, with Tuvalu being the first country to ratify the statute.
<!-- 336x280 (bottom-article) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-2469982834957525"
data-ad-slot="1033882026"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}