Partners & Platforms

Initiatives that are relevant for the Sustainable Development of SIDS, especially Sustainable Tourism, Sustainable Energy, PPPs and Social Innovation.

The Centre of Excellence is connecting to an ever-growing network of relevant partners and platforms. The list below is by no means comprehensive. Please reach out if you are interested in collaborating and being listed.

AOSIS – Alliance of Small Island States is a coalition of small island and low-lying coastal countries that share similar development challenges and concerns about the environment, especially their vulnerability to the adverse effects of global climate change. It functions primarily as an ad hoc lobby and negotiating voice for small island developing States (SIDS) within the United Nations system.

CARBON WAR ROOM – Islands Energy Program aims to accelerate the transition to renewables in 10 island Caribbean countries, install 95 megawatts of renewable energy, and leverage $300 million in financing for island energy projects by 2020.

CARICOM – Caribbean Community is a grouping of  twenty countries stretching from The Bahamas in the north to Suriname and Guyana in South America, that are considered developing countries, and except for Belize, in Central America and Guyana and Suriname, all  Members and Associate Members are island  states.

CAREC is CARILEC’s community of energy professionals and utility engineers that aims to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on islands for a more sustainable future.

CTO – Caribbean Tourism Organization is the Caribbean’s tourism development agency comprising membership of 28 countries and territories including Dutch, English, French and Spanish, as well as a myriad of private sector allied members.

FAO SIDS Projects funded through Africa Solidarity Trust Fund supports six African island nations in their efforts to make their agriculture more resilient to climate shocks and boost economic development. Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, and Seychelles will benefit from training and knowledge exchange.

GLISPA – Global Island Partnership assists islands in addressing one of the world’s greatest challenges — to conserve and sustainably utilize invaluable island natural resources that support people, cultures and livelihoods in their island homes around the world.

Oceans Action Hub aims to facilitate multistakeholders’ engagement as part of the preparatory process for the Ocean Conference. Bringing together governments, the UN system, intergovernmental organizations, international financial institutions, NGOs, civil society organizations, academic institutions, the scientific community, private sector, philanthropic organizations and other actors to assess challenges and opportunities related to SDG-14.

OCTA – Association of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union works collectively through the promotion of common positions and partnerships for the sustainable development of OCTs by cooperation, capacity building and communication.

Pacific Island Development Forum is establishing “the Pacific’s first and truly representative and participatory platform on the Green Economy” and “empowering the people of the Pacific as primary stakeholders in their development through the green economy to initiate the process and make joint decisions about its outcome”.

Pacific Islands Forum is a political grouping of 16 independent and self-governing states. Its Secretariat is based in Suva, Fiji and whose mandate is delivered through the annual Leaders’ Communiqués and high level ministerial meeting decisions. It is also mandated to coordinate the implementation of the Framework for Pacific Regionalism.

SDG Knowledge Hub is an online resource center for news and commentary regarding the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Managed by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the SDG Knowledge Hub reports on intergovernmental decision-making processes related to SDG implementation as well as regional and country-level activities, including SIDS.

SIDS Action Platform is the online platform with information about  approx. 300 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) partnerships that were announced towards and during the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS Conference) held from 1 to 4 September 2014 in Apia, Samoa.

SIDS Global Business Network provides a bridge to enable closer private sector ties between the three SIDS regions, and the international business community.

SIDS Lighthouse Initiative is an IRENA initiative that aims to mobilise funding and political will to advance renewable energy deployment in island settings around the world through partnerships and focused cooperation.

SISRI – Small Island States Resilience Initiative is a global partnership through the World Bank and GFDRR to support Small Island States in reducing climate and disaster risks.

SPTO – South Pacific Tourism Organization is the mandated organisation representing Tourism in the South Pacific region.

Sustainable Destinations Alliance for the Americas is a consortium of businesses, destinations, donors, regional organizations and nonprofits in the Caribbean— where tourism drives the economy and the tension between the desire for development and the need to protect resources is ongoing – all with a vested interested in maintaining and restoring the region’s natural, cultural and economic integrity.

TNO Caribbean is a top tier European independent R&D and knowledge institute with a track record of over 75 years. TNO employs some 2500 highly qualified professionals to provide in depth expertise to develop and implement innovations and provide independent expert advice on all aspects of sustainable development.

UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform – Small Island Developing States run by the Division for Sustainable Development serves Member States, Major Groups and other stakeholders, as well as the general public, by providing wide access to information and knowledge for sustainable development, through its online Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform and social media outlets.

UNSSC Knowledge Center for Sustainable Development equips the UN and its partners with a vehicle to deliver on the learning agenda pertaining to Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in response to their comprehensive learning, training, and knowledge management needs.

UNWTO2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development is a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the contribution of sustainable tourism to development among public and private sector decision-makers and the public, while mobilizing all stakeholders to work together in making tourism a catalyst for positive change towards a more sustainable tourism sector that can contribute to the SDGs.