BASSETERRE, St Kitts – An agreement related to the creation of the 1st Forum for Sub-National Island Jurisdictions (SNIJs) has been signed ahead of the Global Sustainable Island Summit (GSIS) co-hosted with Island Innovation and St. Kitts and Nevis in May this year. The Forum is being heralded as a key stepping stone following discussions at the COP29 UN Climate Summit in Azerbaijan and the SIDS4 conference in Antigua & Barbuda last year, focused on improving access to climate finance for SNIJs.
SNIJs are territories and countries that enjoy varying autonomy levels, but are attached to a larger country – in the case of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten: the Netherlands. Several European countries have authority over island jurisdictions, such as Denmark (Greenland), Spain (Canary Islands), or France (New Caledonia), but SNIJs also include Guam (USA), Zanzibar (Tanzania), and Lakshadweep (India).
Communities living in SNIJs find themselves in a gray area when it comes to climate funding opportunities. Their attachment to another economy disqualifies them from most international financing pathways, yet they often have different needs and priorities than their central authority, with limited representation within that larger political structure. The different autonomies and sovereignties that each SNIJ have are contrasted by the similar challenges they face in an increasingly complex development finance landscape. The 1st Forum for Sub-National Island Jurisdictions will be an opportunity for SNIJs to take stock of issues, potential solutions, and opportunities to increase awareness and action at the international stage.
The agreement which sets out a basic agenda for the Forum and a framework for increased multilateral conversations between SNIJs was crafted by Island Innovation CEO James Ellsmoor, representatives of the Nevis Island administration, the government of Curaçao, as well as Edison Rijna, Special Envoy for Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba islands for EU and UN and Economic Development with Latin America and Caribbean, who stated:
“Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have worked together to increasingly gain more support and recognition on the international stage for access to climate finance. Their work is admirable, and their progress now highlights that there are many island communities within a jurisdictional grey zone where they do not hold SIDS status, face similar existing challenges but lack clear access to climate financing pathways. Sub-national island jurisdictions like ours are confronted by the same storms, droughts and economic disruptions.. We need to work together as SNIJs, as islanders towards securing our future. This Forum will provide us a platform from which to build from.”
James Ellsmoor, CEO of Island Innovation, added:
“We cannot let Sub-National Island Jurisdictions fall through the cracks of both national and international policymaking. It is important we recognize that these countries and territories face different challenges which require a different type of support than what is currently in place. Many island jurisdictions have identified solutions and pathways to long-term prosperity, they just need better access to the tools to complete them.”
The 2025 GSIS is set to be the most ambitious iteration of the event, reflecting the drive of the St Kitts and Nevis government through three days of high-level panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities centered around the host country’s Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA) and how it can be a replicable blueprint for other island communities. The summit will happen May 27-30, 2025, and will also feature several special forums, including the Island Youth Forum (May 25-26, St Kitts), Geothermal Energy Forum (May 26, Nevis), and the 1st Forum on Access to Climate Finance for Sub-National Island Jurisdictions (May 30, Nevis).
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