Statement by H.E. Jeem Lippwe, Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Federated States of Micronesia to the United Nations on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) Special Session on Small Island Developing States: Strategies for SDG Success 16 July 2025

Madame President,

I speak for the 12 Pacific Small island Developing States and wish to thank our panelist for their valuable insights and expertise.  

Madame President,

We stand at a critical juncture with the 2030 deadline fast approaching. Alarmingly, only 35% of SDG targets are currently on track, while 18% are regressing. For the Pacific, the latest UN data indicates that the Pacific SIDS are off track and are projected to achieve the SDG by 2065. That is 35 years beyond the 2030 target. This trajectory is deeply concerning. Compounding this challenge are escalating international conflicts, rising geopolitical tensions, and growing challenges to multilateralism.

For SIDS, the outcomes of the global conferences in Nice and Sevilla could potentially catalyze global action and mobilize the scale of support SIDS urgently need.

More than 170 countries committed to urgent action to conserve and sustainably use the ocean, including the protection of at least 30 percent of our oceans. But the absence of binding targets and accountability mechanisms means implementation could lag way behind aspiration.

The USD 4 trillion SDGs financing gap recognized in the FfD4 highlights the urgency in catalyzing investment at scale, addressing the debt and development crisis, and reforming the international financial architecture to be more responsive to the evolving challenges of SIDS. FfD4 marks a key step in the Baku to Belem Roadmap to $1.3 trillion by promoting nationally led, integrated financing solutions for climate and development through the Sevilla Platform for Action.

But we recognize that one of the most tangible opportunities to scale up access to grants and concessional finance lies in the rechanneling of SDRs through MDBs. This approach is fiscally neutral for donor countries, which is an important consideration amid current geopolitical uncertainties and fiscal pressures.

Bridging the data gap is essential for effective development planning in SIDS. The ABAS Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, along with the SIDS Global Data Hub, offers an opportunity to strengthen data systems, improve evidence-based decision-making, track progress more effectively, enhance institutional capacity, and help attract international financing and partnerships. We urge that the Hub must become operational immediately.

Thank you.