THE Solomon Islands Government (SIG) urged the international community that tailored support is key for achieving SDGs, and in particular, nations graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.
Presenting the country’s statement at the Ministers’ Segment General Debate of the UN’s High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF at the UN Headquarters in New York last week, Minister of National Planning and Development Coordination (MNPDC) Hon. Rexon Ramofafia appealed for continued international support.
Minister Ramofafia, highlighted that the 2024 SDG Report, presents a concerning status on current global SDG implementation efforts, as we pass the midway point of the 2030 agenda.
Minister Ramofafia stated the 2nd Voluntary National Report, highlighted that whilst some progress has been made against the 5 SDGs under review, progress is uneven and remains untenable against some indicators of the SDGs.
“Climate change continues to threaten our livelihoods and the sustainability of our economy and communities,” Minister Ramofafia said.
He continued to state that for the Solomon Islands, our vulnerability to climate change is deeply rooted in our development challenges. The high prevalence and increasing intensity of natural disasters is economically and socially taxing to the Government and our people. All these factors he states, are impacting Solomon Islands implementation of the SDGs and graduation from LDC status.
For the Solomon Islands, the impending graduation is integral to national efforts for SDG implementation.
Minister Ramofafia highlighted Solomon Islands’ impending graduation from LDC status in 2027 as both a milestone and a potential threat to the country’s progress.
“While we recognize this as a milestone achievement reflecting our country’s development progress, we are deeply worried about the development setbacks we may face once we lose access to the various international support measures and preferential treatments granted to LDCs.
Minister Ramofafia stated that the Solomon Islands economy remains heavily dependent on exports of natural resources like timber, fisheries, and agricultural commodities – sectors that are highly vulnerable to external shocks and environmental degradation.
“We urge the international community to take these realities into account and provide an adequate transition period and tailored support package for countries graduating from LDC status.
“This should include continued access to concessional finance, trade preferences, technical assistance, and other forms of development cooperation. Failure to do so risks reversing the hard-won development gains of LDCs like Solomon Islands,” Ramofafia said.
Looking ahead to the upcoming “Summit of the Future” in September 2024 and its outcome document the Pact of the Future, Minister Ramofafia stated the Pact must shift beyond rhetoric, platitudes, pledges, and commitments to actions. It must initiate action on the revitalization of the United Nations, to transform it into a dynamic institution to be responsive to current realities.
He further stated that the Pact must ensure Climate finance is reformed like development finance and made more accessible, predictable, highly concessional including grant-based, and mobilized on a scale and speed equitable with the climate change emergency.
On that note, he urged the Pact of the Future to include recommendations for the review of the international financial architecture that prioritizes the unique needs of small island developing states and other vulnerable economies. He stressed the importance of moving beyond the binary LDC classification towards more dynamic approaches to development financing and support.
Minister Ramofafia also highlighted the Pact for the Future, must pave the way for the global community to take concrete actions to achieve SDGs and reduce poverty and inequalities. Furthermore, reinforces the importance and promotes synergies between international frameworks on ocean and land resources.
The Solomon Islands’ appeal comes at a crucial time for many developing nations facing similar challenges.
“We look forward to working with our partners to ensure the Summit of the Future delivers meaningful and lasting outcomes for the world’s least developed and most climate-vulnerable countries including the Solomon Islands,” Hon. Ramofafia stressed.
