Table of Contents

1
United Nations Conferenceon Trade and Development
Brussels Policy Briefing, 4 April 2012
Addressing the vulnerabilities of small island
developing States (SIDS) more effectively
Pierre Encontre UNCTAD
2
SIDS more vulnerable thanother developing
countries(all data based on the UN's Economic
Vulnerability Index)
3
A complex pattern of special treatments for SIDS,
yet no special treatment by virtue of SIDS status
UN-related travel support for LDCs
4
SIDS AND THE UN STATE OF AFFAIRS
Special treatmenta question usuallyskipped
Descriptionandmeasurementof vulnerabilities
UN action good intentions,missed opportunities
Could special treatment make resilience-building
action more effective?
In what sense is vulnerability a problem?
(UNCTAD)
What UN actionaccordingly ?
SIDS more vulnerable
the "island paradox"
Acute economic dependence
Establish an "integr. framework" for SIDS
Adopt SIDS criteria

Techn. assistance
Market access
Revisit graduation rule
Devel. financing

5
Five lines of UN action actively supported by
UNCTAD
RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS
LINES OFACTION
UNCTAD ACTION IN 2012
TIME FRAME
ECOSOC, GA, development partners
Implementation ofIstanbul Programmeof Action
for LDCs
Istanbul Programme of Action 2011-2020

Advisory services at country level (e.g. Samoa in
2012-2013)

Ad Hoc Working Group of the GA in 2012
Development partners, ECOSOC, GA
UNCTAD expert meetingon addressingvulnerabilitie
s Dec. 2011
Two years left before next SIDS Conference (2014)
UNCTAD expert meeting recommended an exchange of
views on SIDS criteria
Review of criteria to be undertaken at technical
level in 2012

Achieve progress toward defining SIDS
Several UN and non-UN entities interested
Enable the CDP in 2013 to make recommendations
toward SIDS status
CDP report will go to ECOSOC, where development
partners will be able to consider the idea of
"SIDS status"
CDP in March 2013ECOSOC in July 2013
Inputs to the work of the CDP on SIDS in 2013
6
Thank you
pierre.encontre_at_unctad.org