From 26 to 30 May 2024 in Antigua and Barbuda, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dace Melbārde, participated in the UN Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), which gathered the countries’ leaders and international community to assess sustainable development progress in SIDS and discuss a new programme of action for SIDS.
Latvia has been closely involved in the preparation of the SIDS4 by both providing financial support and actively participating in the Preparatory Committee as Rapporteur. Dace Melbārde took on key roles, such as Vice-President of the Conference and co-chair of the Interactive Dialogue titled “Leveraging Data and Digital Technologies and Building Effective Institutions for a Resilient Future and SIDS”. Moreover, Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, Permanent Representative of Latvia to the UN, was elected Rapporteur-General of the Conference.
At the plenary meeting and in several side events, Dace Melbārde underscored Latvia’s proactive stance in climate financing, advocating for the operationalization of the new Loss and Damage Fund before COP29, and showcased the country’s dedication to digital solutions in climate action and collaboration with small island developing states on digitalization of education and low-density languages. Dace Melbārde also used the opportunity to thank SIDS partners who have shown great solidarity with Ukraine.
In the sidelines of the conference, Parliamentary Secretary Melbārde met with officials from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Guinea-Bissau, Kiribati, Maldives, Nauru, Singapore and Tuvalu to discuss bilateral cooperation as well as opportunities for closer cooperation and support in international organisations, including the UN. Bilateral talks also addressed the security situation in the Middle East, international efforts to stop the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and support to stabilize the situation in Haiti.