Pacific states have a strong foundation on which to build to ensure they are on a path towards sustainable development by 2050, according to a report by the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Pacific states have a strong foundation on which to build to ensure they are on a path towards sustainable development by 2050, according to a report by the Commonwealth Secretariat.
‘A Sustainable Future for Small States: Pacific 2050’ assesses progress by the nine Commonwealth Pacific island countries towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The study examines pathways to 2050 in several important areas, including political governance, aid and development effectiveness and coordination, non-communicable diseases, information and communications technology, climate change and migration, and energy.
Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said, “There are several common themes and challenges for Commonwealth countries that flow through our study, which reflect the essential building blocks of development. For the Pacific, these basic foundations are already in place but at different stages of maturity, and we hope that our support and guidance will enable each country to strengthen its position and move closer to securing its targets.”
The study recommends improvements in the following areas: addressing data challenges; strengthening governance at all levels; enhancing multi-sectoral policy coherence; establishing effective partnerships and stakeholder engagement; securing sustainable finance; enhancing capacity development; and accounting for population dynamics.
Among suggestions set out in the Commonwealth’s report is an emphasis on the high-level political will that is required in order to realise the SDGs and the Pacific Vision by 2050.
The publication coincides with the Pacific Islands Forum, which is taking place this week in Apia, Samoa. The Commonwealth Secretary-General will be speaking at the conference on Thursday.
The Secretary-General added, “Samoa, the host of this year’s Pacific Islands Forum, has demonstrated its ability to lead the way on sustainable development, having been one of the first countries to report its progress on the SDGs in 2016. I commend them for doing so.”
The report follows the Commonwealth’s ‘Achieving a Resilient Future for Small States: Caribbean 2050’ study which was published last year at the Commonwealth Global Biennial Conference on Small States.
Read a full copy of the report
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Photo credit: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
