Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Fourth Report - The UK Small Island Developing States Strategy
International Development Committee
HC 476
Published 1 May 2024
Recommendations
4
Accepted in Part
Para 25
Advocate within OECD to reform ODA eligibility criteria for SIDS' vulnerabilities
Recommendation
The UK Government should use its membership of, and influence within, the OECD to advocate that ODA eligibility criteria be reformed to reflect SIDS’ vulnerabilities. This could take the form of a ‘small island exception’ as employed by the World …
Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partly agrees, stating UK representatives are advocating within the OECD for strengthened ODA processes to better reflect SIDS' vulnerabilities, working with like-minded donors. While supporting the principle, they note further improvements are needed for the UN MVI and do not explicitly commit to a 'small island exception'.
12
Accepted in Part
Para 43
Advocate on Loss and Damage Fund board for grant-based disbursements
Recommendation
Now that the agreement is in place, the UK Government should use its seat on the Loss and Damage Fund board to advocate that the Fund disburses its funding in the form of grants.
Government Response Summary
The government will use its seat on the Loss and Damage Fund Board to push for minimum allocations for vulnerable countries and explore innovative financing, and recognizes the need for highly concessional finance.
16
Accepted in Part
Commit to recognising SIDS' legal statehood continuity and fixed maritime boundaries despite sea-level rise.
Recommendation
In the light of the ILC’s impending report on the topic, the UK Government should commit to working with like-minded states to explore ways of (i) formally recognising the continuity of Small Island Developing States’ legal statehood, should all their …
Read more
Government Response Summary
The government partly agrees, having formally accepted that maritime zone baselines may remain fixed and published a statement, but it is still carefully considering the issue of continuity of statehood, noting it will review a relevant international report in 2025.
18
Accepted in Part
Para 58
Commit to making multi-year funded programmes the norm in partnerships with SIDS.
Recommendation
In its partnerships with SIDS, the Government should therefore commit to making multi-year funded programmes the norm.
Government Response Summary
The government partly agrees, stating it currently has several multi-year programmes for SIDS and aims to strengthen them during the Spending Review, but does not commit to making them the norm, noting that multi-year programmes are always subject to financial allocations and break clauses.