Excellencies Heads of State and Government
Commissioner EU
Director General FAO

Ladies and GentlemenI am privileged to participate in the Brussels FAO dialogue Weathering COVID 19 in Small
Islands Developing States” today, to lend our voice to the resounding call to enhance awareness
of our structural vulnerabilities and the looming impacts on food systems as a result of the
pandemic.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are ranked among the most vulnerable countries of the
world. We are challenged by a multitude of developmental obstacles including geographical
isolation from markets, limited natural resources and the triple burden of disease.
We are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, despite accounting for only 1% of
Carbon dioxide emissions, to the extent that is existential threat for many of our low-lying small
Pacific neighbors. So for small Islands developing states, it is about addressing the pressing new
COVID-19 issues as well as coping with the ever persistent climate change and disaster risk
resilience challenges.
Fisheries, tourism and agriculture contribute significantly to our national Gross Domestic
Products (GDP) yet their vulnerability and fragility make it more challenging for the SIDS to
produce adequate food supplies to meet the needs of our populations. Our dependence on food
imports and food systems are particularly vulnerable to external shocks such as food prices and
supply volatility.
The lockdown measures to address the public health crises caused significant impacts on our
economies, particularly on our food supply chain, tourism and remittances. For some SIDS the
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic was further amplified by disasters from natural hazard risks

such as cyclones and flood as well as human-induced risks triggering the declaration of states of
emergencies.
So now, more than ever, we look to garner ways by which to raise our visibility and to
invite the international community to support and bolster our resilience-building efforts.
We see the FAO Brussels Dialogue as key opportunity to inspire such unity of support, to
identify solutions and pathways for SIDS to improve their food security and livelihoods, and be
able to draw inspiration from the FAO projects funded by the European Union. We are aware in
the Brussels, of the active engagement of the SIDS ambassadors including our own, through their
activities in the framework of the Organization of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)
to provide important advocacy awareness and visibility opportunities for discussion and
dialogue.
The recently-launched Global Recovery and Response Programme on COVID-19, sees FAO
leveraging its mobilizing power to lead international efforts that support tailor-made partnerships
and enable connectedness between donors and those most in need of assistance, to recover from
and respond to COVID-19.
FAO has also selected six SIDS out of 27 priority countries for the first phrase of its flagship
initiative “Hand-in-Hand”. Five of these SIDS are from the Pacific region. As a central element
of the Samoa Pathway, the blueprint for the SIDS of sustainable development, the modality of
implementation focuses on strengthening international cooperation and partnerships to address
the persistent development challenges SIDS face and to achieve the SDGs.
We note the lead role of FOA in the Global Action Programme on Food Security and Nutrition
(GAP) supporting SIDS through policy advice.
As well, they have provided the means of implementation of more sustainable and resilient food
systems and associated agriculture, climate change adaption, livestock, fisheries and agriculture,
forestry and natural resource management practices.
Furthermore FAO created its first-ever dedicated office on SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs as a way to
streamline and coordinate the specific actions across the Organization targeting these special
needs countries and their unique specificities.

The high cost of energy, transport and communication lead to development conditions that often
curb opportunities for private sector development to stimulate domestic food production, with
limited overall investment in commercial agriculture and improved technology.
While we may have far more nutritious food within our countries or sub regions, many factors
that include limited or no access, lack of price competitiveness and policy infrastructure, push us
to either import or substitute imports with less healthy foods.
These have contributed to the current complex food security and nutrition situation, with SIDS
facing a looming health crisis from the triple burden of malnutrition.
It is our hope that the FAO Brussels dialogue will build in-depth understanding of the challenges
of SIDS, particularly with the regard to the disruption of food systems in times of COIVD-19,
identify the gaps and opportunities for financial and technical assistance on food production as
well as identify lessons learned from SIDS in building resilience on food production, against
climate change and other natural hazard risks and shocks.
The coalescing of these shared experiences will help Small Islands Developing States mitigate
the devastating impacts of COVID-19 in their food systems and ensure the achievement of a
sustainable future.
What more can we ask but for you all to be part of the solution?
Thank you for your attention.