High-Level Side Event - SIDS4 Conference
Building resilient futures in SIDS using evidence-based planning and policies, robust data systems
and technologies
Aligned with the theme of Interactive Dialogue 4: “Leveraging Data and Digital Technologies andBuilding Eﬀective Institutions for a Resilient Future in SIDS”
27 May 2024 |12:00 - 13:30 AST | Conference Venue, Room 6

Synopsis:
SIDS are highly vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters and external risks due to theirdependence on trade and tourism. Their resilience hinges upon agile governance, future-proofedpolicies, access to comprehensive and timely data, and eﬀective use of technology. A more forwardlooking approach based on strategic foresight and systems thinking can help policy-makers identify
high-impact actions and design resilient development pathways if supported by timely data andanalysis. Operating under constraint, National Statistical Oﬃces (NSOs) are willing to seize new data
opportunities: digitalized administrative data, satellite imagery, citizen and Big Data. The use of
geospatial information technology (GIT) can support a whole-of Government approach to theimplementation of climate adaptation strategies and policies. The integration of local knowledge with
scientiﬁc data and gender perspective underscore the critical role of evidence in empowering civilsociety and private sector to navigate challenges. The session will showcase success stories and oﬀer
diverse perspectives from policy-makers, representatives of oﬃcial statistics and Disaster Risk
Management Oﬃces (DRMOs) to members of academia, women’s groups and UN oﬃcials.

Session Description:
SIDS countries are highly vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters and many are exposed toother external risks due to their strong dependence on imports of food and fertilizer and high relianceon export revenues from ﬁsheries, tourism services, or single-commodity exports or preferential
access to a single market. Their resilience greatly hinges upon agile governance, future-proofed
policies, access to robust, comprehensive and timely data, and the eﬀective use of technology. The
importance of data-driven approaches and partnerships has been emphasized both in the 2030
Agenda and the Samoa Pathway.
In this context, evidence-based decision-making is required to support a more forward-looking
approach to policies in SIDS countries. This forward-looking approach based on strategic foresight andsystems thinking methodologies can help identify high-impact areas for action and design resilient
development pathways. The implementation of national development, climate mitigation, DRR andsector strategies can be supported by these pathways. The pathways are critical tools to help articulate
how diﬀerent sectors contribute to shared policy objectives at diﬀerent points in time, prioritize
budget allocations, promote collaboration across Ministries, engage with other relevant stakeholders,and anticipate risks. They can also support the transition to results-based management and budgeting1

by emphasizing the importance of shifting the focus from the operational level and activities to thestrategic level and high-level outcomes.
Evidence required to inform this forward looking and simultaneously agile approach to strategicplanning includes both timely data and analysis. In many SIDS, the small size of NSOs creates aconstraint on their ability to produce key statistics relying on low frequency and resource-consuming
traditional data sources. To overcome this challenge, these NSOs are willing to seize new data
opportunities presented by administrative data and digital transformations, satellite imagery, citizen
data and Big Data in some cases. To do that, NSOs will have to play the role of data stewards and guidetheir key stakeholders, including Government entities, academia, CSOs and the private sector, to help
harness these opportunities in a way conducive to the production of high-quality and timely statistics.
In addition, Universities as producers of knowledge with intellectual independence can support
decision-making through data-based policy analysis and evaluation of programmes and policies in thecontext of national reviews of progress and reporting on the implementation of national sustainable
development objectives.
When it comes to reducing risks and building climate resilience, the use of innovative technologies
such as geospatial information technology (GIT) solutions can enable National Disaster Risk
Management Oﬃce to better collaborate and promote Whole-of-Government approaches to support
the implementation of climate adaptation strategies and policies.
Beyond policy-makers, civil society and private sector stakeholders also leverage data for resiliencebuilding. The integration of local knowledge with scientiﬁc data underscores the critical role of data in
informing evidence-based policies and empowering civil society/private sector to navigate challenges
eﬀectively fostering collaboration and addressing data challenges in the region.
The proposed session will review the above issues by using the examples of integrated and evidencebased planning from a number of SIDS. It will draw on the work on systems thinking and strategic
foresight implemented by the Government of Seychelles, and previous capacity building activities in
Mauritius and in the Caribbean region organized with the support of UNDESA’s Division for Public
Institutions and Digital Governance, RCO for Mauritius and Seychelles, ECLAC’s Caribbean Oﬃce andUNITAR’s Strategic Implementation of the 2030 Agenda Unit. It will also provide space for discussing
how NSOs can use innovative methods and technology to provide timely and relevant data fordecision-making. In addition, the roles of academia and civil society will be examined with a view toenhancing not only data production but also data analysis.
Following the examples of the use of innovative methodologies and evidence in national development
planning overall, the session will then move into practical and actionable DRR and climate change
resilience activities in supporting SIDS countries with innovative space-based applications and tailormade capacity development programs.
Cutting-edge knowledge transfer activities and innovative geospatial information technology (GIT)
solutions, including the use of artiﬁcial intelligence-based applications can lead to transformativechanges in disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and land and ecosystem management
activities in SIDS countries. In this session, examples of space-based decision support platforms
implemented by UNITAR’s UNOSAT Programme in collaboration with national Ministries as well as
UNDRR and Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) in three Paciﬁc SIDS (Fiji,2Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands) will be presented to illustrate how satellite technology can provide
systemic assessment of climate risk and enhance climate adaptation decision making. This work is partof a three-year capacity development programme to leverage the use of space-based applications for
improved disaster and climate resilience implemented under a broader cooperation framework signed
in July 2021 and covering three Paciﬁc SIDS and ﬁve LDC countries. Another example of GIT use isrelated to the resilience of infrastructure systems through strengthened governance. The work
implemented by UNITAR’s UNOSAT Programme and UNDRR in Tonga provides critical exposure andvulnerability information about key infrastructure and supports enhanced collaborations between theNational Disaster Risk Management Oﬃce and representatives from the main economic sectors toensure a whole government approach to the development of infrastructure resilience.
The session will conclude with showcasing DRR related project case studies illustrating the importanceof strengthening women's empowerment in informing DRR policies. The absence of sex disaggregateddata showing diﬀerentiated impacts of disasters on men and women is a major challenge preventing
a better understanding of why women seem to be more likely to face higher levels of risks whichfurther vary across diﬀerent demographic and social groups. The increasing number of disaster-related
events and the higher risk of death for women during such events that emerges from scarce data
available highlights the need for gender mainstreaming in sustainable development and DRR policies.
Failure to do so will further exacerbate gender disparities and hinder progress towards social inclusion,
gender equality and women’s empowerment. A capacity building programme run by UNITAR’s
Hiroshima Oﬃce Women’s Leadership in Tsunami-based DRR trains Women to be leaders who work
towards achieving inclusivity, sustainability and community resilience. It provides an example of how
empowering women in the private sector and civil society can be a game-changer for gender-sensitiveand inclusive climate adaptation and sustainable development.
The session will be organized as a debate, highlight success stories and oﬀer diverse perspectives frompolicy-makers, oﬃcial statistics and DRMO representatives, academia, CSOs and private sector.
Lead organizer: UNITAR
Partners: Governments of Seychelles, Tonga, Fiji, Norway, OECS, UNDESA, RCO for Seychelles andMauritius, ECLAC, UNDRR, Samoa Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Programme (1h30min)
Speakers:•Mr. Nikhil Seth, UN Assistant Secretary-General & UNITAR Executive Director (moderator)•Honourable Minister Fekita 'Utoikamanu, Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information,Disaster, Environment, and Climate Change (MEIDECC), Tonga•

Ms. Elizabeth Agathine, Principal Secretary, Planning Department, Ministry of Finance,Seychelles•

Mr. Sivendra Micheal, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Fiji•

Mr. Andreas Kravik, Vice Foreign Minister, Norway3

•

Mr. Chamberlain Emmanuel, Head, Environmental Sustainability Division, Organisation ofEastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission•Mr. Abdullahi O. Abdulkadri, Coordinator, Statistics and Social Development Unit, ECLAC
Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean•Mr. Nahuel Arenas Garcia, Chief, Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, UNDRR•Ms. Nadia Meredith-Hunt, Vice-President, Samoa Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Samoa

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