GDI helps small island states' wellbeing

Small island developing states (SIDS) face unique social, economic and environmental problems. The United Nations has identified 57 small island developing states, which are divided into three regions: the Caribbean; the Pacific; and the Atlantic and Indian oceans and the South China Sea. Generally, these countries are small in terms of territory, have weak agricultural and industrial foundations, are heavily reliant on a few industries such as tourism and fisheries, and are less resilient to natural disasters. Also, they heavily depend on international trade and long-distance shipping for food and basic necessities, while their transportation, energy and communication costs are high.

It is because of these factors that the SIDS face various development challenges.

With the exacerbation of the impacts of climate change, the plight of the SIDS has attracted increasing attention from the international community. The SIDS were defined as a special group of developing countries at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in June 1992.And the Barbados Programme of Action in 1994, the Mauritius Strategy in 2005 and the Samoa Pathway in 2014 have all been committed to assisting the SIDS in achieving sustainable development.

Challenges in implementing United Nations' 2030 Agenda

The SIDS, in particular, face challenges in implementing the 2030 Agenda. In general, among the SIDS, the Sustainable Development Goal Indices of the Pacific and Caribbean island states are significantly lower than the world average, and many Pacific island countries are among the countries with the largest gap in the SDGs.

According to UN reports, in 2019, one-fourth of the residents of Pacific island countries were living below the basic needs poverty line, and the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a severe blow to the island countries that are heavily reliant on tourism as a pillar industry. In 2020, while the average GDP of developing countries decreased by 3.3 percent, the SIDS witnessed a GDP decline of about 9 percent. In terms of food security, the Pacific and Caribbean small island developing countries are below the global average.

The greatest development challenges for the SIDS are addressing climate change and achieving green development. The SIDS account for two-thirds of the countries that suffer the highest relative losses from climate and geological disasters, with the annual loss ranging from 1 percent to 9 percent of GDP.

Furthermore, the progress of the SIDS in green energy lags behind even other developing countries. For instance, from 2015 to 2019, the average annual growth rate of renewable energy capacity per capita in the SIDS was 8.3 percent, lower than the global average of 9.5 percent for other developing countries.

GDI especially important for island states' development

It is in this context that the Global Development Initiative has gained added importance. Proposed by China, the GDI is aimed at helping the SIDS address their pressing development challenges. China has always treated the SIDS on an equal footing, and understands and values their unique needs. Over the years, China has provided the best possible assistance to these countries, especially the Pacific island countries, which face the greatest development challenges.

In 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the leaders of the Pacific island countries which had diplomatic relations with Beijing, and established a comprehensive strategic partnership based on mutual respect and joint development to promote common prosperity. Building on a solid foundation of cooperation, in October 2021, one month after President Xi proposed the GDI at the UN General Assembly, many Pacific island countries expressed their willingness to support and join this important initiative in the Joint Statement of China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting and align it with the Pacific Roadmap for Sustainable Development and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

Over the past two years, many measures have been taken under the GDI framework to address the most pressing challenges faced by the SIDS, such as food crisis, shortage of COVID-19 vaccines and pandemic-related supplies, increasing pressures of climate change, and rising poverty rates. The assistance and capacity-building measures taken include establishing the China-Pacific Island Countries Reserve of Emergency Supplies, which provides vaccines and medical supplies, as well as a cooperation center for China-Pacific island countries on climate change and the China-Pacific Island Countries Center for Disaster Risk Reduction Cooperation. Also, dialogues and exchange meetings have been held to help the Pacific island countries tackle climate change.

Steps to help island states to overcome challenges

Besides, China has called on the international community to take joint actions to cope with the short-term food crisis and help the SIDS and other vulnerable countries through the crisis.

Among the institutions established is the China-Pacific Island Countries Agriculture Cooperation and Demonstration Center, which focuses on meeting the needs of the SIDS for crop variety, fisheries and aquatic products, tropical cash crops, agricultural machinery and equipment, and intensive processing of agricultural products. Training programs for agricultural production and advanced applicable technologies have also been jointly organized.

By supporting the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation to set up a technical center in the Pacific island countries, China aims to help reduce poverty and promote green development in these countries. In Fiji, for example, China provides emergency fertilizer assistance, and is carrying out the third phase of the technical assistance project at the China-Pacific Island Countries Mycorrhizal Technology Demonstration Center.

In Cuba, China's goal of setting up a sustainable furniture production project and a commodity project is to support Cuba's poverty reduction efforts. China is also helping Antigua and Barbuda build a drug testing laboratory to better address that country's domestic drug problem and achieve healthy economic and social development.

China boosts cooperation with Latin America, Caribbean states

Moreover, the China-Caribbean Development Center was established in Shandong province to promote practical cooperation in priority areas including food security, climate change and green development. This has facilitated projects which include donation of anti-pandemic materials to the Caribbean countries and cage culture training. Beijing has also set up a China-Caribbean fund for disaster prevention and mitigation, with the first China-CELAC Ministerial Forum for Disaster Management Cooperation officially launching the China-CELAC disaster management cooperation mechanism. The China-CELAC Forum stands for the Forum of China and Community of Latin America and Caribbean States.

Looking ahead, cooperation under the GDI framework will continue to help the SIDS cope with challenges, boost development and become more resilient to climate change. To achieve sustainable development, however, the SIDS need to more clearly recognize their economic, social and environmental vulnerabilities, and make targeted efforts to bolster their resilience.

Help from the international community is essential, too. In fact, the UN General Assembly has designated a high-level panel of experts on the SIDS' multidimensional vulnerability index to design a set of standards that encompasses indicators of economic, social and environmental vulnerability and resilience, so the international community, especially multilateral financial institutions, could better understand and assist the SIDS. As for China, it has been actively participating in and supporting this process.

People-first principle evident in cooperation with island states

The GDI's principle of prioritizing development, putting people first and leaving no country or person behind is fully manifested in the cooperation between China and the SIDS. In the future, China will more closely focus on the development needs of the SIDS with tailor-made cooperation projects, and strengthen all-around cooperation with the countries through material assistance, project cooperation, knowledge exchange and capacity building under multilateral and bilateral frameworks.

Indeed, China's assistance and economic cooperation have always been aimed at helping the SIDS boost their self-development capability.

In addition, China is also increasing imports from the small island developing states and expanding investment in those countries, and thus creating new opportunities for them to share in China's development. As such, the GDI will lead all parties to focus on development and carry out practical cooperation in order to address pressing challenges and improve long-term capacity building to achieve sustainable development, making new contributions to the SIDS' efforts to realize the SDGs.

The author is a member of the High Level Panel of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, the United Nations.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.