President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that access to affordable finance is a question of justice for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The president said this while delivering his opening remarks as co-chair at the Interactive Dialogue "Revitalizing SIDS’ Economies for Accelerated and Sustainable Growth", at the fourth International Conference on SIDS, being held in Antigua and Barbuda.

Stressing that SIDS face several obstacles including external shocks, climate change impacts, inadequate financing, and unsustainable debt, President Muizzu praised the resilience of SIDS despite these challenges.

As such, he noted that this shows their ability to thrive amidst adversity.

Further noting that the Covid-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of the vulnerability of SIDS economies to external shocks, the president shed light on the need for accelerated and sustainable growth for SIDS to transition to middle-income status and develop further.

President Muizzu shed light on the significance of building productive and state capacity and emphasized the critical need to build human capital and mobilize resources.

In addition to this, the president stressed the need for capacity building, partnerships, advocacy, and strategic planning.

He also shed light on the experience of the government’s efforts towards disaster preparedness and its success in sustainable tourism.

President Muizzu described financing as a central challenge for SIDS and stressed the need for affordable and accessible financing for development.

Further, he stated that access for affordable financing, is a question of justice for SIDS.

Alongside Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering of the Republic of Finland Anders Adlercreutz, President Muizzu is a co-chair of the dialogue.

It was the first of five interactive dialogues in the SIDS conference being held in Antigua and Barbuda.