A landmark new initiative designed to unlock sustainable economic progress for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) has officially launched this week in Malé, Maldives, bringing together cross-border stakeholders from around the globe.
The Island Investment Forum (IIF), the flagship program of the newly established SIDS Centre of Excellence, was established through a collaborative partnership between the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and the Maldives, alongside the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). The launch forms a core part of the 2026 SIDS Global Business Network Forum, a three-day gathering that draws to a close today, packed with policy discussions, investment showcases, and networking opportunities for participants from more than 30 nations.
Operating under the guiding theme “Innovative and Inclusive Partnerships for a Sustainable and Resilient Future,” the IIF is focused on expanding trade, accelerating inclusive investment, and driving intentional economic development across SIDS, while forging stronger connections between public sector bodies, private enterprises, and global impact investors. The forum’s launch marks a critical milestone in advancing the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), a landmark 10-year development framework collectively adopted by SIDS to guide collective action. Antigua and Barbuda has been at the forefront of building institutional support for ABAS implementation, including leading the creation of the SIDS Centre of Excellence that hosts the IIF.
Walton Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations, emphasized that the new forum fills a critical gap, turning global commitments to SIDS development into measurable, on-the-ground outcomes. “This platform creates space to connect SIDS with global investors and development partners, while nurturing the long-term collaborations needed to build truly resilient, self-sustaining island economies,” Webson stated. “We are proud to see this mechanism formalized through the SIDS Centre of Excellence, and we look forward to building on the momentum generated here in the Maldives to deliver tangible investment and development results for SIDS across the globe,” he added, noting that the launch is only the first step in an ongoing process of engagement, partnership building, and streamlined investment facilitation for small island nations.
More than 200 stakeholders attended the inaugural forum, representing a diverse cross-section of groups including government delegations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), global investment firms, business associations, civil society organizations, and academic researchers. The event’s agenda featured high-level expert panels, a dedicated MSME marketplace to highlight small island business opportunities, and targeted investment matching sessions. Key discussion topics spanned the core pillars of building resilient island economies, spanning trade expansion, inclusive investment strategy, digital transformation and artificial intelligence adoption, sustainable tourism development, renewable energy transition, MSME growth, innovative financing mechanisms, and just sustainable economic transformation.
Looking ahead, the SIDS Centre of Excellence will continue to collaborate with national governments, investors, private enterprises, and development partners to expand on the momentum built at the Maldives launch, positioning the IIF as a practical, action-oriented platform for investment and collaboration across all SIDS. For the global small island development community, the launch of the IIF is not an endpoint for advocacy and planning — it is the official start of a long-term collective effort to deliver durable, inclusive prosperity for vulnerable island nations around the world.