Geneva, 12 May 2025 – Over 50 representatives from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are gathering at the Palais des Nations in Geneva for the first in-person ISLANDS Forum to strengthen sound management of chemicals and waste in these uniquely vulnerable nations.
In the wake of the 2025 Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (2025 BRS COPs), the two-day forum opens dedicated space for SIDS-to-SIDS exchange. It will showcase emerging solutions and demonstrated strategies for targeted action on chemicals and waste.
“Small island states are on the frontline of pollution and waste challenges — and they are also leading the charge in innovation,” said Anil Sookdeo, Chemicals and Waste Focal Area Coordinator at the Global Environment Facility (GEF). “Through ISLANDS, we are fostering SIDS-to-SIDS cooperation, building lasting capacity, scaling solutions, and ensuring that the knowledge created today drives sustainable progress for years to come.”
The ISLANDS Forum will focus on priority areas crucial to SIDS: stronger policies, technical solutions, public-private partnerships and sustainable financing. Experts will share best practices for managing e-waste and end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), controlling hazardous waste flows, and attracting private investment for long-term waste management solutions.
Building A Global ISLANDS Community of Practice
The ISLANDS Forum marks the midpoint of the Implementing Sustainable Low and Non-Chemical Development in Small Island Developing States (ISLANDS) Programme, a major global initiative to support SIDS across the Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian, and Pacific Oceans to better manage hazardous chemicals and waste and deliver on their commitments under the BRS Conventions.
ISLANDS is fostering new pathways for cooperation and knowledge exchange within the SIDS chemical and waste community of practice. Partnerships forged during this event will enhance SIDS' ability to face their unique environmental challenges while supporting the creation of sustainable, long-term solutions that will benefit the global community. This collaborative approach drives scalable, sustainable outcomes, ensuring long-term impact in SIDS communities.
Making blueprints for sustainable chemicals and waste management in SIDS
A dynamic range of case studies will showcase how SIDS are implementing practical, scalable solutions to manage hazardous chemicals and waste. These stories highlight national innovation and regional collaboration, offering valuable lessons for replication in other island contexts and beyond.
Among the highlights is Mauritius’ Interim Hazardous Waste Storage Facility, established with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which enables the safe storage, packaging, labeling and export of hazardous materials to certified facilities abroad—an approach that proved critical during the 2020 Wakashio oil spill.
In the Pacific, the Moana Taka Partnership—developed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in collaboration with Swire Shipping—leverages empty cargo return routes to transport eligible waste streams free-of-charge from island countries, easing logistical and environmental pressures.
From the Caribbean, BCRC-Caribbean will present lessons learned from executing multiple projects under a harmonised approach with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), IDB and UNEP, emphasising policy coordination and regional synergies.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will showcase its Caribbean Incubator Facility, which mobilises financial support to strengthen policy and regulatory frameworks and channels public and private financing to support scalable solutions through technical assistance and investment grants.
“For over two decades, the IDB has partnered with the GEF to bring innovative and impactful environmental solutions to Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Alfredo Rihm, Senior Solid Waste Specialist at IDB. “By combining concessional resources with our technical expertise and financing instruments, we help countries advance sustainable development in critical areas such as solid waste management. This partnership reflects our mission to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean—by supporting governments and the private sector in scaling solutions that protect ecosystems, strengthen communities, and foster long-term resilience.”
ISLANDS in Action: High-level panel
A high-level panel will formally close the Forum, featuring outside voices with expertise on e-waste, ELVs and highly hazardous waste. It will be broadcast live on UN Web TV and on gefislands.org
Looking ahead in the ISLANDS Programme, two pilot projects are set to launch in 2025 in partnership with Carnival Cruise Line, to improve plastic waste management from cruise ships in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. The pilots will test practical solutions to reduce marine plastic pollution. They will strengthen waste segregation, collection, and recycling at ports and in nearby communities.
For more information and to watch the closing panel livestream, visit: gefislands/events/islands-forum-2025/
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About ISLANDS
The Implementing Sustainable Low and Non-Chemical Development in Small Island Developing States (ISLANDS) Programme is a $515-million, five-year initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility, supporting 33 Small Island Developing States in four regions - the Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian and Pacific - to improve chemicals and waste management in their territories. ISLANDS is led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the Inter-American Development Bank.
About UNEP
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations
About the Global Environment Facility
The Global Environment Facility is the largest multilateral fund working to enable developing countries to invest in nature. It supports the implementation of international environmental conventions on biodiversity, climate change, chemicals, and desertification. Since 1991, it has provided more than $21.7 billion in grants and blended finance and mobilized an additional $119 billion in co-financing for more than 5,000 projects and programmes.
About the GGKP
The Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP) is a global network of experts and organizations dedicated to providing the policy, business and finance communities with knowledge, guidance, data and tools to transition to an inclusive green economy. GGKP executes the ISLANDS Coordination, Communications and Knowledge Management (CCKM) child project, which is designed to help foster knowledge-sharing, communication, and peer learning across the ISLANDS Programme.
MEDIA CONTACT: Elena Chernysheva, ISLANDS Communications, elena.chernysheva@un.org
