“Natural disasters and climate change continue to pose the most significant threats to SIDS [small island developing states’] development and even their existence, while continuing to impose profound economic and social costs on SIDS,” Msgr. Robert Murphy, Deputy Permanent Observer of the Holy See’s mission to the UN, said on July 11 at a UN conference.
“Therefore, climate action, capacity building for disaster risk reduction, and environmental protection must be at the center of development programs designed to support SIDS,” he added.