NB: Hurricane Melissa cast a very long shadow over the final months of 2025 and will continue to do so for Jamaicans as they rebuild their country. If you would like to support those efforts, you can make a donation to the government’s relief fund here. 

Featuring:

o   Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI Global

o   Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield

o   Courtney Lindsay | RESI Director and Senior Research Officer at ODI Global

o   Gail Hurley | RESI Director and Development Finance Expert

o   George Carter | RESI Director and Deputy Head of Department of Pacific Affairs/Director of Pacific Institute, Australian National University

o   Jack Corbett | RESI Director and Head of School of Social Sciences, Monash University

o   Rachid Bouiha | RESI Director and Economic Affairs Officer, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Resources:

o   Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)

o   Our RESI book | Sustaining Development in Small Islands

o   Courtney’s AI report | Engines of Growth: Building Knowledge Economies in SIDS

o   Another AI blog | Why SIDS need to act quickly on AI

o   The documentary mentioned by Courtney | Life and Debt

o   Hurricane Melissa op-ed | Climate disasters will send many countries into a debt spiral – but there’s a way out  

o   Matt and Courtney’s Jamica debt report | Breaking the Cycle of Debt in Jamaica

o   The full RESI Debt Project (multiple papers) | Breaking the Cycle of Debt in SIDS

o   Our Global Voices piece from last year | Why small islands need their own Marshall Plan

o   Gail and Emily’s work on debt service costs | Tackling the cost of capital in small vulnerable nations

o   Gail and Emily’s work on oceans | Turning the tide: enhancing ocean equity for SIDS

o   Emily’s op-ed on UN climate negotiations | Why small climate-vulnerable island states punch well above their weight in UN climate talks

o   Emily’s piece on climate justice | Tides of justice: how SIDS are redefining the fight against climate change

o   Our work on capacity building | Fit for size: rethinking capacity strengthening in SIDS

o   Our work on the FfD4 process | Leveraging the Sevilla Commitment in favour of SIDS

o   Emily’s work on anticipatory action finance | Bracing for Impact: a Caribbean blueprint

o   Our work on geopolitical competition | Geopolitical competition, bilateral aid, and the collective interests of SIDS

o   Short trailer for Emily’s new documentary | Climate Blueprint: Barbados

o   George’s work on oceanic diplomacy | Reasserting indigenous pathways

o   Rachid’s work on productive capacities | Stronger and greener productive capacities for just transitions in Caribbean SIDS

o   SIDS Future Forum 2026 | Wilton Park Website

o   UN SIDS Partnership Awards 2025 | Partnership Brief

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In this episode, Matt and Emily are joined by COP30 attendees—including AOSIS’ Climate Change Advisor and Fiji’s Chief Negotiator—to take listeners inside the negotiating rooms. They unpack the pressures of COP’s relentless schedule, reflect on small island wins and sticking points, and explore why keeping COP climate negotiations on the global agenda is key for small islands’ survival. As attention turns to COP31, the conversation looks ahead to how small islands can build alliances and sharpen their strategy in the race to keep global temperatures under 1.5 degrees.

Episode features:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI Global
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Simon Stiell | Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC
• Soleil Parkinson | Conservationist and COP30 Youth Ambassador, Cayman Islands
• Tiffany Van Ravenswaay | Climate Change Advisor for AOSIS
• Sivendra Michael | Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Fiji
• Carola Klöck | Associate Professor at Sciences-Po, Paris
• George Carter | Senior Fellow and Deputy Head of the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University, and RESI Co-Director

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• RESI at COP30 | https://odi.org/en/events/watch-live-from-cop30-the-world-film-premiere-of-climate-blueprint-barbados
• RESI briefing paper: Keeping the International Court of Justice advisory opinion alive at COP30 and beyond.
• UN Climate Change | Simon Steill's closing speech at COP30
• The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Letter to the COP30 Presidency | https://www.aosis.org/aosis-letter-to-cop30-presidency/
• AOSIS NDC Report | Ahead of COP30, New NDC Synthesis Report Reveals Dangerous Delay on Global Climate Action
• SDG News | Live at COP30: Fiji’s Chief Negotiator Sivendra Michael Warns Fossil Fuel Language Has Fallen Out of the MutiRão Text

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In this episode, Emily and Matt speak to a number of experts grappling with these kinds of questions. In our "Island Voices" segment Kunal Singh from Fiji talks about the impact of AI on climate finance. We then break down the issue with Preeya Mohan from Trinidad and Courtney Lindsay from Jamaica in our “Explainer”. Next, in the “Big Picture” we speak to Külli Sarapuu, from Estonia, and Donald Baldeosingh from Trinidad, two people who are grappling with the public policy implications of digitalisation. Finally, in “No Stupid Questions”, Emily and Matt ask whether the risks of AI are overstated by critics.

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI Global
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Kunal Singh | Climate Finance Access Network (CFAN) Advisor, Pacific Community (SPC)
• Preeya Mohan | Senior Fellow, Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, University of the West Indies
• Courtney Lindsay | RESI Director and Senior Research Officer, ODI Global
• Külli Sarapuu | Associate Professor, Tallinn University of Technology
• Donald Baldeosingh | Founder, Carbon Zero Institute of Trinidad and Tobago

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• Kunal’s LinkedIn page| Kunal Singh
• Preeya and Courtney’s report | Engines of Growth: Building Knowledge Economies in SIDS
• Another blog they wrote with Emily | Why SIDS need to act quickly on AI
• Preeya’s university webpage | Dr Preeya Mohan
• Donald’s CZITT webpage | Carbon Zero Institute of T&T
• Külli’s university webpage | Dr Külli Sarapuu
• An important UN report | Small Island Digital States

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Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI Global
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Odo Tevi | Permanent Representative of Vanuatu to the United Nations
• Shiv Shankar | Tuvalu Ambassador for Oceans and Climate Change, Special Envoy to The Commonwealth, and Permanent Representative to UNESCO and the UNFCC
• Bryce Rudyk | Director, International Environmental Law Program, New York University and Senior Legal Advisor to the AOSIS Chair
• Nadia Sánchez Castillo-Winckels | Founder and Director, Climate Legal Consulting
• Coral Pasisi | Director of Climate Change and Sustainability, Pacific Community
• Francesco Sindico | Professor International Law, University of Strathclyde, and Co-Director of C2LI

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• ICJ Opinion | Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change
• Emily, Matt and Nadia’s op-ed | Why a chain of tiny Pacific islands wants an international court opinion on responsibility for the climate crisis
• Odo’s homepage | Ambassador Odo Tevi on LinkedIn
• Shiv’s homepage | Ambassador Shiv Shankar on LinkedIn
• Nadia’s homepage with links to readings | Nadia Sánchez Castillo-Winckels
• Bryce’s homepage with links to readings | Bryce Rudyk at NYU
• Coral’s homepage | Coral Pasisi at SPC
• Francesco’s Book | Research Handbook on Climate Change Litigation
• C2LI Website | Climate Change Legal Initiative

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Matt and Emily – with RESI colleague, Gail Hurley – reflect on the UN Oceans Conference in Nice, June 2025. We ask whether socially responsible investment can unlock new money for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and share powerful stories of islands and investors revolutionizing ocean protection through innovative financing. 

In Island Voices, Karuna Rana from Mauritius explains why local solutions are key to overcoming investment “ticket size.” In the Explainer, Gail unpacks what impact investing is and why it matters. In the Big Picture, Yabanex Batista (Global Fund for Coral Reefs), Melissa Walsh (Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance), and Hervé Lallement-Moe (Government of French Polynesia) discuss impact investing and the implications of UNOC3. Finally, in No Stupid Questions, Matt, Emily, and Gail ask how impact investing can support SIDS’ policy priorities. 

 Featuring: 

• Emily Wilkinson | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI Global
• Matthew Bishop | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield 
• Gail Hurley | RESI Director and Development Finance Expert 
• Karuna Rana | Director, Big Ocean States Initiative (BOSI) 
• Yabanex Batista | Deputy Director, Global Fund for Coral Reefs, United Nations Capital Development Fund
• Melissa Walsh Director | Director, Blue Finance & Scaling, Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) 
• Hervé Lallemant-Moe | Digital Economy Directorate, Government of French Polynesia 

Resources: 

• Programme page (RESI)
• UNOC Declaration | Our ocean, our future: united for urgent action 
• RESI work on ocean equity | Turning the tide: enhancing ocean equity for SIDS 
• Karuna’s profile |Karuna Rana on LinkedIn 
• BOSI website | Big Ocean States Initiative 
• Yabanex’s profile | Yabanex Batista on LinkedIn 
• Melissa’s profile | Dr Melissa Walsh at OORRAA 
• Hervé’s profile | Hervé Lallement-Moe on LinkedIn 

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In “Island Voices”, Darenthea Sweeney from Montserrat and Gregory Adams from the British Virgin Islands describe the lasting social effects of disasters. As a disaster management expert, Emily breaks it down for us in the 'Explainer'. Then, three academics – Adom Philogene Heron, Farah Nibbs and Gemma Sou – share how they work with communities affected by disasters to tell their own stories and push back against outside narratives. Finally, in “No Stupid Questions” Matt and Emily discuss whether anyone can ever truly prepare for a disaster on the scale faced by many small islands. 

Featuring: 

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI 
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield 
• Darenthea Sweeney | Schoolteacher and Climate Justice Leader, Montserrat 
• Gregory Adams | Chief Planner, Government of the Virgin Islands 
• Adom Philogene Heron | Lecturer in Visual Anthropology, University of Bristol, UK 
• Farah Nibbs | Assistant Professor, Emergency and Disaster Health Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, United States 
• Gemma Sou | Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, Monash University, Australia 

Resources: 

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI) 
• Emily’s documentary | Climate Blueprint: Dominica 
• Adom’s university webpage | Dr Adom Philogene Heron 
• Farah’s university webpage | Dr Farah Nibbs 
• Adam and Farah’s project | Surviving Storms: Caribbean Cyclone Cartography 
• Gemma’s university webpage | Dr Gemma Sou 
• Gemma’s personal webpage | www.gemmasou.com 
• RESI research on loss and damage | The price of a changing climate | Calculating loss and damage from extreme weather events | The costs of inaction | Barriers to addressing climate-related loss and damage 

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Featuring:

• Mtima Solwazi - Trinidad’s Roots Foundation on guiding disenfranchised youths away from illicit activities.
• Adam Baird, a leading gang expert who has pioneered a “masculinities” approach to anti-violence interventions throughout Latin America and the Caribbean
• Rivke Jaffe, an Amsterdam-based academic who has written extensively about Jamaica’s “Dons”
• Dylan Kerrigan, who has spent two decades working on myriad community peacebuilding projects across the Port of Spain.

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• Mtima in the media | The impact of the USAID cuts on anti-crime programs
• Mtima’s videos and promos | Roots Foundation YouTube page
• Adam’s book | From South Central to Southside
• Adam's recent UNIDIR paper | Focusing on men to reduce global armed violence
• Adam on the Common Ground podcast | Chronic vulnerability and violence in Belize
• Rivke’s book | The Rule of Dons
• Rivke’s University of Amsterdam webpage | Professor Rivke Jaffe
• Dylan’s personal website with all of his writings | www.dylankerrigan.com
• Adam, Matt and Dylan’s papers | Breaking Bad: Gangs, Masculinities and Murder in Trinidad and How do gangs mediate ‘residual violence’ to sustain Trinidad’s homicide boom?

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Guests:

• William Waqavakatoga
• Professor Joanne Wallis
• Professor Jack Corbett
• Professor W. Andy Knight
• Professor Xiaotong Zhang
• Ali Naseer Mohamed, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the United Nations

Resources:

• Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• Sustaining Development in Small Islands: Climate Change, Geopolitical Security and the Permissive Liberal Order
• Geopolitical competition, bilateral aid, and the collective interests of Small Island Developing States
• Ordering the Islands? Pacific Responses to China's Strategic Narratives
• Power and Influence in the Pacific Islands Understanding Statecraftiness
• Small States, Mutual Respect and the Future of the Multilateral System
• Economic threats loom for Caribbean nations in Trump 2.0
• New Economic Statecraft: China, the US and EU
• China’s Modern Economic Statecraft: A Wealth-Power Dialectic
• Geopolitical Competition in the International System  

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Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director & Principal Research Fellow at ODI Global
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director & Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Olivia Losbar | Journalist at Radio Caraïbe International (RCI) Guadeloupe
• Emma Tompkins | Professor of Environment, Geography and Development at the University of Southampton
• Legena Henry | Lecturer in Renewable Energy at the University of the West Indies and CEO of Rum and Sargassum Inc.

Resources:

• Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• 2nd EU-Caribbean Gateway Conference on Sargassum
• How sargassum causes chaos in the Caribbean
• Professor Emma Tompkins
• Sustainable Sargassum Management
• Rum and Sargassum Inc.
• Sargassum as an alternative transportation fuel

Listen and subscribe to Small Islands Big Picture on: Acast, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts and Spotify

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We hear from Gabrielle Hemmings, a Jamaican reparations activist in “Island Voices”. We then move on to an extended panel discussion in “The Big Picture” with three eminent experts: Verene Shepherd, Professor Emerita at the University of the West Indies and erstwhile Director of its Centre for Reparation Research, outgoing Chair (and current Vice Chair) of the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and Vice-Chair of the CARICOM Reparations Commission; Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University and author of Reconsidering Reparations; and Emma Christopher, Associate Professor of History at the University of New South Wales, and author of Slave Ship Sailors and Their Cargoes and Many Middle Passages.

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• CHOGM Samoa 2024 Communiqué | Leaders' Statement and Declarations on 'One Resilient Common Future'
• CARICOM Reparations Commission | Ten Point Plan
• Verene’s UWI Profile listing many of her books | Verene A. Shepherd
• Verene and Gabrielle’s recent book | Introduction to Reparation for Secondary Schools
• Verene’s recent UNESCO piece | The Caribbean Calls for Restorative Justice
• Verene’s 2019 Keynote Address | Capitalism and Slavery as a Handbook for Reparations
• Femi’s website with links to his writing | Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò
• A virtual public lecture by Femi | Reconsidering Reparations
• Emma’s UNSW profile with links to her writing | Emma Christopher
• Emma’s Documentary | They Are We

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Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI Global
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Alicia Nicholls | Trade Policy Expert from Barbados
• Michael Jacobs | Professor of Political Economy, University of Sheffield, and Visiting Senior Fellow, ODI Global
• Pep Bardouille | Director of the Bridgetown Initiative and Special Adviser on Climate Resilience, Barbados Prime Minister's Office

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• Official website | The Bridgetown Initiative 3.0
• Michael’s recent ODI Piece | The New Development and Climate Finance Agenda
• Michael’s accompanying report|International development and climate finance: the new agenda
• Our forthcoming book | Sustaining Development in Small Islands
• Our report on loss and damage | The price of a changing climate: extreme weather and economic loss and damage in SIDS
• Our report on poverty | Islands at the Edge: How climate shocks shape poverty in SIDS
• Our Conversation Piece | Extreme weather has already cost vulnerable island nations US$141 billion—or about US$2,000 per person
• RESI Brochure | Towards a New Knowledge Architecture for SIDS
• Our T20 policy brief | Financing Resilient Prosperity in SIDS
• Another T20 policy brief by our friends in Barbados | An Inclusive Agenda for SIDS at the G20

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We hear from Rosie Macinnes, from the remote Scottish island of Raasay, in “Island Voices”. Anne-Sophie Vivier, a key figure in Vanuatu’s ICJ initiative, joins us for our “Explainer” to demystify the process. In “The Big Picture”, we hear from three legal experts – Zachary Phillips from the government of Antigua and Barbuda, Kate McKenzie of the Climate Change Legal Initiative (C2LI), and Francesco Sindico of the University of Strathclyde – who talk us through various dimensions of the climate litigation panorama. Finally, in “No Stupid Questions”, Matt and Emily ask whether we can really attribute responsibility for climate change to individual countries or firms.

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In this episode, Emily and Matt review the conference, bringing to life the event’s atmosphere, discussing key highlights, and – crucially – asking “What now needs to happen for the ABAS to be successful over the next decade?”.

In “Island Voices”, Naya Sena provides a civil society perspective on SIDS4. In the “Explainer”, Margot St John-Sebastian talks through the negotiating process that produced the ABAS. In “The Big Picture”, Sai Navoti, Rebecca Fabrizi and Tumasie Blair reflect separately on their conference highlights.

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Naya Sena | Researcher, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo
• Margot St John-Sebastian | Lead Negotiator, AOSIS
• Sai Navoti | Chief of the SIDS Unit, UNDESA
• Rebecca Fabrizi | UK Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Envoy and Head of the Caribbean and SIDS Department at FCDO
• Tumasie Blair | Deputy Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN

Resources

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• SIDS4 Communiqué | The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) – A Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity
• SIDS4 Policy brief | A global bargain for resilient prosperity in SIDS
• Future Forum Report | Shaping the Future of Small Island Developing States
• Global Voices piece | Why small islands need their own Marshall Plan
• RESI Debt Project | Breaking the Cycle of Debt in SIDS
• Conversation piece | Debt-disaster-debt: hurricane-damaged islands are being saddled with loans they cannot afford
• Guardian piece | Caribbean leaders call for ‘Marshall plan’ to help rebuild after Hurricane Beryl

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In this episode of "Small Islands Big Picture", Emily and Matt try to chart a path between these two positions, asking “What is new – and blue – about the Blue Economy discourse? Why have some SIDS and international organisations embraced it so enthusiastically? Are there dangers in advocating for and pursuing it? And how it might be deployed to generate wealth through conservation, rather than exploitation of oceanic resources?”.

In “Island Voices” we hear from Karuna Rana of the Big Ocean States Initiative in Mauritius who advocates using blue innovation to support community development. For our “Explainer”, Liam Saddington of Cambridge University demystifies the Blue Economy concept and discusses some of his research in the Seychelles. The “Big Picture” welcomes Nicole Leotaud from the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) in Trinidad and Tobago to hear how civil society visions of socially and ecologically sound “blueing” are being advanced. Finally, in “No Stupid Questions”, Matt and Emily ask, “Is the Blue Economy really that novel, or just old wine in new bottles?”.

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Karuna Rana | Director, Big Ocean States Initiative (BOSI)
• Liam Saddington | Teaching Associate, University of Cambridge
• Nicole Leotaud | Director, Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• Karuna’s Future Forum Paper | Closing the blue funding gap: How can SIDS mobilise a blue innovation fund for community development?
• Liam’s Geoforum Paper | Geopolitical imaginaries in climate and ocean governance: Seychelles and the Blue Economy
• CANARI’s SIDS4 Report | The Caribbean we want: Civil Society recommendations for transformative pathways to Caribbean sustainable development

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In this episode of Small Islands Big Picture, Emily and Matt explore the proliferation of these schemes, asking, ‘If all states – including the very wealthiest – have them, why do smaller states seem to be under the greatest surveillance?’. They discuss the long-term sustainability of these schemes, where the money they generate is going, examples of good practice, and how the international community can support SIDS to ensure they continue to profit from CBI/RBI schemes while also strengthening their governance.

In “Island Voices”, we hear from CEO of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, Tina Urso. In the “Explainer”, Matt and Emily discuss the different kinds of CBI/RBI schemes that exist around the world. Dr Dan Hammett and Dr Owen Parker join “The Big Picture” to discuss why the CBI and RBI industry is booming, and why Brussels is increasingly uneasy about it. Finally, in “No Stupid Questions”, Matt and Emily ask, “If CBI and RBI schemes are so problematic, why does the international community not simply ban them?”.

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Senior Research Fellow at ODI
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Tina Urso | CEO, The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, Malta
• Dan Hammett | Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Sheffield
• Owen Parker | Senior Lecturer in European Politics, University of Sheffield

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• Investigative Journalism from Malta | The Daphne Project
• Dan and Owen's SIDS Future Forum paper | Sovereignty sales, economic revitalisation and inclusive development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
• Dan Presenting on CBI Schemes | Session 1 (Resilient Economies) at SIDS Future Forum

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In this episode of "Small Islands, Big Picture", Emily and Matt discuss: why SIDS are so dependent on shipping; how these small states are experiencing recent transformations in inter-island and international maritime industries; and whether changing patterns of ownership and control, multilateral governance of the high seas, or technological innovation – for example, through Artificial Intelligence – represent positive or concerning developments for SIDS.

In “Island Voices”, Viliame Kasanawaqa talks about the importance of sea connectivity to Pacific nations. In the “Explainer” section, Professor Liam Campling, co-author of the prize-winning book Capitalism and the Sea, discusses why SIDS are so vulnerable to corporate concentration in the global shipping industry. In “The Big Picture”, Captain Orlando Allard tells us how small states have done much to shape global maritime governance. Finally, in “No Stupid Questions” Matt and Emily answer “Why don’t SIDS just set up their own shipping lines to reduce dependence on the global shipping lines?".

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Senior Research Fellow at ODI
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Viliame Kasanawaqa | RESI Affiliate and Director of ShipWrecked Lab, Fiji
• Liam Campling | Professor of International Business, Queen Mary University of London
• Captain Orlando Allard | Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Universidad Santa Maria La Antigua, Panama and Former Panamanian Ambassador to the International Maritime Organization

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• SIDS Future Forum | Recordings of Future Forum sessions at Island Innovation
• Liam’s Book | Capitalism and the Sea (Verso, 2021, co-authored with Alejandro Colás)

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SIDS4 is the most important of these decennial conferences so far, taking place at a critical juncture in the global context and at an especially challenging time for small island states. Consequently, Emily and Matt devote the entirety of this episode to a roundtable discussion with three key protagonists in the SIDS4 process:

1. Tumasie Blair, Antigua-Barbuda’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN
2. Ambassador Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr Pa'olelei Luteru of Samoa, Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and Permanent Representative of Samoa (the 2014 host state)
3. Dr Simona Marinescu, Senior Advisor on SIDS at the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

The episode explores what will happen at SIDS4, how the agenda has been developed, and in which policy areas SIDS will make the biggest demands of the international community. Looking ahead to the new 10-year agenda that will replace The SAMOA Pathway, Emily and Matt ask 'What can we expect from the Antigua-Barbuda Accord for SIDS (ABAS) 2024-34?' and, crucially, 'How will it deliver genuinely “resilient prosperity"?'.

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Senior Research Fellow at ODI
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr Pa'olelei Luteru | AOSIS Chair and Permanent Representative of Samoa to the UN
• Tumasie Blair | Deputy Permanent Representative of Antigua-Barbuda to the UN
• Simona Marinescu | Senior Advisor on SIDS, UNOPS

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• RESI policy brief | A Global Bargain for Resilient Prosperity in SIDS
• SIDS4 website | 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States
• RESI summary on SIDS4 preparatory process | Preparatory meetings for the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States: participation, priorities and outcomes
• SIDS Future Forum information | ODI webpage
• Register to attend the SIDS Future Forum | Island Innovation’s website

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In “Island Voices”, Rachid Bouhia talks about how better international support is critical for alleviating debt. In the “Explainer” section, Gail Hurley – who specialises in the finance challenges of SIDS – provides 10 reasons why debt is so pressing, but also why we should remain hopeful and continue pushing for global change. In “The Big Picture”, Enrico Gaveglia and Shakira Mustapha discuss the challenges of alleviating debt burdens on the ground. Finally, in “No Stupid Questions”, Matt and Emily answer ‘Why is the issue of debt in SIDS not as simple as just paying down the debt?’.

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Senior Research Fellow, ODI
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer, University of Sheffield
• Rachid Bouhia | RESI Director and Economic Affairs Officer, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• Gail Hurley | Independent Advisor and Senior Researcher on Debt and Development Finance
• Enrico Gaveglia | Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Maldives
• Shakira Mustapha | Research Lead at the Centre for Disaster Protection

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• RESI policy brief | A global bargain for resilient prosperity in Small Island Developing States
• SIDS4 website | Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States
• Emily and Rachid’s blog | Small-Island Developing States need urgent support to avoid debt defaults
• Emily and Kanni Wignaraja’s Project Syndicate article | Credit Ratings and Climate Chaos
• Shakira’s paper | Innovations in sovereign debt: taking debt pause clauses to scale

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Ian Fry explains why sea-level rise is such a multifaceted problem. In "Island Voices", Dr Michelle Scobie talks about the critical role of environmental governance. In “The Big Picture”, Dr Tammy Tabe and Professor Jon Barnett talk us through why conventional responses to sea-level rise – such as resettling people – often ignore the desires and adaptation plans of island communities. In "No Stupid Questions", Matt and Emily ask "How might the world better cope with climate-induced migration?".

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Senior Research Fellow at ODI
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Dr Michelle Scobie | RESI Co-Director, Senior Lecturer in International Law and Global Environmental Governance at the University of the West Indies, and Advisor at the Commonwealth Secretariat
• Ian Fry | UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change
• Dr Tammy Tabe | Oceania Research Fellow at the East-West Center
• Professor Jon Barnett | Professor and Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow at the School of Geography, Melbourne University

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• RESI policy brief | A global bargain for resilient prosperity in Small Island Developing States
• Conversation blog | Why a chain of tiny Pacific islands wants an international court opinion
• Ian’s papers on climate litigation | Legal options to protect human rights of displaced persons and Promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change
• Emily’s documentary | Climate Blueprint: Dominica

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In "Island Voices", we hear from Dr Genève Phillip, Interim Provost and Vice-President of Academic Affairs at the University College of the Cayman Islands. In "The Big Picture", we have two guests: Benito Wheatley, Special Envoy of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) Government and Professor Peter Clegg, Head of the School of Social Sciences at the University of the West of England. Finally, in No Stupid Questions, Emily and Matt ask 'Why are non-sovereign territories not becoming independent?'.

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Senior Research Fellow at ODI
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Jack Corbett | RESI Co-Director and Head of the School of Social Sciences at Monash University in Australia
• Genève Phillip | Interim Provost and Vice-President of Academic Affairs at the University College of the Cayman Islands
• Benito Wheatley | Special Envoy of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) Government
• Professor Peter Clegg | Head of the School of Social Sciences at the University of the West of England

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• Peter's report | Global Britain, contested spaces, and the UK Overseas Territories

“Small Islands, Big Picture” is a new podcast from the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI) and ODI which will shine a spotlight on the unique challenges and remarkable resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) around the world. Hosts - and RESI directors – Dr Emily Wilkinson and Dr Matthew Bishop will be joined by expert guests from the Caribbean, Pacific and beyond to discuss the political, economic, social and environmental issues facing SIDS today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Senior Research Fellow, ODI
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer, University of Sheffield
• Gaston Browne | Prime Minister of Antigua-Barbuda and Co-Chair, UN High-Level Panel on the MVI
• Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr Pa'olelei Luteru | Permanent Respresentative of Samoa, UN High-Level Panel on the MVI
• Theresa Meki | Department of Pacific Affairs, Australian National University
• George Carter | RESI Co-director and Department of Pacific Affairs, Australian National University

Resources:

• ODI event | Putting the Glasgow Climate Pact into action: accounting for vulnerability
• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• Policy brief | A global bargain for resilient prosperity in Small Island Developing States
• UN website | Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

“Small Islands, Big Picture” is a new podcast from The Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI) and ODI which will shine a spotlight on the unique challenges and remarkable resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) around the world. Hosts - and RESI directors – Dr Emily Wilkinson and Dr Matthew Bishop will be joined by expert guests from the Caribbean, Pacific and beyond to discuss the political, economic, social and environmental issues facing SIDS today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first episode, Emily and Matt explain the ways in which SIDS are some of the most distinctive societies on earth – and why a podcast that helps to amplify SIDS' voices is needed. In "Island Voices", Courtney Lindsay explains why the RESI programme is important. In "The Big Picture", Michai Robertson speaks from behind the scenes at the Bonn Climate Conference. In "No Stupid Questions", Emily and Matt debunk the all-too prevalent myth that many SIDS are not deserving of international aid.

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Senior Research Fellow at ODI
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Courtney Lindsay | RESI Director and Senior Research Officer and ODI
• Michai Robertson | Antigua-Barbuda negotiator at the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)

Featured resources:

• Putting the Glasgow Climate Pact into action: accounting for vulnerability
• Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.