OEA - Informe CIDI INF. 693 25 de 2025

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

Inter-American Council for Integral Development

OEA/Ser.W CIDI/INF.693/25 17 December 2025

Original: Textual

REMARKS BY THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE BAHAMAS

ON THE SEVENTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE

ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (CIDS)

(Delivered during the regular meeting of CIDI held on November 25, 2025)Delivered by the Permanent Mission of The Bahamas November 25th, 2025

REMARKS – REPORT OF 7TH REGULAR MEETING OF THE

INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (CIDS)

Thank you Chair. On behalf of the Chair of the Inter American Committee for Sustainable Development (CIDS), the Hon. Michael Halkitis, Minister of Economic Affairs of The Bahamas, the Mission of The Bahamas is pleased to present a summary report on the 7th Regular Meeting of the CIDS convened on October 14th in hybrid format. The comprehensive final meeting report would have been circulated to OAS Member States by the Secretariat on November 17th. The 7th Regular CIDS Meeting brought together representatives of 30 OAS Member States to: firstly evaluate progress in implementing the Inter-American Climate Change Action Plan 2023 - 2030, and, secondly, shape the next phase of hemispheric action in preparation for the pending Fifth Meeting of Ministers and High-Level Authorities on Sustainable Development.

At the outset of the meeting, the Chair provided an update on the progress made on implementation of the Inter-American Climate Change Action Plan 2023 -2030 since its adoption at the 4 th Sustainable Development Ministerial which was convened in The Bahamas in October 2023. We are pleased to advise that m ore than US$40 million in new resources have been committed t o OAS sustainable

the Inter-American Climate Change Action Plan 2023 -2030 since its adoption at the 4 th Sustainable Development Ministerial which was convened in The Bahamas in October 2023. We are pleased to advise that m ore than US$40 million in new resources have been committed t o OAS sustainable development programs since 2023. Key highlights of the update include reporting that:

• With respect to sustainable energy, the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas

(ECPA), has supported hemispheric progress in fostering regulatory frameworks and publicprivate collaboration in the energy sector, including through the successful convening of the ECPA Ministerial in the Dominican Republic in 2024, which gathered over 700 participants. Work also continues to build on and transition from ECPA toward a proposed new Energy and Security Partnership of the Americas (ESPA) to address the evo lving energy landscape, including energy security, critical minerals, renewable energy and resilience.

• With respect to Oceans and the Blue Economy, the OAS is supporting Member States in developing national sustainable ocean plans and has hosted regional knowledge-sharing events in Mexico and Antigua and Barbuda. Progress is also pending on a US$14.2 million Sargassum program for Caribbean countries and forthcoming work is also planned to combat plastics and microplastics pollution in the region.

• With respect to c limate resilience, disaster risk reduction and climate finance, we have launched the Caribbean Collaboratory on Science and Data for Risk and Resilience ; strengthened the Western Hemisphere Disaster Risk Management Network; we are working to launch the Climate Finance Hub which is currently in its final developmental stages with support from CAF; we have launched a GEF -supported program for building capacity of national operational focal points and have also launched a circular economy project in the PeruColombia Amazon border region.

During Member State dialogue on new dimensions that might be integrated into the inter-American sustainable development agenda, key Member State proposals included: the development of a rapid

national operational focal points and have also launched a circular economy project in the PeruColombia Amazon border region.

During Member State dialogue on new dimensions that might be integrated into the inter-American sustainable development agenda, key Member State proposals included: the development of a rapid deployment technical assistance team to assist countries with disaster recovery and climate actionDelivered by the Permanent Mission of The Bahamas November 25th, 2025 project implementation, the development of a regular reporting mechanism on the state of sustainable development in the Americas and adding a programmatic focus on the bioeconomy.

During the meeting ’s session on shaping hemispheric preparation for the next Ministerial, meeting participants heard from experts on trends in sustainable development including : Mr. Juan Pablo Bonilla, Manager for the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Sector at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), who shared on the IDB Groups strategic direction regarding climate action and sustainable development to 2030; from Dr. Maria Donoso, UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security at Florida International University (FIU ), who discussed UNESCOs framework for sustainable water security; and Mr. David Ehrhardt, Chief Executive Offi cer of Castalia, who shared emerging challenges related to energy security and system stability.

During the session on partnerships, concrete offers to formalize and deepen partnership and coordination with the OAS on shared sustainable development priorities were expressed by: Afreximbank, the Caricom Development Fund ( CDF), the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF). In closing, Chair, The Bahamas wishes to underscore that the opportunity to chair and host the upcoming 5th Meeting of Ministers and High-Level Authorities on Sustainable Development, which is due next year in 2026, is available for any interested Member State. We also want to encourage Member States and Observer St ates to consider partnering with the OAS and fellow Member States to continue driving progress on sustainable development within the hemisphere through technical cooperation and donor support.

due next year in 2026, is available for any interested Member State. We also want to encourage Member States and Observer St ates to consider partnering with the OAS and fellow Member States to continue driving progress on sustainable development within the hemisphere through technical cooperation and donor support. Finally, on behalf of the CIDS and Member States, we wish to convey our continued appreciation for our Vice Chair – Canada and Executive Secretary Osborne, Director Lambrides, Committee Secretary Mayorga and the SEDI Team for their invaluable expertise, ingenuity and unwavering commitment to helping member states reach our shared goal of building a more sustainable and resilient Americas. I thank you.