Small Island Developing States
The Small Island Developing States are a grouping of developing countries which are small island countries and small states that tend to share similar sustainable development challenges. These include small but growing populations, limited resources, remoteness, susceptibility to natural disasters, vulnerability to external shocks, excessive dependence on international trade, and fragile environments. Their growth and development are also held back by high communication, energy and transportation costs, irregular international transport volumes, disproportionately expensive public administration and infrastructure due to their small size, and little to no opportunity to create economies of scale. They consist of some of the most vulnerable countries to anthropogenic climate change.
The SIDS were first recognized as a distinct group of developing countries at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in June 1992. The Barbados Programme of Action was produced in 1994 to assist the SIDS in their sustainable development efforts. The United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States represents the group of states.
List of SIDS
As of 2023, the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States lists 57 such nations. These nations are grouped into three geographical regions: the Caribbean; the Pacific; and Africa, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea, including 18 Associate Members of the United Nations Regional Commissions. Each of these regions has a regional cooperation body: the Caribbean Community, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Indian Ocean Commission respectively, which many SIDS are members or associate members of. In addition, most SIDS are members of the Alliance of Small Island States, which performs lobbying and negotiating functions for the SIDS within the United Nations System.Impacts of climate change
The SIDS are some of the regions most vulnerable to anthropogenic climate change. Due to their oceanic environment, SIDS are especially vulnerable to the marine effects of climate change like sea level rise, ocean acidification, marine heatwaves, and the increase in cyclone intensity. Changing precipitation patterns could also cause droughts. Many citizens of SIDS live near a coastline, meaning that they have a high risk exposure to the effects of marine climate change. Additional climate change vulnerability comes through their economies: many SIDS have economies that are based on natural resources, such as ecotourism, fishing, or agriculture. Phenomena like sea level rise, coastal erosion, and severe storms have the potential to severely impact their economies.In addition to these vulnerabilities, the energy sector in Small Island Developing States faces unique challenges and opportunities, particularly in the least-electrified regions. According to the March 2024 IRENA report, "Small Island Developing States at a Crossroads: Towards Equitable Energy Access in Least-Electrified Countries," these states, which contribute less than 1% to global greenhouse gas emissions, are exploring decentralized renewable energy solutions to address their energy access issues. Technologies such as biomass gasification, small-scale hydro, and solar PV not only offer paths to reduce their carbon footprint but also enhance resilience against climate impacts. The report highlights case studies from Guinea-Bissau, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu, showing significant socio-economic benefits from improved energy access, including increased income opportunities for rural women and reduced indoor air pollution. These advancements are crucial as they not only provide immediate relief but also contribute to long-term sustainability and resilience against future climate challenges."
Sustainable Development Goals
Small island developing states are mentioned in several of the Sustainable Development Goals. For example, Target 7 of Sustainable Development Goal 14 states: "By 2030, increase the economic benefits to small island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism".Several Small Island Developing States, including Palau and Orkney, have launched renewable energy initiatives to improve energy efficiency and reduce reliance on fossil fuels; Palau has set a target of transitioning to 45% renewable energy by 2025, while Orkney is expanding its use of tidal turbines to create a 50 MW array.
Deep-sea mining
Small Island Developing States are complex actors within the field of deep-sea mining. SIDS are small island communities that hold the status of developing countries due to their economic, political, and social limitations and challenges. Despite their small size and relatively limited political and economic capital, their geographic position means that they are often perceived as so-called ‘Large Ocean States’. This self-perception is rooted in the fact that many SIDS lay territorial claims to the vast areas of ocean surrounding their small islands and the resources that belong to these areas.Given the global distribution of seabed resources, it is particularly important that a substantial share of the raw materials and critical minerals found on the ocean floor lies within, or in close proximity to, the Exclusive Economic Zones of many SIDS. This geographic advantage elevates these islands as increasingly important political and economic actors in the emerging deep-sea mining industry. Their positions, however, are also shaped by historical legacies, most notably the enduring impacts of slavery and colonialism, which in many cases resulted in the severe depletion of local resources and long-term constraints on wealth and development. As a result, many of these states feel a strong imperative to avoid once again being exploited for their natural resources, and they therefore seek to maximize their influence through participation in supranational organizations.
SIDS and Deep-sea mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone
There are 57 SIDS worldwide, according to the United Nations. Several of these states are geographically located near potentially lucrative deep-sea mining zones. One of the most promising of these areas is the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, whose resource potential has prompted a number of SIDS to initiate or explore early-stage deep-sea mining projects. According to economic assessments published by The Metals Company in 2025, mining polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone could potentially generate substantial economic returns. In its public release, the company states that two separate economic studies estimate a combined net present value in the high tens of billions of USD for the Clarion-Clipperton Zone as a whole, and approximately 18 billion USD for the areas sponsored by Nauru and Tonga. The assessments also suggest that extraction of the first minerals could take place as early as 2027. However, this projection should be interpreted with considerable caution. The Metals Company makes it clear that these assessments rely on a series of assumptions regarding technological feasibility, regulatory permissions, and future market prices. Moreover, researchers question whether deep sea minerals can be lifted to the surface in a commercially profitable way at all, and there is no scientific consensus on the economic viability of large scale extraction.According to the most recent assessment from 2025, the following 5 SIDS have entered into agreements or sponsorship arrangements related to early-stage deep-sea mining companies in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone:
| SIDS | Contractor / agreement | Type of relationship | Mineral resource |
| Cook Islands | Cobalt Seabed Resources Ltd. Joint venture between Cook Islands Investment Corporation and GSR | Joint venture + ISA exploration contract | Polymetallic Nodules |
| Kiribati | Marawa Research and Development with service and option agreements with DeepGreen Engineering | Service agreement + Option agreement | Polymetallic Nodules |
| Nauru | Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. Partnership with The Metals Company | Full sponsorship agreement | Polymetallic Nodules |
| Tonga | Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd. Partnership with The Metals Company | Sponsorship agreement nearly identical to Nauru | Polymetallic Nodules |
| Jamaica | Blue Minerals Jamaica Partnership with Blue Minerals Switzerland | Sponsorship certificate | Polymetallic Nodules |
A total of five Small Island Developing States currently sponsor exploration activities in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone : the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Jamaica. Although all five states play a role in enabling access to seabed minerals in this region, they do so through very different institutional arrangements and with varying degrees of legal and financial exposure.
The overview shows that the Cook Islands have adopted a comparatively state-led model through a joint-venture structure, which provides them with greater regulatory control and fewer investor constraints. In contrast, Nauru and Tonga rely on sponsorship agreements with subsidiaries of The Metals Company that include strong investor-protection mechanisms, potentially limiting their policy flexibility and increasing the risk of investor-tate disputes. Kiribati’s participation is organized through a state-owned enterprise whose contractual arrangements with DeepGreen were terminated in 2024, leaving the country formally present in the CCZ but without an active commercial partner. Jamaica, meanwhile, sponsors a subsidiary of Blue Minerals Switzerland and faces distinctive risks due to the absence of domestic deep-sea mining legislation combined with binding bilateral investment treaties.