UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner on Friday met presidents and foreign ministers from the Group of African Small Island Developing States on the side lines of the 24th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa to discuss how UNEP can support their sustainable development aspirations.

Accelerating climate change is a global threat, but for many Small Island Developing States (SIDS) the challenges are more dramatic because of their size, isolation, exposure to natural hazards and other factors. This makes them vulnerable to climate change and brings issues in terms of access to water, food security and energy.