Advancing Scalable SDG Partnerships for SIDS Through Integrated Data and Infrastructure
- pvblic
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On January 27, 2026, stakeholders from governments, multilateral institutions, and the private sector convened at United Nations Headquarters in New York for “The SIDS Centre of Excellence: Building Integrated Data and Infrastructure for Scalable SDG Partnerships,” a Side Event held within the framework of the 2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum.
Hosted in the ECOSOC Chamber, the event introduced the SIDS Centre of Excellence (CoE) as an operational platform designed to support implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS). The discussion emphasized practical pathways for translating national priorities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) into coordinated, data-driven, and investable programmes aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) outcomes.
Why SIDS? Why now?
Achieving the 2030 Agenda is proving to require more than political ambition. It also demands integrated, country-driven infrastructure that enables coordination, trust, and long-term investment through partnerships. This need is particularly acute for SIDS, which face persistent challenges related to data availability, institutional capacity, and access to interoperable systems that support evidence-based decision-making.
Adopted in May 2024, the ABAS articulated concrete priorities across ten thematic areas, including strengthening data collection, analysis, and use. Within this framework, SIDS identified the establishment of a SIDS Centre of Excellence, to be based in Antigua and Barbuda, as a tangible institutional mechanism to support implementation of shared commitments.
The Side Event positioned the SIDS CoE as a delivery-focused operational platform designed for SIDS and by SIDS, and structured around four interconnected pillars: the SIDS Global Data Hub, an Innovation and Technology Mechanism, an Island Investment Forum, and a Debt Sustainability Support Service. Together, these pillars operate as a coordinated ecosystem in which data informs innovation, innovation supports bankable investment, investment contributes to resilience, and debt sustainability creates fiscal space for long-term transformation.
The SIDS Global Data Hub as a Data Backbone
A central focus of the discussion was the SIDS Global Data Hub, envisioned as the data backbone of the Centre of Excellence. PVBLIC Foundation, through its SDG Data Alliance, is leading the initial development of the Global Data Hub and its underlying architecture.
Highlighting the importance of building practical capacity alongside infrastructure, Charles Brigham of Esri underscored that “a key element of this is to ensure SIDS will have the necessary infrastructure, knowledge, and productive capacity to harness the benefits of data, innovation, and technology, to mitigate their environmental, economic, and social vulnerabilities.”
The SIDS Global Data Hub is designed to provide access to modern data systems, enabling technologies, analytical tools, innovative dashboards, best practices, capacity-building resources, training, and global expertise. These capabilities aim to strengthen sovereign data systems and support informed policymaking across social, economic, and environmental domains. This design has begun and is expanding to individual SIDS.
At the national level, the SDG Data Alliance is developing SIDS Country Data Hubs to be deployed across the Caribbean, Pacific, and Atlantic–Indian Ocean–South China Sea (AIS) regions. Initially hosted within cloud-based environments, these Country Data Hubs will contribute data products to the Global Data Hub through web services and interoperable platforms. In parallel, Country Map Portfolios—thematic collections of national data across the three pillars of sustainable development—are also developing as part of the SIDS Data Hub services.
A Solutions-Oriented Dialogue at ECOSOC
Moderated by Ms. Ashaki Goodwin, Director of Government Affairs at PVBLIC Foundation, the side event was structured as a solutions-oriented dialogue rather than a conceptual discussion. High-level interventions were delivered by H.E. Dr. Walton Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations, and H.E. Mr. Viliami Va’inga Tōnē, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Tonga to the United Nations. An institutional and technical perspective was provided by Mr. Charles Brigham, Lead Account Manager for the Nonprofit and Global Organizations Team at Esri.
The conversation explored three core dimensions: framing priority needs from a SIDS perspective, operationalising the Centre of Excellence through practical delivery models, and identifying near-term partnership commitments to accelerate implementation. Participants examined how integrated data systems and geospatial, location-based information can close data gaps, improve coordination, and enable faster, more informed decision-making, particularly in areas such as preparedness, recovery, public service delivery, and investment planning.
Reflecting on the need for practical tools that support real-time decision-making, H.E. Mr. Viliami Va’inga Tōnē, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Tonga to the United Nations, noted that “many governments do not need more reports. They need tools that turn information into coordinated action.” He emphasized the value of operational dashboards that provide a shared picture of exposed communities, critical infrastructure, essential services, and coordination gaps—highlighting how platforms such as the Global and Country Data Hubs can help multiply institutional capacity without losing sovereignty, while enabling partners to align more effectively around country priorities.
Building on the emphasis on collaboration and delivery, the convening concluded with a clear call to action. Governments and partners were invited to engage with the SIDS Centre of Excellence through defined collaboration tracks, reinforcing its role as a platform for partnership activation and practical implementation.
As discussions during the Side Event underscored, overcoming fragmentation remains one of the most pressing challenges facing SIDS implementation efforts. Reflecting on this need, H.E. Dr. Walton Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations, emphasized that “data exists in Small Island Developing States. The challenge has not been its absence, but the fragmentation in how it is gathered, shared, and used.” He noted that the SIDS Centre of Excellence and its Global Data Hub provide a practical space for strengthening capacity, coordinating information across sectors, and using SIDS-owned data not just for reporting, but as a tool to guide policy, track progress, and scale investment toward long-term resilience and prosperity.
Watch the full side event here: webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1j/k1j4fimjsj
Learn more about the SDG Data Alliance here: sdg.org/
Learn more about the SIDS Centre of Excellence (CoE) here: thesidscoe.org/
Learn more about the SIDS Global Data Hub here: sids.sdg.org/
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