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Small islands celebrate in Antigua as SIDS DOCK, UNIDO and Austria sign a Joint Declaration @
SIDS4 Conference

15th July 2024, Belmopan, Belize: Island Women say they are determined to get their fair share of the global botanical and herbal industry worth over $55 billion and growing to a projected $116.7 billion by 2032, and are making plans to enter the market with the support of their partners, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Austria, Rivkin Radler LLP – a United States (U.S.) law firm, the Pacific Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE) and the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Centres (GN-SEC) covering all SIDS regions in the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean and South China Sea (AIS), covering 35 of 39 SIDS. Small islands have a combined population of 65 million people, half of them women and girls, and a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of approximately $520 billion.

The announcement was made by the Hon. Dr. Vince Henderson, LPD, MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy, Commonwealth of Dominica and the Patron for the Island Women Open Network (IWON), during his opening remarks at the third meeting of the IWON Committee, held on 28th May 2024, in the margins of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) in Antigua and Barbuda. “The IWON Botanical and Herbal Project is a specific women empowerment activity which is desperately needed, especially for Island Women,” he said, noting a recent United Nations (UN) report that said women lost roughly $800 billion in income due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and despite a rebound, women’s participation in the job market is decreasing. “Without investment, gender equality will take nearly 300 years,” he said the UN report also noted. The IWON is one of several entities that will be receiving support under a Joint Declaration signed during the SIDS4 Conference between SIDS DOCK, UNIDO and Austria.

The Kingdom of Tonga has been piloting the Botanical and Herbal Project, with the aim of kick-starting innovative micro-businesses, promoting climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and sustainable investments in clean energy and looking at multiple value chains “from the field to the fork.” According to Ms. Feauini Veikoso “Winnie” Laumanu, Acting Director for Tonga’s Energy Department, Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), and  Vice Chair for the IWON, the partners also have plans to construct and commission a pilot zero-carbon food processing facility that will further help achieve sustainable, scalable impact at the nexus of women’s empowerment, energy, poverty and climate change. Ms. Laumanu traveled to Antigua & Barbuda with a few samples of premium Tongan raw materials that impressed meeting participants.

Ms. Christine Feilinger

Ms. Christine Feilinger, Head of International Development, Development Cooperation Section, Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs, who delivered remarks on how Austria can support the IWON, was presented with a sample of the finest Tongan turmeric powder. Not only does turmeric give mustard and curry their vibrant coloring, but in most SIDS cultures, it is also well-known for having anti-inflammatory properties that benefit your health and its antioxidant properties can help protect the skin.

Minister Henderson said that the Botanical Herbal Project is a Public-Private Partnership initiative where UNIDO will support value chain development in SIDS using a holistic approach to global value chains and development, emphasising collaboration with different stakeholders, the importance of on-the-ground knowledge, and technical rigour in research and policy advice. Value chain development involves enhancing the entire sequence of activities involved in the production and delivery of a product, from raw material acquisition to distribution. UNIDO will promote fair production practices and sustainable investment, and encourage sustainable investments that consider social, economic, and environmental factors, ensuring a fair and balanced approach to industrial development.

In 2018, SIDS DOCK and the U.S. law firm Rivkin Radler LLP signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in the development of the regulatory framework to ensure there are no legal gaps, and that U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory control bodies perspective and expectations will be met.  They are also responsible for performing legal reviews of any structure-function claims proposed for ingredients and/or products to ensure avoidance of FDA legal action, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) legal action or consumer Class Action Lawsuits (CALS). This support will allow SIDS to sell herbal products, dietary supplements and cosmetics into the U.S. market, while maintaining compliance with the guidelines set forth by the FDA and the FTC.

Nancy Del Pizzo, Esq.

During her virtual presentation, Nancy Del Pizzo, Esq., Senior Partner, Rivkin Radler LLP and IWON Committee Member, said the firm’s initial focus would be cyber security and protection of intellectual property which are critical facets. The ultimate goal would be to aid SIDS to access overseas markets, ensuring regulations, laws and compliance guidelines for those markets and working closely with countries to ensure that gaps are closed within in-country systems.

The holistic approach to establishing the industry includes required quality control testing of botanical, herbal and plant ingredients and products. In his virtual presentation, Mr. Elan Sudberg, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Alkemist Labs, a U.S. analytical testing laboratory, noted that many small islands have incredible botanicals and herbs that have been used for centuries in medicines, cosmetics, foods and beverages.

Mr. Elan Sudberg

As the SIDS begin to build the industry and look to export beyond its borders, a botanical testing lab will be an important part of this initiative. Alkemist Labs has the ability to provide robust test methods and successful testing support and the IWON Committee expressed the hope to partner with Alkemist Labs in assisting in the development and operation of a pilot botanical testing lab in SIDS.

Presentations in support of the Botanical and Herbal Project were also delivered by Mr. Joseph Cox, Assistant Secretary-General of the Directorate of Economic Integration, Innovation and Development, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat; Mr. Stein Hansen, Director of Special Operations, Global Partnerships & External Relations, UNIDO; Mr. Martin Lugmayr, Industrial Development Expert and GN-SEC Coordinator, UNIDO; Ms. Heather Fairman, SIDS DOCK IWON Technical Adviser, SIDS DOCK IWON Committee Member, Mr. Solomone Fifita, Manager, Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE) and SIDS DOCK Pacific Regional Coordinator, Pacific Community [Representing the UNIDO Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centers – GN-SECs], IWON Committee Member.

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SIDS DOCK is a United Nations (UN)-recognised international organisation established in 2015, with all the rights and privileges for addressing climate change, resilience, and energy security in small islands. SIDS DOCK represents 32 small islands and low-lying developing states across the globe, and is so named because it is designed as a “DOCKing station,” to connect the energy sector in SIDS with the global markets for finance and sustainable energy technologies. The organisation’s work is coordinated by the Secretariat, in Belmopan, Belize.