Alliance of Small Island States

THE ALLIANCE OF Small Island States (AOSIS) is an umbrella lobby and negotiating body representing the interests of low-lying and small island states at the level of the United Nations. AOSIS has played an important role in shaping international climate change policy by ensuring that the concerns of small island developing states are represented on an international level.

Specifically, AOSIS has been a leading advocate for reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions. Operating on an ad hoc basis and primarily through the diplomatic missions of its member countries, [Page 27]AOSIS has no formal charter, no regular budget, and no secretariat organizing the group's work. Decisions are made based on consultation with member states, with major policy decisions made in ambassadorial plenary sessions. The alliance operates on a consensus basis, requiring all members to be in agreement before a decision can be formalized.

AOSIS traces its inception to the 1989 Small State Conference on Sea Level Rise, held in the Maldives, where a proposal to establish an action group to address issues related to small island developing states was presented. AOSIS first met as an official group in 1990 during the Second World Climate Conference. Though the alliance was first formed to address sea level rise and other threats caused by climate change, its focus has broadened over time to include a variety of development or trade-related issues.

With an initial membership of 24 states, as of 2007 AOSIS had grown to a coalition of 43 members and observers from around the world. The members and observers of AOSIS originate from three regions: the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the African, Indian Ocean and South China Seas (AIMS). Many of the alliance s members also belong to the United Nation's Group of 77 and China (G77), an intergovernmental organization composed of developing states within the UN system.

The AOSIS member and observer states are heterogeneous. They vary along geographic, economic, social, linguistic, and political lines; yet despite these differences, they face many of the same development challenges, including their geographic isolation, small political voice, and limited economic clout. However, the characteristic that unites AOSIS states is their potential to be severely affected by climate change and sea-level rise. Though small island states produce relatively minute amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases, these countries will be profoundly affected by climate change, given their low elevations. As many of the countries participating in the alliance are located only a few meters above sea level, climate change and its effect on rising sea levels has historically been one of the key issues addressed by the alliance.

Traditionally, due to their weak political influence, small island states have had difficulty being heard internationally. As a result of their position within the international system, concerns specific to small island and low-lying states have often been lost amongst other international issues. AOSIS seeks to mitigate this situation by providing a collective voice for its members and applying greater pressure to the rest of the international community. As a group, small island states have a greater international voice and are in a better position to effect change than as individual negotiators. As a result, ASOSIS has increased the representation of small island developing states and lowland areas within the UN system.

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