In this episode, Emily, Matt and the other RESI Directors look back on everything that happened in the world of small islands during 2025, discussing hot topics, highlights and lowlights while looking forward to 2026 will bring. The team also discusses how their own policy and research has shaped conversations around different SIDS agendas - from debt and oceans to geopolitics and climate justice.
NB: Hurricane Melissa cast a very long shadow over the final months of 2025 and will continue to do so for Jamaicans as they rebuild their country. If you would like to support those efforts, you can make a donation to the government’s relief fund here.
Featuring:
o Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI Global
o Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
o Courtney Lindsay | RESI Director and Senior Research Officer at ODI Global
o Gail Hurley | RESI Director and Development Finance Expert
o George Carter | RESI Director and Deputy Head of Department of Pacific Affairs/Director of Pacific Institute, Australian National University
o Jack Corbett | RESI Director and Head of School of Social Sciences, Monash University
o Rachid Bouiha | RESI Director and Economic Affairs Officer, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Resources:
o Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
o Our RESI book | Sustaining Development in Small Islands
o Courtney’s AI report | Engines of Growth: Building Knowledge Economies in SIDS
o Another AI blog | Why SIDS need to act quickly on AI
o The documentary mentioned by Courtney | Life and Debt
o Hurricane Melissa op-ed | Climate disasters will send many countries into a debt spiral – but there’s a way out
o Matt and Courtney’s Jamica debt report | Breaking the Cycle of Debt in Jamaica
o The full RESI Debt Project (multiple papers) | Breaking the Cycle of Debt in SIDS
o Our Global Voices piece from last year | Why small islands need their own Marshall Plan
o Gail and Emily’s work on debt service costs | Tackling the cost of capital in small vulnerable nations
o Gail and Emily’s work on oceans | Turning the tide: enhancing ocean equity for SIDS
o Emily’s op-ed on UN climate negotiations | Why small climate-vulnerable island states punch well above their weight in UN climate talks
o Emily’s piece on climate justice | Tides of justice: how SIDS are redefining the fight against climate change
o Our work on capacity building | Fit for size: rethinking capacity strengthening in SIDS
o Our work on the FfD4 process | Leveraging the Sevilla Commitment in favour of SIDS
o Emily’s work on anticipatory action finance | Bracing for Impact: a Caribbean blueprint
o Our work on geopolitical competition | Geopolitical competition, bilateral aid, and the collective interests of SIDS
o Short trailer for Emily’s new documentary | Climate Blueprint: Barbados
o George’s work on oceanic diplomacy | Reasserting indigenous pathways
o Rachid’s work on productive capacities | Stronger and greener productive capacities for just transitions in Caribbean SIDS
o SIDS Future Forum 2026 | Wilton Park Website
o UN SIDS Partnership Awards 2025 | Partnership Brief
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