Small island developing States (SIDS) are a diverse group of island countries that share some common features and vulnerabilities such as insularity, geographic remoteness, and smallness of economies, populations and area. Together, these factors emphasize the importance of well-functioning, reliable, sustainable and resilient transportation systems, in particular maritime and air transport for SIDS development and survival. In this context and capitalizing on the renewed international commitment to advance the sustainable development agenda of those States, UNCTAD is increasingly focusing its attention on to tackle challenges in transport and trade logistics faced by SIDS. Relevant activities include a special chapter of the annual Review of Maritime Transport 2014 devoted to developments in the maritime transport sector of SIDS, an ad hoc expert meeting held on 11 July 2014 considering the theme “Addressing the transport and trade-logistics challenges of the small island developing States: Samoa Conference and beyond”, and a contribution to the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States(Samoa Conference) in the form of a substantive report entitled “Closing the Distance: Partnerships for Sustainable and Resilient Transport Systems in SIDS” (forthcoming).

This paper highlights some of the key challenges in transport and trade logistics facing SIDS and identifies areas of potential action with a view to meeting these challenges and explores potential opportunities. Considerations raised seek to inform deliberations at the meeting and stimulate discussions with a view to shaping the way forward, in particular, in the light of the outcome of the Samoa Conference and the post-2015 development agenda.