Senior lawmaker and diplomat Senator Liz Thompson has warned that a fraying global order and retreating donor support are leaving small island states exposed, as she urged the Caribbean to unite, assert its interests and press for fair financing while the climate crisis intensifies.

In her assessment of the shifting global geopolitical landscape, the vice-president of the Senate and former United Nations assistant secretary general and special adviser on sustainable development urged small island developing states (SIDS) to reject external dependencies and fiercely advocate for financial justice in the face of escalating climate disasters.

Addressing an audience of regional delegates and civil society organisations, Thompson warned that the international community is rapidly abandoning its commitment to multilateralism, replacing a rules-based system with a “power-driven order” that prioritises the mighty over the vulnerable.