SIDS Youth AIMS Hub (SYAH) is a youth-led non-governmental organisation focused on advancing and implementing youth-led sustainable development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) found in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and South China Sea (AIMS) region. Owing to the geographical dispersion of SIDS within the AIMS region, lack of access to youth funding, and the common need to set up an entity that will enable SIDS youth within the AIMS region to collaborate on addressing common needs, the youth participants of the My World, My SIDS AIMS Regional Youth Meeting organized by UNESCO, UNICEF and other UN agencies and partners in Seychelles during July 2013, committed to set up a dynamic network of young people within the AIMS region. The creation of such a youth network was also endorsed by Governments in the AIMS region in the Outcome Document of the SIDS AIMS Regional High-Level Preparatory Meeting.

EXPANSION OF MEMBERSHIP BASE AND SET UP OF NATIONAL COMMITTEESSYAH currently comprises of around 20 members. SYAH aims to increase its membership base through communications and outreach methods such as use of media and social media, visits to secondary schools and tertiary institutions, and contact with other youth-led organisations, clubs and networks. Young people can join SYAH either as an individual or as representative of a youth-led organisation / club / network, thus enabling partnership and collaboration between young people and youth-led organisations in SIDS of the AIMS region.As explained in the Coordination Mechanisms, national committees will be set up to coordinate the implementation of SYAH's 2-year Action Plan and any other relevant programs to promote the objectives of SYAH. These national committees or national SYAH chapters may wish to register themselves as a legal entity / NGO in their respective countries.SYAH'S 2-YEAR ACTION PLANSYAH's 2-year Action Plan focuses on the following priority areas and programs:1. Education (sensitisation and awareness): The Sustainability Tour project Giving hourly long mini workshops on SIDS, the 3rd International Conference on SIDS and sustainable development in SIDS (before the SIDS 2014 Conference), and on specific topics such as biodiversity, renewable energy, etc. (after the SIDS 2014 Conference). 2. Environment: (a) Annual environment-related competition for youth; and (b) A publication on biodiversity by youth for youth, specific to SIDS of the AIMS region. 3. Youth unemployment and social entrepreneurship: (a) Provision of workshops on social entrepreneurship; and (b) A festival for social entrepreneurship whereby youth showcase their social entrepreneurship initiatives.4. Volunteerism: a) Provision of workshops on the importance of volunteerism; and (b) Develop a fund to sponsor young people from the AIMS region to undertake United Nations Internship.A strategic focus on ARC (Advocacy, Research and Community development) will be used as basis to implement the Action Plan.MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) WITH INDIAN OCEAN COMMISSION (IOC)On 30 May 2014, a 3-year MoU was signed between SYAH and the Indian Ocean Commission to enable mobilisation of young people and their participation in the projects of IOC specifically to do with biodiversity and renewable energy, amongst others.MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) WITH ENL FOUNDATIONAn MoU between SYAH and ENL Foundation is currently underway. The areas of collaboration will involve empowerment of vulnerable/marginalised youth, the environment and community development, amongst others.AIMS SIDS ATLANTIC STRATEGYA strategy specific to the SIDS in the Atlantic Ocean, namely Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Sao Tome and Principe, is currently being designed in order to improve the representation of young people from these countries at regional and global policy-and-decision-making processes, and improve the relations between them and the other SIDS in the AIMS region.

The Sustainability Tour project: giving hourly long mini workshops on SIDS, the 3rd International Conference on SIDS and sustainable development in SIDS (before the SIDS 2014 Conference), and on specific topics such as biodiversity, renewable energy, etc. (after the SIDS 2014 Conference). This project has already been successfully launched in Mauritius, and training of the same has been given to members from other countries within SYAH.

SIDS Youth AIMS Hub got legally registered under the provisions of the Registration of Associations Act (Mauritius) in April 2014. After that, SYAH and the General Secretariat of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) organized a 3-day residential regional workshop for youth from SIDS of the AIMS region from 29 to 31 May 2014, in Ebene, Mauritius, to strengthen and review the governance of SYAH, including the review and voting of an amended statute for SYAH, election of its Managing Committee/Board, and appointment of its Executive Director. Mechanisms now exist for SYAH's governance on both national levels and regional level.At regional level, a Board comprising of 9 members is elected every 2 years at SYAH's Annual General Meeting. The Board includes a President, Vice President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer. The Board also includes an Executive Director (as a co-opted member without voting rights) appointed by the Board during SYAH's Annual General Meeting for a period of 2 years. Amongst its various functions, the Board is responsible for strategizing and providing general direction to SYAH's activities, specifically through the design of SYAH's 2-year Action Plan. The current Board comprises of members from the following five countries: Cape Verde, Comoros, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles.At national levels, a National Focal Point is appointed by the Board for a period for 2 years. National Focal Points are responsible for the setting up and management of national committees, and for implementing SYAH's 2-year Action Plan and any other programs to promote the objectives of SYAH, as deemed necessary by the national committee.

SIDS Youth AIMS Hub (SYAH), Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), ENL Foundation, U.S. Embassy of Port Louis, UNESCO