Chapter 06 · Governance & regulationRegulation & International Instruments
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
Definition
An informal negotiating coalition of small island developing states and low-lying coastal countries, founded in 1990, that coordinates positions in UN climate negotiations. With no fixed budget, permanent secretariat or formal charter, it works by consensus among members spread across the Caribbean, Pacific, Africa, Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
References
Founded 1990; 39 members; no formal charter/secretariat; role in securing 1.5°C; "1.5 to stay alive"; rotating chair.
Overview
What it means
AOSIS members contribute minimally to global emissions but face existential risks from sea-level rise and extreme weather, giving the group unusual moral authority. It operates through members' UN missions and a rotating chair, pooling technical and diplomatic capacity that small states could not sustain individually.
How it is used
The group develops joint positions and text proposals ahead of climate summits. Its most visible achievement was securing the 1. 5°C goal in the 2015 Paris Agreement — under the rallying cry "1. 5 to stay alive" — after pressing from 2009 for a scientific review of the 1. 5°C target, which was published in 2015.
Why it matters
AOSIS demonstrates how coordinated small states can set the ambition level of global agreements. Its positions continue to shape debates on loss and damage, adaptation finance and mitigation ambition, often in alliance with other vulnerable-country groups.