- Under its sustainable development cooperation framework
BELMOPAN, Belize – The government of Belize and the United Nations Country Team convened its 4th Joint National Steering Committee Meeting, co-chaired by H.E. Amalia Mai, CEO in the ministry of foreign affairs and foreign trade, and Raul Salazar, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Belize and El Salvador. This steering committee provides strategic oversight and guidance for the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNMSDCF) 2022-2026, which covers 22 countries in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean adopted by Belize in December 2021.
During the meeting, several key areas of cooperation between the government of Belize and the United Nations were discussed. These included a progress update on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Belize following its recently completed Voluntary National Review (VNR), as well as the upcoming national Youth Dialogue on 9 August 2024 in preparation for the global Summit of the Future in September as part of the 79th UN General Assembly. The agenda also focused on gaps and opportunities in Disaster Risk Reduction and enhancing national Development Partner Coordination.
H.E. CEO Amalia Mai emphasized the critical importance of the continued partnership with the UN to facilitate transformative initiatives that can yield quick and impactful results to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs by 2030. “Through the Joint National Steering Committee with the UN, we are able to jointly engage on the evolving national context, including Belize’s regional and international commitments, while strategically aligning the implementation of the UNMSDCF 2022-2026 with Belize’s Medium-term Development Strategy (MTDS) 2022-2026.”
A key highlight of the meeting was the formal handing over of the UN Country Results Report (CRR) for 2023 and the signing of the UN Country Implementation Plan (CIP) for 2024-2025 under the second planning cycle of the Cooperation Framework. The plan outlines 161 projects to be implemented by 15 UN Agencies, Funds, and Programmes working in Belize with a total budget of US $47.0 million, of which 45 percent is to be mobilized.
UN Resident Coordinator Raul Salazar reiterated the continued commitment of the UN Country Team in Belize to work in close partnership with the government to continue advancing sustainable development.
“As a small island developing state (SIDS), Belize continues to face multiple economic, social and environmental vulnerabilities requiring innovative solutions that leverage partnerships at all levels. The UN CIP 2024-2025 reflects the views of communities, academia, vulnerable groups, and government to ensure that the actions respond to the needs of the people of Belize aligned to national development priorities. The UN’s main mandate is to remain functional and fit-for-purpose to improve the living conditions of all Belizeans.”
The plan covers four key pillars in the UNMSDCF which include:
- Shared Prosperity and Economic Resilience;
- Equality, Well-Being and Leaving No One Behind;
- Resilience to Climate Change and Sustainable Natural Resource Management;
- Peace, Safety, Justice and the Rule of Law.
The government of Belize and the United Nations in Belize acknowledge this joint milestone and underscore the continued importance of its partnership in working together towards a prosperous and sustainable future for all Belizeans.
