BVI leads conversations on UN support for Caribbean sustainability and resilience

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) has led the regional talks on the United Nations' comparative advantage of supporting the Caribbean Islands in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The talks took place at a virtual regional shop for strategic consultations organized by the UN system in the Caribbean in support of the preparation of the UN Multi-Rand Sustainable Development Framework 2022-2026 (MSDCF) for the region.

Special Envoy of British Virgin Island's Premiere Benito Wheatley chaired a special working group session of the consultation workshop consisting of 14 Caribbean countries and territories; six UN agencies including UNESCO, UNFPA, UNFPA, UN Women, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), five regional partners representing the Caribbean Community CARICOM and OECS among others.

The participants of the virtual meetings discussed the UN's strengths, as well as the areas where the UN system can improve its approach in the region.

Representatives of the governments stressed the value of the UN as a Caribbean partner, together with regional organizations and institutions, whose support will be critical to the recovery of the COVID-19 global pandemic and to the region's recovery.

The meeting was chaired by Mikiko Tanaka, UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana, and supported by Jessica Chandnandi, Team Leader in the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Suriname.

Speaking about the working group session, Wheatley said it was an extremely important exercise as the region is looking at the future, and climate crisis is becoming common in the Caribbean, which will emerge more vulnerable from the pandemic. The UN is a critical partner in both the recovery as a group of developing states on the island of Little Islands and the achievement of the SDGs by 2030. Reaching consensus on the region's core needs, such as technical assistance and funding, Determining where the UN can best assist in meeting these needs and strengthening the current approach was very important.

'The British Virgin Islands and the wider Caribbean will benefit from the UN support offered to the region under a new MSDCF. The British Virgin Islands will continue to take part in the ongoing consultation process of the UN, reflecting the strong commitment of Dear Prime Minister Andrew A. Fahie with our involvement in the UN system."

In front of the Regional Workshop for Strategic Consultations, the Special Envoy attended an MSDCF Regional Planning Meeting for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean on May 18. He also attended meetings of the UN Economic Conference on Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Development, which included the May 19 meeting of the Regional Cooperation and Integration Working Group and the May 26 meeting of the Working Group on Nobody late in the Caribbean Islands.

The BVI is a Vice-Chair of the UN-ECLAC Regional Conference on Social Development and also a Vice-Chair of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) in preparing a national plan for sustainable development.