The government of Maldives and the United Nations in Maldives has convened the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-2026 Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meeting.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-2026 Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meeting was convened on Thursday.

UNSDCF is the blueprint for the UN development system’s support to the Maldives’ national priorities for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Co-chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the JSC is the governing body of the UNSDCF and includes representatives of government ministries, UN agencies, funds, and programmes with operational activities in the Maldives.

JSC meets annually to review progress made in the previous year, identify the challenges as well as to review future plans and provide strategic direction and advice for the implementation of the UNSDCF.

This is JSC’s first meeting to discuss the implementation of the UNSDCF in 2022 and the plans for the ongoing year.

15 UN entities partnered with the government, young people, local councils and Women’s Development Committees (WDCs), State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), Organizations for Persons with Disabilities and representatives of migrants and organizations working on migrant issues, CSOs, private sector, and international community towards achieving the UNSDCF’s results of shared prosperity and inclusive human development for all, sustainable and climate resilient environment, gender-responsive, rights-based and accountable governance and justice, last year.

The joint press release issued on Thursday goes on to read that at the center of the UNSDCF implementation is a focus on investing in people.

The implementation of the UNSDCF is rights-driven and upholds the principles of gender equality and women’s empowerment, sustainable development and resilience, and accountability, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Further, the details of the results achieved, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned in 2022 for the UNSDCF implementation are outlined in the ‘UN Maldives Annual Report 2022’.

Through joint efforts, the Maldivian government and the UN hope to achieve significant progress in the island nation’s journey where all people meaningfully participate in, contribute to, and benefit equitably from sustainable cultural, economic, and social development and environmental protection, by 2026.

Secretary of Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Maldivian government’s co-chair for the JSC, Dr. Hussain Niyaz spoke at the JSC meeting, noting that the Cooperation Framework provides the opportunity to meet the exigencies of the government while also allowing to revisit and revitalize the different contours of partnerships between the UN and the Maldives to fulfill the national development priorities envisioned in the current Strategic Action Plan (SAP 2019-2023).

Catherine Haswell, the UN Resident Coordinator and the UN’s co-chair for the JSC expressed gratitude to the Maldivian government and the stakeholders for their active engagement in implementing the first year of the UNSDCF.

She recognized that this year marks the mid-point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and with only seven years remaining to achieve the SDGs, Haswell encouraged all partners to work together and accelerate progress so that no Maldivians are left behind.

Further, she went on to highlight the opportunity of the Global SDG Summit to be held in September this year in New York City, U.S. as a critical opportunity for the Maldives to reiterate its commitment to achieving the SDGs for the benefit of all Maldivians.