Belize UN Resident Coordinator presents credentials to Government

City of Belmopan, August 16, 2023 — During a diplomatic courtesy visit today, Raul Salazar, the recently designated United Nations Resident Coordinator for Belize and El Salvador, presented his credentials to the Honourable Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade & Immigration.

This officially marked his new appointment by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and reaffirmed the UN's commitment to continuous partnership with Belize. Chief Executive Officer of the ministry, H.E. Amalia Mai, and Director of International Affairs, Alfonso Gahona, were also present at the meeting, alongside UNICEF Representative Alison Parker and Economist Jose Castellanos from the UN Office of the Resident Coordinator.

In this cordial exchange, the Resident Coordinator took the opportunity to acknowledge the support extended by the Government of Belize towards the Multi-country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022-2026.

Among the topics discussed, special emphasis was placed on the advances in the Country Implementation Plan 2022-2023 through the great collaboration of the UN with the government of Belize in support of the economic and climate resilience, poverty reduction and equity and justice and rule of law, in a context where nations continued facing vulnerabilities due to the climate emergency, the impact of the war in Ukraine and lack of access to financing for development.

While affirming Belize's commitment to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), as outlined in the Plan Belize Medium-Term Development Strategy 2022-2026, the Minister Courtenay reiterated his pledge to establish an Integrated National Financing Framework to optimize the efficiency of financial resources allocated for advancing the SDGs.

Other key priorities that the Government of Belize highlighted is the continued policy and technical collaboration with the UN in areas such as strengthening capacities for immigration management to ensure orderly, safe, and regular mobility.

As part of his inaugural mission to Belize, the Resident Coordinator also paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Johnny Briceño. Their discussion focused around potential avenues through which the United Nations can enhance its support in helping Belize to realize the objectives of the Medium-Term Development Strategy.

With the 2023 SDG Summit in September drawing closer, the Resident Coordinator expressed appreciation to the Prime Minister for Belize's proactive preparations and emphasized the significance of the country's renewed commitment to achieving these global goals.

Before concluding his visit, the Resident Coordinator is also scheduled to extend diplomatic courtesies to Hon. Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management, as well as to Carlos Fuller, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Belize to the United Nations in New York.

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