United Nations encourages regional approach and accelerated progress on Sustainable Development Goals in the Caribbean

On the final day of the retreat, the UNIC facilitated a press encounter with local media and Senior UN Officials: Joanna Kazana, UN Resident Coordinator for Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten; Diane Quarless, Director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean; and Dennis Zulu, Resident Coordinator in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos and Cayman Islands.

The press event sought to raise awareness of regional progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and inspire media and partner solutions to revitalise the implementation of the SDGs. The encounter also aimed to build an understanding of the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (MSDCF) for the English-speaking and Dutch Caribbean.

The SDGs were established in 2015 by 193 countries. The 2030 Agenda represents the roadmap to ensuring a dignified life for everyone, promoting an equitable, inclusive, and peaceful society, fostering prosperity, and caring for our planet.

ECLAC Caribbean Director, Diane Quarless, told the media that in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, there must be partnership and participation of the entire global community. She noted that Small Island Developing States (SIDS), predominantly Caribbean SIDS, need resources from developed countries to get back on track to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

“The international community has not shown empathy to Small Island [Developing] States that have graduated. You have a per capita income over a threshold that says; you can stand alone. So, you are not getting access to concessionary financing. Developed countries are responsible for lifting the developing ones, and that lift means you provide the resources for them to achieve.”

Joanna Kazana, the UN Resident Coordinator for Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten, recalling the political declaration coming out of the SDG Summit that saw world leaders committing to ramp up investment in the SDGs, said this high-level political statement creates a strong impetus to accelerate the SDGs at the national level. She said the UN System plays a key role in driving this momentum in-country by helping to build governments' capacity in areas such as data collection and analysis. 

“In many countries, not only are there national goals and targets and defined indicators to measure, but there are also statistical capacities that need to be developed to collect data, to keep monitoring and reporting, to really see whether there is a tendency or trend or movement in the right direction toward the SDGs in the long run. The UN system is working very closely with government institutions and with the civil society experts to establish the monitoring system, and this is something we all need to prioritise. We need to make it a political priority because what’s not measured is not done.” 

Kazana added that data is an invaluable public good that empowers citizens to engage in public discourse about the country’s development progress. 

Dennis Zulu, Resident Coordinator in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos and Cayman Islands reiterated that we have a responsibility to increase SDG awareness as the SDGs are everybody’s business.

“We need to speak about the SDGs, so rights-holders also understand the SDGs. The SDGs are not just about Government. The SDGs are about the person in the street. They are about you and I. The SDGs are about everybody. The SDGs are about everyday life, and we can do better about contextualising them. So as we measure and discuss our track, let’s reflect on to what extent the work that we are doing as government, private sector and partners [impacting] those who need it most,” Zulu, said.

The 17 UN SDGS

GOAL 1: No Poverty

GOAL 2: Zero Hunger

GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being

GOAL 4: Quality Education

GOAL 5: Gender Equality

GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality

GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

GOAL 13: Climate Action

GOAL 14: Life Below Water

GOAL 15: Life on Land

GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions

GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal

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