Joint Steering Committee Meeting (JSC) For the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework UNSDCF 2022-2026

Your Excellency, Secretary Economic of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Government of Maldives Co-chair for the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) Joint Steering Committee Dr. Hussain Niyaz,

Members of the UNSDCF Joint Steering Committee from the Government of the Maldives,

My fellow members of the UN Country Team.

Asalaam Alaikum, Good morning and a very warm welcome to the first JSC meeting of 2023 for the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022-2026

The UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework is the foundation for the collaboration of the UN development system and its implementing partners from 2022 to 2026, and I take this opportunity to, first, congratulate the Government of Maldives, UN Country Team and all our partners and stakeholders for successfully implementing the first year of the Cooperation Framework.

Building on the premise by the Member States of the UN that the Cooperation Framework is the most important instrument for the planning and implementation of UN development activities in each country, this framework is the blueprint from which the UN development system operates in the Maldives. With the focus continuously on our collective aim to achieve the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, and backed by in-depth Common Country Analysis to identify challenges faced and opportunities ahead, the UN team collaborates with partners to support national priorities.

Excellency and colleagues. I am pleased to share that we have seen an increased number of UN entities commit to the Cooperation Framework during this year.  This aligns with the vision of the reform of the UN Development System by Member States for Resident Coordinators to call on expertise and support beyond those agencies present on the ground, which for Maldives, for the first time, means that we can access additional and flexible support from all UN bodies regardless of their location.  It is also a manifestation of the UN’s configuration exercise and its call for adjustments to the human, financial and technical expertise of the UN to meet the ambitions of the Cooperation Framework. This is an area we will continue to pursue and adjust, in line with Maldives’ development priorities.

In 2022, fifteen UN entities (FAO, IFAD, ILO, IOM, UNDP, UNDRR, UNEP, UNESCAP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, UNOPS, WHO) contributed to achieving the Cooperation Framework’s joined results of shared prosperity and inclusive human development for all, sustainable and climate resilient environment, gender- responsive, rights-based and accountable governance and justice. We have partnered with stakeholders from Government, State Owned Entities, young people, Local Councils and Women’s Development Committees, Organizations for Persons with Disabilities, representatives of migrants and organizations working on migrant issues, CSOs, Private Sector and the international community.

At the centre of the Cooperation Framework implementation is, front and centre, investing in people. The Cooperation Framework 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”.

Excellency, ladies, and gentlemen. The presentations today by the UN co-chairs of the Outcome Groups on behalf of all the stakeholders, will highlight the key achievements and challenges as outlined in the UNCT’s Annual Report 2022, which is published in the UN Maldives website. Following the presentations, I look forward to an active discussion on how we can co-create greater results during 2023 based on the UN’s comparative advantages in an upper Middle Income Country, such as our convening role, calling on regional and international networks and technical expertise, and policy and technical advice to support Maldives’ efforts to achieve the SDGs. 

I take this opportunity to once again thank all stakeholders and partners who actively participated in the implementation of the Joint Work Plans. I express my deep appreciation for the Government co-chair and MFA team for their continued collaboration from the formulation of this plan to now monitoring of its results. I also include in this vote of thanks the UN family, especially the Heads of Agencies and the Outcome Leads, who have led their agencies in guiding the UN Maldives engagement within this framework.

I hope that the discussions and exchange today will pave positive pathways to accelerate sustainable, inclusive and equitable human, social, economic, and environmental development for the country to achieve the unfinished business of the SDGs in the remaining years for the Agenda 2030 while leaving no one behind. We meet at the mid-way point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, where we see global progress on achieving the SDGs, and in particular our region, slowing. Let’s together bring our collective ideas and mandates to help make Maldives the exception to this trend. 

Shukuriyya and thank you.