Joint Press Release - Signing of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework

The Framework was signed by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Ahmed Khaleel, on behalf of the Government of Maldives, and Ms. Catherine Haswell, UN Resident Coordinator on behalf of the United Nations. The signing was held in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Abdulla Shahid, senior government officials, and senior officials of the UN Maldives Country Team.

The Government and the UN have been working jointly since January 2021 to formulate the UNSDCF in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders and partners. In response to development opportunities and challenges faced by the Maldives, and driven by extensive consultations, three overarching Strategic Priorities were identified, that encompass social, environmental and economic sustainability. Under these Strategic Priorities, four Outcome Results were also formulated, for which the United Nations Development System will focus its support on for the period 2022 – 2026.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that the Cooperation Framework is designed to contribute to the development priorities and agenda of the Government of the Republic of Maldives, as outlined in the 2019-2023 Strategic Action Plan and the National Resilience and Recovery (NRR) plan.

UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Catherine Haswell thanked all partners for their inputs and active engagement in designing an effective and impactful framework for UN support to Maldives for the next five years. She further expressed hope that the joint commitment of the UN and the Government will pave the way for Maldives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build a future that leaves no one behind.

The implementation of the Cooperation Framework will be coordinated through a High-Level Joint Steering Committee, co-chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN Resident Coordinator, and comprising of Government Institutions, and UN Agencies and Funds and Programmes with operational activities in the Maldives. The Joint Steering Committee will review progress annually and make recommendations and strategic adjustments to accelerate the achievement of the targets set forth in the Cooperation Framework.

Through joint efforts, the Government of Maldives and the UN hope to achieve significant progress in the Maldives’ journey to an inclusive, resilient, healthy, caring, tolerant and skilled society where all people meaningfully participate in, contribute to, and benefit equitably from sustainable cultural, economic, and social development and environmental protection, by 2026.