The Convening Role of UN Resident Coordinators – Partnership for the 2030 Agenda

Academia in the Maldives is in its youth! The Maldives’ National University officially became a University in 2011, and the Islamic University of Maldives was granted University status in 2015. Villa College is the first private college in the Maldives, beginning in 2007.

Until 15 September 2022, these three institutions had never in their history come together. UN Resident Coordinator Catherine Haswell convened a strategic discussion with Vice-Chancellors and researchers, together with the UN Maldives team, to present the UNSDCF and find opportunities to come together around research and data gaps for the SDGs.   

The workshop was designed to ensure a lively interaction and stimulate thinking to discuss shared objectives and identify opportunities to join together to amplify efforts towards SDG progress in the Maldives. As the first event of its kind in the Maldives, the objectives of the one-day workshop were to:

The workshop saw a lively interaction with tangible ideas for making SDG progress in the Maldives. As the first event of its kind in the Maldives, the objective of the one-day workshop was to share information on planned research in line with the 2030 Agenda and develop opportunities for potential joint research and opportunities for future engagement. 

In its early stages, this partnership also aims to connect Maldivian academia with international universities as well as UN academic institutions. UNRISD kicked off the session on the role of academic institutions for the 2030 Agenda and linking likeminded Universities in the region and beyond.

The second session in October 2023 was led by academia, and saw each University share their SDG focus-areas on how the SDGs have been integrated into their programmes and curricula. This has been one of the first results of the partnership. A second, is that researchers are working together across universities around gaps identified from Maldives VNR presented in July 2023.

As a result, the Universities have requested the UNRC to convene, on behalf of the collective, on at least an annual basis.  Further, the Universities proposed that the UN lead a joint research conference on the 2030 Agenda, bringing in UN academic institutions, regional Universities, and Maldivian academia in line with furthering the research capacity of Maldivian Universities, and chartering a shared direction towards analysis and research to support progress of achieving the SDGs in Maldives.

In October 2023, the three Universities and the UN Maldives team formalised a commitment to working together. A key lesson learned is to capture the enthusiasm and willingness to partner into a formal commitment with staff dedicated to generating meaningful conferences around key challenges to SDG progress, as well as to ensure a committed workplan on behalf of the leadership of the Universities.  

Key research areas for further work include climate change adaptation, the economic value of investing in human capital and the social sector, the economy and labour marker of Maldives in 2050, developing a tertiary programme on human development, the economic benefits of a local tourism and a pivot towards a sustainable tourism model for the Maldives.