RC Trebucq's Remarks at the Launch of the Joint SDG Fund Programme: "Resilient Caribbean: Engaging & Training Youth, Strengthening Integrated Social Protection Sector Delivery"

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

• The Hon Dr. Geofrey Hanley, Deputy PM and Min. of Social Development, Education Youth, Gender Affairs, Aging and Disabilities - SKN 
• The Hon Isalean Phillip, Junior Min. of Youth Empowerment, Social Development, Gender Affairs and Aging and Disabilities – SKN
• Senator The Hon David E. Andrew, Min. of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture – Grenada
• The Hon Dee-Ann Kentish Rogers, Min. of Social Development, Education, Youth, Culture and Sports – Anguilla
• The Hon Marlon A. Penn, Min. of Health and Social Development – The British Virgin Islands (B.V.I.)
• Dr. Carlene Radix, Head of Human & Social Division, OECS Commission
• Heads of UN Agencies – particularly the four participating agencies in the programme – UNICEF (Pieter Bult), WFP (Regis Chapman), UNESCO (Anna Paolini), and ILO (Dennis Zulu). 
• Mrs. Janelle Lewis – Tafari, PS - Min. of Soc. Dev. and Gender Affairs
• Other government officials here and abroad
• Donor Agencies of the Joint SDG Fund
• Representatives from Civil Society
• Media personnel

A pleasant good morning to all here in St. Kitts and those participating in our other countries and territories nearby.

Today marks the beginning of better, together.

This Joint Programme is one of seven in the Caribbean and 200 globally being funded by the UN Joint SDG Fund and functioning as part of the portfolio on integrated policy support for LNOB.

More specifically, this Resilient Caribbean JP will enable government-led efforts in Anguilla, the BVI, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the wider OECS through the coordination mechanisms of the OECS Commission, geared toward:

1. reducing poverty, vulnerability, and inequality of households through enhancing social protection systems
2.  supporting workers in the informal economy with access to greater social security In the transition to formal and
3. Empowering youth to enter the labour market though access to entrepreneurship and skills development relevant to a just transition. 

As we continue to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this programme’s main tenets – social protection and youth empowerment & training – all enable action on the SDGs which aim to reduce poverty, enable gender equality, facilitate education, and promote climate action.

Why is this JP Necessary?

SIDS in the Eastern Caribbean are highly vulnerable, and very susceptible to several complex socio-economic shocks, with limited capacity to manage the scale and prevalence of the aftereffects. Regional SIDS continue to recover from the impact of COVID, a volcanic eruption, hurricanes and intense flooding.

With the Russia-Ukraine war forcing us into the Triple Crisis of Food, Fuel and Finance, citizens in the SIDS community experience lowered standards of living which stem from unexpected job losses, rising fuel and food costs, lesser purchasing power, and a food insecurity rate of 57% across the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean. (WFP/FAO/CARICOM Livelihoods Survey)

Right here in St. Kitts and Nevis, the impact of COVID-19 has dealt a heavy economic blow. In travel and tourism alone, the income contribution from these sectors dropped from 52% of GDP to 22% of GDP and from 58.6% of total employment to 41.6% of total employment, many of whom work in the informal sector.

Many persons who lost their jobs during the pandemic have resorted to informal sources of income generation to make ends meet. Some have even refused to access social security services to keep more of what they make.

So we ask; what will this JP achieve?

It will contribute to improving the enabling environment for those in greatest need to access a more integrated and accountable social protection system, featuring more adequate social assistance, contributory programming, labour-market programming, and shock-responsive social protection delivery. Thus:

1) increasing resilience of households and communities and

2) linking young people to meaningful formal sector employment.

How will it achieve it?

To ensure that the poor and vulnerable have predictable access to adaptive social protection systems, these goals can happen through

providing innovative and evidence-based management and operational tools which build a more resilient social protection system.

Furthermore, with a multi-focus/multi-country approach and engagement with the OECS, the JP will assist the governments, other duty-bearers and those working directly with beneficiaries to advance towards the intended SDG targets.

The Joint SDG Fund provides US$ 3 million, including more than US$ 700,000 in contributions from partner agencies - UNICEF, WFP, ILO, and UNESCO to make these objectives reality.

Together, we the UN, governments, the development partners, CSOs and the public are critical to getting this right. Together, this JP calls for us to solve the issues unique to each country with specialized UN Agency support. And once we thrive at the national level, we ought to leverage existing regional integration arrangements through the offices of the OECS Commission and others for greatest impact as we commit to empower youth, and LNOB.

Now, it gives me great pleasure to officially launch this Joint SDG Fund Resilient Caribbean Joint Programme here in St. Kitts and Nevis, united with partner states Anguilla, the BVI, Grenada and the OECS. 

Thank you.