The Governments of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados present their first Voluntary National Reviews (VNR)

The VNR process serves as a stocktaking of where governments are relative to mainstreaming the 2030 Agenda and implementing the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) into their respective national policies.



With countries all over the globe having been hard hit by COVID-19 both islands indicated the huge setback caused by the global pandemic.

In making his presentation Finance Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Camillo Gonsalves, asserted that the greatest challenges to sustainable development were external and systematic and “well beyond the capacity of any single nation to address.”

He added: “In this period of transition, tackling unemployment and supporting entrepreneurship become important developmental challenges. Goals 8 and 9 of the SDGs are therefore of particular significance. As the COVID-19 pandemic shutters businesses and displaces workers, the state’s role in supporting jobs, entrepreneurship and innovation becomes even more pivotal to our developmental aspirations.”

Commenting on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ presentation UN Resident Coordinator, Didier Trebucq stated : “I wish to commend the Govt of SVG and Minister Gonsalves; first for all the efforts put forward to mainstream the SDGs in national policies and budget, with a view to ensure alignment and acceleration of progress.”

Lauding the SVG Government for its commitment to prepare for the VNR despite COVID-19 disruptions he added: “I want in particular to congratulate the Government for some important measures taken, such as the disaster contingency fund and the clean energy initiative that will contribute to build resilience of a SIDS that is highly vulnerable to external shocks. Both the Zero hunger trust fund and basic needs trust fund is another commendable example to leave no one behind.”

Addressing the forum, Barbados’ Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Marsha Caddle contended: “Development is a journey, not an exercise, not a moment. The sustainability of that journey is more onerous for small, island developing states.” She explained noting small economies were “necessarily plugged into the international system” which for several reasons had become a source of risk.

“Especially as a middle-income country, we need our vulnerability to be recognized, and access to financing to help us build resilience to these external risks. Let us be clear – we earn too much to be considered poor and too little to be heard in order to secure policy space… The time is past due for objective measures of vulnerability to be included in determining access to concessional funding,” she maintained.  See full statement here

Mr. Trebucq also congratulated the Government of Barbados and Minister Caddle for preparing and sharing their vision for the 2030 agenda, and for responding to the challenges posed by COVID-19 in the region.

“I also want to recognize Barbados’ tremendous contribution as a global leader, on behalf of the Caribbean and other SIDS, for improving access to resources and concessional development financing, especially in anticipation of the COVID socioeconomic effects that severely impact the region. Hon PM Mia Mottley has spared no efforts in advocating globally for “building back stronger and better,” he observed.  See full statement here