RC Trebucq's Remarks at the Signing of the UN Country Implementation Plan (CIP) with St. Vincent and the Grenadines

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Dr. The Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Security, Legal Affairs and Information
• Mr Roberto Valent, DCO Regional Director, Latin America and the Caribbean
• Hon. Senator Keisal Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
• Hon. Camillo Gonsalves, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology
• Hon. Orlando Brewster, Minister of National Mobilisation, Social Development, The Family, Gender, Youth, Housing and Informal Human Settlements
• Other government representatives
• UN agencies representatives
• Members of the media
• Ladies and gentlemen
• Persons viewing online,

Good morning/afternoon everyone.

I welcome this opportunity to be here in person to participate in today’s signing ceremony of the Country Implementation Plan with the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The CIP will put into action the UN Multi-country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for St Vincent and the Grenadines - as it does for the rest of the region for the next five years. For the UN, this day symbolizes renewed commitment and an enhanced friendship and partnership with the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, reaffirming our continued support towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.

This support is further strengthened and evident with the inauguration of the UN Common Premises earlier today; one step towards the One UN approach – delivering as ONE - ensuring that member states, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, benefit from strategic and tailored outcomes, which directly align with national priorities.

I’m happy to be joined by our Regional Director Roberto Valent who is here with us today to mark this important event.

I am especially honoured to be joined by you Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade - Keisal Peters, and your other Cabinet colleagues. Your presence here today tells the story of enduring friendship and partnership between the UN and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the importance with which you view this process.    

Today’s signing also confirms our continued solidarity and is especially timely as your country rebuilds and recovers over one (1) year since the explosive eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano. Recovery has come at an estimated cost of US$273 million dollars.

Therefore, Prime Minister, it is important for me to note that resilience-building is at the core of the new Cooperation Agreement and resulting CIP, placing the focus on the vulnerability of Caribbean SIDS, such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as you continue to build back better, greener and stronger, truly leaving no one behind.

Prime Minister, this CIP charts the UN’s interventions in country for the period 2022 - 2023 in the priority areas of:

• digital transformation and blue economy development
• women and youth empowerment initiatives,
• food security programs,
• capacity building and policy development,
• data management,
• COVID socio-economic recovery,
• climate resilience and disaster risk reduction,
• digitization and MSME revitalization.

This plan follows months of meaningful consultations with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, along with other stakeholders to ensure alignment with the country’s national development priorities; and we will continue to work closely with your government to support your socio-economic recovery from the triple crisis which you still face – the impact of COVID-19, the climate crisis, the volcanic eruption, and rising food and fuel prices. The goal has been and will remain the advancement of national efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

This support also comes at a critical juncture with the war in Ukraine endures, producing alarming cascading effects on the world economy, and the same triple crisis, which threatens to further deepen inequalities and erode or erase hard-earned developmental gains across the region.

We are also committed to supporting the government in establishing a multi-sectoral governance committee for the implementation of the CIP, and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda. 

The UN system therefore looks forward to working with you Prime Minister, the full government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and all stakeholders towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Thank you!