A hybrid 2-day workshop, organized by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and the Department of Sustainable Development in the Government of Saint Lucia, was recently convened in Castries, Saint Lucia, with participation from over 50 officials from various levels including Government ministers, academia, civil society personnel and representatives of the United Nations. The high-level meeting was designed to meet two critical objectives – to review the 2022-2023 UN Country Implementation Plan for Saint Lucia and to discuss the findings of a consultancy to reinvigorate the SDG National Coordinating Committee (SDGNCC). Within the context of the CIP, the SDGNCC is the primary mechanism responsible for planning, monitoring and implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Saint Lucia and for CIP progress review. During the CIP review, the UN Country Coordination Officer for Saint Lucia, Dr. Lorraine Nicholas, presented the collective results of the UN Development System in Saint Lucia for 2022, with analytical reference to Saint Lucia’s progress towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. This session also afforded government officials and UN agencies the opportunity to share and discuss good practices, lessons learnt, implementation challenges and success stories. In delivering Opening Remarks to the technical workshop, Mr. Kenroy Roach, Head of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean urged the SDGNCC, to not simply exist, but more importantly to function effectively. He noted: “it is critical that this committee is fully functional. And it is for this reason that the UN without hesitation, came on board to support its reinvigoration”. Meanwhile, Minister with responsibility for Sustainable Development, Hon. Shawn Edwards, in addressing the policy session attended by ministerial colleagues and Permanent Secretaries, emphasized the importance of coordination for SDG achievement. Whilst observing that the SDG portfolio resided within his ministry, he maintained, “no one ministry, no one agency has full responsibility for the SDGs and the only way Saint Lucia can effectively attain the goals is if we work collaboratively.” Mr. Didier Trebucq, UN Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, also addressed Ministers and other senior officials of the Government, noting that “while the SDGs may not have traditionally been considered a priority, given the presence of pressing “bread and butter” national issues, “increasingly, we are recognizing the nexus between these global goals and national development”. He, therefore, encouraged the policymakers to prioritize sustainable development issues, including the system for monitoring SDG progress, noting that their guidance on how this mechanism could be best configured and positioned is vital, since it could potentially “pave the way for increased implementation assistance from interested UN agencies to support your government with SDG acceleration”. Workshop participants also had the opportunity to review and validate the findings of a consultancy to provide technical assistance to Saint Lucia to strengthen the SDG coordinating mechanism, to improve its functionality. Supported by the United Nations Barbados and Eastern Caribbean Multi-Country Office, key recommendations for its reinvigoration included institutional strengthening to include better representation; increased resource mobilization for SDG coordination; strategic alignment of SDGs with key policies and strategies; strengthened data management aligned to the SDG framework; and enforced commitments to international agreements. The face -to-face element of the workshop was held at the Bel Jou Hotel, Saint Lucia on two separate days for technical and ministerial personnel. Officials ranged from a cross-section of agencies including the Office of the Prime Minister, the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College; and respectively, the Department of: Audit, Gender Affairs, Economic Development, Physical Development, Health, Forestry, Fisheries, Water Resource Management, Tourism, Equity. ---------- For further Information please contact: Carol A. Gaskin, Programme Communications and Advocacy Officer UN Resident Coordinator Office carol-ann.gaskin@un.org ; 1(246)832-6110 Dr. Lorraine Nicholas, UN Country Coordination Officer – Saint Lucia UN Resident Coordination Office Lorraine.nicholas@un.org ; 1(758)730- 0771

A hybrid Development Partners Roundtable Discussion, organized by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and the Government of Saint Lucia, was recently convened in Castries, Saint Lucia, with participation from Prime Minister, the Hon.  Philip Pierre, and over 50 high-level officials, including key development partners, permanent secretaries and other senior Government personnel. Held under the theme: “Leveraging Partnerships to Collectively Respond to Challenges”, the forum sought to strengthen the tripartite relationship between the Government, Development Partners, and the United Nations, to improve the delivery of development assistance to Saint Lucia, reduce implementation bottlenecks, and stimulate SDG progress.   It provided donor Governments including the United Kingdom, United States of America, European Union and Canada, and development organisations including the World Bank, Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) ,  Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), an opportunity to discuss first-hand Saint Lucia’s newly developed 2021-2026 Medium-Term Development Strategy, and promote a common understanding of the Government’s development priorities.   In delivering Opening Remarks, Prime Minister Pierre urged development partners, to be mindful of the uniqueness of Saint Lucia, noting that whilst the Caribbean may be regarded as one space, every island, even in the OECS, is different.  “One size does not fit all,” he cautioned, while calling for the provision of more efficient support to crisis victims, particularly the most vulnerable, thereby minimizing the bottlenecks to access funding. Acting UN Resident Coordinator, Dr. Renata Clarke, in addressing the forum noted that the discussion was timely given the myriad development challenges facing Caribbean SIDS, which have been exacerbated by the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, the Triple Crisis of food, energy and finance. While commending the Government for meeting these challenges head on, she warned: “You simply cannot overcome them alone.” The UN head emphasized that the situation demanded that stronger and more strategic partnerships be formed, through robust bi-lateral and multi-lateral dialogue, and concerted efforts to bring all parties to the table. “We all recognize that Development Assistance is not a straightforward process with one-size-fits-all solutions. You can be assured of the UN’s continued commitment to the Government and people of Saint Lucia, to provide more integrated programming, to increase advocacy for SIDS, and to mobilize key resources to enhance resilience and protect the most vulnerable.” The forum also provided an opportunity for the Saint Lucia Government to learn more about planned and ongoing development interventions in-country, including initiatives outlined in the UN Country Implementation Plan for Saint Lucia, which could be leveraged as a means to address national priorities with support from all development partners and International Financing Institutions. Ultimately, the dialogue stimulated discussion aimed at ensuring better alignment of national priorities and development partners’ interventions, whilst ensuring that development assistance contributed to the acceleration of Saint Lucia’s achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Head of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Officer for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Kenroy Roach, closed the meeting noting the commitment of the UN to address Saint Lucia’s priority needs and sustain the dialogue. He welcomed the agreement among partners to explore how to work together to provide more targeted support to the government on key priorities such as the Youth Economy, capacity building to strengthen data and statistics, and enhancing access to development financing, and a proposal to continue the dialogue under the framework of Saint Lucia’s National Sustainable Development Goals Coordinating Committee. The face -to-face element of the development partners coordinating meeting was held at the Harbor Club Hotel, Rodney Bay Saint Lucia. Overall, participants included senior staff of the Government of Saint Lucia, including Permanent Secretaries and Development Partners.   ###   For further Information please contact: Carol A. Gaskin  Programme Communications and Advocacy Officer UN Resident Coordinator Office carol-ann.gaskin@un.org; 1 (246) 832 6110

Every two years, the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth recognizes 17 young change-makers who are leading efforts to combat the world's most pressing issues and whose leadership is catalyzing the achievement of the SDGs. Since launching in 2016, the initiative has collectively reached millions of young people around the world. Following an open call for applications earlier this year, which resulted in more than 5,400 applications from over 190 countries, this next cohort of Young Leaders for the SDGs hail from all corners of the world and work across all pillars of the UN, including sustainable development, human rights, and peace and security. The group — who are all between the ages of 17 and 29 years old — includes an aspiring astronaut, medical doctor and fashion designer, Paralympic medalist, poet, artists, climate entrepreneurs, peacebuilders, gender justice advocates, and education innovators, among others. “The 2022 class of Young Leaders for the SDGs represents an incredibly diverse, intersectional and inspirational group of young people who reflect the very best of global youth activism and advocacy when it comes to challenging the status quo and creating a better world for all,” said Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. “Even amidst the ongoing pandemic, climate crisis and global instability, these young people demonstrate immense resilience, resourcefulness and leadership in finding innovative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.” The 2022 Class of Young Leaders for the SDGs include: Mayada Adil (Sudanese refugee based in France; 29 years old; she/her); Fashion Designer, Medical Doctor & Co-Founder of La Loupe Creative Alyssa Carson (USA; 21 years old; she/her): Aspiring Astronaut & Girls in STEM Advocate Okan Dursun (Turkey; 26 years old; he/him): Education and Social Entrepreneur & Co-Founder of Twin Science & Robotics Emmanuel Ganse (Benin; 24 years old; he/him): Civic and Digital Rights Campaigner & President of Tonafa Institute Richa Gupta (India; 26 years old; she/her): Education Innovator, Social Entrepreneur & Co-Founder of Labhya Foundation Jamal Hill (USA; 27 years old; he/him): Paralympic Medalist, Disability Rights Advocate & Founder of Swim Up Hill Foundation Varaidzo (Vee) Kativhu (Zimbabwe/UK; 24 years old; she/her): Education Activist, YouTuber & Founder of Empowered by Vee Gibson Kawago (Tanzania; 27 years old; he/him): Climate Entrepreneur & Founder of WAGA Ronelle King (Barbados; 29 years old; she/her): Gender Justice Activist & Founder of Life in Leggings Luísa Franco Machado (Brazil; 23 years old; she/they): Digital Rights & Data Justice Activist Paul Ndhlovu (Zimbabwe; 23 years old; he/him): HIV/AIDS Advocate & Radio Champion at Zvandiri Karimot Odebode (Nigeria; 27 years old; she/her): Poet, Gender Equality Activist & Founder of Black Girl’s Dream Leonardo Párraga (Colombia; 29 years old; he/they): Peace Advocate, Artist & Founder of Fundación BogotArt Isidora Guzmán Silva (Chile; 17 years old; she/her): Inclusion and Disability Rights Activist & Founder of Encuentra tu Lugar Eddy Frank Vasquez (Dominican Republic; 26 years old; he/him): Climate Activist & Founder of Jeventud Sostenible Hanyuan (Karen) Wang (China; 26 years old; she/her): Climate Tech Entrepreneur, Researcher & Founding Member of Carbonbase Heela Yoon (Afghan refugee based in the UK; 24 years old; she/her): Peace Advocate & Founder of Afghan Youth Ambassadors for Peace A High-Level Selection Committee, composed of a group of influential leaders — representing national governments, civil society, the entertainment industry, private sector, and beyond — provided invaluable inputs and feedback as part of the selection process. The Selection Committee included: Connor Franta (Social Media Influencer, Artist and Author), Sônia Guajajara (Indigenous Activist and Politician), Richard Curtis (Screenwriter, Director and Founder of Project Everyone), Adam Met (Member of AJR and Executive Director of Planet Reimagined), H.E. Shamma Al Mazrui (UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs), and Nikhil Taneja (Co-Founder and CEO of Yuvaa), among others. More information on the Young Leaders for the SDGs, including the full profiles of the Young Leaders and their commitments to advancing the SDGs, is available at www.un.org/youthenvoy/2022class. About the Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth In 2017, the UN Secretary-General appointed Jayathma Wickramanayake of Sri Lanka as his Special Envoy on Youth and as the youngest senior official in the history of the organization. Ms. Wickramanayake's mandate is to harmonize the UN system efforts on youth development, enhance the UN response to youth needs, advocate for the development needs and rights of young people, as well as to bring the work of the United Nations on youth closer to them. The Envoy on Youth also acts as the advisor to and the representative of the Secretary-General on youth related matters. For more information, follow @UNYouthEnvoy on social media and visit our website at un.org/youthenvoy.

Around the Caribbean and Latin America, the need to focus on the full value of water to society is becoming increasingly important, like in the rest of the world, as the resource continues to face supply and demand challenges. Raising awareness on this was a central goal of the ‘’Focus on the Americas’’ sessions at the Stockholm International Water Institute’s World Water Week held in Stockholm, Sweden, from 24 August to 1 September 2022, in a hybrid online/in-person format. In this context, the FAO Subregional Office for the Caribbean (FAOSLC) joined forces with the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Organization of American States (OAS), RTI International and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to showcase regional examples of promising WEFE nexus tools for better decision-making across the board. Bringing to light water’s full value for Latin American and Caribbean societies requires finding innovative ways to address competing sectoral interests and ensure equitable resource allocation. Jacinto Buenfil, Policy Officer for Environment and Climate Change at FAOSLC and Coordinator of the Mexico-CARICOM-FAO Initiative ‘’Cooperation for Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in the Caribbean’’, participated in a panel discussion on the efficient use of water and climate data to inform cross-sectorial decision-making, and shared related lessons from the ongoing Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus project in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, and St. Kitts and Nevis. Agri-food systems within these small island developing states are highly challenged with the dwindling availability of renewable freshwater resources and the strong dependency on imported fossil fuels to meet the rising energy demand. Buenfil explained that the South-South cooperation project, funded by Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), supports beneficiary countries to implement climate-resilient solutions and practices, including water and energy efficient irrigation systems for small-scale agriculture, as well as data collection tools and decision support systems for policy makers to enhance water and food security in the Caribbean. In her opening remarks for the session, Gloria Sandoval, General Director for the Execution of Projects Abroad at AMEXCID, reinforced Mexico’s commitment to help improve living conditions in the insular Caribbean and increase resilience of the most vulnerable populations, stressing that ‘’Mexico is and will continue to be deeply supportive of the sister countries that make up our region.’’ During his presentation, Buenfil introduced the audience to the AGRI (AGua para RIego – Water for Irrigation) World Sources tool, a web-based decision-support platform.  AGRI was developed by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), now part of the Alliance of Bioversity International, with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and technical collaboration with FAO’s Investment Centre (CFI) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). The platform, designed for technicians and institutional decision-makers, facilitates the planning and design of reservoirs and irrigation systems for small farms. It helps to identify suitable sites for rainwater harvesting or river intakes based on biophysical selection criteria and water needs for crops. Under the WEF nexus project, officers at the Ministries of Agriculture in the four countries are being trained to use the platform effectively. Buenfil is convinced that the AGRI World Sources tool has the potential to be upscaled across the region and stated, ‘’FAO aims to support Caribbean small island developing states to increase the availability and reach of these climate-resilient interventions. For this we work closely with Governments and stakeholders to present funding proposals to international climate and environmental financing mechanisms such as the Adaptation Fund, the Global Environment Facility or the Green Climate Fund.” World Water Week is the leading annual global event for the water and sanitation sector, which explores the value of water for people, the economy, development, nature and the climate. Guided by this year’s theme “Seeing the unseen: the value of water”, the IDB coordinated 13 region-specific ‘’Focus on the Americas’’ sessions and seminars, featuring high-profile water and sanitation experts from government agencies, utilities, international organizations, universities, the private sector and donor agencies, amongst others. The goal was to foster cross-regional and cross-sectorial dialogue on innovative financing mechanisms, novel water security experiences, nature-based solutions and other relevant information. For more information, please contact: Jacinto Buenfil Policy Officer Environment and Climate Change FAO Subregional Office for the Caribbean E-mail: jacinto.buenfil@fao.org Marquita Sugrim FAO National Communications Consultant FAO Subregional Office for the Caribbean E-mail: marquitajuanne.sugrim@fao.org