The Government Of Grenada is said to have welcomed UN plans to strengthen coordination of development assistance.
It says it’s appreciative of the efforts of the United Nations Sub-regional Team for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean to strengthen coordination of its support provided to Small Island Developing States to meet development challenges.
A more up-scaled partnership and better tailored support was the focus of a recent virtual High-Level Dialogue between the Government and UN partners.
The Grenada delegation was headed by Prime Minister, Dr. the Right Hon. Keith Mitchell, and included members of Cabinet and senior public officers, while the UN team, was led by UN Resident Coordinator, Didier Trebucq, and included the heads of 13 UN agencies, funds and programmes.
The Grenada meeting is the latest in a series of country-level engagements initiated by the UN, following a General Assembly Resolution that operationalizes the 2019 review of UN Multi-Country Offices.
REPORT:
The virtual talks affirmed, at the highest level, the UN’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Grenada.
This includes identifying key priorities or gaps to be addressed, based on national strategies and development challenges; opportunities for advancing progress on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and establishment of a joint national steering committee to facilitate effective programme implementation.
Prime Minister Mitchell commended the new approach which also includes an initiative to develop Country Implementation Plans within the existing 2017 to 2021 Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework and the new 2022 to 2026 agenda.
Dr. Mitchell described the initiative as timely, given Grenada’s position in the early stages of its home-grown 15-year National Sustainable Development Plan.
He praised the ongoing technical support provided by specialised UN agencies, as well as their assistance in helping Grenada to access resources from other international agencies, including the Global Environment Fund, the Green Climate Fund, and bilateral partners, among others.
He went on further to state that the COVID pandemic has led to a significant reduction in Government revenue; the tourism industry, a key income earner, has suffered a major hit, and the Government has also incurred significant additional spending to provide stimulus payments to those most affected.
Dr. Mitchell made noted that Grenada’s economic recovery will require a significant level of development financing and is looking hopefully to development partners such as UN agencies for support in this regard.
The UN Resident Coordinator underscored the World body’s commitment to responding to Grenada’s unique needs and vulnerabilities, through a more tailored offer.
During the talks, both parties discussed ongoing projects and opportunities, as well as opportunities for new partnerships. Among matters in the discourse were the Covid-19 Response and Economic Resilience; Data Systems; Digitisation; Sustainable financing; Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction
