(MFA&FT Kingston: June 28, 2017)

As the Caribbean continues its efforts to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Caribbean Action 2030: Regional Conference on the Sustainable Development Goals, which got underway today (Wednesday, June 28) will offer an opportunity for the region to assess implementation challenges and progress.

So underscored Jamaica’s Foreign Minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, as she addressed this morning’s Opening Ceremony at the Regional Headquarters of the University of the West Indies.

Representatives from 18 Caribbean countries, including members of the public and private sectors, the youth cohort, academia, civil society and other non-governmental organisations will, over the three-day period, seek to further advance regional action on SDGs' implementation with greater science/policy interface. 

Minister Johnson Smith, while acknowledging that data collection and analysis are the most notable obstacles to the region’s efforts, also highlighted the need for research-based policy formulation and implementation.

The Minister stated, “Our meeting at this juncture affords us a chance to consider the many issues involved and to forge partnerships with various stakeholders, both local and international to help us to address them.”

Minister Johnson Smith emphasised the need to identify new and innovative means of financing development, in light of the constraints faced by small island developing states (SIDS), pointing to the recent torrential rains in Jamaica that caused significant damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

“This has highlighted, in no uncertain terms, our vulnerability to the effects of climate change and the increased cost to the country to rebuild lives and livelihoods.  This diversion of resources from other increasingly critical areas is a major cause for concern as we seek to create an environment for the attainment of the SDGs,” the Minister stated.

The Conference will cover areas such as capacity-building for sustainable development, addressing vulnerabilities faced by the region and resource mobilisation strategies.

The regional Ministers also met today in a Ministerial exchange, to discuss strategies related to financing the SDGs.

The Conference is jointly hosted by the Government of Jamaica (GoJ), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of the West Indies (UWI).
 

Contact: Danille Gordon; 564-4241