Barbados continues to make strides in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, but the Government is committed to accelerating progress and ensuring that all Barbadians have lives of dignity, equity, and opportunity.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, made this clear on Friday afternoon, as she delivered Barbados’ Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the United Nations (UN) High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which took place at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The VNR represents an opportunity for countries across the globe to report on their progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The VNR highlights the plans, programmes, policies and initiatives that have been implemented from 2016 to the present day.
This year’s High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development was held under the theme, “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”, and specifically gave countries the opportunity to discuss the effective and inclusive recovery measures to address the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the SDGs.
Following Barbados’ VNR, which preceded presentations from Rwanda and Vietnam, Munro-Knight further explained that the VNR and the SDGs, were truly about improving the lives of Barbadians in a comprehensive manner.
“It’s our commitment to our society, to the people of Barbados, at all levels, about what we view as important in terms of our social and economic and environmental progress,” Minister Munro-Knight said.
“It is important to us to have a true reflection of that and doing the Voluntary National Review is our kind of big reflection point. We are committed to working over the next seven years to make sure that we fulfill our commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” she added.
After the review is completed, Barbados will use the lessons learned to improve current programmes and plans, while also implementing new and innovative policies. These policies will be used to guide the island into 2030 and beyond to secure a brighter and more inclusive future for all. (PR)