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The Government of Belize and the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) convened its 5th Joint National Steering Committee Meeting, co-chaired by H.E. Amalia Mai, CEO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Culture, and Mr. Raúl Salazar, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Belize and El Salvador. The Joint Steering Committee provides strategic oversight and guidance for the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNMSDCF) 2022-2026, which covers 22 countries in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean and was adopted by Belize in December 2021.The meeting facilitated an exchange between Heads of UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) across several government line ministries around key areas of strategic cooperation. During this dialogue, the Government outlined its strategic priorities under Plan Belize 2.0, which is linked to the Pact for the Future adopted by United Nations Member States in 2024. The meeting also endorsed re-alignment of UNMSDCF 2022-2026 with Belize’s Medium-term Development Strategy (MTDS) 2022-2026.  A key agenda item was the UNCT’s presentation of the United Nations Country Results Report (CRR) on the Country Implementation Plan (CIP) for 2024-2025.  The CIP includes 161 projects to be implemented by 15 UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes working in Belize with an estimated budget of US $47 million. The UNCT also led a discussion on the Funding Compact 2.0 including opportunities to expand programming and partnerships in Belize.Mr. Salazar reaffirmed the commitment of the UN Country Team to continue its partnership with the Government on advancing sustainable development in Belize. "In the 2025 context, the UN Secretary General’s call for global unity remains more critical than ever to leave no one behind and achieve the SDGs by 2030. As the UN marks its 80th anniversary this year, it is both a time to celebrate key milestones and achievements, but also to innovate and adapt in a changing global environment. The 2024 Voluntary National Review (VNR) on all 17 SDGs shows that Belize has made progress in several areas including a reduction of multidimensional poverty from 36.5% in 2021 to 26.4% in 2023 (SDG1), reduction of unemployment rate from 13.7% to 2.1% in 2024 (SDG 8), and conserving 30% of Belize’s ocean space under the Blue Bond (SDG13 & 14) to name a few examples. The UN Country Team stands ready to continue to support Belize in achieving its Medium-Term Development Strategy and SDG acceleration by 2030.”  The meeting closed with an exchange around the International Cooperation Council (ICC) established by the Government in 2023, the UN’s 80th anniversary commemoration in Belize, and the roadmap for the new UN Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNMSDCF) 2027-2031 currently in the planning and development stage.  Contact:
Mirsy Ponce
Executive Associate
Office of the UN Resident Coordinator
United Nations in Belize
Phone: +501-822-2171
Email: Mirsy.Ponce@un.org