Joint Press Release – On April 10th and 11th, the Blue Bond and Finance Permanence Unit, Office of the Prime Minister, hosted a two day mission with the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Belize and El Salvador, Mr. Raul Salazar, and his team on the Belize Blue Bonds program implementation.
Recognizing Belize’s financing innovation through the Belize Blue Bonds in positioning nature at the core of its national development, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Belize was given an overview of how Belize has leveraged its history of good environmental stewardship to help bridge the financing gap for national ambitions in Ocean Conservation, Climate Change and Blue Economic Development through its Blue Bonds Program.
The mission highlighted the work being done for mangrove ecosystem management, conservation, restoration, and blue carbon opportunities. It also provided an overview of the collaboration between state and non-state actors to strengthen enforcement and the framework for the optimal use of fisheries resources in Belize’s blue space through the investments for strengthened fisheries governance, effective marine protected areas management and the expansion of the Belize Coast Guard Capabilities with an aerial fleet.
The United Nations Resident Coordinator met with both Government and non-Government Blue Bonds implementation partners such as the Belize Forest Department, Belize Fisheries Department, Belize Coast Guard, and the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association.
The mission has created opportunities for greater collaboration and partnership between the Government of Belize and the United Nations for the further leveraging of the Belize Blue Bonds as we continue our joint efforts towards the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals and in particular SDG 14 – Life Below Water for Oceans conservation while improving the wellbeing of all Belizeans.
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