United Nations Belize and Government of Belize Convene 5th Joint National Steering Committee Meeting to Advance Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework

Press Release, Belmopan, Belize, 6 May 2025 – The Government of Belize and the United Nations Country Team 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. Raul 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. The Government also outlined strategic priorities under Plan Belize 2.0 linked to the Pact for the Future resolution, as agreed upon by Belize at the Summit of the Future in 2024. The meeting supported a further re-alignment of programming under the UNMSDCF 2022-2026 with Belize’s Medium-term Development Strategy (MTDS) 2022-2026.
H.E. CEO Amalia Mai emphasised that continued partnership with the UN is critical to facilitate transformative initiatives that can yield quick and impactful results to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. “Through the Joint National Steering Committee with the UN, we are able to jointly engage around the evolving global, regional, and national context, the work of the Committee is more important than ever—it embodies the principles of dialogue, cooperation, and shared responsibility that must endure if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”
The meeting also facilitated the presentation of the UN Country Results Report (CRR) for 2024 under the current Country Implementation Plan (CIP) for 2024-2025 which includes 161 projects to be implemented by 15 UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes working in Belize with an estimated budget of US $47 million of which 45% is to be mobilised. The UN Country Team also facilitated a dialogue around the Funding Compact 2.0 including opportunities to expand programming and partnerships in Belize.
UN Resident Coordinator Raul Salazar reaffirmed the commitment of the UN Country Team to continue partnering with the Government in 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), a 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 and 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. The Government of Belize and the United Nations in Belize acknowledge this joint milestone and underscore the continued importance of its partnership in working together towards a prosperous and sustainable future for all Belizeans.