Ministry of Sustainable Development Climate Change and Risk Disaster Management

The 6th United Nations Environment Assembly was hosted at the United Nations Environment Program Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, from February 26 to March 1. Leading Belize’s participation is Dr. Kenrick Williams, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management.

Over 40 personnel from the public and private sectors as well as development agencies came together for a three-day technical workshop to improve development financing and planning towards accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate objectives. This is being considered through the implementation of the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) approach in Belize based on national priorities and experience from other countries. The workshop was convened by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator (UNRCO) with technical leadership of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment and Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management.

The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to formalize a partnership for the protection of children, mothers, and vulnerable Belizeans.

The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management signed four Third Party Responsible Agreements (TPRA). These agreements were signed as part of the project entitled “Integrated management of production landscape to deliver multiple global environmental benefits”.

On 11, 2023, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, through the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), signed four memorandums of understanding with partner organizations, namely, the Belize Red Cross, the Scout Association of Belize, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), and the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB).

On October 6, 2023, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management and some of its conservation partners signed agreements to enter formal public-private partnerships (or co-management) for a few protected areas across the National Protected Areas System (NPAS).

On September 25, 2023, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management and the TaiwanICDF held the closing ceremony for the Belize Interdepartmental Rapid Response Team Training Program, which also presented the results of a three-week disaster management training held in Taipei, Taiwan.

The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management successfully convened the National Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Partnership Dialogue, a synergistic event organized by the Sustainable Development Unit in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Development, and the United Nations (UN) in Belize.