Saint Lucia will join 130 other Heads of Government at the UN Headquarters, NY, for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Kenny D. Anthony, Minister for External Affairs, Mr. Alva Baptiste and Sustainable Development Minister Sen. Hon. Dr. James Fletcher are expected to be among 131 Heads of Government who will gather at the UN Headquarters in New York, from Sep. 25 – 27, for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, consisting in core of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
These SDG`s will mark a significant departure from the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and will also be an international guide for development activities for development and the related mobilization of the resources.
Saint Lucia`s interests during the negotiations of the Post-2015 Development Agenda have been spearheaded by experts from the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology and Saint Lucia’s Mission to the United Nations in New York.
Throughout the negotiations, Saint Lucia and the rest of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have called for a holistic agenda that takes into consideration the unique challenges of small island states, like ours.
The First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Saint Lucia to the United Nations, Ms. Kimberly Louis, who negotiated on behalf of the country, explained that throughout the negotiation process, Saint Lucia has emphasized the importance of strengthening synergies between national, regional and international processes for integrating the sustainable development goals of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the commitments under the S.A.M.O.A. Pathway (the recently adopted Action Agenda for Small Island Developing States).
According to Ms. Louis “the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) did not reflect or incorporate national planning processes, however, it is generally accepted that the sustainable development goals must be adapted to national circumstances and regional priorities and objectives.”
She added that “the successful implementation of the new agenda will depend on a robust but flexible framework for the mobilization and provision of financing and other means of implementation as well as a robust framework to support both national development policy-making and monitoring progress and achievements at all levels.”
To support the growing demand for high quality, reliable and timely data and analysis, Saint Lucia and other CARICOM Member States have also called for a dedicated stream of support for strengthening national statistical systems and national statistical offices.
Unlike the siloed approach of the MDGs, the SDGs will be comprehensive, integrated and horizontal, bringing together the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
In addition, the Post-2015 Development Agenda will be universal, applicable to all countries, unlike the North-South agenda of the MDGs. It will also be transformative, focusing on people-centred and inclusive development and will incorporate the means of implementation to support the agenda, a missing component in the MDGs.
The Post-2015 United Nations Development Agenda will also establish a robust review and follow-up system unlike the ad hoc follow up and review of the MDGs which expire in December.
As part of ongoing national preparations, local stakeholders met on Tuesday via Skype with their New York counterparts to review the draft agenda and further elaborate the country’s position.