New York, July 10, 2023 (Permanent Mission of St. Kitts and Nevis to the United Nations): Today marks the first day of the convening of the highly anticipated High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) at the United Nations. 2023 marks the mid-way point since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda 2030 was established in 2015. This event provides an opportunity for all stakeholders – government officials including sectoral ministers, multilateral institutions, non-governmental organizations, cities, academics, businesses, academia, and many other stakeholders – to come together to devise a plan of action to turbo-charge the implementation of the SDGs despite the severe financial, energy, food and humanitarian crises that have been triggered not only by the ongoing fallout effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but also the war in Ukraine and the longstanding climate emergency.
Today’s speakers reminded the world that all the progress that has been made on the SDGs is in peril of reversal if global leaders do not demonstrate a strong commitment to arresting current trends and reinforcing international solidarity toward shifting the world on a path to achieve the 2030 Agenda.
“The role of the state is to lift up the people”, implored one panelist during the Townhall session. “The best way to leave no one behind is to include all people – you can only end exclusion by including everyone.”
The delegation of St. Kitts and Nevis will be led by the Hon. Konris Maynard, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities, Domestic Transport, Information, Communication and Technology; and Posts; H.E. Nerys Dockery, Permanent Representative of St. Kitts and Nevis to the United Nations; Ms. Sherilita Dore-Tyson, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sustainable Development; Mr. Auren Manners, Director in the Department of Public Sector Investment Planning; Ms. Ghislaine Williams, Second Committee Expert and Minister Counsellor in the Permanent Mission; Mr. Kevin Hope, VNR Consultant; Ms. Denaula Laplace, officers in the Ministry of Environment and Ms. Nekirah Nicholls, Youth Ambassador.
“The HLPF 2023 marks a very important milestone in the reporting cycle of the SDG Agenda 2030. St. Kitts and Nevis will be delivering its Voluntary National Review for the very first time and is proud to be joining another 38 countries and the European Union in doing so,” stated Ambassador Dockery.” “We look forward to sharing our experiences at this Half-time mark, and to the opportunity to acquire insights on what can be improved and how we can improve so that the SDGs are delivered to every man, woman and child across the Federation by 2030.”
-30-
