The Maldives has presented the first Voluntary National Review (VNR) during the High Level Political Forum taking place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The Voluntary National Review (VNR) was presented by Minister of State for Environment and Energy, Abdulla Majeed. The review showcased the substantive progress which has been made in the areas of health, education, gender, water and sanitation, energy, infrastructure, climate change and conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. In the review, Maldives highlighted the economic, social and environmental challenges faced by the country, and the efforts made towards overcoming these challenges through innovation, strategic long term policies and collaborative decision-making process.
Furthermore, the VNR highlighted necessity for support and assistance from national and international development partners for financing and resource mobilization. The presentation of the VNR was followed by an interactive discussion with Stakeholders and Member States, where specific questions were addressed. Countries expressed support for the leadership demonstrated by the Maldives and welcomed its achievements, most notably in conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.
Furthermore, on Tuesday, the Maldivian State Minister stated that commencing the VNR process for the High Level Political Forum has brought impetus to the challenging task of mainstreaming and implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda domestically. He made the remarks at the national statement delivered at the Forum.
State Minister Majeed highlighted that the process brought together all implementing Government bodies and institutions to collectively review the progress which has been made in implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and strengthened cross sectorial coordination in enhancing future efforts for achieving these targets during the national statement. He also emphasized the support needed by countries such as the Maldives not only for the means of implementing these goals, but also to improve capacity building for data collection and measurement to measure progress of implementation.
The High Level Political Forum is the United Nations Central platform convened annually for the follow up and review the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 44 countries presented their VNRs this year, with participation of 77 Ministers, Cabinet Secretaries and Deputy Ministers.