Vice President Abdulla Jihad says that United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has provided long-standing support in achieving socio-economic development goals around the world, including the Maldives.
He stated this while addressing a ceremony held to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UNDP. The event was held early Wednesday evening at Hotel Jen.
During the speech, the Vice President congratulated UNDP for providing 50 years of fruitful service around the globe, and highlighted support provided to the Maldives during the past 38 years.
He went into detail about UNDP’s assistance to the Maldives, including a diverse range of technical consultancy and financial support to help eradicate poverty, protect the environment, improve livelihoods, build peaceful societies, as well as manage risk and cultivate resilience in the face of the most critical threats to the country, such as climate change.
The Vice President emphasized that UNDP is a prime example of the kind of partnership that is needed from development partners for vulnerable countries such as the Maldives.
He further pointed out that the close partnership between the Maldivian Government and UNDP was thoroughly manifested in the process of achieving 5 out of the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the Maldives. In that vein, he thanked UNDP for the expertise and resources that were shared with national stakeholders to achieve this feat.
Moreover, he stated that the Government is working in partnership with UNDP to further accelerate the momentum gained in achieving the MDGs to integrate Sustainable Development Goals in national development plans and policies.
In this event, Vice President Jihad shed light on the fact that United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2016-2020 has identified youth and children; gender; governance; and environment and climate change, as the key areas to focus in the formulation and implementation of national plans and policies.