UN Week to Focus on Belize’s Development and Partnerships
The United Nations will mark its 81st anniversary on October 24, with UN Day activities in Belize focusing on development, regional cooperation and partnerships with the government and private sector.
The programme will include the signing of a new cooperation framework for 2027 to 2031 and a declaration of intention involving private sector companies committed to sustainable development.
UN Resident Coordinator Raul Salazar says the new framework will guide the UN system’s work with Belize and other Caribbean countries over the next five years, addressing regional challenges such as climate change, citizen security and changing population needs.
Salazar said the previous cooperation framework, which ran from 2022 to 2026, resulted in 161 projects in Belize, with approximately $25 million spent annually over the five-year period.
“We had 161 projects that were implemented in Belize and more or less 25 million per year for a period of five years,” Salazar said.
Among the initiatives already underway is the Prosper project, launched by the International Labour Organization and the European Union. The project works with indigenous communities in Toledo to help them develop economic resilience plans based on their own priorities, with support from the Ministry of Economic Transformation.
The UN has also supported rural development through the National Rural Development Strategy, including solar-powered electricity for schools and initiatives addressing water and sanitation in rural communities.
“We have been doing a lot of work in the rural communities, also around the National Rural Development Strategy, bringing new modalities of rural electrification for solar panels in schools,” Salazar said.
During UN Week, companies are expected to sign a declaration of intention committing to responsible business practices aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
“There are 61 large companies that are operating under these principles in order for them to connect and to also exchange and learn and see what they have done in other countries,” Salazar said.
He also said Belize has made progress in reducing poverty and protecting its marine ecosystems. “Belize is one of the few countries in the world that has really achieved the target of having 30% of the territorial waters protected,” he said.
UN Week will also provide an opportunity for UN personnel in Belize to reflect on their work, strengthen cooperation and raise public awareness about how the organisation supports Belize’s development.