UN official: Barbados making great SDGs strides

THE UNITED NATIONS (UN) is giving Barbados a big thumbs-up regarding implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

UN Resident Coordinator Didier Trebucq said that while Barbados has not yet fully integrated all the goals, it was still ahead of many other countries.

“The world is not on track to achieving the SDGs but at the same time, we see that Barbados is making tremendous progress to achieving things such as the transition to renewable energy, to adapting to climate change, to improving quality education, to improving access to universal health, to eliminating gender-based violence.

“In the end, the work around the SDGs is really about strengthening people’s resilience and achieving partnerships that enable the country to move forward confidently,” he added.

Trebucq noted that achieving the SDGs was a journey and he was impressed with Barbados’ dedication despite crises such as COVID-19. He said the country was “ahead of the curve” and the next step was to keep going.

“We have seven years until 2030 so we need to continue to accelerate. Of course, like in every country, there are still a few goals lagging behind and this is where emphasis has to be put to make sure no one is left behind, because we don’t want the most vulnerable to suffer. But I think with the policy decisions being made in Barbados, no one will be left behind.”

He was speaking to the media on Saturday at UN In The City: Together For The SDGs held in Golden Square Freedom Park. It was a collaboration between the UN and Government.

Member of Parliament for The City Corey Lane, in his address, said one of his concerns was whether the average Barbadian truly understood what the SDGs were about.

“Sometimes the average citizen, in Barbados and the world, does not make the connection to things like existential threats and SDGs. Sometimes these things are seen as esoteric, academic or economic, but really and truly it is about the day-to-day life of all citizens.

“If you don’t understand climate crisis, then you could understand littering equals flooding. Please understand not taking care of the environment is tantamount to blocked drains and your house being washed away. Let us break it down so every citizen of the world understands the SDGs must be the goal of everyone,” he said.

Lane said a national review conducted earlier this year showed Barbados was well advanced in achieving the SDGs by 2030, through various partnerships, which had to be built upon.

“As we celebrate this UN day in The City, we hope to build on these partnerships. We look forward to many more years of continued partnerships and we look forward to 2030 with great anticipation, while creating a sustainable future for all upcoming generations,” he said.

The event featured various departments of the UN as well as a number of Government ministries and departments showcasing their agendas with a focus on the SDGs. It included songs, spoken word, games, giveaways and plenty of information. (CA)

DR KIKUKO SAKAI

( left), First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Barbados, and Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. chief product development officer Marsha Alleyne (second left), playing the HIV Commission’s Ups And Downs game under the supervision of HIV Commission volunteer Jamilla Williams-Phillips.

UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR Didier Trebucq

(left)

admiring jewellery by public relations officer of the Barbados Council for the Disabled Christopher Gilkes.

(Pictures by Sandy Pitt.)

WAYNELLE COLLYMORE-TAYLOR

( right), dressed in the FAO SDG 2 Zero Hunger attire, showing Reniece Bonnett some information.