Palau Signs the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-27

Koror, Palau 9th December 2022 – The Government of Palau and the United Nations inked the new Pacific UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023 - 2027 which will guide the work of the UN System in Palau for the next five years.

Aimed at supporting the Pacific nations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the regional-level Framework has been developed by the United Nations after months of consultations with key partners including government, development partners, civil society, and the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) agencies. The UNSCDF 2023-2027 charts for the work of the UN across 14 Pacific Island countries and territories over the next five years (2023-2027), ensuring UN efforts align with national and regional development plans and aspirations, including the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

Signed by the Hon. Gustav N. Aitaro, Minister of the State Republic of Palau, and the UN Resident Coordinator Micronesia Mr. Jaap van Hierden, the UNSDCF 2023-2027 will be actioned at the country level through two-year Country Implementation Plans aligning UN engagements with national development priorities.

Hon. Aitaro thanked the UN team in Micronesia and noted the importance and timeliness of the Cooperation Framework.

“This new partnership cycle is a critical time for our country, as we strive to recover from the pandemic and global economic crisis, battling climate change and multiple crises, all the while seeking to transition to a greener, bluer economy, “said Hon. Aitaro. “This instrument will enable us to leverage all the programmes, funding, and expertise of the UN agencies in Micronesia. We are so delighted to be entering a new phase to enable us to achieve the SDGs.”

The UN Resident Coordinator Micronesia Mr. Jaap van Hierden congratulated and thanked the Palau government for their continued support to the UN and reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to Palau.

“I would like to thank the Government of Palau for their unwavering confidence and support to the UN. Among the ambitions stated, the one that stands out is to leave no one behind. To enable current and future generations to lead prosperous and peaceful lives,” Mr. Van Hierden said.

The UNSDCF 2023-2027 focuses on strengthening partnerships to support countries in four interlinked areas of Planet, People, Prosperity, and Peace, to ensure that no one is left behind, that people are equal and free to exercise their fundamental rights, to promote gender equality and peace, and to enable nations and their communities to become resilient to existential threats allowing them to live in harmony within the blue continent.

The signing ceremony took place at the UN Micronesia Palau Office with UN personnel in attendance.  The UN Resident Coordinator joined virtually from Pohnpei State, FSM.