A Declaration of Intent (DOI) aiming to strengthen cooperation in meeting the 2030 agenda for sustainable development in the Caribbean was signed between the United Nations (UN) and The University of the West Indies (The UWI) at the UWI Regional Headquarters.

The agreement is built on the three pillars of The UWI’s Strategic Plan: Access, Alignment and Agility, and the four pillars of the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (MSDCF) – the UN roadmap for development within the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean.

The DOI was signed by Professor Densil A Williams, principal, The UWI, Mona, on behalf of the university and Dennis Zulu, UN resident coordinator on behalf of the United Nations system in Jamaica.

Zulu revealed that “the latest performance assessment of the SDGs (sustainable development goals) from the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network shows that on average less than one-fifth of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved”.

“It is therefore crucial that we all do our best to enhance partnerships, forge enduring collaborations and pool ideas and expertise to support Jamaica and the region in meeting its SDG targets,” he added. “This UN-UWI partnership aims to do just that.”

The declaration identifies initial areas of collaboration including economic transformation and resilience-building for the SDGs, financing for sustainable development, knowledge generation and sharing as well as data capacity development, among others.

The DOI was signed on the heels of UN Jamaica’s youth partnership forum aimed at refocusing efforts around the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. This one-day event is hosted at UWI’s Regional Headquarters.

“Today’s signing is not just symbolic of our continued commitment to Jamaica, but a step forward in strengthening the UN’s partnership with UWI as a key partner in the sustainable development of Jamaica and the region,” Zulu said.