United Nations and The Bahamas Facilitate Inaugural Joint National Steering Committee Meeting

NASSAU – The Bahamas' Joint National Steering Committee (JNSC) for the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (MSDCF) held its country-level meeting on March 26 with the Sustainable Development Goals Unit (SDGU), Office of The Prime Minister and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office. Representatives from various Ministries and Departments within the Government of The Bahamas, alongside UN Resident Coordinator Staff and UN agency representatives, were in attendance, virtually and in person. During the meeting, Co-chairs Mr. Dennis Zulu, UN Resident Coordinator and Director Rochelle Newbold, SDGU, communicated the significance of collective action in accomplishing the goals outlined in the MSDCF and its accompanying country implementation plan (CIP). 

The Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (MSDCF) for the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean spans from 2022 to 2026 and is the roadmap for coordinated development support agreed to by regional member states including The Bahamas.

The MSDCF is the foremost instrument for planning and implementing UN development initiatives that align with the 2030 SDG Agenda and The Bahamas’ national development priorities. UN agencies and national governments, including The Bahamas, endorsed the Cooperation Framework, for the first time in 2022.

"The Joint National Steering Committee is very important to the transparency, monitoring, and accountability of UN-Bahamas programme implementation," Co-chair Zulu said. "This meeting is being held at an opportune time because it allows us to focus on the specifics of the Country Implementation Plan, in the case of The Bahamas." Co-chair Zulu added.

"This is a meeting that has been long anticipated. Most of you may recall that when this administration took office, this was one of the first undertakings that it committed the country to be a part of, this regional MSDCF," Co-chair Newbold said. “We are very excited and willing to [partner]," Co-chair Newbold added. 

The meeting featured a short presentation on the MSDCF's focus and structure and a summary of the key focus areas under The Bahamas' 2022/2023 country implementation plan (CIP). The CIP results will be published in an upcoming annual report. Representatives from relevant UN agencies also gave updates on the annual results review and achievements for 2023, including a presentation on the 2024/2025 country implementation plan.

Critical discussions during the meeting centred around potential and new collaborations as well as best practices and capacity building. Participants engaged in fruitful dialogue, exchanging insights and perspectives to address technical and procedural gaps, and explored future opportunities for successful partnerships and programme implementation. 

The meeting came to a close with practical recommendations for Ministries and Departments to adopt the most effective methods to advance the work of the CIP. The SDG team pledged to support Ministries and Departments in advancing their work. The United Nations recommitted to greater momentum, and engagement with the JNSC to advance and sustain its effort in The Bahamas.