LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND REPORT AFTER THE UNITED NATIONS MULTI-COUNTRY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK (UN MSDF) STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT

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1 LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND REPORT AFTER THE UNITED NATIONS MULTI-COUNTRY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK (UN MSDF) STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT (FEBRUARY 2016) UN MSDF Countries Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuba, Aruba, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of Dominica, Curacao, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Marteen, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

2 INTRODUCTION The United Nations System (UNS) jointly with the governments of the Caribbean moved from six (6) United Nations Development s (UNDAFs) to a common United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development (UN MSDF). The intends to guarantee national ownership while promoting regional synergies. Towards these ends consultations were conducted in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuba, Aruba, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of Dominica, Curacao, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Marteen, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. The national consultations took as their entry point the Common Multi-Country Assessment (CMCA) that defined a number of challenges that the region has to addresses. Building on these challenges, each consultation jointly defined which challenges were most pressing to address in the national context. These were summarized in a national report. Based on the commonalities found in the region, the UN MSDF Steering Committee proposed four priority areas to guide the UN MSDF. The priority areas were shared with national counterparts and key stakeholders for review. To validate that the proposed priority areas both promotes synergies and addresses national concerns, a Strategic Planning Retreat (SPR) was held on 3 December 2015 in Trinidad and Tobago. Government and UN staff from 17 countries, together with representatives from the OECS and CARICOM Secretariats participated in the SPR. In addition to guaranteeing national ownership, the objective of the SPR was twofold. Firstly, it aimed at arriving at consensus around the proposed strategic priorities. Secondly, it sought to operationalize the proposed strategic priorities into outcome statements. At the conclusion of the SPR the priority areas were validated and 10 outcomes were proposed. It was also concluded that the United Nations System needed to conduct a self-assessment of the capacities of its agencies, funds, and programmes to respond in each of the proposed outcome areas. Based on this analysis, the United Nations System should subsequently refine the outcome statements so that the final outcomes would correspond to the comparative advantage of the United Nations System in the Caribbean. The outcome statements were also to be refined taking into account Results Based Management (RBM) considerations, improving measurability as well as the linkages to the Sustainable development Goals (SDGs). The RBM dimensions were improved through an analysis of the United Nations Development Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNDG LAC). This analysis was followed by inputs from agencies throughout the region as well as the United Nations regional monitoring and evaluation group. In parallel a UN agency self-assessment on the capacities of the UN in the Caribbean to respond within each of the areas was conducted. On the basis of this, a total of eight (8) outcomes were defined where the UN had the clearest capacity to act. Finally, the outcomes were reviewed by the UNDG LAC peer support group (PSG) for quality assurance. The outcomes that have been defined are more results-oriented and based on existing mandates and capacities. By this, the ability of the UN System in the Caribbean to contribute to measurable change has been considered. They are still true to the agreed outcomes from the SPR and maintain their relationship with the SAMOA pathway themes as well as to the SDGs. The next step, which is the development of Country Implementation Plans, will give participating countries the opportunity to leverage the outcomes to define country outputs that reflect the specificities of the individual countries, while maintaining a clear relationship to the SAMOA pathway and the Sustainable Development Goals. This builds a strong p. 2

3 foundation for the UN MSDF as the UN joins the countries of the region in accelerating the progress towards the SDGs during the period 2017 to PRIORITY AREAS AND OUTCOME STATEMENTS The outcome statements within each priority area defined through this comprehensive process are as follows: INCLUSIVE, EQUITABLE AND PROSPEROUS CARIBBEAN The priority Inclusive, equitable and prosperous Caribbean builds on the core SDG concept of equitable development for all leaving no one behind as a prerequisite for prosperous and sustainable societies. This implies promoting social and economic inclusion in an equitable way through access to education, decent work opportunities, the promotion of entrepreneurship, and improved social protection. It demands economic development from a human centered perspective that can respond to the specific factors that have affected the ability of the Caribbean to remain competitive, taking into consideration issues such as brain drain and limited fiscal space to support technological innovation. At the conclusion of the SPR, the following three outcomes were proposed. Proposed outcomes from the Strategic Planning Retreat 1. Improve equitable access to life-long, quality education and skills training, decent work linked to labor market needs to enhance employment opportunities and employability. 2. Promote equity while improving social protection systems and the access to needs based quality services for all. 3. An enabling environment promotes innovation, access to traditional and non-traditional finance and other resources for sustainable, equitable businesses and economies and social protection systems. After a thorough analysis within the United Nations System, two actions were taken. First, the outcomes were reformulated to allow for clarity and measurability. Second, it was decided that based on the human and financial resources, the promotion of an enabling environment that promotes innovation, access to traditional and non-traditional finance and other resources was not a comparative advantage of the United Nations System in the Caribbean. The promotion of sustainable, equitable businesses, on the other hand, are within the UN s comparative advantage. As a consequence of this analysis, the first outcome has been adjusted to reflect the promotion of sustainable and decent businesses and work opportunities that was previously covered in the third outcome. 1. Access to quality education and life-long learning increased, for enhanced employability and decent p. 3

4 and sustainable economic development. 2. Access to equitable social protection systems, quality services improved. A HEALTHY CARIBBEAN A Healthy Caribbean responds to the concern that health and nutrition are increasingly affecting the lives of the people in the Caribbean. It acknowledges that to improve health, a multisectoral approach building on a health for all policies approach is needed. It means addressing environmental factors such as access to safe water and food safety. This implies strengthening the ability of the state to provide universal access to quality services and healthy nutrition as well as to the knowledge needed for prevention of disease, including Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). It demands action on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and HIV/AIDS and related stigma and discrimination and to promote sustainable agricultural production for improved health outcomes. Finally, it acknowledges that a human rights approach is necessary for equity. At the conclusion of the SPR, the decision was to proceed with two outcome themes within the priority area where one reflects the access to quality health services, and the second relates to life style choices related to health. Proposed outcomes from Strategic Planning Retreat 1. Access to, and quality of health and related services and systems strengthened. 2. Enabling environment for the adoption of healthy lifestyles among all sectors of the population strengthened. There were clear indications that these areas reflected the comparative advantage of the United Nations in the Caribbean. They are thus maintained with minor adjustments to improve measurability. The following outcomes were defined: 1. Universal Access to quality health care services and systems improved. 2. Laws, policies and systems introduced to support healthy lifestyles among all segments of the population. p. 4

5 A SAFE, COHESIVE AND JUST CARIBBEAN A safe, cohesive and just Caribbean acknowledges that insufficient citizen security restricts the people of the Caribbean to live full and productive lives. This has an impact especially on women, youth, children and other vulnerable groups. It acknowledges conditions that will promote security and rule of law as well as addresses the root causes that perpetuate violence, including attitudes, vulnerabilities and lack of access to justice. Within this priority, the UN will support member States to adhere to international, regional and national commitments to ensure that all persons can live free from harm within the public and private spheres. At the conclusion of the SPR, the decision was to proceed with two outcome themes within the priority area where one reflects access to transparent and effective institutions for rule of law while the other reflects the need to improve organizational capabilities to decrease violence with a special emphasis on the most vulnerable. Proposed outcomes from Strategic Planning Retreat 1. Effective and transparent systems and institutions for rule of law, justice and citizen security and safety provided. 2. Improved capacity of public institution and non-governmental organizations to prevent violence in particular domestic and crime related violence, protect victims and ensure reintegration of offenders while addressing the root causes that promote and perpetuate violence and insecurity. There were clear indications that these areas encompassed the comparative advantage of the United Nations System in the Caribbean. With this said, due to issues in measuring effective and transparent systems and institutions for rule of law and to improve clarity, the first outcome was reformulated to focus on the access to justice dimension. Similarly, the second outcome was sharpened. 1. Equitable access to justice, protection, citizen security and safety reinforced. 2. Capacities of public policy and rule of law institutions and civil society organizations strengthened. The benefit of these changes is that in the former case, the outcomes promote a human centered approach to development. In the latter case, the new outcomes give each country the flexibility to determine specific outputs in the Country Implementation Plans to address those dimensions that public institutions and civil society organizations need to strengthen. p. 5

6 A SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT CARIBBEAN A sustainable and resilient Caribbean is a call for the UN to support the Caribbean in addressing the effects of climate change on livelihoods, especially those who are most vulnerable. It focuses on UN System support to strengthening institutional and community resilience in the Caribbean in terms of natural resources management, the protection and sustainable use of terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems, renewable energy systems, and inclusive and sustainable societies. Finally, it demands an integrated approach to the sustainable use and management of natural resources. At the conclusion of the SPR, the decision was to proceed with three outcomes within this priority area: Proposed outcomes from Strategic Planning Retreat Effective resilience strategies for climate change mitigation and disaster risk reduction management adopted. Government capacity to develop and provide access to renewable and sustainable energy sources for all citizens strengthened. Governance and management for the equitable and sustainable use of natural resources improved. Following an internal analysis within the United Nations System, two actions were taken. First, the outcomes were modified for clarity and measurability. Second, it was decided that given the human and financial resources of the United Nations System in the Caribbean, a separate outcome on access to renewable and sustainable energy sources could not be defended; but as actions toward the development of policies and programmes to promote access to clean energy was within the scope and ability of the agencies, this dimension was added to the first outcome. The following two outcomes were thus agreed upon: Policies and programmes for climate change adaption, disaster risk reduction and universal access to clean and sustainable energy in place. Inclusive and sustainable solutions adopted for the conservation, the restoration and the use of ecosystems and natural resources. p. 6

7 PRIORITY AREAS AND FINAL OUTCOME STATEMENTS Priority area 1: An inclusive, equitable and prosperous Caribbean Access to quality education and life-long learning increased, for enhanced employability and decent and sustainable economic development. Access to equitable social protection systems, quality services improved. Priority area 2: A safe, cohesive and just Caribbean Capacities of public policy and rule of law institutions and civil society organizations strengthened. Equitable access to justice, protection, citizen security and safety reinforced Priority area 3: A healthy Caribbean Universal Access to quality health care services and systems improved. Laws, policies and systems introduced to support healthy lifestyles among all segments of the population. Priority area 4: A sustainable and resilient Caribbean Policies and programmes for climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and universal access to clean and sustainable energy in place. Inclusive and sustainable solutions adopted for the conservation, restoration and use of ecosystems and natural resources. p. 7