Today, Antigua and Barbuda’s Director of International Trade in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Joy-Marie King, will make a presentation during this year’s United Nation’s High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
The forum got underway yesterday, and is set to run until July 15 at the UN’s Headquarters in New York.
King – who has represented Antigua and Barbuda at numerous global gatherings during her tenure – was invited to make the presentation by the 77th President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), His Excellency Collen Vixen Kelapile.
A press statement from the government revealed that, in an official letter to King, Ambassador Kelapile highly commended her vision and expertise, stating that he “believes she would add great value to the meeting by presenting highlights from Antigua and Barbuda’s recent Voluntary National Review (VNR) in the session of the HLPF on SDG 4 and interlinkages with other SDGs [sustainable development goals]”.
King spearheaded Antigua and Barbuda’s first VNR process in 2021, with the report outlining the nation’s progress, challenges, experiences, and possible policy interventions toward accelerating the implementation of the United Nations’ SDGs.
According to the statement, it received high commendations from the international community.
The theme for the 2022 HLPF is “Building back better from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.
During this year’s forum, 44 countries will present VNRs of their implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.