The 6 th Meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean
on Sustainable Development, held under the auspices of the Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) commenced in
Santiago, Chile on 25 th April 2023. This forum serves as a regional mechanism to
follow up and review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable
development, including the sustainable development goals, and targets, its means
of implementation, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
During this forum, Antigua and Barbuda’s Director of International Trade, SDGs
Focal Point and Technical Lead for the nation’s internationally acclaimed
Voluntary National Review, Joy-Marie King presented to the membership the
nation’s experiences in the meaningful participation of stakeholders in the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In her discourse, King reaffirmed the Gaston Browne Administration’s
commitment to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, given
that it is a major public policy, complementary to the tenets of good governance
purporting among many, the participation and inclusivity of the citizenry.
In highlighting the best practices from Antigua and Barbuda’s experience, Director
King indicated that “meaningful participation has to be present from inception,
including the agenda-setting phase of public policy formulation. For example,
ensuring the recognition that achieving the SDGs will provide solutions to several
problems identified within the society, whether related to prosperity, the planet (the
need to preserve the environment), and people (the empowerment of our people,
particularly the poorest and most vulnerable, leaving no one behind).
Secondly, the continuous participation of stakeholders particularly within the
public policy implementation stage; where within the context of Antigua and
Barbuda was bolstered by the undertaking of the nation’s first Voluntary National
Review (VNR) in 2021, and the recent alignment of the nation’s medium-term
development plan to the SDGs which was informed by the VNR. These two
examples facilitated the development of local ownership of the goals.
Finally, results-oriented – heavily supported by a domestic institutional framework
(the establishment of a Cabinet Subcommittee chaired by the Honorable Minister
of Foreign Affairs and an SDGs Technical Committee, chaired by the Director of
International Trade) all of which foster public advocacy in complement with
multilateral efforts among others to support, monitor and surveillance accelerated
implementation of the goals.”
This meeting brings together UN officials, national governments, experts, and civil
society to share experiences and define priorities for ensuring an inclusive recovery
from the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). The meeting concludes on 28 th April 2023.
