Prime Minister Briceno Addresses UN General Assembly on Poverty Reduction

Prime Minister John Briceno is at the United Nations in New York, USA, attending the United Nations General Assembly.  It is a major event that brings together over 190 leaders from around the world to discuss global issues.  Just before eleven o’clock this morning, Prime Minister Briceno addressed the assembly during the Summit of Sustainable Development Goals.  In his presentation, Briceno announced that the priority of his administration is to reduce poverty.

Hon. John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “Belize is deeply troubled at the slow progress of implementation of the SDGs. While ongoing crises are deterring our efforts, systemic inequities at global levels have long been undermining our aspirations. Today, I reaffirm Belize’s unwavering commitment to achieving the SDGs. These goals remain the only ambitious universally agreed blueprint to achieve an equitable and sustainable future for all. The highest priority for my government is reducing poverty. Belize commits to reducing poverty by 50 percent by 2030 in alignment with the fundamental principle of leaving no one behind. We are committed to redoubling our actions to build resilience and ensure that everyone wins by implementing the national energy policy, the national land use policy, develop a comprehensive industrial strategy that integrates green and blue industrial policies. Achieve protection of 30 percent of the marine space by 2026, including protection of 20 percent of the coral reef, implement our National  Blue Economy Policy we further commit to reducing land degradation through our land restoration strategy, mitigate biodiversity los via the revised national biodiversity strategy. Implement integrated water resource management approaches and foster agroforestry systems. By 2024, implement a national risk management plan supplemented by disaster-specific strategies for hurricanes, floods, and droughts. By 2025, finalize our special education policy, expand the free education policy programs in impoverished areas, implement early childhood development investments, expand adult remedial initiatives. Approve by 2024 a costed social program social protection strategy. Implement by 2026 our national digital agenda to modernize governance. To accelerate achievement of all SDGs, we will legally establish a resource and empower sustainable development department. Regrettably, international cooperation and development finance are not at the scale required. I reiterate Belize’s urgent call for reform of the international financial architecture and the adoption of the multidimensional vulnerability index. The SDGs is a collective commitment. Taiwan and other partners are supporting our pursuit and I call others to join us in inclusivity, equity and solidarity to build a sustainable future.”

Additionally, Prime Minister Briceno was the keynote speaker at the High Level Ocean Meeting this morning at the UN.  In that address, the PM noted that the core of Belize’s conservation commitment is to deliver outcomes that benefit the Belizean people and planet through building a nature-positive economy.