The Philippines and the United Nations (UN) conducted their first-ever meeting that was aimed at talking about ways to achieve the international organization's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and implement the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028.
The inaugural Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meeting on the 2024-2028 UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) was held among UN Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on May 3.
During the talk, a Terms of Reference (TOR) approved the outline of the cooperation, which will set "the stage for coordinated efforts to achieve the UN's SDGs while aligning with the country's PDP 2023-2028," according to DFA.
The JSC also endorsed key documents from the Cooperation Framework and reviewed the current UN portfolio in the Philippines, focusing on human capital development, inclusion, and resilience building; sustainable economic development, decent work, and innovation; as well as climate action, environmental sustainability, and disaster resilience.
Further, UN Philippines presented an overview of resource requirements for the next four years, along with a joint work plan for 2024 that carries an estimated budget of $211 million.
UNSDCF, according to DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo, is aligned with the Philippines' economic trajectory to become an upper-middle income country.
"We can all look forward to reaping the benefits of a partnership with the UN that is characterized by Philippine ownership of the process, greater transparency, as well as targeted programs and deliverables tailor-made for us to enjoy the benefits of the reformed United Nations development system," he said.
The UNSDCF recognizes the Philippines' localization agenda of the SDGs and its transition toward achieving upper-middle income status to ensure that no one in the Philippines is left behind, the DFA said.
"Under this new modality of the UN organization, resources will be allocated to capacity development, technical assistance, policy advice, thought leadership, partnerships, and knowledge sharing," it added.
The new framework will mark the start of the new generation of partnership between the UN and foreign governments, Gustavo Gonzalez, UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines, said.
"And with this change, we are innovating ways to enhance our collaborative work with the Philippine government as we shift from traditional development assistance to transformative strategic partnerships for policy and capacity development, knowledge generation and the leveraging of financial resources," Gonzalez added.
The UNSDCF was signed on October 24, 2023, by the Philippine government and the United Nations in the Philippines.
The JSC serves as the main governing body of the UNSDCF and is a key mechanism for providing strategic direction and oversight for UN support in the country towards the joint development priorities outlined in the Cooperation Framework.