By: Omar Silva, NP Staff Writer

Belize City: Monday, 17 April 2023

The United Nations has taken a significant step in its efforts to better respond to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by launching a U.N. common premises in Belize. The inauguration of UN House in Belmopan was attended by members of the Briceño administration, including the prime minister, government officials, and the diplomatic corps.

The UN House, located on the second floor of the David McKoy Building, accommodates the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Labor Organization, the World Food Program, and the GEF Small Grants Programme. All of the UN agencies in Belize are now located at one address in Belmopan, which celebrates a historic day for the organization.

The decision to house the UN common premises in Belmopan is a direct investment in the future generations of Belizeans. The United Nations played a critical role in Belize's achievement of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the organization continues to be indispensable in international peace and security, development, the rule of law, human rights, and the transformation of the lives of states and people.

Prime Minister John Briceño shared brief remarks during the ceremony, reflecting on the role of the United Nations in Belize's road to sovereignty. He noted that the UN played a great role in achieving political independence and ensuring Belize's territorial integrity, and that it continues to be critical to the country's development.

The move to the new UN Common Premises in September 2022 occurred during the fortieth anniversary of partnership between UNDP and the Government of Belize. Common premises are a key enabler for common services, as well as shared services between agencies and form an integral part of the United Nations efforts to harmonize common operations at the country level.

Linda Maguire, Deputy Regional Director of the UN Development Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized the significance of the opening for UN collaboration. The UN House offers a space where UN agencies can think about how to work better, more efficiently, and more effectively at the service of the people they serve. Overlapping challenges and global crises are often overlapped with national challenges, and the UN wants to be better at coordination. UN House is the hub to help them do that.

Birgit Gerstenberg, the UN Resident Coordinator to Belize and El Salvador, noted in her speech that the UN Secretary-General presented his vision and proposals to reposition the UN development system in 2017. His vision focused on making the UN nimble, efficient, and effective, with a greater emphasis on delivery and less on process, and more on people and less on bureaucracy.

In conclusion, the inauguration of UN House in Belmopan, Belize, represents a significant milestone in the United Nations' efforts to better respond to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. With all UN agencies in one location, the organization can better coordinate its efforts and provide more efficient and effective services to the people of Belize.