Netherlands
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Speech of PM Willia1~i'~arlin ).t the UN High-Level Political Forum
(HLPF-}-6-nSDGs in New York.
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen
I bring you greetings from Sint Maarten one of the 4
autonomous countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Each of the four countries wholeheartedly embraces the Agenda
2030 and has its own political reality and therefore faces its own
peculiar challenges, but we all share the belief that the key to
success in attaining the SD Gs lies in our willingness to form
partnerships at the national, regional and international levels.
We have just presented our Voluntary National Review to the
United Nations, which outlines the steps we have taken in
implementing the SDG' s.
St. Maarten, shares a 37 square miles island with a Territorial
Collectivity of the Republic of France, and obviously has the
biggest challenge in ensuring the achievement of the 17 SDGs
identified in the 2030 Agenda.
. ' ,.
For us sustainability has a very unique meaning; we have to
keep improving the quality of life for all our citizens while
functioning under the core principles of open government,
integrity, accountability, transparency, sustainable development,
social inclusion, and equality.
Tourism the main pillar of our economy, accounts for
some 80 per cent of all economic activities.
Using the Millennium Acceleration Framework, St.
Maarten has introduced measures to combat poverty
and hunger.
Our latest National Household Budget Survey
estimated that the average household in St. Maarten
spent approximately US$44,700 in 2015.
More than double the amount a decade earlier.
We have been working closely with the PARO, the
W.H.O. and the Caribbean Public Health Agency to
improve health care policies and services.
A National Health Insurance scheme is now being
developed while a brand new hospital is also on the
books.
We offer compulsory education and lifelong learning
and we are improving our vocational and tertiary
education levels to meet the growing demands for
skilled labor.
We are working diligently on affordable housing, to
provide especially for our young professionals.
The UNDP office provides support to the St. Maarten
government in integrating the SDGs into our National
Development Plan and policies that are now being
drafted.
I can assure you, of our unwavering commitment to
achieving the SDGs for the well-being of our people.
We stand ready to continue this important work in the
future, and to report our further progress to the
international community.
On behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, I wish
each one of you much success in the implementation
of your prioritized goals in the coming years.
I thank you.
-xxx
Speech of PM Willia1~i'~arlin ).t the UN High-Level Political Forum
(HLPF-}-6-nSDGs in New York.
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen
I bring you greetings from Sint Maarten one of the 4
autonomous countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Each of the four countries wholeheartedly embraces the Agenda
2030 and has its own political reality and therefore faces its own
peculiar challenges, but we all share the belief that the key to
success in attaining the SD Gs lies in our willingness to form
partnerships at the national, regional and international levels.
We have just presented our Voluntary National Review to the
United Nations, which outlines the steps we have taken in
implementing the SDG' s.
St. Maarten, shares a 37 square miles island with a Territorial
Collectivity of the Republic of France, and obviously has the
biggest challenge in ensuring the achievement of the 17 SDGs
identified in the 2030 Agenda.
. ' ,.
For us sustainability has a very unique meaning; we have to
keep improving the quality of life for all our citizens while
functioning under the core principles of open government,
integrity, accountability, transparency, sustainable development,
social inclusion, and equality.
Tourism the main pillar of our economy, accounts for
some 80 per cent of all economic activities.
Using the Millennium Acceleration Framework, St.
Maarten has introduced measures to combat poverty
and hunger.
Our latest National Household Budget Survey
estimated that the average household in St. Maarten
spent approximately US$44,700 in 2015.
More than double the amount a decade earlier.
We have been working closely with the PARO, the
W.H.O. and the Caribbean Public Health Agency to
improve health care policies and services.
A National Health Insurance scheme is now being
developed while a brand new hospital is also on the
books.
We offer compulsory education and lifelong learning
and we are improving our vocational and tertiary
education levels to meet the growing demands for
skilled labor.
We are working diligently on affordable housing, to
provide especially for our young professionals.
The UNDP office provides support to the St. Maarten
government in integrating the SDGs into our National
Development Plan and policies that are now being
drafted.
I can assure you, of our unwavering commitment to
achieving the SDGs for the well-being of our people.
We stand ready to continue this important work in the
future, and to report our further progress to the
international community.
On behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, I wish
each one of you much success in the implementation
of your prioritized goals in the coming years.
I thank you.
-xxx
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