Strategic Prioritization Workshop for the Formulation of the New UNSDCF (2027–2031)

Strategic Prioritization Workshop for the Formulation of the New UNSDCF (2027-2031)

Malé, 2 April 2026 - The United Nations in the Maldives convened an internal two-day Strategic Prioritization Workshop from 1-2 April 2026 with the UN Country Team to take forward preparations for the next United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF or Cooperation Framework) 2027-2031.

The workshop brought together Heads of UN Agencies and senior members of the UN Country Team to reflect on the Maldives' evolving development context, guided by the updated Country Analysis (CA) and the final evaluation of the current Cooperation Framework. These assessments provided key insights into national priorities, emerging trends, structural challenges, and opportunities shaping the Maldives' sustainable development trajectory.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Hao Zhang emphasized the importance of translating analytical findings into clear, strategic action. He underscored the need for the UN Country Team to make deliberate choices about where it can add the greatest value by drawing on its comparative advantages and aligning closely with national priorities.

The session provided an opportunity for the UN Country Team to consider strategic directions for the next Cooperation Framework, ensuring UN support remains focused, coherent, and aligned with national development ambitions, including long-term national vision of achieving developed country status by 2040 and the broader goals within the upcoming National Development Plan. Participants also reiterated the importance of grounding the new UNSDCF in the UN's core values, leaving no one behind, gender equality, human rights, sustainability, and resilience.

During the opening session of the workshop, the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Mariyam Midhfa Naeem, highlighted the opportunity to develop a forward-looking and innovative Cooperation Framework-one that responds to the evolving challenges of the time, leverages the strategic advantages currently available, and brings together the UNCT's best practices and collective strengths

She also noted that the Maldives has long viewed the United Nations as a trusted partner in its development journey-whether in supporting economic transition through key sectors such as tourism, fisheries, and agriculture; advancing democratization and state-building efforts; or safeguarding people and the planet. She further emphasized the significant achievements delivered under 6 decades of partnership between the Maldives and the United Nations, achievements of which all partners can collectively be proud.

Speaking to participants virtually, the Regional Director of the UN Development Coordination Office for Asia-Pacific, Mr. David McLachlan, noted that the workshop was being convened at a particularly complex moment, characterized by overlapping global and regional challenges, including geopolitical tensions, an energy crisis, accelerating climate impacts, and increasingly constrained fiscal space. He emphasized that these pressures are directly shaping critical development decisions, underscoring the need for the United Nations to respond in a more coordinated, strategic, and impactful manner. He further highlighted that the UN's collective strength lies in its unity-guided by the SDGs and the UN Charter, and anchored in equity and inclusion-and stressed that the outcomes of the workshop would be of significance not only for the Maldives, but also as an important example of UN engagement with Small Island Developing States across the Asia-Pacific region.

In this broader context, the role of the United Nations is more critical than ever. There is a clear expectation for a UN system that is coherent, effective, and firmly grounded in its core values of human rights, solidarity, peace, justice, and dignity.

Looking ahead, a Strategic Prioritization Workshop with partners and key stakeholders will be convened on 7 April 2026. The United Nations in the Maldives remains committed to shaping an inclusive, evidence-based, and forward-looking Cooperation Framework that effectively responds to the Maldives' development priorities and supports the country's continued progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

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For more information, please contact:

Najma Abdulla, Communications and Advocacy Officer, UN Resident Coordinator's Office, Email: [email protected]