Minister with responsibility for Culture in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight, is calling for multi-agency and private sectoral collaboration in Barbados’ efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Goals (SDGs).
She issued the call to action for citizen participation during the launch of Barbados’ first SDGs branded Transport Board electric bus at UN House recently.
The bus is sponsored by CG United in partnership with the Transport Board and it is part of the United Nation’s Act Now global campaign that seeks to ramp up momentum regarding the 17 SDGs.
Senator Munro-Knight told the gathering that the initiative was an “exemplar” of SDG 17, which speaks to partnerships.
She stated: “The spirit of that SDG 17 recognises that we cannot, as a nation,… achieve the SDGs on our own. We need collaboration at different levels in order to do so. SDG 17 calls on Government, it calls on the private sector…it calls on the UN…it calls on other development agencies to put our hands to the toil to lift up this humongous task that we have for our societies and for our people.
“It requires us to step back from ourselves sometimes and see the bigger picture, the fate of humanity and the challenges that we face, and agree together in order to address some of those challenges.”
The Minister thanked CG United Insurance for their partnership and for “walking with the UN and walking with the government” and challenged other private sector agencies to come on board.
Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean states, Didier Trebucq, said the event was more than about the launch of a bus, but represented a “movement which every Barbadian, every man, woman, boy and girl can be a part of”.
He added: “We hope that this rolling canvas that travels across this island, will spark conversations, raise awareness, and inspire individuals and communities to embrace the campaign and take steps towards a more sustainable future.”
CEO of CG United Insurance, Randy Graham, said the branded bus would raise the awareness among local and regional citizens on the island states attaining the 17 SDGs.
He added that the 17 SDGs represented “tangible ways and activities that can be done to help us protect our environment and pointed out that the company had responded to o every natural disaster in the Caribbean for the last 40 years.
“We have seen the devastation that it [natural disasters] can cause to the people of the Caribbean and… we are therefore committed to making sure that we can do whatever we can to prevent, and if not prevent, reduce, the impact that such events have on people in the Caribbean,” Mr. Graham stated.
Chief Operations Officer at the Transport Board, Lynda Holder, said the board, as a responsible corporate citizen, recognised the importance of aligning its operations with the tenets of the SDGs to create a positive impact on the environment.
“This bus is really meant to be a visible symbol of all of the issues that have been discussed and have been raised. The specially branded bus is not merely meant to be a mode of transportation, it really is to show our dedication to promoting environmental stewardship, social inclusivity and economic prosperity in any way that you can…,” she underlined.