Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The first annual meeting of the Joint Steering Committee of the Nepal UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027 was held in Kathmandu on Thursday. Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Dr Min Bahadur Shrestha, and the UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal, Hanaa Singer Hamdy, co-chaired the meeting.
The meeting discussed work plans and priorities for 2024 under its four outcome areas: Sustainable, Resilient, and Inclusive Economic Transformation; Inclusive and Transformative Human Development; Environment Sustainability, Climate and Disaster Resilience; and Governance, Federalism, Participation, and Inclusion, according to a press statement issued by the United Nations.
This is the first joint steering committee meeting since the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2023-2027) in 2023.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman Shrestha said that Nepal is looking forward to graduating from the LDC status in 2026 and implementing the 16th Development Plan. “In this context, Nepal seeks scalable, transformative, and impactful support of the UN to create more employment opportunities, boost productivity, and productive capacity, promote sustainable use of natural resources, fortify the data management system for evidence-based policymaking, and enhance access to quality education and health facilities,” he said.
According to the statement, the Joint Steering Committee provides strategic oversight of the development and implementation of the Cooperation Framework, to ensure strong co-ownership and alignment with national priorities as outlined in the upcoming 16th National Plan and guided by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Likewise, United Nations Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer Hamdy said that the cooperation framework is the centerpiece for implementing the UN Development System reform at the country level.
Both sides agreed on priorities for the coming year for the four outcomes under the UNSDCF 2023-2027, the UN Nepal Office said in the statement.
