The second Biannual Regional Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals took place from the 27-29 March,2019 in the island of Nevis. Ms. Alison Drayton, UNFPA Representative and Director of the UNFPA Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean delivered opening remarks at the forum which focused on the analysis of key issues such as comprehensive sexuality education and access to sexual and reproductive health services by adolescents in the OECS. Recent statistics reveal that Latin America and the Caribbean region has the second highest adolescent fertility rate in the world, after Sub-Sharan Africa.
Ms. Drayton spoke of the need to monitor the Caribbean region’s progress in achieving the 2030 Agenda targets which are expressed in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, commonly known as the SDGs. She also invited attendees and stakeholders to pay attention to two main goals: SDG 3 which focuses on our health and well-being and includes targets on the elimination of maternal and newborn mortality and SDG 5 which focuses on gender equality and woman’s empowerment. Ms. Denise Blackstock, UNFPA Liaison Officer for Barbados and the OECS also delivered a presentation on Comprehensive Sexuality Education.
