“From Accession to Acceleration” – UN Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) Mission arrives in Serbia for a week-long visit

Belgrade – “From Accession to Acceleration” - the UN Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) Mission has arrived in Serbia for a week-long visit to support the ongoing efforts of the Government of the Republic of Serbia in contextualizing and adapting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to national needs in line with the ongoing EU accession and related reform processes.

From 3 to 7 September, the MAPS mission, led by Mr. George Bouma, Regional Team Leader for the Sustainable Development Cluster from UNDP Istanbul Hub, and Ms. Catherine Haswell, Chief of the Programme Management Unit, UNECE, will conduct a series of joint meetings and consultations with the representatives of relevant government departments, private sector, and civil society to make available a set of tools, guidance and expertise on effective and coherent implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The Mission will be led by the Government of the Republic of Serbia, with the support of international experts of the United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes, the World Bank, the EU, and other interested stakeholders.  “The MAPS Mission’s visit is very timely as it will help define the priorities for country’s sustainable development platform while taking into the account the ongoing EU accession process and related reforms that play a critical role as the key accelerator for Agenda 2030 in Serbia,” says Ms. Karla Robin Hershey, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia, while greeting the MAPS Mission at the UN House.

Five UN issue-based coalitions have been included in the MAPS Mission: (1) health and wellbeing for all at all ages; (2) gender equality; (3) adolescents and youth; (4) large movements of people, displacement and resilience and; (5) SDG monitoring.  Thematic areas of specialization in which the UN and development partners have a comparative advantage have also been included and cover: education, poverty, economy, decent work, environment, disaster risk management, innovations, culture and human rights.  Experts are being provided by the UN system, World Bank and the EU.