Kishan Khoday, New UNDP Resident Representative, Pledges to Support Bahamian Sustainable Development Goals

(L-R) Director General Jerusa Ali and UNDP Resident Representative Kishan Khoday.

Newly appointed United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Kishan Khoday presented his credentials to Ambassador Jerusa Ali, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Ministry on 5 February 2024. As Resident Representative based at the UNDP Multi-Country Office in Jamaica, Mr. Khoday also represents UNDP in Jamaica, Belize, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Director General Jerusa Ali highlighted the successful cooperation between The Bahamas and the UNDP, particularly in climate change, disaster risk management, debt management, poverty reduction and advancing gender equality. She commended UNDP for having a deeper level of engagement in the Family Islands and invited Mr. Khoday to visit one or more of the Family Islands on his next visit: ‘We are a big ocean state with many islands at varying stages of development. When we employ non-income data, we reveal multidimensional vulnerabilities throughout the archipelago. UNDP is a trust partner in helping us reach our sustainable development goals.’

Mr. Khoday, who has served with UNDP for 25 years and has coordinated USD $1 billion in country programming, pledged continued support for The Bahamas in his new role in the region. He highlighted the fact that the UNDP, which currently works in 170 countries, does not shy away from partnering with high-income states to address their unique development needs. The UNDP 2022-2026 Country Programme for The Bahamas prioritises development solutions that focus on social resilience and inclusion; security and rule of law; climate change resilience; and sustainable natural resource management.