UN General Assembly
2017

Earlier this year, we launched our national sustainable development plan to 2030, also known as the People’s Plan, which encompasses sustainable development goals. We know that the way ahead to implement this national road map will be tough, given structural weaknesses, extreme weather events, frequent earthquakes and external economic shocks. Vanuatu has ranked as one of the most disaster-prone countries for four years in a row. To make the path even more difficult, the General Assembly has planned to remove Vanuatu’s status as a least developed country (LDC) in December 2020. Unfortunately, the fact that we have developed and emerged from LDC status does not mean that we have eliminated our vulnerabilities and structural barriers.