Sao Tome and Principe UN Annual Results Report 2021

On behalf of the United Nations Sao Tomé and Principe, I am pleased to present the Annual Report 2021, highlighting the key results of the UN during 2021, which has been marked by the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Due to the challenges of the multidimensional impact of the Coronavirus, the UN’s activities have been upscaled to support the health system, entrepreneurs most affected by COVID and the social protection system to cover the most vulnerable. I would like to thank the development partners who have supported us during this post-Covid period in order to preserve the development gains of Sao Tome and Principe.

Despite the socio-economic impact of Covid, the country has continued its path forward towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The country is also on its way to graduate from the Low Development Country status to a middle-income country, as its development achievements are worth to be highlighted. To this effect, it is presenting its first Voluntary National Report on the progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals from 2015, date of the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, until 2021 to the High-Level Political Forum of the ECOSOC of the UN in July 2022. The annual report 2021 of the Sustainable Development Network credits Sao Tome and Principe with a score of 58.8 out of 100 in the achievement of the 17 SDGs, which ranks the country 124th among 165 countries which were assessed.

I am honored to have been nominated to the position of United Nations Resident Coordinator, representing the Secretary General of the UN in Sao Tomé and Principe, and to serve in this beautiful country. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Sao Tomé and Principe for the trust in the UN system. I hope that the current cooperation with UN agencies, funds and programs will be further consolidated. This report reflects the vision of the Secretary General of a more transparent and accountable UN system at country level, focused on concrete results for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, for a more sustainable and egalitarian society, which leaves no one behind and puts solidarity of the most vulnerable at the heart of its actions.

Eric Overvest

Resident Coordinator of the UN in Sao Tomé and Principe