ORANJESTAD – The UNDP and the Government of Aruba have reaffirmed their strategic commitment to sustainable development. Prime Minister Mr. Mike Eman, together with Vice President Ms. Gerlien Croes and Minister Dr. Mervin Wyatt-Ras, held a meeting with Mr. Ugo Blanco, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Trinidad & Tobago. 

This visit reconnected the strategic cooperation between the Government of Aruba and the UNDP in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

During the meeting, Mr. Blanco also met with several other ministers from the AVP–Futuro Cabinet and expressed his appreciation for the direction Aruba has taken in integrating the SDGs as a fundamental pillar of its national development agenda. According to Blanco, the UNDP sees its role as a key strategic partner in helping the country achieve these critical goals.

The UNDP has worked with Aruba for many years, sharing important data to support evidence-based policymaking in areas such as tourism, poverty reduction, renewable energy, waste management, and more.

Prime Minister Mike Eman emphasized that during his second term, the government secured funding from the European Union to develop the Green Energy faculty, which the previous administration decided to name SISSTEM. This initiative was born from a vision to prepare the new generation to carry forward Aruba’s aspiration to become a leader in sustainability, clean energy, and integrated development.

The UNDP played a supervisory role in the renovation and construction of the SISSTEM faculty, particularly in architectural and technical aspects. Today, the faculty is fully operational and serves as an important educational pillar at the University of Aruba, preparing students to actively contribute to the country’s sustainable transformation.