Saint Kitts and Nevis VRCP Pilot Featured as Flagship Case Study at High-Level UN Retreat on Operationalizing the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index
New York, United Nations Headquarters, (2nd June, 2026) – On 19th June, 2026, the Vulnerability and Resilience Country Profile (VRCP) pilot programme of Saint Kitts and Nevis was prominently featured in one of four dedicated thematic sessions of the High-Level Retreat on Operationalizing the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), held at United Nations Headquarters.
The VRCP session was moderated by Ms. Uzumma Erume, RCO Economist for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, and featured panelists H.E. Dr. Ambassador Mutryce Williams, Permanent Representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis to the United Nations, and Dr. Justin Ram, VRCP Consultant. The discussion provided an in-depth presentation of the VRCP pilot, focusing on its methodology, implementation process, and its emerging role as a national tool for evidence-based planning and resilience building.
Ambassador Williams served as a designate of the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the Financial Secretary, Mr. Carlton Pogson, reflecting the Government’s continued commitment to advancing innovative approaches to vulnerability assessment and development planning.
During the session, Ambassador Williams underscored the significance of translating the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index into practical national instruments that can directly inform policy, strengthen resilience, and improve development outcomes for small island developing states.
Participants noted the VRCP pilot as an emerging reference point in the operationalization of vulnerability assessment frameworks, with growing interest among Member States and development partners in exploring how similar approaches could be adapted to their own national contexts.
The retreat was co-organized by the Governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Portugal, in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).
A keynote address was delivered by H.E. Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, who emphasized the importance of advancing the operationalization of the MVI as a tool to better reflect structural vulnerabilities and support more equitable development financing.
The meeting brought together Member States, United Nations entities, international financial institutions, development partners, and technical experts to advance the implementation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 78/322 on the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, adopted in August 2024.
Broader discussions across the retreat’s four thematic sessions focused on integrating multidimensional vulnerability into international development and financing architecture, strengthening technical methodologies, and identifying pathways for scaling up its application across policy and planning frameworks.
The retreat concluded with a shared commitment among participants to continue advancing the operationalization of the MVI, including through pilot initiatives such as the VRCP, and to strengthen collaboration among Member States, international organizations, and development partners.
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