Sint maarten – NDP Participate in Interactive Team Building Experience

December 5th was International Volunteer Day (IVD). IVD is designated by the United Nations (UN) as a day to commemorate the facilitation, promotion, networking and recognition of volunteerism globally.

NDP Champions, Steering Committee members and board on-board the Lambada for the interactive team building experience on the occasion of International Volunteer Day.

On the occasion, the National Development Plan (NDP) Team that falls under the auspices of the Department of the Interior & Kingdom Relations (BAK), Ministry of General Affairs, organized a Lambada Sunset Cruise for the Champions, Steering Committee and the board members.

The aforementioned who have volunteered their time to fill the various structures for the process and for the community based dialogues; this event was organized in connection with the NDP component in partnership with AquaMania as an interactive team building experience.

The event was organized for team building and recognition of the voluntary contributions of the NDP Champions, Steering Committee members and board. The champions were made up of people from the community with varying experiences, skills and interest to contribute to the development of the country. 

The Tripartite Steering Committee provides guidance in the execution of the program and the members are made up of NGO, private sector, union, youth, philanthropist and government representatives.

In the words of Marc Arnold, head of BAK, who welcomed the team, “In 2013, a beach clean-up was held by the volunteers. In 2014 with all that had taken place during the course of the year, it was timely to recognise the work of the volunteers and strengthen the team to continue to work together in 2015”.

The NDP program has been building the capacity of several community leaders in the process to develop St. Maarten’s first National Development Plan. The trained volunteers have been part and parcel of the dialogue consultations which will lead to the drafting of St. Maarten’s first NDP.

Each year UN General Assembly invites governments to observe the International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development on December 5 (A/RES/40/212 of 17 December 1985). 

As a result of the resolution from December 17, 1985, governments, the UN, and civil society organizations work together with volunteers around the world to celebrate the Day on December 5.

In 2001, the International Year of Volunteers, the Assembly adopted a set of recommendations on ways that governments and the UN could support volunteering and asked that they be widely disseminated. 

The International Year of Volunteers aimed to stimulate national and international policy debate around, and to advocate for, recognizing, facilitating, networking and promoting voluntary action. The year led to a much better appreciation of the power of volunteerism in its many forms and the ways to support it.

For more information on the National Development Plan contact the NDP Program at the Interior and Kingdom relations office by emailing nationaldevelopment@sintmaartengov.org