Events

MINSK, 25 January (BelTA) – Belarus’ national platform of sustainable development indicators (SDIs) will be built by the end of 2018, Marianna Shchetkina, Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of Belarus’ National Assembly, National Coordinator for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, noted at the first meeting of the sustainable development partner group at the Council for Sustainable Development in Minsk on 25 January, BelTA has learned.

“The most important thing now is to develop the indicators to track our progress. This is why we are now working on a national platform of indicators to be finished by the end of 2018. The National Statistics Committee is in charge of this task. A monitoring group on sustainable development is also involved,” Marianna Shchetkina remarked. “Each of our sectoral programs will be updated as a result. The SDGs should be introduced intro these programs after we work out the indicators,” she added.

The discussion on achieving the SDGs has brought together public associations and non-governmental organizations, including the Republican Confederation of Entrepreneurship, the Business Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers named after Professor Kunyavsky, the International Foundation for Rural Development, the Center for Environmental Solutions, the public associations Green Economy and Education for Sustainable Development, and other participants.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a list of 17 goals adopted by the UN member states on 25 September 2015 to end poverty, fight inequality and social injustice, and tackle climate change.

Belarus has already made a number of important steps towards achieving the SDGs. The government has approved the 2030 national sustainable development strategy. Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the Republic Marianna Shchetkina has been appointed National Coordinator for Achieving the SDGs by the head of state. The country has built up the National Architecture for Achieving the SDGs, which comprises the Council for Sustainable Development, a parliamentary group on SDGs, and the sustainable development partner group.