Opinions & Interviews

Opinion: Belarus spearheads effort to achieve SDGs in the region

Marianna Shchetkina. Archive photo

MINSK, 23 October (BelTA) - Belarus is spearheading the effort in the region to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, Vice Speaker of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, National Coordinator for SDGs Marianna Shchetkina told the media on the sidelines of the national consultations on the priorities of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for Belarus for 2021-2025, BelTA has learned.

“According to international experts, Belarus is spearheading the work towards the Sustainable Development Goals in the region. We rank 23rd among 162 countries on the Sustainable Development Index. This is a very high position,” Marianna Shchetkina said. “Therefore, it is very important for us that the country program and our national documents should be aligned. Today we will focus on the results of the country program, which is designed to run until 2020. There are four main areas: governance, economy, environment and human development, which are the priorities for our state,” she noted.

The two-day consultations will discuss the proposals, which will make the basis of the country program until 2025. “By the way, Belarus is one of 30 countries that have already launched such a discussion. In achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, in shaping the next country program, we would like its content part based primarily on the national interests of Belarus. It is important that the interests of government, civil society and private business are correlated,” Marianna Shchetkina noted.

The national consultations on the priorities of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for Belarus for 2021-2025 are running in Minsk on 23-24 October. This programme will replace the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for the Republic of Belarus for 2016-2020.

The first part of the consultations will focus on the priorities of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development of Belarus for the period up to 2035, the results of regional consultations, ways to accelerate the effort towards the SDGs. UN agencies and national experts will discuss the priorities in the work to achieve the SDGs in four areas: green transition to inclusive and sustainable growth, commitment to future generations, digital transformation and social innovation, gender equality in society.

The national consultations on the priorities of United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for Belarus are held with the broad participation of UN partners such as representatives of the government, parliament, organizations civil society and business. The consultations are a continuation of the work of UN organizations in Belarus to assist with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

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