Press releases

MINSK, 15 February (BelTA) – Some 54 high representatives are expected to attend the Regional Forum of National Coordinators of Europe and Central Asia on Sustainable Development Goals in Minsk, Dmitry Mironchik, head of the information and digital diplomacy office, spokesman for the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a press briefing, BelTA has learned.

The event will take place on 21-22 February. Belarus has initiated this forum because it believes there is a need to establish practical cooperation between the national representatives responsible for the achievement of global sustainable development goals in their respective countries.

The Minsk forum has generated a considerable international interest. UN Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed plans to attend the forum and to hold a series of meetings and attend other events.

The Minsk forum will be also attended by UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe Olga Algayerova. Participating in the event will be the deputy heads of UNIDO, FAO, UNCTAD, UNAIDS, the high representatives of almost all the UN agencies, the World Bank, the EBRD, and also Eurasian Economic Commission. “All in all, we expect the arrival of 54 high representatives of the international organizations mentioned above and also about 40 countries of Europe and Central Asia,” Dmitry Mironchik said.

“I would like to say a few words about the subject of the event. As you know,the UN Summit adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (so-called Agenda-2030) in 2015. This global standard required all the states to review the national plans and mechanisms for achieving the sustainable development of society. In order to establish a clear mechanism for implementing the Agenda-2030 and overall coordination of th eactivities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in Belarus, the head of state has appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the Republic Marianna Shchetkina as national coordinator for the SDGs. She is in charge of the Council for Sustainable Development which includes officials of a number of government bodies and organizations, and also representatives of NGOs, research agencies, business associations, and international organizations. A thematic parliamentary group has been set up,” Dmitry Mironchik said.

Approaches to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals were formulated in the Voluntary National Review on the Agenda-2030 which was presented by Belarus’ national coordinator at the UM High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July 2017. Belarus has made advances in achieving the SDGs, both on the organizational level and in terms of content.

Dmitry Mironchik stressed that Belarus is ready to share its experience in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. “Therefore, we suggested the idea of coordination, exchange of experience and partnership for sustainable development. This topic will be in the spotlight of the regional forum. The participants will share experiences, best practices and lessons learned on the way towards the implementation of the sustainable development agenda,” he stated.

The forum will lay the groundwork for the establishment of a regional network of national coordinators as a partnership platform for those involved in the practical work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.