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Minsk forum on sustainable development to bring together 400 participants
MINSK, 10 January (BelTA) – Minsk will hold the first national forum on sustainable development on 24 January. About 400 participants are expected to attend. Belarus National Coordinator for SDGs, Vice Speaker of the Council of the Republic Marianna Shchetkina discussed the preparations for the forum with UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus Joanna Kazana-Wisniowiecki, BelTA learned from the Council of the Republic press service.
The forum will draw together representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Economy Ministry, Labor and Social Security Ministry, Energy Ministry, Nature and Environmental Protection Ministry, National Statistics Committee, National Academy of Sciences, Hi-Tech Park, industrial enterprises, leading universities, public organizations and associations and UN agencies and international experts. On the whole the forum will be attended by about 400 stakeholders.
During the meeting Marianna Shchetkina suggested discussing the organization of the forum, including in cooperation with UN agencies. “We have a well-developed framework. In February 2018 Minsk hosted the Regional SDG Coordination Leaders Forum,” the vice speaker said. In turn, Joanna Kazana-Wisniowiecki welcomed the high level of work done in Belarus to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and highlighted the importance of the upcoming forum for these efforts. She also informed that Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and CIS Mirjana Egger confirmed her participation in the forum. Mirjana Egger will visit Belarus in this capacity for the first time.
“Belarus will showcase the national experience in achieving SDGs during the forum. There will be several themes for panel discussions: sustainable economic development as a prerequisite for ensuring high living standards of people, environmental safety, sustainable use of natural resources, improving the quality of life by providing access to high-quality healthcare, education and decent work,” the press service noted.
The participants will discuss ways of promoting the interaction between the society, business and authorities for sustainable development. They will also talk over the role of entrepreneurship in the sustainable development of regions, and the prospects of a global partnership for sustainable development. The forum will also focus on climate change, rational use of water resources, efficient employment, the empowerment of disabled, gender equality and other issues. "Special consideration will be given to digitalization as a driver of economic growth, transformation of the energy system for sustainable development. Belarus will also showcase its national reporting platform on the Sustainable Development Goals and SDG indicators and the project to assist the Republic of Belarus in nationalizing and localizing the Sustainable Development Goals,” the press service informed.
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