Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 19 December (BelTA) - The Sustainable Development Goals need to be localized for every region of Belarus, Marianna Shchetkina, Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, National Coordinator for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, said at the open hearings in Belarus' parliament to discuss the partnership between the branches of power as a prerequisite for the successful achievement of the SDGs, BelTA informs.

The localization of the SDGs is necessary because each state, each region has its particularities. “What is important for Soligorsk District may be irrelevant for Chausy District and vice versa. Therefore, the goals must be custom-tailored for every territory,” Marianna Shchetkina believes. It is important, in her view, to highlight the priorities at the local level, to incorporate them in the work plans and correlate them with similar activities at the national level. Approaches should be system-based not only at the national level but also at the level of districts, rural councils, the national coordinator believes.

“We must identify the points of growth, establish partnerships. We need to monitor the process on a continuous basis directing it towards progress. It is primarily the task of the regional groups which are built into the governance architecture,” she stressed.

Marianna Shchetkina recalled that at the end of November, the MAPS mission consisting of high-level experts visited Belarus. The mission assessed the elements of the process of achieving the SDGs in Belarus. The work was focused on the assessment of the starting positions and the activities in the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The mission noted the country's achievements in gender equality, maternal and child welfare, social support, and generally the coherence of the efforts to achieve the SDGs and the development policy of the state. In the opinion of international experts, Belarus is already an example in terms of a number of goals.

Today, the country is on the threshold of a new stage, namely the amending of the legislation taking into account the modern requirements, the plans and programs for the next five years. “Our task is to mobilize all forces to achieve concrete results. The SDGs shape the image of the future world where there is no poverty and hunger, where people can realize their potential in the conditions of equality, where the rational models of consumption and production are used, where urgent measures are taken to save the planet for sustainable livelihoods of present and future generations,” Marianna Shchetkina said.

Attending the parliamentary hearings are members of the Council of the Republic, MPs of the House of Representatives, heads of national government bodies, members of the Council for Sustainable Development, representatives of the diplomatic corps and public organizations. The key item on the agenda is the achievement of the SDGs in the economic, environmental and social areas of Belarus, including through public-private partnership mechanisms.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted on 25 September 2015. It includes 17 goals aimed at eliminating poverty, inequality and injustice, and also addressing climate change.