Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 17 July (BelTA) – There is no alternative to working towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with National Coordinator for SDGs, Vice Speaker of the Council of the Republic Marianna Shchetkina on 17 July, BelTA has learned.

“Some time ago the United Nations Organization passed a corresponding resolution. We took part in the discussion of Sustainable Development Goals till 2030 and agreed that we will contribute to this plan of the United Nations Organization, all the more so as we are also interested in it,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “There is no alternative to it, the goals are normal.”

The president remarked that every country is doing its best to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. “It means that all countries of the planet, including Belarus, should develop,” he added. The head of state asked about the progress in this field and wanted to know if there are any improvement proposals.

Marianna Shchetkina said that Belarus has been working hard in this area for a couple of years. In 2020 the country’s achievements will be analyzed in detail. “Today Belarus has a special place in the European region, among the CIS countries and former Soviet countries as it is the leader in the organization of work towards sustainable development,” she stressed.

Besides, Alexander Lukashenko asked Marianna Shchetkina who is also the head of the Belarusian Union of Women about the state of affairs in the public organization. According to the president, this issue is also very important for him because the topic of developing the civil society is raised in the country from time to time, especially in the so-called liberal circles.

“We have clearly identified the civil society in Belarus. It does not mean three opposition members, two civil servants and a few organizations. The civil society is meant for people. And our citizens are also veterans, young people from the Belarusian Youth Union, people in trade unions, and the union of women,” head of state said. So he wanted more first-hand information about the operation of the Belarusian Union of Women from Marianna Shchetkina.

The meeting also focused on the implementation of the ordinance for promoting employment. Earlier Alexander Lukashenko instructed the Council of the Republic to monitor this issue. “You are in the know. Probably, you know the concept of this ordinance better than anybody else in the country,” the Belarusian leader said.

The UN member states passed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on 25 September 2015. The Agenda is a commitment to eradicate poverty, inequality and injustice, prevent climate change. Belarus has already taken a number of important steps to achieve SDGs. The government has approved the 2030 National Strategy of Sustainable Social and Economic Development. The national architecture for achieving SDGs has been built. It unites the council for sustainable development, a parliamentary group for SDGs, and a group of partners for sustainable development.