PM Dahal insists on collaboration for achieving SDGs

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has underscored the need for collaboration across various sectors for securing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Addressing the SDG National Steering Committee meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar today, he said there should be cooperation and collaboration among the federal, provincial and local governments, the private, cooperative, non-governmental organisation, civil society and the development partners for achieving the SDGs.

PM Dahal viewed that SDGs implementation would not be possible with the lone efforts of the government and the private sector, cooperatives, NGOs, civil society and development partners have an equally important role to that end.

“Therefore, it is necessary to have coordination, collaboration and partnership among all these sectors. The government will play a leading role for this while the rest of the sectors have to join hands with the government in implementing policies and programmes in line with the SDGs realizing their respective roles,” he said.

Stating that the three tiers of the government have key responsibilities in the SDGs implementation, the PM reminded that the Constitution has handed over many rights and resources to the province and local level.

“So it is necessary to adopt the concept of ‘holistic government’ in attaining the SDGs. The expected goals will be attained only when SDGs implementation is successfully carried out through the activeness of all tiers of the government,” he reiterated.

The Prime Minister also on the occasion stressed on the need of building an institutional structure which can work in a strong and effective manner for localizing the SDGs at the provincial and local level. He added that the goals and indicators should be incorporated in the plans, budget and programmes, and their implementation process made further effective.

According to him, the government’s emphasis is on SDGs execution as per the internationally made commitments.

“The Constitution of Nepal covers many topics that need to be carried out to achieve the SDGs in terms of fundamental rights, the guiding principles of the state and other provisions as well. This provides the basis for the SDG implementation,” the PM said, adding that integrating the SDGs in the budget and programmes had been started from the 14th Plan period itself and the current 15th Plan has also been prepared synchronizing with the SDGs.

Stating the government has entered the phase of making and preparing policies, programmes and budget for the next fiscal year, the PM directed its all bodies to work keeping in mind the quality development activities of the country alongside the sustainable development goals. The country had come this far by cutting through challenges brought by COVID-19 in cooperation with all sectors, and such cooperation was needed in the days to come to get more achievements, he said.

For Nepal, as per need, some national indicators have been added to the global 232 indicators of the SDGs, maintaining at 301, he recalled. The implementation of the SDGs in Nepal has been seven years.
Similarly, Vice Chairperson of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr Min Bahadur Shrestha presented on its efforts and progress on achieving the SDGs.

Also, the Association of District Coordination Committees of Nepal, the Municipal Association of Nepal, representatives of the National Association of Rural Municipalities, member of the NPC, Chief Secretary, Chief Ministers of provinces and finance ministers put their view on the role of Nepal to achieve the SDGs. RSS