Saturday, October 6, 2018

‘Nepal has already internalised SDGs’

Nepal has already internalised the SDGs in its policies and programmes and is working towards integrating them at local levels.
Inaugurating a SAWTEE Centre for Sustainable Development – launched South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) – here today foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali said that the integration will, however, necessitate support from all stakeholders, domestic and international.
The SAWTEE Centre for Sustainable Development (SAWTEE-CSD) – launched to promote inclusive and sustainable development – will initially focus on economic transformation in line with the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) principles of inclusiveness, equity, sustainability, gender mainstreaming, multi-stakeholder approach, good governance and global partnership, while also looking at all SDGs in an integrated manner, according to former under-secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) Gyan Chandra Acharya, who will be leading the centre.
Speaking on the occasion, former foreign minister Dr Prakash Saran Mahat emphasised that Nepal’s constitution envisaged sustainable and inclusive development, but the goals could be attained only through rule-based implementation of these laws and rights.
The private sector should lead the growth while the government should undertake equitable distribution, he added.
"The centre will bring together politics, policies and expertise devoid of ideological content and material interest while fully adhering to the scientific approach and ensuring non-partisan research," chairperson of SAWTEE Dr Posh Raj Pandey said, adding that the activities of the centre will contribute not only to existing issues and policies, but will also provide alternate ideas to decision makers.
The centre seeks to play the role of a catalyst and contribute to the country’s accelerated development through research, analysis, dialogue and advocacy, realising that the government has to take a lead role in the development of a country as it cannot deliver alone, he added.
Emphasis will be on structural transformation and job creation, also envisioned by SDGs. The fundamental essence of these goals – an integrated, holistic and multi-stakeholder approach, sustainability, gender mainstreaming, leaving no one behind, and global partnership – will guide the centre’s activities.
The centre will be collaborating with all stakeholders in carrying out its activities, including political leaders, civil servants, private sector, development partners, experts, the academia and beneficiaries, reads a press note issued by the SAWTEE.
The centre aims at pursuing a bottom-up approach and contributing to developing a coherent national strategy for structural transformation of Nepal’s economy that is people-centred and sustainable. Nepal’s adoption of a federal, democratic and republican structure warrants this as all the constituent federal units are responsible for economic development and related activities.
Nepal is a least developed, landlocked and post-conflict country, which needs huge support from the international community to meet the SDGs. Global support and partnership plays a critical role in its development efforts.

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