Diplomats, UN and civil society assess Sri Lanka’s SDG progress
– Sri Lanka’s progress and challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 came under discussion today as diplomats, UN officials and civil society representatives called for continued efforts to advance the country’s SDG agenda.
The discussion was held during an SDG Flag Day event at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Colombo.UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Marc-André Franche said the SDGs provided governments, civil society, the private sector and international partners with a common framework to track progress and support long-term planning beyond electoral cycles.“When multilateralism is under threat, a shared framework like the Sustainable Development Goals matters more, not less,” Franche said.He said the framework also helped connect domestic efforts with international support at a time when Sri Lanka’s fiscal space remained constrained.
The SDG flag was jointly hoisted by Dutch Ambassador Wiebe de Boer, Franche and Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka Chairman and Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.Ambassador de Boer said the flag-raising was intended to highlight the importance of continuing efforts to achieve the SDGs by 2030.He said SDG flags were being raised in many countries at government buildings, companies, educational institutions, libraries and municipalities to draw attention to the importance of implementing the goals.
The flag-hoisting ceremony was followed by a discussion involving members of the diplomatic community and civil society representatives on Sri Lanka’s progress towards the 2030 Agenda.The discussion focused on achievements made so far, remaining challenges and opportunities to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.The 2030 Agenda was adopted by all 193 UN member states in September 2015, establishing 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030.
