Collaboration among the government, development partners and local communities, and availability of trusted data and local resource mobilisation are the keys to achieving the sustainable development goals by 2030.
Academics, government officials, current and former diplomats, international development partners and representatives of non-governmental organisations made the remarks while addressing a seminar titled 鈥楾he power of local: how grassroots communities drive SDG achievement in Bangladesh鈥� on Thursday.
They also recommended a continuation of the SDG-related activities beyond 2030, the target year for achieving long-term sustainability of equality, environmental protection and peace within societies.
The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies and the United Nations Office for Project Services jointly organised the seminar at the BIISS auditorium in the capital Dhaka.
The event鈥檚 chief guest, H氓kon Arald Gulbrandsen, the ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka, appreciated Bangladesh鈥檚 progress in some of the SDGs, but stressed the need for empowering local democratic institutions.
鈥楨ffective localisation of the SDGs particularly by strengthening local government institutions to design, implement and monitor programmes in line with SDG targets, the national plan and local context is imperative,鈥� he said.
BIISS director general Major General Iftekhar Anis delivered the opening speech while the UNOPS country manager for Bangladesh and Bhutan, Sudhir Muralidharan, underlined the importance of collaboration among key stakeholders, including local communities.
鈥楽DGs are not the lofty idea achieved by the UN or the government. Unless all the people, including the local communities, work towards it, achieving SDGs will not be possible,鈥� Sudhir said, adding that 鈥榠nformed鈥� and 鈥榓ctive鈥� participation of youth was crucial.
In the keynote, Dhaka University鈥檚 development studies professor Kazi Maruful Islam identified gaps in financing, data management and governance at the local level.
鈥榃e must empower the local actors, safeguard their autonomy and strengthen real-life data management and institutions to convert plants into sustainable outcomes,鈥� he said.
Michal Krejza, head of development cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Bangladesh, recommended聽autonomy of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics for producing 鈥榪uality鈥� data and stressed an efficient tax collection system for mobilising local resources more.
Citing examples of communities鈥� role in achieving SDGs, Nijera Kori coordinator Khushi聽Kabir said that women should be vigilant that male-dominated arbitrations in villages deliver 鈥榩roper鈥� judgement on gender violence.
Planning ministry secretary Iqbal Abdullah Harun and former high commissioners of Bangladesh, Shamim Ahsan and Mustafizur Rahman, among others, also spoke.聽聽聽