Gov’t implementing agenda closely aligned with SDGs

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , in the midst of a challenging global environment.  

The minister was on Monday delivering the opening remarks at the multistakeholder consultation on the presentation of Guyana’s Second Voluntary National Review of the Sustainable Development Goals to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal.

The minister said, “This government has articulated a national development agenda that is very closely aligned with the SDGs. This comprehensive agenda is expected to be very substantial in us achieving these SDGs,” the minister said.

He pointed out that initiatives such as the Low Carbon Development Strategy, and the various sectoral policies, such as those related to education or public infrastructure are indicative of these efforts.

However, despite this robust agenda, there have been many challenges to the achievement of these goals, such as the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic- the effects from which the country is still reeling. 

The senior minister added that this multistakeholder engagement is not an isolated event.

He said the government prides itself on a consultative approach to governance. It presents an opportunity for stakeholders to interact and give feedback based on the presentations made.

“Our manifesto itself was prepared out of a consultative process. Our LCDS benefitted from national consultations, our various sector strategies and initiatives benefitted from consultations across the country, our national budgets saw input from several stakeholders, as well as our micro-level interventions undergo a consultative process,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, in providing an overview of Guyana’s  International Reporting Obligations and Participation in the High-Level Political Forum, said reviews such as these are critical to ratify the various international treaties that the country has signed.

She added that the SDGs pose many challenges, but the country is committed, through these international obligations to ensure progress and equality.

Minister Teixeira said, “They are not easy goals, and it is not always easy to do all of them simultaneously. Every country is at a different level of development. We want to see our country move forward. So, once we sign these agreements, it allows us to measure what progress we are making.”

The summit will see Heads of State and government officials gathering at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to follow-up and review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).