About the webinar
Sustainable development is an organising principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The Brundtland Report, published in 1987 by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, coined the term "sustainable development" and defined it as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. All too often, Sustainable development has shifted its focus more towards economic development, social development and environmental protection for the future generation.
We all need to remember that in September 2000, leaders of 189 countries gathered at the UN Headquarters in New York and signed the historic declaration. SDGs go much further than MDGs in that they are more comprehensive. In 2015 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a plan of action from 2015 to 2030 and explained how the goals are integrated and indivisible to achieve sustainable development at the global level. The 17 SDGs can be identified under 3 basic categories; Social Inclusion, Economic Growth and Environmental Protection. Goals 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 are recognised under Social Inclusion as they are means of strengthening people's resilience, through the provision of basic needs. Goals 8,9,10 and 11 are more inclined to issues of Economic Growth, whereas, goals 7,12,13,14 and 15 are more into environmental protection. For the achievement of all the goals, there is a need to strengthen governance through fostering peace and justice (SDG16) and working together in partnership (SDG17) where different stakeholders, including governments, INGOs, private sector firms, NGOs, Academia, International Development Agencies and others interested parties are involved. The 17 Goals aim to address the root causes of hunger, and poverty recognising that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies which build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities while tackling climate change and environmental protection.
Despite significant challenges, there is improvement in scores on health, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, and partnerships. However, the improvement is still below the rate needed to achieve the SDGs by 2030. There are several overarching areas and themes in most developing countries that need to be paid attention to in addition to the goal-specific actions that will be undertaken by various stakeholders. The overarching themes include:
- Stronger partnerships, coordination and collaboration;
- Deeper localisation and popularisation of the SDG agenda;
- Building a leadership culture for the SDG agenda at all levels;
- Promoting SDG-focused innovation by all the people in Uganda, especially young people;
- Focusing on Financing for SDGs – Harnessing Uganda's Potential, and Strengthening Technology and Information Systems in SDG Reporting.
This webinar aims to answer the following questions about what's next toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals:
- How can we effectively implement and monitor SDGs?
- What is the role of various stakeholders?
Date recorded:
3 December 2022