NEDA to work with stakeholders more closely to hit sustainable dev’t goals

THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said it hopes to work more closely with stakeholders in achieving the Philippines’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It said in a statement Thursday that it organized a chamber for both government and non-government SDG stakeholders to more efficiently deploy resources.

“This chamber will serve as a platform for better resource management and coordination for the achievement of the SDGs by ensuring complementarity and support between government and non-government actors,” NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon was quoted as saying.

The plan for the chamber was presented before the Development Budget Coordination Committee’s (DBCC) sub-committee on SDGs during its organizational meeting on Aug. 27.

NEDA said the chamber will host pledging sessions to aid in the achievement of the SDGs.

“With the disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to further intensify the implementation of strategies to ensure the attainment of the SDGs. We have to catch up and prioritize what needs to be done amid these challenges,” Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said.

NEDA is seeking to include local governments, academic institutions, business groups, trade unions, youth organizations, other SDG-related institutions and vulnerable communities in the chamber.

It said some representatives from the United Nations will also be a part of the chamber.

NEDA said it will release a shortlist of qualified members within 45 days from issuing the call for membership. Membership is subject to review every year.

In December, the DBCC sub-committee on SDGs was created to assist the government in aligning its plans and projects with these development targets.

An SDG website was also launched in April 2019 to track the country’s progress.

The SDGs serve as a blueprint for achieving 17 goals set to address poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice, among others. — Beatrice M. Laforga