A string of consultations are leading up to the Round Table Implementation Meeting, to be held in Vientiane province from November 24-25, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The cross-sectoral topics of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), effective development partnerships, food and nutrition security, green growth, climate change and disaster preparedness are in the limelight at the meeting.
These issues have also been discussed in several consultations in the weeks leading up to the meeting, UNDP reported.
The meeting serves as a forum to discuss how partners can collaborate on national development priorities. It will take stock of progress made in 2016 and guide the joint efforts in 2017.
As a main output of the meeting, the government is planning to endorse, with its partners, the Vientiane Declaration Country Action Plan for 2016-2025. This Action Plan outlines key actions to enhance effective development cooperation, and will help put into practice the SDGs and the 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan.
The Vientiane Declaration Country Action Plan and the revision of the Prime Minister’s Official Development Assistance Decree were discussed in a consultation last week.
Participants agreed that among other things private sector, civil society, and regional partners need to be brought to the table, and domestic resource mobilisation needs to be enhanced for sustainable development.
Another pre-consultation addressed the question how the global Agenda 2030, with the SDGs at its core, can be brought to the national context and accelerated.
The SDGs entered into force at the beginning of this year as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Their aim is to shift the world onto a sustainable development path, with 2030 as the target date.
The national round table process is being driven by 10 Sector Working Groups, jointly chaired by government and development partners, which promote information sharing, policy dialogue and joint action. Key messages distilled by the Sector Working Groups will flow into the Round Table Implementation Meeting.
This year’s Round Table Implementation Meeting will take in Vientiane province, shifting the focus to the provincial implementation of national policies.
Source: Vientiane Times
