About 500 officials, lecturers and students at Souphanouvong University in Luang Prabang province gained insight about the implementation of the nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) this week.
The information on SDGs was presented in Luang Prabang on Monday by speakers from international agencies along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Planning and Investment.
Attendees heard how the government is pursuing the national development policy and has mainstreamed the SDGs into its 8th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2016-2020), the Development Strategy 2025 and Vision 2030.
Some 193 leaders from United Nations (UN) member countries, including former Lao President Chommaly Sayasone attended the historic UN summit in New York on September 25, 2015 for the adoption of the international development agenda under the theme “Change Our World”.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development involves 17 SDGs that cover three dimensions – economic, social and environmental.
In addition to the 17 SDGs, the Lao government has adopted its national SDG 18: “Lives Safe from UXO”. Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon launched this SDGI8 on September 7 this year in Vientiane.
The targets of this particular SDG are to ensure that by 2030 residual UXO activities are undertaken and all known UXO contamination in high priority areas and all villages defined as ‘poor’ are cleared; that annual casualties from UXO accidents are eliminated to the extent possible; and that all identified UXO survivors and victims have their needs met.
PM Thongloun is head of the national committee for the SDGs implementation.
The 8th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2016-2020) aims to implement the resolutions of the 10th Party Congress, which was adopted by the National Assembly in April this year.
The government will focus on the achievement of the goals in its 8th Five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan, Development Strategy 2025 and Vision 2030, which include green growth and sustainable development, maintaining steady economic growth, achieving constant reductions of poverty and graduating from the least developed country status, among others.
Source: Vientiane Times
