The year 2016 introduces the second batch of global development agendas with the completion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) timeframe in 2015, as the world had committed 15 years ago. The new set of global goals named Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been adopted by the countries to guide actions for the next 15 years, starting 2016. Accordingly, the UN member countries have agreed to 17 development goals for the next 15 years, which is more than double the number of goals outlined in the MDGs. This presents an unprecedented opportunity to bring together countries of the world and to collectively embark on this new path to transform peoples' lives right across the globe.While Nepal aspires for development and prosperity after the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015, it is a happy coincidence that a new set of global development priorities is also at the start of implementation. It is now important to combine the development aspirations of the constitution with the development priorities set out by the SDGs, taking youth as the "driving force" with the ultimate goal of lifting Nepal to the status of a developing country by 2022, which is also the aim of Nepal's 13th development plan.
While we talk of our demographic dividend as a young country, how we utilize our youth to deliver the SDGs is of vital importance. Today's youth population, particularly Generation 2030, who will become adults during the 15-year span of the SDGs, have the ambition, commitment and vested interest in seeing the success of this transformative development agenda, by 2030 and beyond. The post-2015 process has been unprecedented in terms of youth involvement and participation in a global process, and now, this should be referred as the standard for the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs in the future, both at global and local levels, in which young people can play a crucial role.
The achievements of these goals rely more on the ownership of the citizens especially youths of the country and their active engagement as they are the real change makers. The ownership of the SDGs should trickle down from global to national and then to the local level. The SDGs of Nepal are more likely to be achieved if we can promote them among our youths, which in turn can generate ripple effect for wider participation of citizens to implement and monitor the development interventions in response to SDG targets.
The youth can contribute significantly for overall success of the SDGs as critical thinkers and innovators, communicators, data openers and advocacy leaders, thereby making themselves the strongest implementation and monitoring partners of the SDGs.
Youth role should be sought right from the day when we start thinking of contextualizing the SDGs targets, and designing program intervention in the context of Nepal. Youth should be acknowledged as critical thinkers, thereby opening the space for the country to think out of the box. We have already spent 15 years in the course of MDGs, following the traditional pattern that couldn't take us to our desired destination. It is high time we engage young minds in order to develop innovative ideas for robust program interventions to honor our commitments for the Generation 2030.
Outside the international and national development sectors, too few people are aware that world leaders and countries have come to a historic, far-reaching agreement to eradicate poverty by 2030. Moreover, very few people understand the significance of the SDGs and their impact in the life of common citizens. Time and again, people take the SDGs as global commitments, a big stuff to be discussed and followed at the global level. But the missing part is the implications of this global agenda to the country's plans and programs and their implications for individuals at grassroots level. Young people can be partners in communicating the significance of development agendas to their peers and communities at the local level and to spread awareness at the national level.
The other challenge is to track progress and results. Data is the key to measure achievements. Narratives alone can no more be the basis of evidence to measure results until they are backed by data. The "open data" principle should be adopted, inviting youths to work on data. Youth can be engaged to open and disaggregate the data we already have but which are currently dumped in folders and systems, to map where Nepal stands on different development indicators.
The youth should be at the forefront of the "data revolution" to produce evidence and facts. With fact and figures in hand, the youth can lead evidence-based advocacy to monitor implementation of SDGs and measure progress against SDG targets. Youth literacy and accessibility to IT can be crucial to manage data in a more usable and accessible form, pushing data out for wider use and ignite fact-based discussion among stakeholders and citizens on development issues at different levels of decision making.
Thus the youth can play a pivotal role as development leaders in implementation and monitoring of SDGs. Youth should consider this their responsibility as they are the generation who will "harvest the results". The adoption of National Youth Policy followed by "Youth Vision 2025" by Nepal government has opened up multiple avenues for youth to participate in the process and make a positive impact. The youth should not miss this opportunity to transform the country from a least developed country to a developing country, despite the many obstacles on the way.
The author is Country Program Manager, Skillshare Nepal
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