KATHMANDU, Jan 17: Nepal is going to prepare a 'Voluntary National Review' report on sustainable development by June and present it at the meeting of the high-level political forum under the United Nations (UN).

The National Planning Commission (NPC) organized a Voluntary National Review Workshop in Kathmandu on Tuesday and took suggestions from various fields. In relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Nepal has reviewed the achievements achieved up to 2023 and took opinions and suggestions about the future course of action.

Earlier, Nepal had reviewed for the first time in 2017 and for the second time in 2020. The NPC said that it would be reviewed for the third time within the next six months.

Dr Min Bahadur Shrestha, Vice-Chairperson of the NPC, has provided an assessment of the work carried out by Nepal in achieving the SDGs.

He said that Nepal is fully committed to achieving the sustainable development goals and all the three levels of the government - federal, provincial and local - are playing a role to achieve the set goals.

Shrestha said that the 16th five-year periodic plan being prepared to be implemented from the next fiscal year 2023/24 is also preparing a draft action plan with the goal of upgrading from least developed countries and achieving sustainable development goals by the year 2030.

The Sustainable Development Implementation and Monitoring Committee under the coordination of the Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission is working to prepare the third national voluntary review on sustainable development.

The Economic Management Division of the NPC is functioning as the Secretariat. Vice Chairman Shrestha also said that Nepal will present this report at the meeting of the high-level political forum under the United Nations in July.

In the program, Hana Singer Hamdy, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations for Nepal, praised the work Nepal is doing to achieve the SDGs and said that efforts should be made for more progressive results.

Shed emphasized that Nepal should be more responsible for the sustainable development goals and upgrading work as the country that is the chair of the least developed countries. In 2015, all member states of the United Nations ratified and started implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (2016-2030).

Nepal has also prepared and implemented the 'Sustainable Development Goals for Nepal 2016-30 Roadmap'. It has reviewed the achievement of sustainable development goals in 2022 and determined the current situation and future roadmap.

According to the latest data of the NPC, Nepal has so far achieved about 43 percent progress in achieving the SDGs. According to the commission, the workshop was organized in coordination with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific region.

The workshop was attended by the representatives of all relevant ministries, Nepal Rastra Bank, policy and planning commissions of all provinces, National Federation of Rural Municipalities, National Association of Municipalities in Nepal, representatives of the private sector, governmental and non-governmental organizations, cooperative sector and others.

 
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