22 September 2023, Kathmandu. NGO Federation of Nepal organized ‘Multi-stakeholder Discussion on the Sustainable Development Goals’ jointly with Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee of the National Assembly of the Federal Parliament. Members of parliament, government and civil society came together to review and reflect on the progress made on the SDGs at a time when the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is going through the mid-point review. The Conference was chaired by Hon. Prakash Pantha, Chairperson of the Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee. Hon. Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, Chairperson of the National Assembly was the chief guest whereas Hon. Urmila Aryal, Vice Chairperson of the National Assembly and Ms. Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, United Nations Resident Coordinator were present in the program as special guests. Chief guest and special guests jointly unveiled the Civil Society Report on the SDGs 2023. It contains the collaborative analysis and recommendations on the progress of SDGs by the civil society organizations or members of Nepal SDGs Forum. Likewise, report on analysis and recommendations on the children and SDGs were also launched. These reports bring out the civil society perspectives and position on the progress of SDGs implementation, with recommendations to follow by the government, development partners, civil society and others. Some of the key messages that the speakers echoed are that greater partnership is required for the implementation of SDGs; realizing ‘leave no one behind’ is constrained by lack of data, targeted programs and investment; infrastructure and systems must be established to collect and manage data and strengthen monitoring and accountability; implementation of the fundamental rights, good governance, inclusion and justice are the foundations and means for the achievement of the SDGs; integration of the SDGs at all levels and localization are crucial but still ineffective; political ownership and commitment are weak; and coordination and harmonization among the government agencies both vertically and horizontally are also weak. As the conference concluded, it was evident that this collaborative effort between the National Assembly of the Parliament and civil society organizations is a promising step towards accelerating progress on the SDGs in Nepal. With continued commitment and cooperation, the nation would be likely to make significant strides towards a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
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