No 'one size fits all' approach for localisation of SDGs: India at UN
India’s Permanent Representative the United Nations TS Tirumurti said that breaking down goals and implementation to sub-national and local levels is the only way to succeed in achieving SDG targets
India on Thursday said that there is no "one size fits all" approach for localisation of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Speaking at the United Nations's high-level political forum (HLPF) on the issue, India also noted that the countries should experience and learn from each other to implement the 2030 Agenda.
The comments were made by India’s Permanent Representative the United Nations TS Tirumurti. "How can localisation of SDGs contribute to leaving no one behind?" asked Tirumurti and said, the global Covid-19 pandemic is threatening to disrupt the "decade of action".
"It goes without saying that we need to work together collectively to ensure that all countries, especially the vulnerable ones, stay their course on the 2030 SDG Agenda," he further said.
The 2030 SDG Agenda is the global effort to mobilise actions and commitments to achieve clean, affordable energy for all by 2030.
Tirumurti added that he is convinced "due to the localisation efforts we are undertaking, our path to implementing the 2030 Agenda will be relatively smooth even in the face of the pandemic."
The diplomat further said that breaking down goals and implementation to sub-national and local levels is the only way to succeed in achieving SDG targets. "Localisation also allows developing local solutions to local challenges by empowering provincial and local levels of government," the Indian envoy also said at the forum.
Speaking on the same, Tirumurti also gave an example of successful implementation of localisation of SDGs as he highlighted India's aspirational districts programme which focuses on more than 100 developmentally challenged districts across five sectors such as health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and skill development.
The programme involves real-time monitoring of 49 indicators across the five focus areas on the 'champions of change' dashboard, with a monthly ranking of the best-performing districts. It has also strengthened the technical and administrative capacities of the districts through collaboration with development partners for providing technical expertise and skills training.
UNDP's appraisal report released in June this year pointed out that the programme is a very successful global model of "local area development" by leveraging local structures of governance with multi-stakeholder partnerships, to ensure that localisation of the SDGs becomes a reality.
(With inputs from ANI inputs)
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