MINSK, 12 January (BelTA) - Belarus expects to establish a mechanism for continuous interaction of SDG national coordinators, Belarus' Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Dapkiunas said during a meeting with representatives of the foreign diplomatic corps in Minsk to discuss the organization of the first regional forum of national coordinators for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), BelTA has learned.
“We hope that this event will not be an one-off affair. I would like to reiterate that this event does not belong to Belarus but to all countries of the region. We hope to generate some interest among national coordinators and set up a mechanism to coordinate the activities of national SDG coordinators,” Andrei Dapkiunas said.
He noted that such a mechanism could operate both regionally and globally if other countries find the example of Europe and Central Asia useful.
The first regional forum of national SDG coordinators is scheduled to take place in Minsk on 21-22 February. The deputy minister stated that the Belarusian side, as the organizer, has received a lot of positive responses to the invitations that have been sent. “We thinks this interest is due to its uniqueness considering it is a debut event and its relevance as a platform for sharing the experiences,” the diplomat said.
It is expected that during the forum the national coordinators will present their experiences, best practices and recommendations on the organization of work. The discussion will provide participants with a better understanding of common problems, difficulties in achieving the sustainable development goals and strategic, institutional and practical measures to overcome them,” Andrei Dapkiunas said.
