MINSK, 6 July (BelTA) – In 2020 Belarus improved its standing in the global Sustainable Development Goals Index (SDG Index). The country moved from the 23rd position to the 18th one among 166 countries. The improvement was discussed as Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, the national coordinator for reaching the SDGs Anatoly Isachenko met with Executive Director of the Dortmund International Education Center Astrid Zam on 6 July, BelTA has learned.
The meeting was arranged as a videoconference. Astrid Zam congratulated Belarus on moving up the ranks. The SDG Index measures how countries accomplish all the 17 SDGs and ranks them on the basis of their total score.
Cooperation in reaching SDGs was discussed during the meeting, including opportunities available via the German government's Belarus support program with assistance of regional workgroups on sustainable development. Astrid Zam suggested discussing and agreeing actions in this area and other ones.
Anatoly Isachenko stressed that Belarus appreciates the ability to cooperate with the Dortmund International Education Center in reaching SDGs. The national coordinator pointed out that Astrid Zam is a participant of the recently established Belarus-Germany strategic consultative group. Thus, matters of sustainable development have become part of the bilateral agenda, he noted. The deputy speaker of the upper chamber of the Belarusian parliament thanked the executive director and her colleagues for constructive cooperation and for the attention paid to regional aspects within the framework of the support program. “The importance of work on SDGs at the regional level was stressed at a recent session of the Sustainable Development Council. We intend to pay close attention to this area,” the senator said.
During the meeting the sides discussed matters of SDG achievement at the regional level, plans to study the experience of the German parliament in evaluating draft legislation for compliance with the SDGs. Prospects of organizing a Sustainable Development Week in Belarus were discussed. Talking to reporters, the deputy speaker explained that the week will include a series of events, which can be held in various formats taking into account the epidemiological situation. “It needs to be discussed not only with the executive director of the Dortmund center but also with the Sustainable Development Council, with the partner group and other interested parties,” he said. The Sustainable Development Week in Belarus is expected to become part of similar European weeks.
The program to support Belarus has been in progress since 2002. The Dortmund International Education Center is one of the parties responsible for implementing the program. The ninth stage of the program began in June 2019. Its focus areas include an inclusive and equal society, green transition and digital transformation, SDG localization, and the development of systems for monitoring and evaluating effects within the framework of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
