MPs join forces to achieve sustainable development goals
The speaker urged all MPs to actively participate in the SDG process
Members of Parliament (MPs) have joined hands to galvanise efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by fostering dialogue and catalysing actions.
They expressed this commitment in a leadership session titled "Parliamentarians' Engagement in Monitoring and Implementing SDGs: Progress and Priorities in Bangladesh" at the Jatiya Sangsad (Bangladesh parliament) on 7 May, reads a press release.
The United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Strengthening Institutions, Policies, and Service (SIPS) project and the Bangladesh Parliament jointly organised the session.
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Addressing the session, Dr Shirin Sharmin Choudhury, speaker of the parliament, emphasised Bangladesh's commendable strides in various SDG-aligned sectors, highlighting successes in poverty reduction, gender equality, healthcare, and education.
She also underscored persistent challenges such as climate change impacts and the imperative for inclusive economic growth and robust institutions.
The speaker urged all MPs to actively participate in the SDG process, suggesting the integration of SDG-related scopes into constituency areas during the upcoming budget session.
Shirin Sharmin proposed the formation of an SDG Caucus comprising selected MPs to strategise and execute action plans for SDG achievement.
The session provided a platform for approximately 100 representatives, with 74 MPs, to discuss the link between national development priorities and the SDGs.
Key topics included the vital role of parliamentarians in policymaking, resource allocation, and monitoring progress towards SDG achievement.
Sonali Dayaratne, the deputy resident representative of UNDP Bangladesh, highlighted the pivotal role of parliamentarians as bridges between the legislature and grassroots communities. Emphasising effective resource utilisation, she stressed the mandate of MPs in monitoring SDG implementation to ensure targets are met.
Corine Henchoz Pignani, head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, reiterated the partnership's commitment to smooth SDG implementation, with a special focus on SDG 16. She expressed eagerness to sustain this collaboration to realise Agenda 2030.
Earlier, KM Abdus Salam, senior secretary of the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat, delivered the welcome remarks, followed by an overview of SDG Progress and Priorities in Bangladesh by Akhter Hossain, principal coordinator for SDG Affairs at the Prime Minister's Office.
Md Abul Kalam Azad MP, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Undertakings, moderated the session.
