Dear Editor,
A two days workshop on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) was organized at Banquet Hall, Itanagar on 21st & 22nd Dec, 2018 by Department of Planning & Investment, Govt of Arunachal Pradesh in collaboration with regional office of United Nation Development Programme, Guwahati . The main objective of the workshop was to sensitize the stakeholders on the 17 SDG and for building capacity to take forward these goals in the State. These Goals have been adopted in Sept 2015 Summit of United Nation Development Programme in New York City where some 170 Countries agreed to implement it and India is one of them. And they resolved to achieve these 17 Sustainable Development Goals in a time frame of 15 years from 2015 to 2030.
The selected 17 SDG Goals identified in different areas include eradicating poverty; zero hunger and food security for all; good health & well being; quality education for all; to build gender equality; clean water for all & better sanitation; affordable & clean energy; decent work & economy growth; industry, innovation & infrastructure; to reduce inequality; sustainable cities & communities; responsible consumption & production; climate action; life on land; life below water; peace, justice & strong institutions; partnerships for the goals.
However, SDGs workshop was held only for the Head of Departments of this State.
Not a single legislator, stakeholders nor common people participated in the workshop whereas the Sustainable Development Goals itself is targeted at local communities.
Though Panchayat Raj Institute and Urban Local Body are not functional currently in Arunachal Pradesh but the organizers should have at least invited the main stakeholders to this significant workshop in order to sensitize them.
Let us see how successful implementation of 17 SDGs will be in this mountainous land locked state whose geographical topography is quite different from other parts of this country.
Sincerely,
Taro Chatung,
Senior Journalist,
Itanagar