PM advises govt sectors on achieving sustainable development goals

Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has advised government sectors to continue their work towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under the slogan ‘Leaving No One Behind,’ to lift the nation out of the list of least developed countries.
The issue was discussed at the review meeting of the national committee for SDGs implementation from 2017-2020 in Vientiane on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith chaired the meeting which was attended by ministers and officials.
Prime Minister Thongloun stressed the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and working together with the international community to address current challenging issues.
Laos is targeting 17 SDGs, and especially the national Sustainable Development Goal No. 18 ‘Lives Safe from UXO’.
The meeting would review and discuss the progress and issues in SDGs implementation from 2017-2020, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic which had affected socio-economic development, particularly for developing countries, he said.
“The meeting is important for ministries and involved sectors to exchange experiences and discuss challenging issues and to set up ways and measures to address these and achieve the SDGs following the slogan ‘Leaving No One Behind’,” Mr Thongloun noted.
Currently, the government has integrated SDGs into the 8th five-year National Socio-economic Development Plan. Authorities will continue incorporating them into the 9th five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan with the measuring of 238 SDG indicators the responsibility of ministries and involved sectors.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Thongloun, ministers and officials also launched the new SDGs Mobile Application, which facilitates access to information and gathers data from all sectors of society working towards the SDGs in Laos.
Prime Minister Thongloun emphasised for all sectors to concentrate on tackling obstacles to achieve the goals and move the nation out of the list of least developed countries.
He also called on all sectors from central to community level to implement the SDGs and achieve the objective of ‘Leaving No One Behind’.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Lao government approved the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by all member states of the United Nations in 2015. This includes the 17 SDGs of the UN and Sustainable Development Goal No. 18 or “Lives Safe from UXO”, which was adopted by Laos in 2016.
The government is currently working with international organisations and development partners towards the SDGs, with the aim of alleviating poverty and fulfilling the conditions for graduation from least developed country (LDC) status.

By Phomphong Laoin
(Latest Update July 16, 2020)