Nepal highlights key priorities of SDG implementation

KATHMANDU, JULY 18: Vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Min Bahadur Shrestha, has highlighted the impacts of multiple crises on Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Delivering a statement on behalf of the LDCs at the General Debate of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, USA, on July 17, he also underscored the key priorities for accelerating the implementation of the SDGs in the LDCs.

The NPC Vice-chair attended the Opening of the three-day High-level Ministerial Segment of the Forum earlier the same day, as stated in a press release by the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York. Dr. Shrestha, on the occasion, urged the global community to rally behind the Doha Programme of Action for LDCs to ensure its full and timely implementation and support LDCs in achieving structural transformation through innovation and technology transfer.

He emphasized the importance of multilateralism and the need for the reform of the global financial architecture. Vice-chair Shrestha also called on the global community to allocate SDG Stimulus to support the implementation of SDGs, as well as to mobilize SDRs worth 100 billion dollars for the LDCs. "The LDCs must be the center of global focus: SDGs will succeed if LDCs succeed," he further emphasized. Dr. Shrestha arrived in New York on July 13, 2023, leading a Nepali delegation to the High-level Political Forum.

The delegation includes Prakash Pantha, Member of Parliament and Chair of the Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee of the National Assembly, Mahesh Kumar Bartaula and Madhav Sapkota, Members of the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament, secretaries, officials of the Government of Nepal, and officials of the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations.

This year's HLPF is being held at the UN Headquarters from July 10 to July 19, 2023, under the theme "Accelerating the recovery from the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels."