Global partnership must leverage SDGs delivery: Debapriya -The Asian Age

Prominent economist Debapriya Bhattacharya has said the committed global support measures have to be delivered to make the national efforts successful and help implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). "Regrettably, such support from global partnership is yet to come by, even two years after the adoption of this ambitious universal agenda," said the economist, also Chair of the Southern Voice on Post-MDG International Goals, a network of more than 50 think tanks from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

He said the global 2030 Agenda is based on integrated and indivisible SDGs. Debapriya, also a Distinguished Fellow at Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), was speaking in New York at a session titled 'Leveraging Inter-linkages for Effective Delivery of SDGs', at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Friday.

The HLPF is the highest body of the United Nations member states, which annually takes stock of the progress in SDGs implementation. Debapriya said there is no adequate instrument at the UN that can ensure the accountability of the external stakeholders in the development of the lagging countries.

He suggested revision of the guidelines of the Voluntary National Review (VNR) mechanism to reflect explicitly the inter-linkages between the domestic and international efforts. The economist lamented that the current state of global economic governance is impeding faster growth of the developing countries. These factors include international trade negotiations, illicit financial outflows, international tax measures, transfer of technology, climate financing and intellectual property rights regime.

The other speakers at the session were Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UN AIDS and Charles-Arden-Clarke, Head, Economy Division, UN Environment Program. Irene Khan, Executive Director, International Development Law Organization (IDLO), served as the lead discussant.

Minh-Thu Pham of UN Foundation moderated the session, while Ambassador Marie Chatardova of Czech Republic and Vice President of UN Economic and Social Council was in the chair. Debapriya was invited for the third consecutive time to address the HLPF in New York, said a press release on Saturday.

-UNB