Kathmandu, July 14 : Nepal emphasized on the necessity of renewed commitment for the global partnership to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and coordinated aid ahead of the Senior Level Meeting of Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation in New York.
The event was led by Ministry of Finance of Nepal and together with co-host Bangladesh on 12 July which provided a forum for consultation with countries in the Asia Pacific region to capture country level perspectives towards ensuring that the priorities of the countries in the region are reflected in the deliberations of the Senior Level meeting.
In Nepal, there is a significant financing gap to achieve the SDGs. The National Planning Commission has estimated that the average investment requirement is approximately Rs 2,025 billion per year, or about 48% of GDP on average, with Official Development Assistance (ODA) expected to shoulder about 18% of this financing requirement.
Addressing the event, Finance Secretary, Rajan Khanal, noted, the core commitments of aid effectiveness and quality of aid matters to the partner countries like Nepal. He also appreciated the role of the GPEDC, stating, “The commitments and exchange of experiences on development effectiveness at global level underpins our efforts at national level to improve the effectiveness of development cooperation”.
“Achieving the SDGs requires financial resources on a very large scale, but financing alone is not enough”, said UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Claire Van der Vaeren. It is critical that resources are used within a framework of accountability; that there is strong ownership by partner countries and a focus on results; and that development is pursued through inclusive partnerships, she stressed. The side event, organized with the support of UNDP and DFID, brought together over 40 participants, including government representatives from 10 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as from civil society, private sector, parliaments, multilateral organizations, and cooperation provider countries.
A panel of eight distinguished speakers featured government representatives from Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Japan, and UNDP. Nepal will deliver its national statement during the ministerial segment that begins on 16 July.
The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) this year will conclude on 18 July. The HLPF is the central platform of the United Nations for providing political leadership, guidance and recommendations for the implementation and follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda. The Forum is reviewing progress towards achieving SDGs 4, 8, 10, 13 and 16 in addition to the annual review of SDG 17. RSS
