ALI AHMADOV: AZERBAIJAN HAS SERIOUS REASONS TO JOIN UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Baku hosted a meeting of the working groups of the National Coordination Council for Sustainable Development of Azerbaijan on February 8.

Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary of New Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmadov, addressing the event, noted the active participation of Azerbaijan in the UN global development initiatives.

“Azerbaijan is a part of the globalized world and the country is closely involved in ensuring a better life in the world,” emphasized Ahmadov.

The deputy prime minister said that, Azerbaijan has serious reasons to join UN Sustainable Development Goals 2016-2030. He said that the world is changing rapidly and that’s why joining of Azerbaijan to the program is normal.

“I suppose that by 2030 we will prepare a report on participation in the project. In this regard, we have great duties. I believe that we can successfully and timely overcome these duties. In May 2017, we should offer first voluntary report. Therefore we should accelerate work on preparing the voluntary report,” he said.

Ahmadov further noted that the work undertaken by the UN in connection of the program in Azerbaijan is highly appreciated.

The official further stressed that Azerbaijan will improve the system of compiling statistical data for the preparation of the UN report.

“Currently for preparation of a report on the achievement of sustainable development, Azerbaijan uses only 70 statistical indicators, while the reports should include more than 200 indicators,” he emphasized. 

Deputy Economy Minister Sevinj Hasanova, in turn, said that Azerbaijan joins many programs and initiatives of the UN, including Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by UN member on September 25-27, 2015. In total, 17 goals and 169 targets have been determined to be implemented in the period from 2016 to 2030.

To achieve the goals of sustainable development the National Coordination Council was established by a presidential decree on October 2016. Azerbaijan is the only country that created the National Coordinating Council for Sustainable Development, and this was highly assessed by the organization.

The council’s goal is to bring state programs and strategies covering the socio-economic sphere into line with the objectives of sustainable development.

Credit:Amina Nazarli, Azer News