The Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a joint statement of understanding on localisation of Sustainable Development Goals.
The agreement was signed by Sunil Kumar, Secretary, Panchayati Raj, and UNDP resident representative Shoko Noda.
At the signing of the joint statement of understanding on April 17 on Poverty Free and Enhanced Livelihoods Village, Mr. Kumar said, “Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) have been a critical component of local self-governance across rural India and we have witnessed the contribution of these institutions in achieving last-mile connectivity and execution of various schemes of different line department/ministries. SDGs too can be achieved only if we actively involve PRIs.”
About 65% of India’s population lives in rural areas and the government is increasingly routing the funding of social sector schemes in sectors such as sanitation, housing and solid waste management through rural local bodies, a statement by the UNDP said.
“The achievement of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 can happen only if we consider local context and situations. The MoPR-UNDP partnership will help in keeping local priorities on top of the agenda, while planning and implementing programmes,” Ms. Noda said.
The UNDP has been leading efforts in partnership with the NITI Aayog and the State governments, notably Haryana, Karnataka, Nagaland, Punjab and Uttarakhand, to localise and accelerate the SDGs through its signature solution of Sustainable Development Coordination Centres.
