Eswatini begins preparations for SDG Summit 2023

The Kingdom of Eswatini, with support from the United Nations, has embarked on a consultative process with key stakeholders as part of the country’s preparations for the Sustainable Development Goals Summit to be held on 18-19 September 2023 in New York.

The SDG Summit is expected to provide a unique opportunity for world leaders to renew their commitments and propose transformative action for achieving Agenda 2030 despite the multiple challenges faced by the globe in recent years.

The Eswatini consultations are expected to culminate in the development of the SDG Recovery and Acceleration Plan, or the SDGs Rescue Plan.  “The reality is that the multiple crises of the last three years have dealt a major blow to the implementation efforts of SDGs globally, including here in Eswatini,” UN Resident Coordinator, George Wachira, told journalists at a media briefing held at the Mountain View in Mbabane on 21 July 2023.

Mr. Wachira congratulated Eswatini for making significant strides towards the SDGs despite the challenging times. “The SDG Summit comes soon after Eswatini presented its second Voluntary National Review of the SDGs in 2022,” he said. “According to the VNR report, some of the positive developments include the increase in the overall amount of external assistance to the country by 34.6% between 2018/19 and 2020/21. We also know that Eswatini also made tremendous progress in the health sector especially in relation to HIV/AIDS, and in education.”

Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Dr. Thambo Gina announced that teams will be deployed to the regions to get inputs for the Rescue Plan from all sectors. “The stakeholder consultations will be inclusive and participatory involving representatives from government, government parastatals, private sector, academia local government, municipalities, youth, women and persons with disabilities amongst other,” said the Minister. “Stakeholders are encouraged to contribute to this process as this will indicate their commitment in working with government accelerate progress for SDGs whose progress is stagnant or lagging behind. These are the SDGs that need to be rescued as there is a risk of them not being met by 2030. As government, we need to work with partners in accelerating the implementation of the SDGs in the remaining 7 years of the SDGs implementation. Eswatini needs to take action now so that the country is not left behind or is on the sustainable development path as other developing countries.”

Globally, as part of the preparations for the SDG Summit, the UN has launched a campaign, called Act Now for the SDGs, to rally support for the SDGs. The campaign aims to amplify the urgent call for ambitious new action, showcase the Goals as the blueprint for sustainable progress globally, and galvanize the global public around this shared agenda for our common future. Eswatini will also rollout the public awareness campaign on radio, outdoor and social media.