National Thematic Workshop on Localization of Sustainable Devt. Goals

Ministry of Panchayat Raj (MoPR), Government of India, in close collaboration with Panchayati Raj & Rural Development Department, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, is organizing the National Workshop on Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) in Gram Panchayats through Adopting Thematic Approaches on Theme 8: Panchayat with Good Governance during 21-23 August 2023 in Srinagar J&K. 

Vision of LSDGs Theme 8 – Good governance is an essential ingredient for socio-economic development of the country. It centers around the responsibility of government and governing bodies to meet the needs of the masses as opposed to select groups in society - “The way those with power use that power.

Key highlight of Workshop on Localization of Sustainable Devt. Goals

• The main objective of the workshop will be exhibiting the best strategies, approaches, convergent actions and innovative models in context to capacity building & training; best practices; monitoring framework, incentivization and reflection of themes of SDGs into Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).

• ‘Meri Panchayat Mobile app’ developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Operating Guidelines of NCBF, Service-level Benchmarks, Self-Assessments and Model Contract will be released during the inaugural session of the National Workshop.

• The Ministry of Panchayat Raj, Government of India has adopted the thematic approach to SDGs – It is an approach to ensure ‘local action’ for achieving ‘global plan’. 

  • The approach aims to localise SDGs in rural areas through PRIs, especially Gram Panchayats by clubbing 17 ‘Goals’ into ‘9 Themes’. 

  • Appropriate policy decisions and revisions have followed resulting into revamping of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) and Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Guidelines which smoothens the process of Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) in Gram Panchayats.

• A Village with Good Governance must necessarily have very vibrant, strong, and active Gram Sabha wherein there is large popular participation, informed discussion and Inclusive decision making it is envisaged that Gram Panchayat act as an information facilitation centre including proactive disclosure of all information and has in place an effective grievance redressal mechanism.

What are Sustainable Goals?

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

• The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

• Background

  • In June 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, more than 178 countries adopted Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan of action to build a global partnership for sustainable development to improve human lives and protect the environment.

  • Member States unanimously adopted the Millennium Declaration at the Millennium Summit in September 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York. The Summit led to the elaboration of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce extreme poverty by 2015.

  • The Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Plan of Implementation, adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa in 2002, reaffirmed the global community's commitments to poverty eradication and the environment, and built on Agenda 21 and the Millennium Declaration by including more emphasis on multilateral partnerships.

  • At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012, Member States adopted the outcome document "The Future We Want" in which they decided, inter alia, to launch a process to develop a set of SDGs to build upon the MDGs and to establish the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.