The Parliament yesterday agreed to form a Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) committee at the parliament level to oversee the progress and challenges in the implementation of SDGs.
As per the findings of the Royal Audit Authority’s review report on preparedness for implementation of SDGs, Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC) lacked a separate coordinating and monitoring division fully dedicated to overseeing overall implementations of SDGs in the country. The 12th FYP adopted 17 SDGs after carefully mapping them to the National Key Result Areas.
As the house examined and assessed the review report, the members of the parliament called out for a need of a separate committee to supervise the progress and challenges in the implementation of the SDGs.
“There is a need for a separate coordinating and monitoring division fully dedicated to overseeing overall implementations of SDGs in the country. The 17 sustainable development goals are for a duration of fifteen years and we don’t have a record which updates us on the progress of various goals,” Dorji Wangdi, the MP for Panbang, said.
The MP also pointed out few goals prioritised by the government in 2015 which were not the priorities of the people as per the UN’s Global Survey 2017.
“I feel all the 17 SDGs are equally important. Every goal is an important goal and we can develop them as well. Considering the situation of our country in today’s world we did not prioritise good health, quality education and ending poverty goals this time. And If we compare our country with other countries in terms of SDGs, we are doing well,” the Lyonchhen informed the House.
Through the show of hands, the majority of the members present agreed to form a committee at the parliament level.
The Public Accounts Committee made four other recommendations and observations regarding the Audit Performance Report on the SDGs.
Meanwhile, yesterday’s session also saw deliberations on the implementation status of the resolutions of the 10th and 11th sessions of the second parliament.
The joint sitting of the parliament adopted all 15 recommendations the Public Accounts Committee made on the Performance Audit Report.
